Why so anti?

[_scorpio_]

why is everyone so against the good things about the hobby recently?
we have people complaining that ray mears is just a celebrity and he is getting loads of insults from this forum, while people are sticking up for bear grylls who couldnt light a fire with napalm and a grenade.

people have been accusing mora of trying to rip people off because they came out with the bushcraft series... well yeah its called being in business, doing market research and making money.

and this quote from another forum: "thats really nice, shows there's more to life than Gransfors."
and many others like it have been floating around recently, people condoning excellently hand crafted, high quality products, for some reason everyone is going against the good popular things in bushcraft...

i ask you, why?

 

[MSkiba]

This is the internet People will complain about everything. Take a look at any random video on you tube and the comments that follow that video.

 

[Extreme Pilgrim]

It is a sad inditement of the modern age and a reflection of the British psyche that they always need a topic with which to vent their angst. It just so happens that a section of people on here follow that line without rhyme or reason. We are a point in 'civilisation' (and I use that term loosely) where convenience is the by-word and mantra by which we live and the bushcraft/survival genre is no different. As has been pointed out before, there is somebody or something to tickle the fancy of anybody but it just happens that people are all too ready to jump on the negative.

 

[Shewie]

It is a sad inditement of the modern age and a reflection of the British psyche that they always need a topic with which to vent their angst. It just so happens that a section of people on here follow that line without rhyme or reason. We are a point in 'civilisation' (and I use that term loosely) where convenience is the by-word and mantra by which we live and the bushcraft/survival genre is no different. As has been pointed out before, there is somebody or something to tickle the fancy of anybody but it just happens that people are all too ready to jump on the negative.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61150&p=741671#post741671

 

[Extreme Pilgrim]

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61150&p=741671#post741671

I do not understand your point. My point was that I do not buy a product for its celebrity endorsement. That is not negative.

 

[Wilderbeast]

I do not understand your point. My point was that I do not buy a product for it celebrity endorsement. That is not negative.

Certainly from an outsider point of you it did look a little hypocritical, however this is the curse of the internet that we cannot express ourselves as we always wish. I understand now what you were getting at is that you would not buy a product just for it's celebrity endorsement, which is of course a fair point which many agree with!

Issue resolved...smile and wave boys, smile and wave!

 

[Toddy]

I think you're mistaken. I really do.
Out of the literally thousands of threads on this forum, we have a tiny handful of ones that are negative in their reactions to kit and personalities. Maybe that's why they've caught your attention
I do know that they aren't representative of the forum as a whole.
They should be there though, after all, no one bit of kit, or company, or method, or personality suits everyone. That'd be like putting us all in uniform and waving the red book around

On the whole I think most of the people who post here are inclined to be generally helpful and optimistic about their interests and it's future
I have met hundreds of them, from one end of the country to the other, and I don't think there's anyone I wouldn't at least offer a cuppa to if they appeared at my campsite. I'd even find the choc digestives too

cheers,
M

 

[Retired Member southey]

I think that once a piece of kit become associated with one person or another in the public eye, it is at once open to the polarised view of said public who no longer want to explore the property's of the item of kit, for my example I'll use two knives the 25th woody and the Deval bushcrafter, both have been through many years of development, both made by skilled craftsman, both designed by an individual to suit there wants for a knife to be taken out into the field and both sold originally(in the case o the 25th) for a similar amount. but because the 25th is associated with Mr Mears it comes in for a lot of stick from people when ever it comes up for sale point incase. where as the Deval goes out with now problems what so ever again point demonstraited both are exceptional knives, I just don't get why people have such a need to bad mouth certain kit over another in such a personal way.

Mabey we all just need a around the once in a while, spread the love guys, spread the love.

 

[locum76]

Southey - I couldn't give a damn about the provenance of knives, if it cuts string and peels spuds it's good to me. Thankfully it seems I've missed a bunch of arguing too - due to being at a birth preparation workshop yesterday.

I am, however, most definitely up for a big group hug by the fire.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Just used to prove a point really, the knives are'nt important, now where's my huggin jumper?

