Knife Forums.

[SKIVIE]

Just goofing around today at work and couldnt believe all the knife forums that are out there. I have only been to a couple besides knife network and rarelly ever go anywhere but here. Just wondered in my travels how many people frequent other forums and how often. I noticed other members in some of them and wondered if I was missing out on much. Let me know your opinions.

Shane

[metalking00]

Ive been to a few others, but this ones the best in my opinion

[HellForged]

I frequent many myself... While I find most amusing and have found plenty of useful information this is by far the best IMHO. On almost every other forum threads have to much a tendency to fall into flaming. I've never seen this here and hope it stays that way.

~Matthew

[J.Arthur Loose]

It was the decided lack of flaming BS that first drew me to the old CKD, along with the professional attitudes that most of the administrators & moderators displayed... It is interesting to observe how distinct mini-cultures emerge on the internet. KN is about the *knives*

[SKIVIE]

Couldnt agree more with you guys. I was just wondering if I was missing out on something by not visiting other forums every now and then.

But Yes, the guys one here are top notch.

Shane

[SteveS]

I spend time here and blade forums. I like the general tone better here. There isn't any flaming to speak of over there, but the conversations dwindle down to dribble pretty regularly.

One problem I have here is there are actually too many forums. It's much easier to browse topics over there because it's all one screen full. Here is a lot more work to find threads I want to follow. I'd love an option that showed all the new posts instead of broken into so many sub-forums .... but that's just personal opinion.

Steve

[Hot&CoaledForge]

Originally Posted by SteveS

I'd love an option that showed all the new posts

There's a 'New Posts' link at the top of the page, between 'Calendar' and 'Search'.

- Jim

[Jamey Saunders]

You can also set yourself a bookmark for the URL http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/search.php?do=getnew

That's what I have on my browser. Just click on the bookmark, and BINGO! There are the new posts.

[Terry Primos]

Originally Posted by SteveS

One problem I have here is there are actually too many forums. It's much easier to browse topics over there because it's all one screen full. Here is a lot more work to find threads I want to follow. I'd love an option that showed all the new posts instead of broken into so many sub-forums .... but that's just personal opinion.
Steve

Actually, BladeForums has seven major categories, and The Knife Network? Edge Forums has six.

BladeForums

1. General
2. Makers
3. Knife Community
4. Manufacturers
5. Tactics & Training
6. Exchange
7. Archives

The Knife Network? Edge Forums

1. General
2. Community
3. Production
4. For-Sale
5. Support
6. AV Client Area

Also, when you go to www.knifenetwork.com, you are not going to the forums. You are going to the main Knife Network business page, which includes:

• The Knife Network? News and Information
• The Knife Network? News Archives
• The Knife Network? Navigation Aids
• The Knife Network? Catalogs and Lists
• The Knife Network? Member Photo Galleries
• The Knife Network? Shows and Events Calendar
• The Knife Network? Workshop
• The Knife Network? Classified Listing System (Not the same as our little For-Sale forum)
• The Knife Network? Member Profile Database (Not the same as the forum members Profile database)
• KnifeBuy? (Again, not the For-Sale section of the forums)
• The Knife Network? Links Engine
• The Knife Network? Edge Forums

Notice the last item? That's our forums. We all just call this Knife Network Forums, but I guess technically it's really The Edge Forums, which is one little piece of the business called The Knife Network?, which is HUGE. If all you care about is the forums, then you can just save http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/index.php as a favorite. This is the main forum page where all the major categories are listed.

Or if you wanted to start out at one of the major categories such as this one, you could just save that one as a favorite. You'd still be able to go to any of the other forums, or to the real Knife Network business page -- you'd just be starting out at your favorite forum.

As mentioned, if all you wanted to see was what new posts had been made forum-wide, then you could just goto the New Posts link ( http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/search.php?do=getnew ) and save that in your favorites.

[SKIVIE]

Great idea on that new posts link Jamey & Terry. I like that idea.

Shane

[SteveS]

Wow that's a cool feature (new posts). Exactly what I wanted!!!!

Terry, thanks for the info! The only forum I frequent on BF is shop talk. Where as that's kinda spread out here. But as shown to me, it's not a problem!!

Cool beans guys.

Steve

[Jason Cutter]

I spend most of my time on this forum. I feel that its by far the best for my own needs. I also frequent Bladeforums and sometimes, BritishBlades. As mentioned, the sub-cultures that find themselves gravitating towards particular forums is interesting.

I find these forums and the old CKD to be much more supportive of a high concentration of knifeMAKERS and those interested in Custom knives and the process of the making of knives. As opposed to those who want to talk about the latest Benchmade #xyz. Some other forums have a much more "product" based attitude, and a focus on the "tactical" aspects of bladeware, rather than talking about knives as art, passion and craftsmanship. I am free to choose which threads I read.

However, there is no doubt that some other forums have a much greater volume in terms of membership and they may represent a greater number of collectors and potential buyers / customers. And then it becomes an issue of exposure and useful publicity for knifemakers and collectors to share ideas.

However, as mentioned, I am personally most interested in the friendly, warm, atmosphere. To each their own and theres something for everyone, I feel. Jason.

[AwP]

I read here and primalfires the most. Here is great because it's the largest community of knifemakers I've found, and a very good cross-style group of people, so there's alot to learn on every aspect of knifemaking. I like primalfires because it's specialized in neo-tribal forging, which is the style I find myself most drawn to, so more of the information applies directly to me, though it's a smaller group of people. I also read anvilfire, it has lots of great info on all smithing and related subjects EXCEPT blades. I read a bunch of other knifemaking forums, but not as often or completely as those two.

Some of the other ones I check are bladeforums shoptalk (good folks but smaller group), swordforum (some great info mixed with 9028570298 ninja questions and very opinionated "historians"), knifeforums (little good conversation in the makers folders, mostly just a question and 1 or 2 answers), brittishblades (good bunch of silly people), the crucible (fairly quiet and not easy for me to navigate and I always lose the link), and Don Foggs forum (I posted there with an introduction and a few pictures and after more then a month still didn't even get a "you're knives suck but welcome to the forum anyway", concidering the warm welcome I've gotten here and other sites that just bothered me a little). EVERY forum has at least a few good people in it, this just seems to have the most. Actually it seems like alot of the good folks on the other forums are all the same people.

However, there is no doubt that some other forums have a much greater volume in terms of membership and they may represent a greater number of collectors and potential buyers / customers. And then it becomes an issue of exposure and useful publicity for knifemakers and collectors to share ideas.

You make an interesting point. I hadn't concidered this since I'm not selling yet, but I think you're right. The reason I prefer the forums I do is because they're mostly makers, and there isn't any talk about the latest benchmade or spiderco. But it makes sense that alot of collecters might get a quality production knife every couple months but treat themselves to a custom maybe once a year, and it's important not to ignore those people if you are going to sell knives.