Marc Kaden Ridgeway
Member
Retired Global Moderator
Awful lot of leaving and joining going on here for me .... And gosh I can't recall doing a bit of i
Posts: 8,778
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Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Nov 30, 2011 17:31:21 GMT
An Important Announcement So , you want the bad news first? Admirable. Thats how I like it myself. I joined SBG Forum back in December of 2006. It just so happens that SBG forums was founded in December of 2006. As one of the small but close knit group of early members , I've seen this forum grow from those humble beginnings to what it is today- arguably the most heavily participated sword forum on the net. I like to think I made some contributions to SBG along the way, and i have certainly seen others make contributions as well. I saw the forum grow from a self moderated group , to one that needed a bit of moderation. A few months after I joined, another fellow came along. He was called Sept of the Clan Sinclair if I recall correctly, and his wit and amiable nature made him a quick friend to all at SBG. His first review was of a Depeeka sword... lol, and I can't forget the hilarious contest winning review he wrote sbgswordforum.proboards.com/inde ... hread=1972 sbgswordforum.proboards.com/inde ... hread=2039 As the forum grew, Daniel's amiable nature (did I mention he has an amiable nature?) and famous brand of diplomacy led to his being the first moderator on SBG . Since that time he has contributed so much to this community, becoming Paul's right-hand-man, the site coordinator , and the man behind the scenes that really made so much that happened here happen. For the last 4 years Daniel Sinclair has tirelessly donated his time and efforts into making SBG what it is today, and keeping it going day to day. For personal reasons which are his to share or not , as he chooses, Daniel has decided the time has come to step down as "Site Coordinator" and all his official and unofficial duties. These were many. What this means to the leadership of the forum? Well it's a great loss , but things will be much the same , with Paul the head honcho, and James Gall and I "co-heading" the forum... but the many , many contributions of Mr. Daniel Sinclair are going to be sorely missed . Mr. Sinclair , We Salute You But wait .... Didn't I mention something about some good news or something? A Special DedicationWell , Daniel announced his resignation to the staff a bit over a month ago. He mentioned that he had planned on doing a farewell review, but like so many of us with kids, finances were not making it feasable for the foreseeable future. The sword he wanted to review was the Valiant Armoury Zombie Slayer. The resignation announcement was "sealed to the hall" for the time being, yet I ignored that and contacted some key members and friends at SBG Forum, and created a cabal of conspirators. The conspiracy was simple: To provide Daniel with the sword in appreciation of his many efforts on behalf of SBG. Well , SBG is a terrific bunch of people , and the folks I contacted jumped to the occasion and donated to a fund. I contacted Sonny Suttles of Valiant Armoury , who agreed to give us a very special price on The Slayer, some custom work, and shipping to Daniel in Canada. A Special Thank You to Sonny Suttles and Valiant Armoury Our Cabal of Contributors
Marc Kaden Ridgeway Paul Southren Sonny Suttles Dave Kelly ChuckinOhio DeepBlueDave RicWilly (YlliwCir ) Odingaard Sean(Shadowhowler) Avery Travis Nicko Mike Harris William Swiger Sébastien Serge James Gall[/list:u] The list is in no particular order , as you can tell by me placing myself at the top... list based on narcissism , not importance LOL. Also Lunaman and TomK offered donations as well, but our goal was already met. It is not my intent to have offended anyone by exclusion from invitation to donate, I started with staff and senior forumites, and a few I communicate with often... secrecy and discretion was of import. The sword is a Valiant Armoury Zombie Slayer ... done to custom specifications by Sonny Suttles of the Custom Sword Shoppe. The scabbard is in dark blue, and the baldric oxblood. Not knowing Daniel's preference, we went with the standard Zombie Slayer hilt. Sonny etched the blade with "SBG" on one side , and "gratia" ( Latin for thank you) on the other. It is beautifully done. I cannot reccomend Valiant Armoury , the Custom Sword Shoppe and Sonny Suttles enough for quality swords with quality stock leatherwork outstanding custom work, and a proprietor that participates in and cares about our community. Daniel, This baby is on its way to you ... thank you so much for the years of dedication and the contributions you made to all of us, and the sword community as a whole.