 

[locum76]

I hope your huggin' jumper is of the arran knitwear variety.

 

[lab72]

Let the love spread

 

[Retired Member southey]

If i'm lucky, I might have a new south Atlantic grown huggin jumper, Yay! just in time for winter.

 

[Nagual]

Why so anti? I'm sure there might be some social study pending here ( lottery grant time? ) Is it just weekend this happens, perhaps people can't get out and about, or is it after a few snifters too many? Perhaps, perhaps. I tend to think it's none of those and follow the following belief:

"People are strange"

Cheers,

 

[dave53]

hi all your right nag theres naught stranger than folk regards dave

 

[JonathanD]

I think that once a piece of kit become associated with one person or another in the public eye, it is at once open to the polarised view of said public who no longer want to explore the property's of the item of kit, for my example I'll use two knives the 25th woody and the Deval bushcrafter, both have been through many years of development, both made by skilled craftsman, both designed by an individual to suit there wants for a knife to be taken out into the field and both sold originally(in the case o the 25th) for a similar amount. but because the 25th is associated with Mr Mears it comes in for a lot of stick from people when ever it comes up for sale point incase. where as the Deval goes out with now problems what so ever again point demonstraited both are exceptional knives, I just don't get why people have such a need to bad mouth certain kit over another in such a personal way.

Mabey we all just need a around the once in a while, spread the love guys, spread the love.

Not every popular item of kit like the Woodlore is going to suit everybodys needs and some will just find it wrong in their hand and wonder what all the fuss is about. Others who really dislike RM will take a dislike to his knife. We have seen this happen with Bears Bayley knife. A damned fine knife that has been berated by association. It seems that familiarity really does breed contempt. I'm surprised that my knife hasn't taken more stick (although one member here said he wouldn't wipe his **** with it... wise move!!!) as I never designed it to sell to the masses, but for me and me alone (then again, no one has ever heard of me, so I'm removed from that line of fire). I think Stu is as surprised as me at the popularity and reviews it gets here and abroad. I can also see why people would hate it with an utter passion. But as I said, it wasn't designed for them, it was designed for me and my hand and technique alone... every mm of it. That's why, despite being asked all the time, I can never write a review as it would be very biased.

What occurs too much though, is people knocking other collectors and users who buy these endorsed knives like the Woodlore etc. That isn't on.

 

[Wayland]

There seems to be a fashion amongst minority interest groups that gain popularity, to denigrate anything that is seen as linked with that popularity.

It's not just "bushcraft" I've seen it in re-enactment and photography circles as well. I'm sure it's some universal human thing.

Amongst the bushcraft forums (forii ???) it manifests itself in scathing comments about "bushcraft uniform" and celebrity endorsements.

In reality a growing uniformity of some items of kit is almost inevitable in an environment where people are looking for recommendations to prevent wasting their money. Especially when there is a limited availability of equipment that actually meets the needs of our kind of use.

For example, there is a huge industry producing outdoor clothing, but most is designed for walking down the high street rather than beating through a forest. When someone asks what the best shirt for bushcraft and sitting round a fire is, although many will actually do the job, most times only one or two brands get recommended.

Naturally enough, there will then be a slightly uniform look at the next meet up, which is seen around the fire and in pictures on the forum by newcomers who then think "If everyone else is wearing them, they must be right."

It's a natural progression and a fairly harmless one providing people do not believe that you need the expensive kit to even take part.

The unpleasantness starts to creep in when some of the old hands, who should really know better, start being snide about it, as if they were not exactly that same when they started.

As for the celebrity thing I'll hold my hand up and say that I have an intense dislike of one of them in particular, because I think he gives dangerously bad advice and has led to a growing number of numpties in the woods that think nature is there to be raped for their pleasure and to hell with anyone else.

But that's just my opinion. :bluThinki

 

[MSkiba]

This thread still going?

Im with Wilderbeast!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hey Wayland, I don't care what you say, David Bellamy is a ledgend and always will be!!

 

[ged]

forums (forii ???)

Forums is correct. For a plurality of ancient Roman city squares it's fora.