Hello Dan, looks like we are off and running. Much better user controls and tools. Now on with my exploring.

I just got "in". I did not see a proper area to introduce myself. Apologies if this is incorrect. I am Ron LaBella, and many of you have my money! Cheers!

the new web site is great!!! good job DAN!

Awesome,

been poking around for a couple days and it looks to be a great start.

Stephan

Dan,

Nice job with the entire website. I know a lot of hard work went into it. Congrats!

Gary Mulkey

Proud to be a member of such an elite group.

|quoted:

Welcome to the ABS Forum!

After many months of hard work and testing we have our Website and Forum online for ABS members to use. I hope that you find the features in the Forum useful in communicating with other ABS members and a valuable resource for bladesmithing techniques and information. I chose the Forum from Invision Power in Virginia because of their excellent technical support reputation, ease of use, clear display, and outstanding features.

I hope that you will explore the site and learn the features that are available for you to use. The Forum has two Calendars. The default American Bladesmith Society Calendar is read only and is used by the Forum Administrator to post all ABS events and class schedules for the ABS schools at Texarkana College, Haywood Community College, and the New England School of Metalwork for everyone to view. Forum members are encouraged to use the Community Calendar to post their own events or events of general interest that they want the community to view and learn more about.

The Gallery can be used by members to upload photos of their knives and other work that they want to share with everyone. You can create your own photo album in the "Member's Work Gallery" which has display features such slideshows. Members can also create a photo album of their events in the "Member's Events" category of the Gallery. Please observe image size rules that are detailed in separate Forum News posts entitled "Image Posting Guidelines" and "Image Re-Sizing Software". Since the launch of the Forum the single most time consuming issue for the moderators has been the posting of over size photos by Forum members.

I hope that you enjoy using your American Bladesmith Society Forum and Gallery and the many features now available to you.

Hello Dan, and all the other Blade smiths here. I just joined your organization for several reasons . One of which, being around likeminded people that have the fire in the belly for the forging of steel. Another is to learn more and ask a zillion questions. I'm probably a little older than your first time members, just guessing. I'm 61. I have been messing around with steel in one form or another all of my adult life. As a teenager in southern California I hammered out a few knives from mild steel. I joined the Marine Corps at age 17, they made a gun plumber out of me, in addition to a Rifleman. I loved the place so much I stayed twenty years. I was working as a Master Gunsmith , building weapons for competition and the U.S. Marine Corps Sniper Program. I was also a Marksmanship Instructor. I made a few knives during my career as a Marine, primarily stock removal in those days. For the last 20 years I have made knives as a hobby, stock removal. About eight years ago I bought a propane knife forge and have been forging my knives since. I'm going to attend a class, the closest to our home seems to be the Texarkana location. From there I'll try for my Journeyman's stamp of approval. At my age, I'm not thinking about going into business. I'm wanting the recognition of the Society and to learn to do things the right way. Hope I've not bored anyone. I look forward to idea searching.

As we say in the Corps Semper FI (Always Faithful)

Hap Smith Jr. 2112/8531 U.S. Marine Corps (retired)

Just posting to bump our welcome to the top without having to dig too deeply into the settings.