I'm starting this after reading some of the threads here, including WEST COAST SCHOOL & CHEATING JOURNEYMAN SMITHS, and just what I've been noticing.
Though attempting a few knives in the 1970's, I kind of moved on, so I was stunned by the knives I saw at the first Reno show, and I became a Apprentice Smith. In 2008 I went to Arkansas for the ABS intro class. I still make knives as a hobby. I still send in my money because I like what ABS stands for.
Okay, that's my history.
The rest I'm not sure how to put into words, but it seems to me that the ABS has dang near abandoned knife makers in the west.
I know Mike Vagnino has a hammer in. I've attended, and it is a great hammer in! But that's it!
Other Smiths in the west have get togethers, but not connected to the ABS as far as I know.
In Tom Ferry's Thread CHEATING JOUNEYMAN SMITHS there is a general consensus in the back ground that they all made money at the Reno show. That for them it was a successful show, but it was moved back east for reasons no one understands. Except it was too far out west (Apologies easterners, but to a westerner you can spit into the Atlantic from San Antonio).
We can have schools in France, & South Africa, but not in the western USA? I know it takes personal volunteered involvement on the part of individual members, but there seems to be absolutely no interest from the "Mother Ship".
Is there something in the Works? Something going on behind the scene? Can we expect something in the future?
Whew!
Bob,
I'm not on the ABS board nor do I know exactly how to address this question you propose. However it got me to thinking about the different factors that would affect the success or existence of an ABS event anywhere. I think of the ones that are happening and what circumstances in which they are held.
Most are held at a college or specialty school. In these there is a collaborative effort between the school and the ABS. Even if an individual maker has a shop and facility large enough, the ABS would still only be half of the equation. So, first of all there has to be a facility willing to join forces with the mission of the ABS.
Then you would have to have the demographics. A pool of people that is dense enough to provide enough prospective students to warrant the effort to advertise and have other resources on hand at all times. Some of the classes don't make because of low enrollment. If enough classes are canceled, it calls into question the subject matter or the viability of the location.
The ABS is a non profit (not sure the level of non profit) so they have to depend on established facilities that desire ones from the list of instructors that the ABS has at their call. If more schools in the West were interested in the forged blade I would think the ABS would be happy to discuss a partnership, as it were. Any facilities that hosts Hammer Ins that are sanctioned by the ABS have to not only be large enough, but meet certain safety standards.
Also, as in the case of those in the East, each school has a liaison that is within a reasonable distance of the school that serves to prepare the facility for the up coming class or event. This just emphasizes the fact that it would be a collaborative effort with the ABS being only one part.
Mind you, that I am speaking totally off the top of my head. There is much more involved and I'm sure I have missed more than I mentioned and could be way off base on some points. But I do know that conditions have to be there already or specifically put in place in the specified area for it to happen.
An email from Mike Vagnino informs that there will be no California hammer in this year.
Really distressing news that the California hammer-in has been canceled, I just hope that we can find a facility that will host a local (west coast) hammer-in in the future!
I talked to Mike Vagnino and the California Hammer-In was cancelled for 2015 because of a new policy by COS College Center in Tulare, CA which owns and manages the facility where we have had the event in past years to ban all weapons on the campus of the school including knives.
Dan Cassidy
Journeyman Smith
Send an email to Dan
That's one thing I thought of but did not mention. The Elephant in the room, politics. It's a shame.
So I assume they will be removing all the knives from the culinary classes, the scalpels from the biology dpt., and razor knives out of the art classes. Yeeeeaaahhh. . .right.
Well, it is a serious set back for us as this has been an important Hammer-In for our members in the West. The new facility at the COS College Center in Tulare, CA was exceptional for the California Hammer-In and Mike and Marcie Vagnino did an outstanding job organizing the event. Sally and I drove from Colorado to California to attend the 2013 California Hammer-in and Sally worked as a volunteer at the registration table while I attended and filmed the demonstrations for the ABS YouTube Channel and ABS Website. We had great attendance and it was one of the best ABS Hammer-Ins that I have ever attended and I have attended ABS Hammer-Ins at every location we have conducted them at.
We now need a member to both locate a new facility and volunteer to organize the next event.
Dan Cassidy
Journeyman Smith
Send an email to Dan
Thanks Lin & Dan for your input, but I think that the deafening roar of silence from the board reinforces my point. 2/3 of the U.S. is on it's own.
Bob,
Your frustration is understood and shared, but there is only so much the ABS can do alone. Politics and "correctness" shuts down many more organizational efforts than that of the ABS. The silence you hear is the sound of the ABS board NOT banging their head against a wall. When a door is opened I believe they'll be glad to walk through it.
This is where Dan's clear and succinct words come in :
We now need a member to both locate a new facility and volunteer to organize the next event.
Pass the word.
|quoted:
Bob,
Your frustration is understood and shared, but there is only so much the ABS can do alone. Politics and "correctness" shuts down many more organizational efforts than that of the ABS. The silence you hear is the sound of the ABS board NOT banging their head against a wall. When a door is opened I believe they'll be glad to walk through it.
This is where Dan's clear and succinct words come in :
Pass the word.
Joe Keeslar sent a very nice email that explains exactly what we have been talking about, and also answers my original question. The answer is no. There is no effort being put forward by the board to find a location for an ABS school in the West.
Thanks for the input guys,
Bob
Here it is six months later, and things out west are starting getting to get stirred up. I bumped into new board member Jim Rodebaugh last weekend, and he seemed very serious about getting something going out here. He has some excellent ideas, and was working the other mastersmiths pretty hard about getting
on board. Not that they weren't receptive, they seemed, in fact, very interested. Maybe there is hope :-). I'm pullin for ya Jim.
Bob
