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Looking for more international knife magazines


TheoRockNazz

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Hi everyone!

So a couple months ago a student said something that really struck me and got the gears turning:
"How can I relate and be encouraged as a young Asian woman when I look in the magazines/books you have and all I see is a bunch of old white dudes?"

She was absolutely right. With my forge being in Brooklyn NYC I get a very wide range of students, and while I know the community is getting better about it I still want to make an effort for my library to show work from around the world by people of all walks of life.

I've got my subscription to Blade, Knife, and ABS... I was planning on adding Messer and EuroMag (the latter appears to only be online though), but then that's the extent of my international magazine knowledge.
Ideally, I would love to get one from Japan and/or Philippines, plus I have heard there is a quarterly one out of Israel.

Any help would be appreciated,
Theo

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And you think asking this kind of question on an internationally read web forum is a good idea, Theo? :rolleyes:

Personally I'm not much of a magazine reader but I'll certainly be interested in seeing what turns up here. I just look at the pictures, Honest I wouldn't read THOSE kinds of articles! :lol:

Frosty The Lucky.

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How can I relate and be encouraged as a young Asian woman when I look in the magazines/books you have and all I see is a bunch of old white dudes?.....

I think she is wrong....

Theo, why dont You told her....best reason to be an Asian female maker is, that there are no or less other female Asian makers.....the reason making knives should be knives and not because others doing the same....the old Asian trick....being individual without being individual.....

and of course in  magazines there are only old white dudes.....in the internet there are lots of female makers to find, and finding Asian female makers might be difficult....but if the inspiring identification for her is only focused on being Asian.... than she better concentrate on pottery, or MMA, there are lots.

Magazines never gave the variety and range that the internet has, as we all know..... looking for something so special only in expensive, always out-dated, limited content having magazines is like sending a message in a bottle instead sending an email.....

just the frank thoughts of an old, white knife dude living in Asia....hope nobody minds:)

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Theo, my answer to her thoughts on that would be to focus on what is being made and How it's being made, and Not focus on Who is making it but how They can make it. It doesn't matter the race or gender making the blades or forging or making art. What matters is the outcome. 

How can she relate? "She wants to make knives/ blades!" How can she be encouraged/inspired? Through her desireto learn and your teaching and the inspiration of what others Are making regardless of who they are.

Inspiration of arts knows no race or gender. It is of the work and outcome. Inspire her to be in those magazines. Teach her to be the best she can be. It doesn't matter who is the face in the magazines really but what they have made and accomplished. No one should be left out of that. Instead of looking for diversity already out there, Create it!

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Mr. Nazz,

Respectfully,  your female student that you related about,  is in SLAG's opinion, NOT right.

Good knife making, and forging skill, knowledge, experience, and accomplishment does not have much to do with race, color, nationality, religion, etc.

Indeed you yourself are not female, oriental nor aged. Why, indeed would she study with you. Obviously, you, and many of us do not qualify, to instruct her in these arts. We are not racially pure, nor of her approved gender.

A lot of us, on this site are "are old white dudes".

If she spends a little more time looking than superficial:   she would discover female smiths, knife smiths etc. There may,  even,  be some female practitioners of oriental ancestry.

She is not off to a very good start. It appears to me that her, flippant "toss off" is indicative of valleity and not a serious desire to gain smithing skills.

SLAG.

"an old white dude".

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Yep.  Look at the product first, with the maker adding a bit of secondary interest afterward.  I'm so white I could send emergency signals just by rolling up my pants legs and going for a walk.  I've drawn inspiration from makers around the world, most of whom don't look a thing like me. 

There is a strong, vibrant Asian knifemaker community in various countries.  I follow several from Thailand on Facebook and Instagram.  No idea what their text says, but their work is beautiful, and they obviously keep a close eye on what is going on in the American market.  I've seen pieces inspired by Scagel, Cohea, and Rhea, in addition to more Oriental stylings, both Thai and from other Asian styles.  They build their own 2" x 72" grinders, hydraulic forging presses, and salt pots, and have their own version of Blade Sports.  They didn't look over here and turn up their noses because most of us don't look like they do.  They learned, adapted to their own styles, and are an inspiration to a number of us on this side of the Pacific.

There are several Japanese and Chinese knife magazines that I have seen pictures of.  I can't tell you any titles since I don't speak or read the languages, but they don't hesitate to put the work of old white men in them next to more local makers.

 

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On 3/18/2019 at 7:16 PM, Stormcrow said:

I'm so white I could send emergency signals just by rolling up my pants legs and going for a walk.

The last time I wore shorts people thought I wanted to surrender. Truth is I'm so melanin challenged I'm pale blue. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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