Long Timers: How has this forum changed?

[dj moonbat]

The biggest difference is that Cliff Stamp is gone. That dude kept things stirred up but good.

[bearrowland]

I'm definitely a newer member, but I love going back to the beginning of the Forum and reading the posts. I'm a nostalgia nut but I love the excitement and newness of the first posts.

[wrdwrght]

My sense of things is that steel (recipes, carbide volumes, heat-treats)—not to mention the looks of a knife—has become of greater interest to the forum than design (intended task, ergos, geometry).

At some point in my 11 years here, my interest in steel waned in favor of design. Thank you, Cliff, for making an experimental physicist’s argument that blades of different steels can sometimes perform more similarly than blades in a batch of the same steel…

Not to say I’m disinterested in MagnaCut or 15V, but I have found more enticing JD’s advocacy of a “golden age”, and of others’ examples and reviews of designs from the time before I joined. Get a Harpy and see what I mean.

I’m glad to say the secondary market has won me earlier Glesser designs to tide me over while the current flood of exclusives and sprints, which the forum evidently wants, drowns the new Glesser designs I want. I speak here of folders.

So, while the forum has changed, so have I, and this fact colors what changes I think the forum has undergone.

What does remain annoyingly the same, after all these years, is the endless kicking of dead horses, not to forget an evident need for some here to win the Internet.

[StuntZombie]

I mostly ignored SEF and Cliff Stamp, so I don't really notice their absence.

It seems to me most discussions these days are endless threads talking about bringing back random old designs that never sold well in the first place, or yet another variation of the same 4 or 5 models in different steels or handle colors.


I don't know, maybe it's me that's changed.

[bearfacedkiller]

I don’t think the forum has changed as much as the knife community has.

We are dinosaurs, forums aren’t what they used to be. Social media changed the game.

[Michal O]

I had account here on old forum, that was lost. So I was visiting forum since ~2006. Later I created account here but lost e-mail to it so had to make after some more years this account. Anyone remember that Czech girl who was taking nice pictures of her Spyderco knives? She was on old forum. I have some pictures on pc probably, because I was saving every better quality picture of knives I liked.

Forums were different places 12-16 years ago, because lack of other social media. And we all were younger, so probably that's why I feel nostalgic. It was like magic portal to meet different people from all the world who share passion. People were more about design and ergonomy, less about steel. VG10 and S30V were norm, now people want super steels.

[Jim Malone]

You mean Sia from Prague right. Her profile picture was with the Bram Frank folder. I believe she left suddenly because she was teased away for beeing a women who like knives. Male chauvenism was involved.
It feels like Spyderco and the forum is become more ethnocentric (North America) with a lot of exclusives for the USA. I might be wrong but i want to be able to buy affordable Spyderco knives as well. I see exclusives popping up over and over again in the USA but some basic models are still unavailable in the rest of the world. And a lot of threads start with "Sal can we get a ..." I really ask myself if the average Spyderco member really uses his knives to the limits of their metalurgical ability to really notice a difference between the different steels. Or is it just snobbery? I visit this forum often but just skip over the threads with "can we get model x in y steel?
And i wonder if the average Spyderco buyer knows the difference between VG10 and SPY27 or cares. The high technical level of expertise might cause new members to feel overwelmed and scared to ask questions because it seems every member has an edge laboratorium at home where they electronically inspect every inch of their knife under magnification.
It just feels like people are getting spoiled because i never felt the need to inspect my knife beyond normal visual range. If you can't see it in normal use it's probably not important. Maybe it's the high price that drives people to expect semi custom workmanship?

We will see how Spyderco and the forum evolves in the future.

Hopefully it will not force me out of collecting and using Spyderco as my EDC tool.

[Mr Blonde]

I've been here since the beginning, and with the forums at the time being the main form of social media, it was a very exciting place and time. A lot of great things came about thanks to the forum; meeting fellow knifeknuts, Amsterdam Meets, forum exclusive models, etc.... I would have never been so involved with Spyderco if it wasn't for the forum.

