I am boiling this discussion down to a simple question:

Does the 3-year wait accomplish an "accurate" standard of measurement for candidates to test at the JS level"

There are several responses in this thread that imply the wait measures the "level of committment" a candidate has to the art of knife making and the ABS mission and vision. There are also several posts that question the "accuracy" of that standard while offering more "accurate" standards and suggesting that these alternate methods be employed. Here are a few:

"What we're putting forward for consideration is that there may be more accurate ways to measure commitment, and that those ways may not include a time requirement."

"Would a Guild membership, or having made 1000 knives, or having made knives for 10 years before joining the ABS not also show similar commitment? None of these (which I haven't accomplished) would be taken into consideration at all. The three year rule does objectively define what "commitment" looks like to the ABS. On the other hand, it doesn't accurately measure much about what it takes to be a committed knifemaker."

While I do not dissagree with the concept that the current standard may not be "the most accurate" measurement, nor do I disdain the act of discussing various alternatives, I am perplexed by the concept of creating a group of possible methods for measuring the same intangible quality. It seems to me that whomever sat down and originally discussed the standard setting applied a healthy dose of Occam's Razor to the discussion. (no pun intended) According to Occam, it is usually the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. In this case KISS the question and call it good. Putting all philosophical arguement aside for the moment, let's consider administration of the testing. Which one of us would like to sit down and create the full list of "acceptable" accreditations that enable a candidate to test? What happens when another knife making organization moves into the 'hood and starts issuing it's own version of the JS stamp? Would that be added to the list? Honestly, it becomes a very complex issue to change the qualification standards. It becomes a living document and a cumbersome affair. Standards come and go, new ones added as older ones are rejected, BOD members unhappy with one from years ago drop it, etc. etc. etc. Keep it simple and manageable.