KnifeNetwork vs. Bladeforums

[B. Buxton]

I really like both forums, I've been checking out BF every day for a few years now and I've come to make really good personal and internet friends there, and several are highly talented just as several are here. Just to name a few, Bruce Evans, Bruce Bump, J. Nelson. M. Williams. Ray Richards, Mike Fitzgerald, R. Claiborn, R. Duncan, there's more but I need to move on. I mostly just use shop talk where other makers show and tell, to help new and old makers. I've found it has been very helpful in my knifemaking profession, just as I have found this site to be very helpful. It seems that we're actually lucky to have both, I like the advantage that a question can be posted on both forums and you get a great many replies on different way to attack and solve a problem which is great, for we all have so many different tools and levels of ability that it helps us to do things that couldn't be accomplished unless we all had an identically furnished shop. And the access to the tutorials is fantastic, which wouldn't be as easily found if not posted on both sites. For example there is the wonderful tips and tutorial from Jason howell and Ray Rogers, just to mention 2, fore theres many many others that we all benefit from every day.
I like them both and would miss either one if something was to change.

Bill

[rhrocker]

Well said Bill!

[Hot&CoaledForge]

I agree with Robert - well said, Bill.

- Jim

[J.Arthur Loose]

NO, no, Coop. I think we should have a rumble with BF. :evil

[Tim Adlam]

KnifeNetwork would kick Bladeforum's a$$.
They've got numbers but we got Craft.

Leave it to Jon to get all wordy, but it rhymes nicely...

A question I ask myself when visiting discussion boards: Is this gossip, chest-beating or substance.
The Knife Network is the standard I use to compare many gun, art, hunting and jewelers boards I visit on the web.
I have not found a better community...anywhere.

Bladeforums is entertainment...if that's where your at.
Knife Network is family...a place to hang your hat!

Sorry Jon...kinda' lame...the best I could do...

Tim

[J.Arthur Loose]

I hope people realize I'm just being a smart-arse. Bladeforums is O.K., and I check in every now & then, but there's generally too much background noise; it makes it hard to find the bits of good info that do exist there.

[cactusforge]

TKN is home period, but Blade forum is second home. The difference between the two is hard to explain with out making some makers mad and I don't want to do that. If I need a question answered about knife making I will ask it on TKN and I will get answers that are right on, on Blade you would need to sort between in the ball park and well yea maybe. The quality of advise on TKN is above all others.
However if I post a Knife Photo and a description on TKN this is what will happen, If posted on the Display Case I will get maybe 0 or 1 or two feed back posts, If on the Outpost several more. On Blade There will be a lot more some times 3 or 4 more.
Now let me explain, my knives are out of the main stream of custom/ hand made knives!!!!
I am not a member of the ABS, now I am not bashing the ABS in any way but I feel that TKN members like there kind of knives better than any in a area that is different than theres. Now I am a Bowie maker and my knives are different, a lot different I like to chart new territory I do not like to copy anyone.
This is my story and I am sticking to it. Gib

[Terry Primos]

I like them both and visit both every single day. Of course I'm into knives and I'm a full-time maker, so I go all around to keep abreast of what's going on. It's my job.

I'm a member of Knife Network, BladeForums, KnifeForums, Swordforums, USN, Don Fogg's forums, and a host of others.

Heck, I even started up another forum a couple of years ago called "The Anvil", which is dedicated to discussions on the forged blade. I don't really advertise that fact around here, but we're not in competition with Knife Network or any of the big forums, and don't want to be. We started out as a group of 5 or 6 bladesmiths and a private forum. Now we're up to about 140 members, bladesmiths and collectors, and have opened up to the public.

Sorry, I'm rambling. The thing is, each of the forums have something to offer. Yes, this one is like home, as is my forum, but I like going to all of them.

Gib,
You mentioned the difference in the way that you knives are received here as opposed to BladeForums. Here's an interesting piece of info for you.

I reply to I guess a little over 900 emails a year. From those emails, the ones that are from people who primarily hang out here at KnifeNetwork, mostly are questions about knifemaking, or someone telling me what a prick I am for some administrative function I've performed here as part of my duties.

Conversely, the emails I get that are orders for knives more often come from folks who primarily hang out at BladeForums. This is the first time I've come right out and said that. Interesting isn't it?

Of course I'm not whining about it. That's just the way it is.

[TexasJack]

Hey, Gib, lack of feedback is not always lack of appreciation. I can't recall anyone saying anything negative about one of your knives. They may just tire of giving you applause!

[bones57]

Greetings
This is my first post and im pretty new at collecting knives and i do post at bladeforums from time to time, mainly i would ask about sharpening techniques and so forth. I found them to be informative and friendly. I have skimmed some of the forums here and seen that seems to be the attitude here also. Its nice to be new and go to places where people dont answer you with condescending answers as i have found on other places, not related to knives but just in general. I hope to learn a thing or two and its nice to have knowedgeable friendly people to help.

I was into benchrest shooting for quite a while, although i never had a bench rifle so to speak because of cost, i did use all of their loading techniques and information to make my rifles shoot way better than average factory rifles. A lot of the information i gathered came from forums and books. Unfortunately i rarely shoot rifle anymore due to burnout, lol. Its a job and a half in itself and very demanding in terms of time. I still shoot pistol as a way to spend a few pleasureable hours outdoors and the loading and cleaning isnt even one fourth the time the rifles took me.
Anyway, im starting to blabber. Point being im glad to come to a nice enviornment to learn a few things and shoot the bull.
Thanks for having me.

