Paul Sellers

[george wilson]

And,we hope David B. is here for a lot longer. He adds much to the forum,and has a very intelligent writing style.

[Jim Matthews]

It's a figure of speech, but yes it entered the English lexicon because of Jonestown.

It's a derisive figure of speech used by people who are craven, base and unwelcome.
Dismissing someone like George Wilson tells me what little I need to know.

This might fly on sites that tolerate trash.

You wouldn't speak like this to anyone in public.
At the very least, you should apologize to George.

[Phil Stone]

I don't think he's ever contributed much here - most of the personalities don't come around much. Our beloved charlesworth stops in from time to time, though.

Anyway, I think the bitterness stems from people directing him here after he had a very awkward display of sawing on roy underhill's show. ...

I've learned more of the back-story on all this, and I can see why CS's rep might be a little tarnished here. Oh well, I can appreciate what he's taught me without necessarily wanting to hang out with him.

I've learned a great deal from you, David, particularly on sharpening, so all this is said with respect.

[Pat Barry]

That's offensive.

Comparing what goes on here to a mass murder
that included 300 children is craven, base and unwelcome.

That's not offensive Jim. Its a very common expression. We all know where it comes from but there's no point in getting excited about it.

I think your response here makes my earlier point about this entire discussion - all its good for is getting people excited. We should all be above this sort of nonsense.
Ed: not picking on you, just saying this sort of thread only causes emotional responses to predominate and facts to become less valuable.

[David Weaver]

I've learned more of the back-story on all this, and I can see why CS's rep might be a little tarnished here. Oh well, I can appreciate what he's taught me without necessarily wanting to hang out with him.

I think that may have come across wrong, as it could be inferred that status has something to do with how much exchange goes on at this particular site between him and other folks.

That's not what I intended. We are lucky that George thinks it's as important as he does to shave information and give direction, but his status and the credibility of anything that he said would be no less than it is now if he chose not to post here at all (it'd just be a shame for those of us who learn from him).

What I meant specifically by that (that Chris hasn't contributed a lot here) is simply that he doesn't post here, not that he's in any way obligated to or that it would make any difference in the professionals vs. bloggers discussion. And that the posts that probably frustrated him were not negative exchanges or trolling that he's experienced here, or as a result of posting here. They are peripheral...just wanted to clarify that it wasn't due to someone lighting him up when he was posting here.

[dan sherman]

I'd rather get design advice than try to transpose something from a non-matching piece, get advice on carving the curved moulding, match the aged piece - and do it in a colorfast way so that it would match for a long time

This is relevant for the type of woodworking that you do. For me, it's not very useful information, as the furniture styles that have these elements are not something I'm ever going to make. In other words, it's all about perspective.

Given that none of us make stanley planes, I think I'd request assistance on the plane handle from someone who has tool building and design experience (the handle template george has provided, for example, which is exemplary in design).

I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but at the bottom of the page I linked to, it had plans for Stanley totes, that are as far as i can tell identical to the various Stanleys I have owned.

Dismissing someone like George Wilson tells me what little I need to know.

What on earth are you talking about? I didn't quote George, refer to George, my post isn't even following one of George's posts. The only time on this entire thread I even said something to George was in response to something he said to me, and it a neutral response.

You wouldn't speak like this to anyone in public.

That's funny, because pretty much everyone that knows me would disagree with you, as I'm a very blunt person.

[bridger berdel]

I have seen a lot of (sometimes random) negative comments about him lately some as bad as "I dislike anything Sellers", and I've been wondering why that is

I think I can comment on that.
people come to woodworking videos for different reasons. the ones who enjoy watching someone demonstrating the basics, making it entertaining and accessible are going to like Sellers. the ones who come to learn the ancient secret knowledge that will make them one of the inner circle, or to keep up with the latest cutting edge stuff, or to somehow have the experience of having watched the video alone elevate their standing in the world of craft, those ones will hate him and his message of just grab some tools and make stuff. now, most people are a little of both, or a whole lot of neither, and won't come away from Sellers with either a hard on or a mission to find a hit man. Sellers teaches to beginner woodworkers, mostly hobbyists. it's what he does and he doesn't pretend that it is anything else. I wouldn't expect George to have any interest in his videos. George isn't Paul's audience.

[Matthew N. Masail]

All I can say is that if someone dislikes someone like Paul (because hate is a little strong IMO ) simply because it's not what THEY are looking for than that is poor perspective. I'd like to think people are a little more mature than that and that they acually disagree princebly or something with what he stands for and/or is teaching if they post such feeling.

[george wilson]

Oh heck,I'll watch anyone teach. There's little else on videos when it comes to instructional viewing. Sometimes I think it's funny,more than anything else,to watch the video of Roy and Chris jamming saws,and whacking their saws into the floor,trying amusing sawing sitting down positions(Ouch!). I like to see Peter Ross(when he can get a word in edgeways). I haven't watched a lot of Sellers( I think I will go and watch more,to see what the fuss is all about!!),and don't have an opinion to offer about him.

I haven't gotten into watching videos in general,somehow. I just haven't focused on them somehow. When I do,it's likely to be someone starting up a V 12 Merlin aircraft engine,or something like that. Or good flamenco guitar playing.(Sabicas did accept a guitar from me in 1967. He was the greatest.). Not even woodworking related.

[Adam Cruea]

Well, I don't know how many Redditors we have here, but. . .

http://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/...er_ask/cjpeoys

From Paul Sellers' AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit in /r/woodworking (which is a decent subreddit).

I enjoyed his AMA, even if I don't agree with everything he does. *shrug* Take in all information you can, and then dissect it and figure out what you need and can use.

[David Weaver]

Somehow this got from Paul to all of the folks selling woodworking classes, blogging or literature. Paul is in a different class, more accomplished, and when I refer to "learning from the bloggers", that doesn't include him, I'd call him a professional who teaches courses, same as I'd call peter follansbee a professional who teaches courses. The difference is pretty plain to see when they work vs. when a lot of the non-professionals work.

[george wilson]

I thought it was very funny when Follansbee was on Roy's show. Roy was idly thunking an awl(I think. It was something that WOULD leave marks),on a piece of Follansbee's work. Follansbee made him stop that when he said "You make the more careful of us cringe"!!

[Dave Anderson NH]

Things have been a bit on the edge here for the last page or two. Lets move back from the lip of the precipice so no one falls off. "Nuff said.

[dan sherman]

Sometimes I think it's funny,more than anything else,to watch the video of Roy and Chris jamming saws,and whacking their saws into the floor,trying amusing sawing sitting down positions(Ouch!).

I thought it was very funny when Follansbee was on Roy's show. Roy was idly thunking an awl(I think. It was something that WOULD leave marks),on a piece of Follansbee's work. Follansbee made him stop that when he said "You make the more careful of us cringe"!!

So what you're saying is that over your entire career, you have never had an off day in the shop, or done something that others think is silly or dumb, and would thus make fun of you about?

[David Weaver]

Dan, it's like pro golfers compared to a once a week amateur golfer (or golf writer). George's missteps on a bad day would be better than someone else's solid or even finest work.