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jhart06
Member
Slowly coming back from the depths...
Posts: 3,292
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Post by jhart06 on Nov 30, 2011 17:59:39 GMT
Helluva parting gift, and it sounds like the man more than earned it
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Post by omototashito on Nov 30, 2011 18:20:50 GMT
Although I am fairly new to this Forum I have known about it since 2007. Although I do not know Mr. Sinclair, I always salute the founding fathers of this wonderful forum.
You have my gratitude Mr. Sinclair!
Omoto.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
VIP Reviewer
Retired Moderator
No matter where you go, there you are.
Posts: 8,828
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Nov 30, 2011 18:27:18 GMT
Look forward to, and also fear to see, your last review of this sword Dan. I've not been here quite as long as Marc... but as long as I have been here, you have been everything that he said you were and more. You've always shown an abundance of patience and good grace... often in situations where I myself would had failed to display such for certain. You've been kind, even handed and fair... and your reviews were always great to read. I will miss you... and SBG will be a little sadder without you helping guide it. I hope you'll stick around... tho your presence has been absent these last months its still always good to hear from you... and I'll still bother you on Facebook. Look forward to hearing your impression of the Zombie Slayer.
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Daniel Dacombe
Member
Company Representative - Ronin Katana
Posts: 4,162
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Post by Daniel Dacombe on Nov 30, 2011 18:29:57 GMT
Wow.
Um, wow.
Can I saw wow again?
I am speechless guys, I really am... What an emotional send off! I am going to have to take some time and write a more eloquent (and amiable!) thank you later when I get off work.... but from the bottom of my heart I want to say thanks to each person who helped make this happen, and thanks also to the many, many people that I have interacted with at SBG over the years.
I know this will come as a surprise to everyone who knows me as such a verbose person - but I am truly at a loss for words!
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Zoë
Registered
Posts: 167
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Post by Zoë on Nov 30, 2011 19:48:59 GMT
Awesome! I'm only sad that I couldn't contribute. You've earned it, Dan - though your speechlessness has me a little worried. Perhaps you should see a doctor...
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Nov 30, 2011 20:53:49 GMT
That's a hell of a sendoff, guys. Worthy of such a great member. I hope all goes well with you in the future, Daniel.
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Post by chrisperoni on Nov 30, 2011 21:28:50 GMT
Congratulations on your well deserved retirement gift! Beats the hell out of a watch! I too wish I could have actively participated in this 'secret affair' (I have a little experience in such thing ) however I feel it is yet another testament to our fantastic group that Marc was able to fill his queue so readily. Best wishes in your future and of course stepping down from your role does not mean stepping out of contact altogether
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ecovolo
Senior Forumite
Retired Moderator
Posts: 2,074
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Post by ecovolo on Nov 30, 2011 23:35:19 GMT
1) I'm very impressed by the list of contributors, and what all of you have done. 2) Daniel, it's sad to see you go. Congratulations on retiring; you will be missed . --Edward
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Post by Dave(utilityslave) on Dec 1, 2011 0:00:24 GMT
You're one of the foundation stones of this group Daniel. You are a major part of its success and personality. Even when you have been relatively silent, most of us have known you were still working in the background for the betterment of these forums. You've seen us through some rough spots and been a calming influence when flame wars have broken out. Your senses of fairness and humor have influenced us as a group and some of us on a personal level. You will be missed. Hopefully you'll still be around the forums spending time with us just for fun. You have to be careful what you say though because the Mods are listening and YOU know how they are. LOL
This is also a good time to remember that we have been very lucky. We get to spend time here with other like-minded individuals in the house that Paul built for us with a great core group of Mods. You're ongoing efforts are greatly appreciated as well.