[Don Cowles]

Glad to have you with us! Welcome aboard.

[Paul_Atreides]

Kind of a necrothread I know but, I just had to voice my opinion on this.

'Bladeforums' has some of the rudest senior members and most tyrannical moderators I have ever seen on any forum ANYWHERE. I don't think I've ever seen such a cliquey environment since high school.

In the past I have recommended BF to people but I just don't think I can do it anymore (for the purposes of actually posting comments, threads or asking questions anyways). In the probably 10 years I've been reading BF, I don't think I can count the amount of newer people some of the senior members and moderators over there have ganged up on and insulted, berated, disparaged and ultimately banned. And many, for really no good reason at all. (at least none posted publicly that I could see)

Really, the only redeeming feature about BF is the wealth of information and knowledge archived on it pertaining to the topic of cutlery. And from now on, if I ever recommend BF again, it will be specifically for those reasons, and NOT for the purposes of posting threads, comments or asking questions.

The modus operandi of BF seems to be: 'free speech for me...none for thee'....and this also appears to be largely based on economics. It seems free-users take the majority of this abuse, while paid members enjoy more conversation leeway.

I have seriously posted benign, legitimate threads MULTIPLE TIMES before discussing something totally appropriate and knife related, only to have all the senior minions swoop into it from BF's 'whine & cheese' (BF's adult rated complaint section) and leave snide, snarky and condescending remarks as their complicit moderator friends just turn a blind eye to the whole affair.

Yep, if you're not a member of the BF 'good ol' boy club' you had BETTER BELIEVE you're on the outside.

In closing, as I have said, I can ONLY recommend BF for the information and knowledge the site contains. If you think you're going to be joining for any kind social aspects or for something to do on a rainy afternoon...you better think again. The senior members and moderators of BF are routinely pompous and disparaging to new users, if this is the kind of interaction you're looking for then by all means, knock yourself out.

P.S. Coincidentally, this is also my FIRST post here, hello all

[Chester]

Originally Posted by B. Buxton

I really like both forums, I've been checking out BF every day for a few years now and I've come to make really good personal and internet friends there, and several are highly talented just as several are here. Just to name a few, Bruce Evans, Bruce Bump, J. Nelson. M. Williams. Ray Richards, Mike Fitzgerald, R. Claiborn, R. Duncan, there's more but I need to move on. I mostly just use shop talk where other makers show and tell, to help new and old makers. I've found it has been very helpful in my knifemaking profession, just as I have found this site to be very helpful. It seems that we're actually lucky to have both, I like the advantage that a question can be posted on both forums and you get a great many replies on different way to attack and solve a problem which is great, for we all have so many different tools and levels of ability that it helps us to do things that couldn't be accomplished unless we all had an identically furnished shop. And the access to the tutorials is fantastic, which wouldn't be as easily found if not posted on both site. For example there is the wonderful tips and tutorial from Jason howell and Ray Rogers, just to mention 2, fore theres many many others that we all benefit from every day.
I like them both and would miss either one if something was to change.

Bill

yes you are right

[argel55]

Originally Posted by Paul_Atreides

Kind of a necrothread I know but, I just had to voice my opinion on this.

'Bladeforums' has some of the rudest senior members and most tyrannical moderators I have ever seen on any forum ANYWHERE. I don't think I've ever seen such a cliquey environment since high school.

In the past I have recommended BF to people but I just don't think I can do it anymore (for the purposes of actually posting comments, threads or asking questions anyways). In the probably 10 years I've been reading BF, I don't think I can count the amount of newer people some of the senior members and moderators over there have ganged up on and insulted, berated, disparaged and ultimately banned. And many, for really no good reason at all. (at least none posted publicly that I could see)

Really, the only redeeming feature about BF is the wealth of information and knowledge archived on it pertaining to the topic of cutlery. And from now on, if I ever recommend BF again, it will be specifically for those reasons, and NOT for the purposes of posting threads, comments or asking questions.
I totally agree with you. Trying to help someone find an item you get jumped all over.
The modus operandi of BF seems to be: 'free speech for me...none for thee'....and this also appears to be largely based on economics. It seems free-users take the majority of this abuse, while paid members enjoy more conversation leeway.

I have seriously posted benign, legitimate threads MULTIPLE TIMES before discussing something totally appropriate and knife related, only to have all the senior minions swoop into it from BF's 'whine & cheese' (BF's adult rated complaint section) and leave snide, snarky and condescending remarks as their complicit moderator friends just turn a blind eye to the whole affair.

Yep, if you're not a member of the BF 'good ol' boy club' you had BETTER BELIEVE you're on the outside.

In closing, as I have said, I can ONLY recommend BF for the information and knowledge the site contains. If you think you're going to be joining for any kind social aspects or for something to do on a rainy afternoon...you better think again. The senior members and moderators of BF are routinely pompous and disparaging to new users, if this is the kind of interaction you're looking for then by all means, knock yourself out.

P.S. Coincidentally, this is also my FIRST post here, hello all

I totally agree. When you get jumped for trying to hlep someone. NOTE all the people who answered in 2005 and the person who started the thread , no longer post on BF.

[Don Robinson]

So nice to see all my old friend's posts.

I don't have much to say these days, but I still check in here at least once a day. (With my cuppa coffee).


Hi, everybody!