Some editors do read forums, as I do find it a way to be aware of what is going on with this aspect of the knife world. And I do find some of the posts informative--and some, especially when I know the poster, has had my wife looking into the room and ask, "Why in the world are you laughing so loud?"
My contribution to this thread originally was not a post but a column in Knives Illustrated in which I commented in a non-specific generalization that just because one has a computer, hours to spend reading and posting to forums, and an opinion--does not mean one have a clue about what they are saying in that posting. I stand by that statement.
An idiot in an insane asylum with a computer can post to an online forum with the same ease as someone with 40 years in the game.
There are plenty of people who post on forums who do have a clue about what they speak. They've paid their dues, they've done the research, they've been intelligent observers. (One of the posters here I pay to write for Knives Illustrated by the way). If I'm buying articles from a poster I don't think it can be said that I don't have respect for some posters on the online forums.
Unfortunately, to some, whether the poster knows what he is talking about or does not, there is no filter, there is no credibility meter, the statements are just added to the thread, same size type, same type face, and no way for the less informed to tell the difference--so it ALL becomes gospel to them.
That is one of the advantages of knife magazines. As editors we filter out a lot of the crap. You will not read in a knife magazine that some knifemaker "pours his blades". (I once read that misstatement about Randall Knives in an early online forum). Collectively the years in the knife game of Steve Shackleford, Steve Dick, Mark Zalesky and myself will exceed close to 20 years in every instance. We are paid to know the subject, and put together a mix of interesting informative articles that readers will like to read. If we fail in that then don't subscribe--it is an open marketplace.
But also realize there is a possibility that if you do not read ALL the knife magazines there is a chance, a darn good chance, that between the writing of the editors and writers of the various publications you will often learn something you didn't know and that same information and insight will not always be available in a forum. And in a knife magazine you will know for sure when it is published there that at least two other people with the background to know the difference have looked at that article for credibility, accuracy, and content.
That doesn't happen in an online forum--there is no filter. That is not to say I do not learn things on here too--I do, but I also find I have to spend a lot of time wading through sometimes useless blather and personal banter to find them. There quite a bit of wading to be done in this thread alone--as well as some dead-on advice if those involved have enough presence of mind to follow it. Unfortunately sometimes it is hard to tell the good advice from the blather.
I read knife magazines (all of them), and I surf forums (although I do not post much), and the knife industry gains from both. If you are serious about knives I don't really think you can afford to neglect either.
If you only read forums and do not read knife magazines I would venture to say you are only half-informed.
I read everything I can about knives for several reasons. 1. I like to read everything I can about knives. 2. I want to stay informed about every aspect of knives. 3. If I am not informed, then obviously I would be ignorant about some things going on in the world of knives--and as this is my life/profession/obsession, I care too much to let that happen.
