cross post on Blade Forums and Don Fogg's board.......shhhhhhhh....lol. Let's get a bunch of folks. So what are the "newbie" qualificatrions? I remember last year that we expanded it a bit. How about these basic rules.
1. If you currently hold any ABS stamp or are a probationary or voting member in the Guild, you are NOT a newbie.
2. If you make knives for a living, you are NOT a newbie
3. If you have been making high priced stock removal art knives for 10 years and you just decided to try your hand a forging, you are NOT a newbie even if you forge your KITH blade.
If you are still not sure about your status, let me throw out a few sure signs of newbieness.
1. If grinding plunge cuts still makes you want to go out and kick the first small dog you can find at least half of the time and the other half of the time makes you want to break out that good single malt Scotch or the Cuban cigar your brother brought back from Canada.
2. If you have recently bought any piece of of knifemaking equipment that cost more than $100 and it sat for more than 2 weeks in the box in your gargage, shed, shop or living room for those of you who are not married because you either didn't have time, didn't know how or were afraid to assemble it.
3. If more than 25% of the knives you start either make the long and painful journey to the local landfill or end up smaller than you originally planned and become your "new" EDC knife.
4. If, at your current rate of production, the 240 pounds of W2 you just bought will last you 4 years even assuming a 50% failure rate (that one is mine....lol)
5. If you are still quenching your blades in a vessel or container originally designed to cook, serve or store food in and tempering in your kitchen oven.
6. If the bottom of the ricasso on some of your knives still ends up thinner than the top after your rough grind or if the tang is thicker than the back of the ricasso on your forged knife when you get ready to rough grind.
7. If it still takes you more than one try to get the swedges on a clip even.
8. If you still have the "2 Inch Disease" or have to hand sand for days to get grinder divets out of your blades.
9. You still occasionally have to go back an thin an edge bevel out a bit more by hand sanding AFTER you attempted to sharpen the knife the first time.
and the BIG indicator that you are a REAL LIVE NEWBIE.......
10. The only people who currently own your knives are either related to you by blood or marriage, work with you, hunt with you annually or have known you since high school and don't want to hurt your feelings
12-12-2006, 12:30 PM
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