Is it still a desirable thing to be a guild member? What do you REALLY get in return for your membership? I mean if I wanted to join the guild, would it be worth the time and effort to go about trying? Is it only for makers?? What are the requirements?

I want to know, let me know folks!!

Because of the difficulties the Guild has had internally in recent years, and the fact that Bob Engnath told me he was thinking of dropping out, I made the decision not to join some time ago.

I think that there will be a resurgance from the problems of last year. There will be a form that will tell all about a knife on a makers table. The honorary members will serve a liasons to help out at the show. It is going to be wonderful. Bigger and better than ever.

Being a Guild member has more benefits for the customer than for the knifemaker. If a customer has a problem with a members knife, the Guild will try to work it out to the mutual benefit of both parties. If the knifemaker has misrepresented his product or sold a faulty knife, the Guild will require the maker to either replace the knife or refund the customers' money. If the maker refuses, he will be removed from the Guild and it will be publicly announced.

It is not easy becoming a voting member. To become a Guild member, requires more than just sending in your dues. Before you even apply, you have to have four voting members review your work. Then you have to attend two shows and at each show your knives are inspected. When you have a chance, check out knifemakersguild.com (http://knifemakersguild.com) for more information.

Yeah, there is some prestige in being a member. I'm proud to be a part of it. We are having some growing pains right now. With any organization, there is going to be a difference of opinions.

The above information is just my feelings. I do not speak for the Guild. I'm just a voting member.

A.T.

--
A.T. Barr
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Hi AT,

I have to disagree with your comment about not being easy to become a voting member.

There was a time when Fred Carter was President, it was very difficult to become a member. There was one year where the only member to gain voting membership was Steve Rapp.

When Frank Centofante became the President, he had a different idea of what the Guild should be and opened the flood gates. Apparently, the voting members liked what Frank was doing as I belive he was re-elected to 4 terms (8 years total).

To become a voting member, the maker needs to gain signatures from three voting member on their application.

They submit the application. They wait for a table to become available. They pay their dues, become a probationary member and are so for two years.

At which time their work is looked at by "honorary" members (usually the dealers that are at the show).

NOTE: We who are judging these members for voting status are NOT allowed to make any comments as to the quality of their work to the maker. I have no idea why?

The maker has been a probationary member for 2 years, they are then awarded voting membership. It is that simple.

The second year the show was in Vegas I belive the Guild brought in 40 (+/-) new probationary members.

Yes, the Guild will look into problems with makers. You have to submit the problem in writing. The Guild then contacts the maker to get their version of the story. They try and settle the matter. If you do not have a clear cut case, i.e. receipts, copies of emails, phone records, etc. Do not expect the Guild to side with you, the collector.

Also, understand that the Guild has no legal power over any of it's members. The most they can do is kick the maker out of the Guild.

I was an Associate Member years ago. According to the by-laws each member is supposed to have a catalog or something similar. I wrote several members of the board, all voting members and never received a catalog (this is back in the old days, before the Internet).

My personal belief is that if the Officers of the Guild will not follow their own Guild lines, then how can they enforce the regulations on it's voting members.

The Guild is always going through growing pains. I have attended several of the business meetings. I have never seen so many cry babies in my life.

I have also gone to business meetings and counted the amount of members who were present. It always seems to run about 50-70 percent attendance.

So naturally the question that has to be asked is "Where the hell are the rest of these makers?". After all they are attending the show, it is their Guild so what is keeping them away....Apathy.

This is the same reason the Guild Shows have gone from bad to worse since leaving Olrando. Where the hell were all the voting members last year? Why didn't they support their Guild?

Moving back to Orlando will not solve the problem. Mitch Weiss put on the Flordia Art Knife Invitational the January after the last Guild Show in Orlando. Pound for pound this was, maker wise, the best show ever put together. The only show that could rival it was perhaps Phil Lobreds show that is held in California every two years.

Mitch did not allow dealers to set up at the first show. In retrospect I wish I had gone just to see all these world class makers from around the globe. Mitch put on a great show, had the A list of makers and did a lot of advertising and for his trouble he had 24 paying customers....thats right 24.

Now remember, this is only 6 months after the Guild Show and had a better line up than the pervious Guild Show.

Mitch kept the show going for 4 years until the show eventually folded. I went to it once (as after two years dealers were allowed to set up). I had an incredible show, even sold a pair of Moran Folders there. But attendance was very light, many makers (World Class Types) sold nothing.

Personally, I felt this proved, to me any way that people came to Orlando because that is where the show as at. Not because they liked Orlando.

One of the reasons why the Guild Show left Orlando was because sales were off. The other, main reason was to spread the show around (which was an excellent idea). Personally, I love Vegas and really enjoyed New Orleans, but neither of these places are "family" oriented.

Speaking as a custom knife entrepreneur, who makes his sole living with custom knives. I would prefer that the collectors leave their loved ones at home. All it does is keep them away from the show and limits the amount of money they can spend. As they have to split it between the vacation and the knife show.

Ok, so with all that being said. I personally think that knife makers should belong to a professional orgainzation such as the Guild or the ABS or PKA, etc. The main reason to join is that it gives you the opportunity to attend what is usually a very good show.

I haven't missed a Guild Show for 13 years. Ill be there this year. It's the only show that I attend that I don't set up at. That may be one of the reasons I like this show so much!

If your looking for me and can't find me, stop by Bob Neal's table, he knows how to get in touch with me.

Looks like it is getting really hard to get in to the guild to me.

www.survivalknives.com/bio.html (http://www.survivalknives.com/bio.html)


Regardless what kind of equipment you use if you can not grind the bevels on a knife by hand you are not a knifemaker but you can still be a Knifemakers Guild Voting Member.
I have made over 600 knives since I started this 23 months ago. One person has asked me if I was a guild member.
He was a small time gun show dealer who only asked because he thought he could capitalize on it. I got my sponsor signatures last year at the Southeastern Show. After learning about all of the BS I figured the guild was not for me, at least not now.

Mike Snody
www.snodyknives.com

I once asked an individual why bother with the Canadian Guild and his answer was "Any knife show that you can go to is worthwhile because of the personal interaction with other makers". I agree with him. Politics should not be the determining factor as to whether or not you belong but rather the opportunity for social interaction (and we all need more of that) and learning first hand from others (face it the internet is valuable but in person with a knife in your hand to discuss you can learn a lot more).

Politics..... you can accept what is going on or get involved and change it.

ok now let' do a compare and contrast, how about the ABS? Everyone rants and raves about it, any downside??