Great. I wish I was there. Hope this will open the way to other top-level events around the world, and hopefully in Europe too.
All the best.

I applaud the decision of the Macao Museum of Art to present this exhibition in acknowledgement of the hard work and skill of those contemporary artists who strive to preserve the incredible abilities and artistic expression of an art which most definitely needs to be furthered. It is with extreme pleasure that I have the chance to witness the accomplishments of today's smiths, and more importantly those of the western nations, who have accomplished so much in the learning, preservation and teaching of an art that has come to mean so much to so many. Bravo!!

I believe this exhibition to be both unique and unprecedented. Hopefully it will set the pace of things to come in the future. It opens the door for current bladesmiths to share their creations with the world of art and show to all of us that the fruit of long hours of solitary work in our shops is for all to enjoy. I can appreciate the attention to detail of Antonio in putting this together and the amount of work and coordination required. In the end it shines.

I congratulate you with your excellent Exhibition. It clearly shows that today’s Master Smiths are very well able to show that art and functional swords can be combined in a way that seemed impossible to me at first. I would have loved to be there to see the exhibits in person, as these swords and daggers seem to possess a soul of their own. Perhaps the great success might encourage you or others to organize other events? Perhaps even one in Europe? My very best wishes to you and your unique exhibition!

I just arrived from Macao and it was a great pleasure to meet Antonio (finally), Lance among other individuals who showed the great respect and appreciation for swords in general and this first-ever exhibition of contemporary blades. In my opinion, this exhibit should dispel any doubts that swords and sword smithing can be an art form in itself.
Before I congratulate Antonio for this fine exhibition, let me express my deepest gratitude to Antonio and his lovely wife and daughter for making me feel so at home during the short time that I was there. It was a pleasure to meet him finally after all these years of Internet communications and it is my hope that I will see him and his family in the near future.
I would also like to thank Antonio’s colleagues, Sara, Marjorie, Priscilla, Staci, Joyce and many others who were so hospitable. It is a pleasure to meet all of you and I was amazed that despite the sleepless nights and pressure to finish the Exhibition on time, everyone I met was smiling and happy and I am honored to share the obvious pride you all have for such a success that you all put together.
It was also a great honor to meet Mr. Ung Vai Meng, the Museum director. I have had the good fortune of visiting other museums in the world, but no other institution I had visited showed the dynamism and vitality that Macao Museum of Art displayed.
There are many other fine people who I met who have all made my short stay in Macao a truly memorable experience. I thank all of you.
Antonio - nothing else need be said except Congratulations! The exhibition is a tremendous success.

The Macao Museum of Art and Antonio should be congratulated for presenting “Masters of Fire – International Contemporary Bladesmiths Exhibition.” This “first-ever” exhibition is truly unique and with the power of the internet is able to allow people from all over the world an opportunity to “visit” this museum and “view” this exhibit without traveling to Macau.
Making a decision to hold an exhibit of this magnitude must have been difficult, as most pioneers have experienced when faced with an insurmountable task. Being able to logistically gather these smiths, exhibits, etc to showcase their hard work and craftsmanship, must have been an enormous task. I applaud you for this precedent-setting decision and the fact that you were able to pull it off. You have raised the bar and others must now follow.
I would hope that the Macau Museum of Art and Antonio would be involved in hosting future exhibitions of contemporary sword smiths highlighting their craft as this has enhanced my appreciation of the art.

I thank you again for allowing me this opportunity to view your exhibition.

Antonio,
Congratulations are due for your hard work and creativity in organizing the Masters of Fire exhibition.
I am personally grateful for the opportunity to show my humble efforts as a sword smith and delighted that our craft is being exposed to such a broad and appreciative group of people.

Hi Antonio
I wish I could have been present at the opening of the Exhibition and congratulate you and every one who has been involved in this fantastic exhibition.
It must have been a nightmare to get it all together and I am also impressed with your Online Exhibition.
For me it has been an enormous challenge as well and I don't know if I ever would have attempted a challenge like this one, without your invitation to take part in this Exhibition, thank you.
It has sprouted a sword seed in me and I am sure I will make more.
I also hope it has sprouted a seed of interest in the public and other Museums all over the world.
Again thank you, for your extremely well organised Exhibition it has been a pleasure dealing with you.

Prezado Antonio

Primeiramente gostaria de lhe transmitir minhas mais sinceras felicitações por seu grande feito. Fico extremamente orgulhoso em ver amigos pessoais, compatriotas Brasileiros fazendo parte deste grupo tão seleto de cuteleiros selecionado por você. Foi uma grande surpresa, e muito feliz por sinal, ver que foram convidados a expor suas peças em meio a grandes nomes como Jim Kelso, Vince Evans, Howard Clark, e todos os outros. Todos executaram excelentes trabalhos! Gostaria de agradece-lo por reunir em tão belo conjunto o trabalho de todas essas pessoas. Você tem sido, já a alguns anos, para os apreciadores da cutelaria internacional, e em especial de espadas, um grande incentivador.

Grande abraço!

Dear Antonio

I would firstly wish to express to you my sincere congratulations for your great feat. I am extremely proud to see personal friends, fellow Brazilians become part of such a select group of smiths that you selected. It was a great surprise, and a very happy one, to see they were invited to exhibit their works along with such great names as Jim Kelso, Vince Evans, Howard Clark, and all the others. All did magnificent works!
I would like to thank you for assembling in such a beautiful ensemble the work of all these people. You have been, for years now, for the international edged weapons lovers, specially on swords, a great incentive.

Big hug!

Antonio I wanted to congratulate you for your efforts and dedication to this project.
It's not about just showcasing some superb exponents of the art but also fighting against the misconceptions and negative connotations edged arts receive.
A next exhibition will just see this quest progress in that respect and hopefully a Biennial will be the next goal to be accomplished.
For that reason I celebrate your efforts and that of those involved in making this possible, museum staff, exhibitors and enthusiasts alike.
My warmest regards to you and everyone else involved.

Dear Sirs:
I want to thank you and your staff for your tireless efforts in creating the most special exhibition of bladesmiths and their works of art I have ever seen. To be honest I stumbled onto to exhibition through the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. I did not know such a site existed. As a sword lover it was exactly what I as looking for. So I say thank you.

É com grande orgulho e prazer que participo desse projeto pioneiro a nivel mundial, no qual o museu de macau , "desrrotula" de simples armas as espadas, evidenciando sua beleza e valor historico, elevando-as ao plano das belas artes.
Agradeço em nome da cutelaria brasileira, pela oportunidade e apoio que o Museu nos deu , resgatando e divulgando a arte da forja.

It is with great pride and pleasure that I participate in this world level pioneering project, in which the Macao Museum of Art removes the branding of swords as mere weapons, displaying its beauty and historic value, and lifting them to the level of the fine arts.
I wish to thank, in the name of Brazilian smithing, the opportunity and support that the Museum gave us, recovering and spreading the art of the forge.