Personally speaking, if I was looking to attend a course, I'd be looking to find someone I felt I could learn from. Apart from having the knowledge and skills, it'd also be important for them to be patient, supportive, nuturing and unassuming.
I'm paying, and if I simply didn't like the bloke, why on earth would I want to suffer a week in his company, at my expense?
I think that's partly why I like this forum so much. It gives me chance to communicate with people and have some insight beforehand. People who share their knowledge freely have always impressed me. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Gary - and all the knowledgeable people on this site, for sharing what they know, what they've learned from years of experience, without asking for a single thing in return. When it comes to choosing a course, all things being pretty much equal, I'll be picking from one of you lot.
The same ethic runs true on British Blades. It'd be understandable for knifemakers to keep their manufacturing secrets to themselves would it not? But the ethic is to share knowledge freely - and they all do. The community grows, the knowledge base grows, and the industry prospers as a result. People still buy thier knives, sharing their methods doesnt detract from that (quite the contrary), in fact they often buy knives from each other. Working towards a community, has a positive impact for the individual as well as the community as a whole.
The participants on this forum seem to have this insight, it's a good thing. Thanks all.
