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Mr. Russell is a basic member here at bf.c. A basic member is a private individual participating as such. Mr. Russell is welcome to be a basic member and to participate as such. He is welcome to particpate as A. G. Russell, knife collector and knife enthusiast. But when he starts promoting his own business, when he starts participating as A. G. Russell, well-known knife dealer and owner of A. G. Russell Knifes, Inc., then he is abusing his basic membership.

As a well-known knife dealer who chooses to be a basic member here at bf.c, he needs to be especially careful to respect that line. His membership grade here at bf.c allows him to participate only as a private individual, not as a businessman and well-known knife dealer.

Some of you who are participating in this thread are gold members. You enjoy special priviliges here that are not available to basic members. You've paid for that. How would you feel if Spark suddenly allowed some basic members to have for free what you had to pay for? You'd cry "unfair!" You'd demand a refund. Likewise, it would be unfair to the other dealers who have paid for dealer membership to allow one well-known dealer to abuse basic membership to promote his business.
 
AG is one of, if not *the*, biggest dealers in the knife industry. We have a strict policy here on BladeForums.com - if you want to advertise for your store, you need to do the right thing and support the forums that you want to make money from.

AG sent out an email stating, succintly, "Hey, spread the word - I'm taking 25% off my regular prices for military guys. Put this on as many forums as possible". That's advertising folks. Furthermore, it's using other people to do your advertising for you - essentially trying to skirt the rules of this site - and insulting the dealers who do their part to make sure this site can stay open.

I don't have a problem with AG. I don't have a problem with people helping the military. I have a big problem with using "I'm being patriotic!" as an excuse to try to bypass paying your own way. Tell the phone company you don't want to pay your phone bill because you were talking to a military member... see where that gets you.

Whatever his motives, AG knows we have a dealer program, he just chose not to use it. BladeForums.com has a specific area for sales, and the General & community forums aren't it. AG is more than welcome to purchase a dealer membership, and advertise all the sales he wants in that section. Until then, he may not advertise on this site at all.
 
Hi Ed,
Originally posted by Practical Use
So Mr. Russell wants to do something nice and his offer "is at a minimum, redundant or superfluous."
Click to expand...
I applaud you for catching the symbolic parallelism of that subtle wordplay, for I was certain it would go unobserved.
 
Spark, very good points and I now understand the other mods replies better.

Being one of the biggest dealers I don't understand why AG don't buy a dealer membership.

Mr. Russell,
Just think of all the advertising you could post on BF then.
I have no idea what advertising cost or what other kind of advertising you could get for $850. But it seems you could post a lot of advertising in one year on BF for that one time fee.

Just my thought
:)
 
Originally posted by A. G. Russell
Architect, Will'em, APM, Raptor, DaveH:

Help me find a way to give 100 combat knives to troops who need them, that is combat troops and we will see where the program goes after the first 100.

A. G.
Click to expand...

The debate over advertising aside, I'd like to see these knives find there way into the hands of some forward deployed troops myself.

Mr. Russell,
I'm discreetly (on your behalf) looking into this.;)

--The Raptor--
 
If anyone wants to donate 1, 10, 100, or 1000 knives to the military, start by calling up your local base of your choice. Heck, call up the Pentagon if you have a massive amount - but you can talk to any Battalion, Brigade or Division Sergeant Major or S4 / G4 honcho - they will make sure that the knives get used.

Personally, my suggestion to manufacturers when they ask about donations is to get ahold of the battalion level honchos - it's fastest and easiest - plus the knives don't wind up in some pogues gear when Joe Snuffy the E3 could use it on the line. A Battalion or Brigade CSM will find a good way to make use of anything you provide that a GI would need.

Kevin
 
And from what I've read here in your (collective) posts, you're all correct (from your perspective), and so probably will, albeit unnecessarily IMNSHO... ;)

That said, a few things need to be mentioned...

I made that post last night, after receiving an email from a friend asking me to pass it on...apparently the same email that Spark mentioned.

It seemed like a good offer, a good idea, so I posted it...

I didn't know if it was 'appropriate' or not, but I figured if it wasn't, it would be moved or modified...and it was, no big deal.

As to the advertising, membership status, etc...that's business. Not my business, therefore not my concern...you guys 'do what cha got to do', and that goes for all parties involved...but again, it's not my concern.

As to original intent, who knows? I sure don't. But, I do know something about the man worth 'sharing', and so I will...

A.G. Russell is a friend of mine, a man that has been extremely considerate and generous with his time to me, to thousands before me, and hopefully to thousands more after...

To know the man is to love him...and I mean that sincerely, on a personal level. To belittle, deride, or otherwise make untoward comments about him shows a distinct lack of understanding of the contributions this man has made to the cutlery industry, and our hobby in general, over the last 40 years. That's very bad form guys, very bad indeed!

That said, and this from the 'business' standpoint, the proper action here it would seem, would be for A.G. to buy the dealer membership and advertise his offer in the appropriate forum...that if he wishes to make his offer public on this particular venue. That, or refrain from making offers here that would appear to some, to be advertisements.

(And that, I think, was the point being made by the management here)

Anyhoo, no harm, no foul...just a misunderstanding guys. Let's leave it at that.

