Martyn said:
In this instance, I think we have to give the lattitude to Bam and trust that he wont abuse it.
Many thanks Martyn, I appriciate your sound judgement in this matter. Can I also just say that I am a "drinking buddy" of nobody, in fact, I'm as near as darn it T-total.
I do recomend other schools from time to time, Forest Knights, Bison, Natural pathways and TB's Tracker School over in the US to name but a few. The problem I have is that I know the instructors and/or owners of most of those school or will have a good friend who knows them but Bearclaw and Natural Pathways are the only companies who's courses I've actually been on and can therefore speak about from personal experience.
Yes I know both Gary and JP very well but having spent weeks away with them I'm bound too. Yes I meet up with them for bushcrafting every couple of months or so but there are other instructors from several different schools there as well.
The bottom line is that I am offering a recomendation to a school which in itself can reflect badly on my personal reputation if the person I'm recomending too doesn't like it. If I recomend a bad school then I will soon be seen as somebody not to be trusted. I'm quite careful about who I recomend and I am, because I know them so well, more than happy to recomend ANY of the above named schools. I've also heard some very good things about other schools but the ones above are the main ones I would choose as I (or a very close pal) know them well.
I've heard less about Woodsmoke but I know a few people that I rate very highly and they in turn rate woodsmoke very well....in which case they are good enough for me.
I hope that clears things up from my end.
Thanks,
Bam.