The "official" tally right now is at 6, though GabeO and chris amos have posted they have theirs done, but haven't emailed me their info. That makes 8 with just 10 days to go. I normally get about 15 emails or so the last week before the deadline.
Here are the past year totals:
'07 - 39 knives
'08 -
80 knives'09 - 48 knives
I know one of the main reasons numbers are down this year is that all the knives are in one hat to draw from. Some of the more experienced guys have expressed concerns about sending out a forged knife they put a lot of hours into and getting something that's not at the level they prefer.
I started the swap to get guys doing something hunting related in the off season and drum up interest in an art/skill I love. I think it's been successful in that. Quite a few of you made your first knife (or two) for the swaps!
I guess a decision will have to be made for next year to either keep the format the way it's been or divide it up into categories (forged/knapped, stock reduction, cheatr; beginner, intermediate, pro, etc... you get the idea) in an effort to get more people involved.