The Forum is 20 (ish) years old and I forgot to make the announcement...

[Alan Longmire]

I was telling someone the history of the place, and the fact that I do not own it, when I realized I myself joined in September 2003.  It's now September 2023.  Time flies when you're having fun, I guess...

 

Don Fogg started this place as a page on his personal site in March of 2003 (some digging on the Wayback Machine shows he added a forum in December 2001, but it was on a different set of software I can't get to open now. The current InVision Powerboard format we know and love is what he added in March 2003), and I intended to make this announcement in March.  Better late than never!

 

 

Edited September 22 by Alan Longmire
It's actually closer to 22 years old, sorry. I've just known about it for 20...

[Jan Ysselstein]

Alan , Thanks for the reminder ...I have learned so much here..right now I am finishing a bronze casting project following instructions by a member located in Rome Georia. I also have a press finished that was suggested by a guy named Randal Graham .....and so on. I love this site. Thanks for all the work you and the TI support people are doing for us.

[Stuart Samuel]

You've got a year and 7 months on me, Alan!

 

I've been almost exclusively lurking for the last 18 years, but have really enjoyed doing so. At the start, I was sure I'd get around to making some knives. Now... a little less certain. What I've learned here has been surprisingly applicable to the world of custom lighting, and lighting restoration, though. (Working on some fixtures from our Parliament buildings that are mostly forged wrought iron!)

 

I still think often of the forge-in I made it to at Owen's, back in 2011. Getting to meet you, Owen, Jake Powning, Petr Florianek, Peter Johnsson, Jake Cleland, Elias Sideris, Mick Maxen, Jeroen Zuiderwijk, Leo Todeschini/Tod Cutler, Jeff Pringle, Josh Burrell, the list goes on... sheesh, no wonder I decided to fly to England!!

 

'Photo depicts the author experiencing, for the first time, visiting a museum with people as excited to look at swords as he is'

[Joshua States]

Here's to another 20!
When I found this forum in 2015, I was amazed at the wealth of knowledge and kindness that lived here.

I've seen a lot of folks come and go over the last 8 years, but this is still the oasis of good will in the sea of grime out there.

Thanks to Alan, Dave, and Niels for keeping the faith, and the fire burning.

Edited September 29 by Joshua States

[Matt Walker]

8 minutes ago, Joshua States said:

Thanks to Alan, Dave, and Niels for keeping the faith, and the fire burning.

Absolutely

[Jerrod Miller]

Looks like I joined March 10th, 2003.  Definitely didn't know back then that this place would be so big and full of such great info.  

[Carlos Lara]

I joined only 6 months ago, but I agree it's a great forum! Thanks Alan for keeping it alive these 20 years!

[Pieter-Paul Derks]

I've been here since 2012, this was the first place I learned that there were actually people still forging blades in the 21th century.

 

I learned so much here, and it still is my favorite place on the internet, even though I don't post that often.

 

Lets hope it will be here for many years

[Jeroen Zuiderwijk]

It's been 16 years already since I joined. By no means as active as I used to be, but occasionally I still make something   I really prefer forums like this over social media. I use both, but I'd rather have had that my hobbies would stick to forums only. 

[Gerhard Gerber]

This forum sets a higher standard, only one I still visit.

Thank you for the knowledge and inspiration so freely available here!

[Michael Stuart]

Wow, my profile reminds me I joined here in June 2003! Many thanks to you Alan and everyone else here for keeping it so relevant and friendly for all this time. After another decade or two of hanging around here I might finally start to figure out this blade smithing stuff 

[Adam Weller]

I just checked and I joined in 2007. I almost never have anything to post anymore, but this is still the one place I visit daily. 

[Gary LT]

I joined Jan 11, 2011 as this site was one of a handful someone recommended to me. This is the one worth staying with, IMHO, (and I am Speaking of forums only, as there are very good individual websites many of folks have) Ive stayed here and continue to learn everyday and recommend it forward when others ask me. I am pleased I got to meet several folks at Bowie 2022, and hope to meet more.

Gary LT

Edited November 19 by Gary LT