Well Sam I usally check in a couple times a day so I'm doing my part-Your concept as they say has "come a long way baby"-I is really something you can be proud of-not that you dont have others-proud to be a small part of the sucess-Fred
Congratulations Sam and Abigail, and a big "Thank You."
What a wonderful idea you created with the Cafe.
And to Tira, Andrew and Monk and all the others who keep it moving along.
You have made this a happy learning place.
There's the old saying about 'when it's steam engine time' referring to how there were only the occasional steam toy from way back with the Egyptian Pharos up until the 1800's when all of a sudden everything else was there and wham! - all of sudden we go from little spinning toys to railroads.
Similarly, engraving was mostly handed down from Master to Apprentice with a few books on the way. 25 years ago conditions for sharing start to open up and FEGA was born. Fast forward to just a few years ago and the Internet is finally getting ubiquitous and enough people have broadband that sharing pictures is easy. You start the Cafe and start spreading the word in November. I found out about it in June of 2007 and I think it had either just hit 1,000,000 or was just under it.
Obviously late 2006 was 'Internet Engraving Forum time' and this train is rolling!
The numbers mean that a lot of people like this place, and that's because of the GREAT members and the information they freely share. Can't ask for more than that!
This forum is one of the first things I look at each morning and the last thing I look at each night. And Each time I visit, I am amazed at the things I see and learn.
The closest hand engraver that I know of lives hundreds of miles away from my remote area here in the Pacific Northwest....The guys and gals here at the Cafe are my only connection to the engraving world. I can ask any question and get a knowedgable answer at any time.... what a wonderful thing.
Sam, all I can say is thank you for this site and your getting it all together. You Sir have done the engraving world a grest blessing and all the credit rightfully goes to you .