Good health and fortune to you Daniel in whatever comes next.
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Post by Orion on Dec 1, 2011 0:28:34 GMT
Though I have only been a forum member for a short time, I "hung around" for a few years prior to joining. Some of my favorite reviews are Daniel's, and I sorely miss (and will continue to miss) his contributions to the SBG newsletter.
My hat's off to you sir!
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Post by Bradleee42 on Dec 1, 2011 2:09:48 GMT
Congrats and sorrows for your leaving. But thank you for the time you spent and dedicated to being here. SBG is the best bunch of guys as well with Paul, Marc , Sonny and Tomk and S.Howler( who talked me into my first Euro) last but not least chrisperoni....I as well know what it's like to recieve a gift from the board. May all of your further endevores be prosperous and fullfilling. And we will always be there to fight along with you.
Regards Brother, Brad
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Post by WEWolf on Dec 1, 2011 4:19:26 GMT
I haven't interacted with you that much, but I've seen your patience and friendliness diffuse many a potential situation. SBG will go on, and it will continue to be the friendliest sword forum on the net, but it will be a slightly poorer place because of your loss. Good luck to you in your future endeavors.
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Daniel Dacombe
Member
Company Representative - Ronin Katana
Posts: 4,162
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Post by Daniel Dacombe on Dec 1, 2011 6:43:09 GMT
Ceud mìle fàilte! A hundred thousand welcomes (and thank you’s!) There have been so many messages (here and on Facebook) that I don’t really know where to start… I am going to forget people if I start but I can’t stay quiet in the face of such excellent generosity. Warning – this could get long… To Marc, James, Paul and all the conspirators who took part in this – my heartfelt and warmest appreciation to you all. Congratulations, you pulled off a secret plot on the forum right under my nose – something that I was always afraid of but usually because in my imagination it was always a hostile takeover or something. This is much, much better. I love the sword in question and the colour scheme you guys chose is so unique! Though now I may have to buy biker’s leathers in the same colour scheme so I can wear this sword and look like a superhero… (not a complaint mind you). And the inscription is perfect. I am touched and honoured by all of your generosity and care. Looking back on the last several years at SBG seems so strange to me. I can remember when I decided to search for swords on the internet. It was never supposed to be a long term investment… in fact it started out as an experiment in “self care.” Please indulge me a (not so) brief explanation… I have worked with troubled teens in one capacity or another since, well, since I stopped being one myself! After years of first volunteering and then working as a professional youth worker I could feel the stress starting to get to me. When in 2007 I mentioned how stressed I was feeling to my wife, she told me “Sounds like you need a hobby.” After some discussion about what that would look like (apparently she does not believe that “Scotch” is a hobby…) I decided to Google some of the things that I was interested in and see what came up. I was surprised to see that the first thing I entered - “buy swords” turned up a page called “Kult of Athena”. I ordered the Deepeeka a few hours later and it became my first sword. Its fate is well known by now to many of you, and can be found in the reviews listed by Marc above. A short time later I ordered the Masahiro Sakura katana and it became my second sword. But I wondered if these swords were “any good,” as I noticed much more expensive blades at KoA. So I Goolged “Masahiro” and found the old Bamboo review on SBG. Then I found the SBG main page. And then the forum. And then mysteriously my productivity in the office took a sharp nose dive… not sure what that was about… Anyways, reading and learning more led to purchasing more and more expensive, quality swords, and then I started writing reviews of my own. The first ones were embarrassingly naïve (“The blade is thick and heavy so, uh, 5 stars for structural integrity? I guess? Oh and 10 out of 5 for historical accuracy because I have no idea what I’m doing.”) and so lacking in knowledge that I wondered if I was doing any good for the community. So because I wanted to keep this hobby (and my self care project) going I emailed Paul and asked if there was anything besides reviews he needed help with. That was when I started researching and writing pages first for the SBG main site and then for the Sword Manufacturer’s Guide, the Digest and some rules & regs for the first forum. Everything that happened since then - becoming the first “Western Hemisphere” moderator, helping behind the scenes with the SBG Custom Katana project, starting the Review Team, etc. - all continued as a part of my self care. But I also made some amazing friends both here at SBG, and at other places like Darksword Armoury and Valiant Armoury. Rubbing shoulders with “sword celebrities” was a bit of a rush; I had brunch with Eyal from DSA in Montreal one fine summer day, and when I got an email back from Michael Tinker Pierce, well I tell you I didn’t wash that keyboard for days. Alas, life has begun to rudely interfere with my other interests. A major intrusion was 3 years ago when my daughter was born, and we are expecting another intrusion this February! I spend more time on My Little Pony these days than on swords (sup Bronies), and I have to admit I can’t complain. Beginning a new career a year ago was another major change. In addition to the positives in life there have also been negatives; deaths, health issues, family and financial strain, and the other things that we for some reason consider interruptions to life instead of a natural part of it. For all those reasons I have been unable to fulfill my duties at the site and for the foreseeable future will be stepping down from my place in the SBG Leadership Team, that happy band of misfits that I have been privileged to be a part of and to learn from. As sad as I am to go I know this place is in good hands. I can’t thank or praise Marc Ridgeway, James Gall and our team of moderators enough. Marc, the phrase that comes to mind the most when I think of you is “absolute integrity.” If there is a forum member who best represents the medium that our sharp obsessions are created in (i.e. steel) I think it would be you. Your strength and resilience combined with your sometimes “cutting” (heh) wit and insight reminds me of the katana blades that you so excellently review; combining the best of resilience and sharpness to produce a something that is more than the sum of its parts, and inspires me to try and act with similar integrity. James, I have never met a real life samurai before, but I have a feeling if I ever did I would walk away thinking that they reminded me of you. You operate with what I can only describe as a fierce loyalty to the people you consider friends, and I feel like I am very fortunate to be included in that group. I certainly wouldn’t want to be an enemy! I always leave our conversations feeling like I ought to be as loyal and dedicated to my friends as you are to us. To the rest of the Mod Squad, you guys are such a lovable bunch of scamps that I just want to muss your hair or something. You all put in such hard work – and thankless work (trust me, I know) – to keep this place running and scrape the barnacles off… it really wouldn’t run without you. All of you guys are doing great, and I hope that you will continue to not only run this place the way you have, but be able to have fun while doing so. I would thank you individually but this is getting REALLY long so I think I’d better do that “in person” (via PM). And Paul Southren – you gave us this wonderful playground to enjoy and have contributed more to the sword industry than possibly any other single person. How many of us would still be in awe of the wallhanger (or in my case, the Deepeeka) that we paid too much for and never knew better? Paul you helped so many of us to know better, and worked to make this site and the sword industry what it is at great personal and monetary cost to yourself. I would struggle to name someone else I know who is as generous as you. I am fortunate to have become friends with you and know we will remain so in years to come (no matter what colour my name happens to be on this forum!). I will still be around even if I am not officially myself anymore (have at least one more review to write after all!), and you will see me again more someday – I still keep in touch with people on Facebook even when I’m not here. And there might - *might* be a very small, very minor pet project of mine that will see life in steel in the future for you all to enjoy and possibly partake of… but any more than that would really be telling. To everyone at the SBG forum who makes it what it is, a community of like-minded people from all lands, faiths, colours and creed who come together in mutual love of things that go stab – I thank you all from the bottom of my heart and would like to leave you with an old Scottish blessing: May there always be work for your hands to do. May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine upon your window pane. May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near to you and May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. Stay sharp, and stay safe!
