Sticking up for Nick Wheeler

I actually stopped posting and asking questions for quite a while because I was sick of veiled insults. but I tell you what I still have this site open on one of my tabs the entire time I am ever on the computer. I check it every 10-15 mins for new stuff. your WIP's are the cream of the crop as far as Im concerned so..............HURRY BACK!!!
 
Nick, enjoy your family, my friend, and congratulations on your engagement! The very best thing you can do in life is marry a good woman.

I've been around this place a long time as well, and I've seen it change several times. I have gone from checking Shop Talk 100 times a day to maybe checking it once every week or two. Most of that's on me and shifting perspectives in my life, but I can attest that there is a change in those who would be students. Call in generational, call it societal, but it is there. For any of you that are young or newbies that made it this far in the post, I encourage you to READ, READ, READ. Do your homework and then ask questions. Listen to the answers and force yourself not to be defensive. Realize that there is value in every criticism, and you can choose to see it or go on blindly.

Anyway, Nick, be sure to drop by the Wednesday chat every once in a while and catch up.

--nathan
 
I haven't been on these forums long enough to notice changes, but I have been here long enough to value your work and contributions to the forums. Every time you posted, I studied.

I thank you sincerely for all you have given to these forums.
 
Nick
Im sure you dont know me, I havent posted here alot, and none at all for quite some time. I do however read this forum quite a bit. Let me say this, I dont for one second think of you as elitist. To the contrary, you seem like one of the few guys on here that I could hang out with and enjoy it, I appreciate someone who cuts through the crap and gets to the point. I have learned a lot from your work, I truly mean that.
As for the post about WIPs, I am in complete agreement with you. I hate to see you leave ST. Please dont take any of the following as being about you, I assure you its not. I wish you all the best and I respect your decision, more so I respect you for laying it out.

This may get me in trouble but since everyone seems to be airing things out, here goes. I came to the Blade Forums several years ago and I asked alot of stupid questions, yes there are stupid questions, not one time do I remember getting a response like some of the ones I have seen here in the past few months. It has turned me away from ST all together, I now read other sub-forums mostly. While it seems there has been a massive influx of "mall ninja" types asking some of the dumbest garbage, the responses they get from a select few are even worse. The standard "fill out your profile" is BS. If you want to answer a question fine, answer it. If you dont want to because you think it is a troll asking then let it go. After seeing that time and again, I went and cleaned out my profile other than location. Does it really matter to anyone here what my occupation is?? If it does, then you need to get a life. The old "there may be a maker in your area" is a cop out to try and ferret out perceived trolls. Moderators are here for exactly that, to moderate, which by definition must be objective. When that person is involved personally in the discussion then objectivity is lost and whoever happens to be on the side that dosent have the power to close a thread will lose, plain and simple. Anyone who has been involved in a leadership position knows that you dont get involved personally in situations that you will have make an executive decision about. If you cant stay above the fray then dont accept that responsibility.

It is a shame that we have lost several well known makers posting here. I learned quite a but from people like Tai, (even though I think he is way out in left field) and from the back and forth between Kevin and ED (who I think was railroaded several times) again the word is objectivity. I really dont agree with Ed's process on making knives but it is because I put in the time to see what he was doing and decided that for me its not the way I wanted to go. Still I think the man deserves some respect for what he has done for the knife community. There are those on this forum who obviously have nothing better to do than sit in front of a computer and pick a fight, I wonder where their monthly column in Blade magazine is? Go re-read some of the threads where Ed is trying to get his point across, you will see what I mean. Now before you say it, Im not an Fowler follower just saying this to defend a particular point of view, I just used this as one example. There are many others who were done the same way. There is a definite slant that exists in ST and has for some time. If someone falls out of lockstep with the accepted view then he is quickly cut off from the pack.

Yes, ST has changed since I started here. IMHO it has changed for the worse. While the majority of those here still answer the stupid questions with enthusiasm and show the questioner some dignity and respect, there are those couple that have to play the part of the elitist jerk who is not going to put up with any BS from what they think of as a troll. Life is too short, they need to get over themselves.

Thats my $.02
 
Sean Cochran said:
Nick
Im sure you dont know me, I havent posted here alot, and none at all for quite some time. I do however read this forum quite a bit. Let me say this, I dont for one second think of you as elitist. To the contrary, you seem like one of the few guys on here that I could hang out with and enjoy it, I appreciate someone who cuts through the crap and gets to the point. I have learned a lot from your work, I truly mean that.
As for the post about WIPs, I am in complete agreement with you. I hate to see you leave ST. Please dont take any of the following as being about you, I assure you its not. I wish you all the best and I respect your decision, more so I respect you for laying it out.

