What led you to Blade Forum

dipbait

dipbait

Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Messages
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What led you to BladeForum?
Me, I saw a knife at a thrift shop. Didnt know much about it. Googled it and it led me here. Ended up buying that knife as it was worth much more than what I paid for it.
 
I came across an ad in Blade Magazine for some dealer called Chai Cutlery. I checked out the website which was very interesting. Not just about knives. The dealer was James Mattis. He wrote that he was a moderator on "Bladeforums" so I came here to see what was going on.

Over 30,000 posts later I'm still trying to figure out what's going on. :D
 
I decided to google up 'Knives' to see what was new, to try out the new broadband connection. Then I saw this site, and that same afternoon I started posting.
 
I bought a couple of Busses from Thatmguy at some gun shows, and he mentioned the Busse forum on BFC. I am not a netzien, and had never been on a forum before. Been here since :thumbup:
 
About 10+ years ago I was searching for info on how to sharpen knives. Came across a posting from Joe Talmadge and have been reading ever since. Not to mention, bought a few knives along the way.:eek:
 
I think I did a search for Knife forums, and found BF. I think, as I honestly do not remember. But, I have been here ever since.
 
I read an article in a knife rag about Busse Basics, searched online, found the Busse forum here, and spent the next several years(and several thousand $$) trying every kind of knife and steel I could get my hands on...which is kind of funny, considering that I've discovered that the stuff I had to begin with was just fine:o
But it's sure been fun:D
 
My son is a Marine and I was looking to get him some good gear. I lurked for several months, gleaning information from the experts. I ended up getting him a Benchmade 556, a Leatherman Charge in black with all the accessories and a Gerber Recon flashlight. Not top of the line stuff, but good enough to make his life a little easier. Thanks to everyone for sharing their facts and opinions.
 
I started here with the Deal of the Day from Bill Martino at Himalayan Imports when he was still around. Purchased many a khukuri that first summer, I tell ya what.

After that, my tastes went to folders, and I've spent a lot of time, money, and energy sauntering through the posts of many brilliant (and some not so brilliant) members.

Khukuris brought me here, you folks made me stay.

Travis
 
I lived in the back of a funeral home for 3 years during law school. Tiny room right above the embalming room and right next to the casket showroom. I'd hear the embalming machine whumping away all hours of the night when they would bring in a body. Sometimes there were as many as a dozen dead bodies in the building. And me. Alone.

So I bought a S&W K-frame. It was the only way I could sleep. While you can't stop a zombie attack, its common knowledge that a cylinder full of magnums to the forehead would slow a zombie down long enough for me to dive out a window. I'm serious. I've seen Dawn of the Dead, and Night of the Living Dead.

So the zombie thing got me into guns. Mostly checked out things at glocktalk.com. Own a dozen Glocks of all different flavors. Now I own just about everything that I could want in the range of handguns and long guns.

Then I got hooked on flashlights. Started buying a few lights, and spent a lot of time at candlepowerforums. Still do. Always have at least 2 lights on me. Sometimes 3. Maybe its that fear of zombies thing. You can't fight a zombie in the dark if you can't see it.

On day I bought for myself a cheapy Gerber EZ Out Jr. Not a bad little folder, really. Used the heck out of it, and played with it even more. People who dig guns and lights eventually work there way into knives, though not necessarily in that order.

So in essence, I ended up here by way of law school and zombies. Strange how things work out. :thumbup:
 
[get some popcorn]


I owed a friend of mine...and knew he was into "fantasy knives". Went wandering into a knife store (Chesapeake Knife & Tools) looking for something. Found one I knew he didn't have: Fang of Baelin by Kit Rae


Having a background in art I was drawn to the nice lines and overall design. But being somewhat pragmatic, the whole concept of a fantasy wall-hanger knife was foreign to me.

I wanted to know more about the knife and the designer....so I googled "kit rae" and "fang of baelin" and read everything I could about it.

One of those links was pointed at Bladeforums.


I read a few reviews on Kit Rae...and on United Cutlery...and quickly saw that, generally speaking, the crowd at Bladeforums.com was pretty harsh on fantasy knives. But I needed some feedback quickly so I could make a timely purchase.






So here it is...my very first post:


I need some help choosing a knife...


Hi Everybody!

This is my first time posting to bladeforums. Thanks in advance for any good tips/advice.