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Marc Kaden Ridgeway
Member
Retired Global Moderator
Awful lot of leaving and joining going on here for me .... And gosh I can't recall doing a bit of i
Posts: 8,778
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Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Dec 1, 2011 12:25:09 GMT
You know Daniel... I wish the words you speak of me were as true as you make them sound... I really do.
I am in awe of the generosity of this forum. I really am. From the generosity of Paul providing it, to your generosity Dan, over the years and the efforts, to the generosity of the general membership. As Chris said earlier, it is a Testament to our forum here how quickly and easily I was able to fill that queue of donators... in fact , it looks like I have a small surplus of funds I now have to figure out what to do with... I've got an idea, maybe something to give the forum back something. I'll have to kick it around in my head.
Another testament to generosity is the "cabal of contributors" that conspired with me. For the most part they have been silent in this thread... you can almost see them scrubbing their toe in the dirt and muttering "aw shucks...it was nothing"
Cabal... I'm calling you all out. Get out here and take a bow . Come on ... all of you. You are the embodiment of the sense of community that is the legacy of guys like Daniel here.
Daniel, I know that you have other obligations to see to for now... but as I said before in the mod forum, I hope you'll keep on your "green" , and drop by when and if you can. And should you find you can't stay away from our ugly mugs... well hell you have a key. And by no means is this pushing you out the door, this is not a parting gift, and is not contingent on you getting the hell out...LOL... its a token of appreciation, and indeed , is a trick to make you stick around a bit longer.
I have a touch of the Scot in me (mind out of the gutters people) , and Irish , and so on... but probably the biggest whole part is Cherokee. So I'll leave you here with a bit of Cherokee wisdom, and a Cherokee blessing.
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed"/i]
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May the Warm Winds of Heaven
Blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit
Bless all who enter there.
May your Mocassins
Make happy tracks
in many snows,
and may the Rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.
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Post by Odingaard on Dec 1, 2011 14:29:19 GMT
Daniel, Without you, this place would have never became this place. You are a knowledgable, kind, cool headed, generous, and likeable guy - someone who the rest of us should aspire more to be (but fail miserably at times). Your contributions to the SBG were emmense, something that the rest of us should strive for. I am not alone when I say that your presence, your guidence, and your wisdom will be greatly missed as you step down. The sword and leather are beautiful; a honorable gift for an honorable man. I am happy to have played a small part in your send off. It was truly an honor for me. You, my friend, deserve it.
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Sébastien
Senior Forumite
Retired Moderator
Posts: 2,967
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Post by Sébastien on Dec 1, 2011 15:52:25 GMT
Hello Daniel ! You've been running this place for ages, you accepted me and the others on the mod' squad and helped us learn how to run the forum. Helping you get a new sword is a pleasure, you definitely earned it man ! Enjoy it and the time with your loved ones
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Post by RicWilly on Dec 1, 2011 20:59:32 GMT
Godspeed, Dan. See you on the broad highway.
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Post by johnwalter on Dec 1, 2011 23:35:37 GMT
Sorry to see you go sir.Hope you have a great one!
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Post by James Gall on Dec 2, 2011 3:49:05 GMT
Glad to see you like the sword Dan! Full credit to Marc and the gang for coming up with and funding this secret surprise! My - regrettably small - part in this little scheme was to make sure it stayed a surprise and were able to get it to you without tipping you off to the sinister plot...!!!! Ahahahahahaha ahahahahahaha ahahahahah- - But i digress - I thank you brother for your kind words, i'll admit that a compliment like that, coming from you, means the world to me. :cry: I've learned so much from working with you over the years - both here & at ProBoards. I count myself lucky to have been allowed the opportunity to work under you, and was honored to be given the chance to try and fill in for you when your first born was on the way... We've talked so much, shared so many opinions, solved so many problems, and helped each other out both on the forum & off .... it's easy to forget that we've never actually met in person, and probably never will. But, if one day i should find myself fortunate enough to meet you .... i will embrace you like a brother.
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