This may get me in trouble but since everyone seems to be airing things out, here goes. I came to the Blade Forums several years ago and I asked alot of stupid questions, yes there are stupid questions, not one time do I remember getting a response like some of the ones I have seen here in the past few months. It has turned me away from ST all together, I now read other sub-forums mostly. While it seems there has been a massive influx of "mall ninja" types asking some of the dumbest garbage, the responses they get from a select few are even worse. The standard "fill out your profile" is BS. If you want to answer a question fine, answer it. If you dont want to because you think it is a troll asking then let it go. After seeing that time and again, I went and cleaned out my profile other than location. Does it really matter to anyone here what my occupation is?? If it does, then you need to get a life. The old "there may be a maker in your area" is a cop out to try and ferret out perceived trolls. Moderators are here for exactly that, to moderate, which by definition must be objective. When that person is involved personally in the discussion then objectivity is lost and whoever happens to be on the side that dosent have the power to close a thread will lose, plain and simple. Anyone who has been involved in a leadership position knows that you dont get involved personally in situations that you will have make an executive decision about. If you cant stay above the fray then dont accept that responsibility.

It is a shame that we have lost several well known makers posting here. I learned quite a but from people like Tai, (even though I think he is way out in left field) and from the back and forth between Kevin and ED (who I think was railroaded several times) again the word is objectivity. I really dont agree with Ed's process on making knives but it is because I put in the time to see what he was doing and decided that for me its not the way I wanted to go. Still I think the man deserves some respect for what he has done for the knife community. There are those on this forum who obviously have nothing better to do than sit in front of a computer and pick a fight, I wonder where their monthly column in Blade magazine is? Go re-read some of the threads where Ed is trying to get his point across, you will see what I mean. Now before you say it, Im not an Fowler follower just saying this to defend a particular point of view, I just used this as one example. There are many others who were done the same way. There is a definite slant that exists in ST and has for some time. If someone falls out of lockstep with the accepted view then he is quickly cut off from the pack.

Yes, ST has changed since I started here. IMHO it has changed for the worse. While the majority of those here still answer the stupid questions with enthusiasm and show the questioner some dignity and respect, there are those couple that have to play the part of the elitist jerk who is not going to put up with any BS from what they think of as a troll. Life is too short, they need to get over themselves.

Thats my $.02
Click to expand...

And I can not agree more with this summation.
 
If I may....

I'll liken it to similar experience as a technician for the Navy/Grumman. I spent 6 years in the Navy as a Weapons System Technician on F-14s.

The IWT shop dynamics would change as personnel rotated in and out. As I'm sure it did when I rotated out. I was a darn good tech, even by Navy standards.

Then I got out, and went to work for Grumman, and became an even better tech, one of a handful that were in great demand. We were a core group that worked together for the better part of 16 years. As the incredible Tomcat grew, adapted and became an extremely versatile piece of equipment, so did we.

I spent the latter years working in a RDT&E squadron, directly with sailors coming from throughout the Navy, with diverse experiences. As constants in the IWT shop, myself and my coworkers were in place for a much longer period of time than would be experienced by active duty personnel or reservists.

The overall feeling of the shop would change. It had to because of the influx and transfer of personnel. Some had prior Tomcat experience and only had to learn the peculiarities of our birds. Some were good techs with no Tomcat experience, and some were just plain awful with no desire to learn, or only willing to get by with the minimum required to stay under the leading chiefs radar.... ;)

As we were leaned upon heavily to keep these aircraft operating, modified and in a "Fully Mission Capable" status, it was easy to get "burned-out" in dealing with some of these people.

Occasionally, it was nice to get a modification that didn't involve working with the sailors, or a gripe that enabled some one-on-one time with one of the "good" ones and not be concerned with the rest of the day-to-day dealings....

And then there were the personal relationships, watching some of the antics these kids would get up could be downright maddening, and in a few instances involved either trying to give some sage advice/counsel, or actually informing senior personnel of questionable or dangerous/irresponsible behavior.

As constants, and being older in general, we did have an almost "parental" influence at times.

So I can see where one that has been around a particular forum of BFC could become weary or perhaps even despairing at times, and just needs to take a break.

Sometime you just need to change the horizon for a while, focus on other things, and come back when you feel ready. Or not.

Basically, I'm hip, Nick. I'm just thankful for the wealth of info and advice available here, provided by yourself and others.

I hope this made any sense at all, and apologize for the minor wall-o-text.

Alan
 
I am always enormously pleased to see knife makers of the caliber we have on here, actually taking the time to help, and critique, and give advise.

I have enjoyed Nick's WIP's greatly.

If I remember correctly, Bruce Bump had a position for a shop assistant/apprentice years ago? I asked my wife is she would mind terribly if I quit law school, and went to learn how to make knives......

She was not down.............. so I finished law school and became a lawyer...................worst decision I have ever made. I should have learned to make knives..........:)
 
Nick I read your whole long-winded-post....:) Mostly to hear your side of whats going on, and I'm still in the dark.. Some of you may know I was hit head on by a concrete truck and haven't been online for 2 months... so I'm clueless to the change in ST, but have noticed a change in general on the forums before my accident in october.. again not sure if its me either...

although I've never met you I think you're an encouragement to others as well as myself... keep on keeping on brother !!!

take care and Happy New Year !!!

Rob
 
Since this has drifted from Nicks reason for posting it in Shop Talk so registered users could read why he was leaving, I am going to merge it with the original thread in ATG on the same subject.

As said before - I wish Nick well and hope he pops his head in Shop talk and Bladeforums anytime he wants to.
 
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