Back then, you'd have to start up a computer before you could contribute. That has changed now with smartphones and the current social media you can now use to enjoy the knife hobby. Perhaps another change is that posts now are a bit more spontaneous and direct then they used to be. But that is true of all online communication compared to 20 years ago . There do seem to be -a lot- more people enjoying the knife hobby now, on various platforms.

I don't think I can add much more than already has been mentioned. But in its essence, I think this forum is still the same; a group of good-humored knifeknuts that enjoy obsessing over Spyderco knives and sharpeners.

[James Y]

I respect that others in the knife hobby are into inspecting every little microscopic aspect of their knives, and have elaborate setups in their homes. People are passionate about things in different ways. TBH, most of that stuff goes over my head. I don’t let that discourage me from enjoying my knives, almost all of which are basic versions of models. I have standards in my likes and dislikes, but in reality, my preferences are very simple.

One big thing that’s changed for me vs many years ago is I no longer feel an obsessive compulsion to acquire every knife that catches my fancy. I may still ask about various knives I don’t have, and even say I’d like to see or have such-and-such a knife; but truth be told, I already own way more knives than I could ever use up in a lifetime. And there are members here whose collections dwarf mine.

But that’s all cool, because the knife hobby means different things to different people. I don’t let others’ technical knowledge about knives intimidate me from enjoying them, or from participating here if I choose to. I just post less in General Discussion because, if I’m being honest, I don’t have much (if any) original info to contribute.

In terms of social media, I have a Facebook account I only started up years ago, because I used to be into acting, and it was required to have a Facebook account to belong to a secret group for communications about auditions, and times and locations for acting gigs when you were hired. I still have the account, but rarely ever visit or use it. As for Twitter, Tik Tok, etc., forget it.

Jim

[JRinFL]

You mean Sia from Prague right. Her profile picture was with the Bram Frank folder. I believe she left suddenly because she was teased away for beeing a women who like knives. Male chauvenism was involved.
It feels like Spyderco and the forum is become more ethnocentric (North America) with a lot of exclusives for the USA. I might be wrong but i want to be able to buy affordable Spyderco knives as well. I see exclusives popping up over and over again in the USA but some basic models are still unavailable in the rest of the world. And a lot of threads start with "Sal can we get a ..." I really ask myself if the average Spyderco member really uses his knives to the limits of their metalurgical ability to really notice a difference between the different steels. Or is it just snobbery? I visit this forum often but just skip over the threads with "can we get model x in y steel?
And i wonder if the average Spyderco buyer knows the difference between VG10 and SPY27 or cares. The high technical level of expertise might cause new members to feel overwelmed and scared to ask questions because it seems every member has an edge laboratorium at home where they electronically inspect every inch of their knife under magnification.
It just feels like people are getting spoiled because i never felt the need to inspect my knife beyond normal visual range. If you can't see it in normal use it's probably not important. Maybe it's the high price that drives people to expect semi custom workmanship?

We will see how Spyderco and the forum evolves in the future.

Hopefully it will not force me out of collecting and using Spyderco as my EDC tool.

I seem to remember it was a heated discussion about whether or not a small blade can or should be used in self defense. I don't recall any chauvinism, but I cannot say it did not exist as I may have missed it.

[The Mastiff]

I seem to remember it was a heated discussion about whether or not a small blade can or should be used in self defense. I don't recall any chauvinism, but I cannot say it did not exist as I may have missed it.

I recall someone complaining in her thread that she was posting images he found to be in bad taste for a "family" forum. There were a bunch of pictures she linked to but none were in the least bit pornographic as in his complaint. Perhaps he had a thing for women? I don't know but I couldn't blame her for getting a bit frustrated with the way some here treated her.

[James Y]

I seem to remember it was a heated discussion about whether or not a small blade can or should be used in self defense. I don't recall any chauvinism, but I cannot say it did not exist as I may have missed it.

I recall someone complaining in her thread that she was posting images he found to be in bad taste for a "family" forum. There were a bunch of pictures she linked to but none were in the least bit pornographic as in his complaint. Perhaps he had a thing for women? I don't know but I couldn't blame her for getting a bit frustrated with the way some here treated her.

