A sad commentary about custom makers I hear frequently

[e_utopia]

Tom: unfortunately, there is one maker who comes to mind for whom that did not happen. I'm willing to bet that most of you can figure out who I'm referring to, so I'm certainly not naming names.

But, the vast majority of knifemakers easily make up for the few bad apples. I doubt there's any other profession with such a large percentage of people who want nothing more than to make their customers happy.

--JB

P.S., to the best of my knowledge, the knifemaker whom I referred-to above has not posted on BFC in quite a while, so I figured it was safe....

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e_utopia@hotmail.com

 

[Brian_Turner]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by A. G. Russell:

The forums may change this so that it becomes impossible for a crooked maker to swindle collectors year after year as they have in the past.</font>

I agree with you, AG, but only if names are named, rather than indicting the entire fraternity of knifemakers, as this post has. I don't blame Tom for being upset, as this post would make it seem that the good makers are an exception, rather than the rule.

 

[tom mayo]

ok...another comment......
there are some of these guys still in business.....and I know most of their names, and I warn people about them whenever it comes up....... How would you like to be one of those guys????
There are crooks everywhere....we ALL need to be careful about how we spend our money, I recently bought an old collectable knife from someone who wanted be to send him the money...He had posted 2 times.....I told him to send the knife to a mutual acquaintance and I would do the same....it cost me $10 extra.....

 

[dogman]

I heard about this maker named T** M***. He rips people off by selling them incomplete knives. They have all kinds of holes in them. He keeps telling people that's the island way...

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"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
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[Tom Anderson]

It seems, without the maker's name - this all becomes moot.

Couldn't you post the maker's name with this story in GB&U? It seems to me that would be fair, since this maker has already been apprised of the situation.

If not, this could continue to turn into a finger-pointing contest that will benefit no one.

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Tom Anderson
Hand Crafted Knives


www.andersoncustomknives.com

 

[Gus Kalanzis]

I am glad this thread has taken the turn that it has. Sometimes I say that I am lucky because I really have not had one bad experience in custom knives (keep in mind I am never in a hurry to get them so if someone is a little late it does not bother me at all as long as they are staying in touch with me on occasion).

It is not because I am lucky it is because of what AG, e-utopia and others have said.
The by far vast majority of makers I have met I would trust with anything (well maybe not a couple of girlfriends

). Putting knives aside, I am a better person for having friendships with some of them. The friendships are not based on owning one of their knives. (I have not associated with any other group that has had this good of an influence on me outside of my family.

As Tom mentioned, over the years it seems that the bad eggs that I have run in to do not hang around long and they (at least to me) stick out like a sore thumb.


If it helps anyone getting started. I have found the following to help me quite a bit.
YMMV, but these might be worth considering.
I steer away from a maker that badmouths the work of another maker.
I steer away from hype.
I steer away from the used car salesman type.
I steer away from someone who is not putting something back into the industry.
I look for a person who can find something good and encouraging to say about a new makers work.




[This message has been edited by Gus Kalanzis (edited 04-24-2001).]