Knifemakers associations

[golok]

I understand that there are more than a handful of knifemakers associations around. Each probably has its own objectives and mission statement.

There would probably be advantages and privileges of being a member of such organisations. However, as in any organisation, members come and go.

It's the "go" aspect that I am curious about. From what I heard, some of these organisations lose more members faster than they can recruit them.

Perhaps it's the personality factor. Somebody cannot get along with someone else somewhere. And it's downhill from there. Usually it has nothing to do with the organisation. Groupings sometimes face personality conflicts and get "done in" by this kind of distraction.

What are some of the factors that make knifemakers associations durable and progressive?

 

[Gus Kalanzis]

My thoughts and observations only.
The organizations that do the most to teach and support new makers are the ones that I try to support as a collector. Members teach each other without holding things back. In time a brotherhood and sisterhood develops. The young ones who learned want to make their mentors proud. I know many mentors that take as much satisfaction seeing a beginner grow and become successful as the people they have helped along the way. Not all of them belong or participate heavily in organizations, but I think an organization must foster those mentoring aspects of knife making to insure long term success. As a collector I feel it is an honor to support those makers and organizations who share their knowledge. I also feel that the organizations play an important role in the constant rise in quality of custom knives which is evident from year to year without exception.

If you are a collector of knives, getting involved with and supporting the organizations that you identify with is a very rewarding thing to do from the aspects of friends you will make and knowledge you will glean.

 

[John Andrews]

You gentlemen put that very well! We are working to organize a fellowship of knifemakers and knife interested folks here in the USA midwest. This same area had an organization evaporate some time in the past, for reasons unknown. Future makers are the secret to sucess, I beleive. I will have a couple of interested youths in my shop, having at the steel this summer. I'm really looking forward to it. If I had the same opportunity years ago, I would have gotten into knife making much sooner, and had an easier path to travel. At least, they will know more about knives and how to make them safely. And I'll have the ultimate joy of sharing knife making with someone that really appreciates creating something instead of hanging out at the mall or some late night streetcorner. Yep, it's going to be a lot of fun!