I wasn't around for that (or if I was active here at that time, I never saw that thread, or those threads). However, I do remember a different woman who had joined a couple years or so ago and posted some knife pics, including one selfie of her holding a knife, and a member replied, complaining about the pic being inappropriate. Which I honestly hadn't seen anything inappropriate about it. Shortly thereafter, she left the forum. Of course, this woman I'm talking about could've simply left out of boredom.

Jim

[Jim Malone]

I don't recall the specifics anymore. It was fun to have women collectors on board and they ( or he) kind of picked on her. I just realised this was in like 2004/2005 i believe. So almost 20 years ago...i wonder how she is doing now. I believe she said hi on her Birthday last year. But then Sia disappeared again. Knife forums can be a tough crowd. Iirc i saw how Vivi got axed on bladeforums ( if it's the same Vivi) around that time as well. Apparently he stepped on someone's toes in there. Never had a problem with Vivi here. I know he's an knowledgeable "edge guy" but he was a target on "whine and cheese" there. Really brutal place on BF. Never saw that in here. But sadly a lot of knowledgeable contributors left in the course of history. I know everyone moves on. I had quit years going back to university in a (carreer ?) switch.

[Bill1170]

Iirc Cliff just got disappointed in the end and started volunteering for a good cause. Cliff taught me a lot about metallurgy and edge geometry. He got a lot of flak but had a short fuse and not a lot of patience. The knife collectors world sure has some colourfull characters. Anyone remember Charlie Mike from bladeforums?

Oh yes. Charlie Mike was a true unique who left us too soon, like Cliff Stamp. They both brought passion and a unique perspective to the forums.

[Scandi Grind]

I am very new here, so I can't say what this forum has been like in the past, but I can say some good things about how the forum is now. It ain't perfect, since lets be real, none of us are, but unlike the majority of the internet, you can actually learn stuff here. I'm no snowflake, and I don't care if someone doesn't share my opinion, but most places revolve around the belittling of others, and nothing good can come from that. Here, there is a standard of respect, and an instinct to share knowledge. Even when things get a little out of hand, I've seen everyone recover fairly gracefully and carry on.

This forum is a rare phenomenon that only occurs when those in authority don't stand for blatant disrespect among their members, and we can thank the Spyderco team for that.

[yablanowitz]

You mean Sia from Prague right. Her profile picture was with the Bram Frank folder. I believe she left suddenly because she was teased away for beeing a women who like knives. Male chauvenism was involved.

The name was Simona. I remember some of her photography, far more artistic than anything I've ever managed. Of course, that's a very low bar. I know she stopped coming around, but I don't know why.

[Halfneck]

Yea her name was Simona, and I always enjoyed her posts. Yes she was easy on the eyes, but I enjoyed her posts because they offered a different & unique viewpoint then your typical male poster. Additionally, her pics were very well done.

And a good point was made that the forum has become less multi-cultural.

[TkoK83Spy]

So that's pretty weird to me, a female that's into knives and easy on the eyes was basically ran out because of certain photos of her with her knives...and guys were actually complaining??

Call me mind blown and shocked! Weirder group than I thought haha!

[sal]

Hi Rick,

It wasn't quite that way. Simona got into an argument with one of our collaborators over his pictures of himself at the beach. Then the argument went to the effectiveness of his design as a fighting knife, and it escalated from there. Then she split. A shame because she was always a pleasant part of the community.

We also lost Cliff over arguments between Cliff and several collaborators. He asked questions as to why they did what they did in their designs, and I guess they didn't like being questioned. Another shame as Cliff was also a valuable member.

As it turned out, none of the collaborators involved are current collaborators and their designs have been disco'd, but we still lost the members. It happens, I lost a member due to my saying the wrong thing, so I understand how delicate these communications are.

That's why it's important to tame any heat early, which I'm proud to say the members here do very well

sal

[Zipper]

That's why it's important to tame any heat early, which I'm proud to say the members here do very well

sal

You just summed up managing every relationship I can think of …. Political, professional, friendship, office, marriage, family ….