Mel
 
Well, I see that Mark Twain was right "No good deed goes unpunished"

It seems that no matter what I do, I am a viilain.

I wonder if it would suit my detractors if I only gave away some other makers knives, with my name no where on them?

Maybe the all knowing Gollnick could arrange a way this could be handled so that my name was not involved?

Believe it or not money is not everything to everybody.

A. G.
 
Tell you what, AG. If you want to give away knives to troops, you can be my guest - I'll fully support it, and I'll be right behind you giving you the recognition you deserve.

But don't advertise a sale and try to hide it behind "patriotism". You know better. And don't come on here trying to sell and play it off as something else. You want to do the right thing, then do it. You know Blade Magazine wouldn't run an ad for you for free, why do you think I'm going to roll over for this? Wrong answer bud.
 
Mr. Russell,
Originally posted by A. G. Russell
It seems that no matter what I do, I am a viilain.
Click to expand...
This is wholly untrue. How about these two villain-less actions as suggestions?
  1. Please quietly donate your knives. What a wonderful action that would give both you and Goldie great amounts of personal fulfillment.
  2. You can place your Dealer Membership application.[/list=1]
 
Shame on all of you who question Mr. Russell's motivation for his support of our troops. At a time like this we should all be behind not only A.G., but the cause he is rallying. I applaud you, A.G., I believe your heart was in the right place, as it has always been in the past. God Bless America, and our troops.
Jim Nevill
 
Originally posted by A. G. Russell
Well, I see that Mark Twain was right "No good deed goes unpunished"


Believe it or not money is not everything to everybody.

A. G.
Click to expand...

Since this is your own opinion, A.G., Place your Dealer membership order here.

After all money is not everything to everybody, right? This must include you, since you were bold enough to state it, and the $850 Dealer membership shouldn't mean a thing to you. Chump change, right?
 
Who said anything about chump change?It was clear as a bell what A G meant by money is not everything to everybody. And now you are putting words in his mouth this after the physic reading you all gave him when you read his mind and told him what he was really thinking. I think what he should have said is F U C K it................R
 
This is bloody ridiculous, this carry-on.

On any fair analysis, Spark and crew have every right to adopt the position they have. I don't doubt AG has sincere motives, but there is every other way of achieving the same objective. Even AG's close friend (apparently) Melvin, who hasn't struck me around the place as being a dill, doesn't disagree, for heaven's sake. If nothing else, it was open to AG to request a 'special dispensation' or something of that kind, in this particular instance. To assume there wouldn't a problem was presumptious, clearly.

Patriotism, loyalty, what money means and so on makes stuff all difference.
 
Switched and Blackeye4you I want to thank you and my friends and just reasonable people for your support

It is, after all, Sparks ball and bat and he can do with it as he will. Notice that with the exception of Gollnick all who oppose the idea have been moderators, who, indeed are right to support their leader.

and after all their behavior got me to donate 100 combat knives in addition to the 25% discount which is larger than some think.

I will find some one in Kuwait or Afganistan to get me the address for a dozen or so company first sergeants

I will try really hard to do nothing else that can be seen as advertizing on Sparks turf.

I will send Spark $100 for his pain and to please Ron and his buddy, I do not want to be thought a freeloader


sorry about the fuss A. G.
 
This is bloody ridiculous, this carry-on.

Concur. This thread is a great example of how to miscommunicate in cyberspace.

AGR deserves more respect than he's gotten here - the comments regarding his supposed "motive" have been laughably sanctimonious.
 
I don't want to get caught up in the whole advertising argument, but if you want to get free knives to troops, my boy is in the persian gulf right now. He's a Gunner's Mate on an amhhibious landing craft tender that hosts SEAL teams and some of the Marine's 15th Expeditionary Forces. He works on their weapons and could distribute them directly to guys who could use the knives. If this interests you, email me and I'll give you his FPO address you that you can ship them direct, or you can ship them to me and I'll forward them to him.

I can't swear that they'll get to troops in Afganistan specifically, but they will definitely get to an active unit that's going into ugly places.

jmx
 
Spark, A.G. don't ya think this has gone on long
enough?? :rolleyes:

Both of you fella's have contributed much to the
knife industry as a whole in your own way and a
spat such as this is demeaning to you both. :(

My suggestion it to lock this thread before both
of you do harm to your fans and supporters and move
on. Run your business as you see fit but keep your
differences on professional level.

Please .....let's do the right thing here:D
 
I'm not a moderator, but I gagree that they are completely right, and have given great suggestions here. I will get you an appropriate name and number at Tinker AFB if you want to donate knives to troops, or at. shoot, whatever the fort is down south of me. But this was advertising and you know it. plain and simple. That's why you asked, because you already had your conscience jiggling your elbow. The moderators are absolutely right, you were using this war as an attempt to get free advertising. maybe you are truly trying to be patriotic, but you knowingly tried to sneak around the rules, and got caught at it. Act like an adult, and just admit you made a mistake. If you would just do that, isntead of acting like a kid, I'm sure this thread would have been deleted and we all could ahve moved on by now. Personally, seeing the childish way you've acted on this, I'm going to have to suggest to anyone I know that they do NOT purchase any blades from you, knowing that there are many other good dealers and makers out there who are doing their part for the country and not trying to get free advertising on BFC out of it.
 
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