I have been wanting to do a favor for a friend for a long time. He is really into fantasy art and has several swords and daggers. I'm looking to spend under $70 on a knife that can be displayed. However, I don't want to get "just another curvy knife". Know-what-I-mean?

So, I am looking at this knife: Fang of Baelin by Kit Rae. It's made by United Cutlery.

You can see it here:

http://www.valorcorp.com/products/p...sp?item=4172026

I know, I know. "It's not a work knife" and "You can't really use it".

I've used knives to do everything. From cutting down trees to skinning animals, and even to cut grass in the fields of Guatemala with a 32" double-edged machette and keep within 2 inches off the ground -- I know utility. But this friend of mine is completely opposite and prefers to display his knives, and I respect that.

Can anybody tell me if this is junk or a good knife? I don't want to be giving a cheap, fall-apart knife to a good friend.

I have handled it and it looks great and feels solid and sturdy.

Are there any other knives I should be considering?


Thanks

Dan
Click to expand...






...so, being the cheapskate I was back then (regarding knives, anyway )....I bought one off ebay to "save a few bucks". :foot:


When it showed up...it was all beat up and dull...and was missing it's stand. I was uber-pissed. Returned it and got another one. Was ready to give it to my buddy...when 2 things happened:

1 - the reason for the favor in the first place suddenly reversed...what was supposed to make my money ended up costing me TONS in time/agony/grief/etc.

and, more importantly:

2 - I found out surreptitiously that he actually thought the Fang of Baelin was lame.

CRAP!



So.....I sold it on ebay to the highest bidder. :D :eek: :p


:foot:








And 16,000 posts later....here we are. I'm not one of the "Ancient Ones" that was around in '98 when Bladeforums started....but I have been around long enough to see a few changes here-n-there.

Including my own screen name.

I started out with "Pen Design"

As an architecture student...I really liked the word (and architectural feature) = pendentive

So, "Pen Design" was short for "Pendentive Design" - my "dream company name" should I ever go into architecture for myself full time.


Eventually, with prompting (aka teasing) provided by the now famous Esav Benyamin - actually in that first thread above - I changed my screen name to "pendentive".


I read tons at first...and even got my first custom knife here = a Mike 'Whiskers' Allen lockback folder with sheeps horn scales.

Did more trading/buying....and one day jumped on a "Pala Give Away" (a 15" British Army Special Kukri - deeply discounted) over on the Himalayan Imports Forum. Absolutely floored by it when it showed up...and that place became my daily hang-out from then on.

One day...decided I wasn't happy with my sharpening skills...and bought a simple 1" belt sander to try my hand at convex grinding.

Ended up sharpening a BUNCH of kukris for fellow forumites...for quite some time.

Finally got up the guts...and put together a kit knife. Loved it. Couldn't get enough of it. Even though it took 18 hours to do it (by hand with files and sandpaper....:eek: )

Bought a KMG and started making knives part-time on the 3rd floor balcony of my apartment....

Moved to Arkansas where I met Tom Krein in the Fall of 2004. Started coming over to just "hang out". Spent of lot of time watching/listening...but working from my own shop in my garage.

I became "official" in early 2005 as a knifemaker...but was still part-time and very slooooow in my process. Around that time I changed my screen name to my real name.

One day Tom said "Why don't you bring your tools over here to work?" We worked out an mutually beneficial arrangement and here I am today.

I've grown/learned/expanded a TON since then....in both quality and quantity....have purchase quite a few more tools since then....and owe a good piece of the success to the start that Tom gave me (as well as the help he still gives present-day). I was never technically his student (not like he was to Dozier)...but I have definitely learned from the master. Heckuva great guy. :thumbup:


Well, anyway...there you have it. ~7 years of my personal history splayed o'er the pages of this forum...made concise in one post. :p


I can't remember when I started supporting the forum (subscriptions)...but have been for most of my time here. Has been worth every penny.

Dan
 
16 years of knife collecting and sharpening and no one around me knew a single thing about either, so here I am.
 
Brian Jones said:
What, what did I just write? :confused:
Click to expand...

It's not right to just write.
You've got to write it right.
We have a right to right writing.
Like hothouse plants to indoor lighting.
So don't confuse us out of spite.
You know we're not all that bright.
​
 
Petty sure I was researching something on the net... hard to remember that far back!
 
It all started with Candle Power Forums. This time around with my fascination with knives.
 
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