Clearing the air.

RMLamey

RMLamey

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Joined
Nov 13, 1998
Messages
2,598
First off, i would like to apologize again for all of those that have been waiting, and have passed many delivery dates that I have given them. That is my fualt and i truly am sorry that i could not deliver in my given time. With that said, i would also like to shed some light on whats going on.

In Big Tex's case there were some issues with his first blade on heat treating. I didnt let his and about 10 or so others go out, they simply werent right and were destroyed in my shop. I HAVE NOT MADE A KNIFE EXACTLY LIKE HIS OR EVEN CLOSE SINCE HIS ORDER!! To imply this, as Tex did, is in very poor taste. Tex also has eluded that im not making his knife becuase i gave him such a good deal. This again, is not correct at all. When Tex ordered, my pricing was better than it is currently, he is simply under the "old" pricing and i always honor what ever price i give the first time.

I NEVER have ignored Big Tex, he has sent me a few emails on the order and i have answered them all promptly. He has never called me, my # and addres are on my site. I do not ignore anyone, i love knives and love to talkem wether you are a customer or not.

As far as LOBO's post here on me having a knife available when i have orders, well thats just the way it works out at times (cancelled orders, trying something new etc...)

As i posted a few years ago on Bladeforums, the hardest part of knife making for me is the business end. I openly claim that, but will try and hone my "business" skills so i can more effeciently fill orders.

Thanks for your time, Matt.
 
Better to make a customer wait than send out a knife that you know wont perform. Commendable in my humble opinion.
 
Matt, it takes a good man to come on this forum and admit that he has made some mistakes. As has been stated, you did the only right thing in not sending out knives with defective blades. It shows that you have ethics.

What happened with Tex is a bad situation and one that was made worse by BT losing his cool. I am sure that this has been a very embarrassing episode for you. You seem like a good man and you are certainly a very good knifemaker so I figure things will go just fine for you.
 
Matt, while I have yet to do business with you, I would NOT hesitate. The most important thing for a knife maker to do is only provide QUALITY knives. if they are not, then starting over is the way to go. Posting here and offering an apology takes a big man. I too just learned a very difficult lesson and saying I am sorry made the difference between me being a flake and a good-guy. You did the stand-up thing and I plan on one day buying one of your beautiful knives. Good luck Matt......wolf
 
Good, honest, sincere, to the point post.......... :) :)

You sound like a straight shooter to me ......... I hate 'paperwork' myself........... ;) :eek:
 
Dear Matt,

I did my "once every couple of weeks" scan of the FORUM and saw the complaints from the now-banned member, then found this post. Be assured, you have my respect and my sympathy. RESPECT because you have the integrity to say "IF IT AIN'T GOOD IT DON'T SHIP" and sympathy because I have discovered the stress inherent in a growing waiting list that you can't keep up with.

I used to be able to do 14-hour days in the shop, and my biggest gripe was sometimes not having a full display rack at a show. Then my health went south about the same time I went on the Internet and I found myself 2 to 4 months behind on orders for tomahawks I hadn't even started to build yet. I canceled 7 of the 12 shows I had planned to do this year. You're even farther behind on orders, from what I saw on the other posts, and there's no way I would want to be in your position even though you've got job security for the next 3 or 4 years.

Don't know if it's any help, but here's what I decided as soon as things started getting out of hand:

(1) DO NOT accept any money up-front for orders ... I've got about 4 checks sitting in the shop that I refuse to deposit until the hawks are done, and they worry me a lot. I could die tomorrow, and my wife would have to figure out what to do with them. I have offered to send them back but the customers insist I keep them. I keep a waiting list of e-mail orders, and do the hawks in batches based on the models from the earliest orders on the list. When they're nearly done, I let the customer know. If they don't want it any more, somebody else will buy it.
(2) Face the fact that you'll have to lose about 2 hours a day of shop time to handling e-mail correspondence with customers. They want your product, and they deserve your time and consideration. Keep them posted on progress on their orders, answer their questions, and keep them happy. They are job security.
(3) NEVER set an optimistic delivery time. If you think you'll be done with the piece in 3 months, advertise 5 months. Anything can happen, from lousy materials delivery to a fire in the shop (one of those put me totally out of business for 4 months a few years ago). If you get it done and shipped earlier, the customer is happy.
(4) I quit doing "special" pieces from scratch, and only do the standard models that I'm tooled up for. I can't keep up with production on those in my one-man shop, and can't afford to further delay orders from the many folks who want my regular models just for one or 2 oddball pieces. That hurts, because the "special" stuff is what is fun to make, and doing a dozen of the same model is like being back on the time clock in the machine shop again. Welcome to the real world of business!

Matt, your recall to active duty will put an even bigger dent in your ability to meet order schedules just as my heart and lung problems did. I'd suggest that you take a couple of days out of the shop to rework your backorder list and a realistic delivery schedule, and then e-mail all the customers with updated delivery estimates. If they don't want to wait that long, sell it to somebody else! You obviously don't have a shortage of orders .... your problem is trying to make enough knives to catch up with what is already sold!
Hang in there .... you've definitely got my support!!!!

TO THOSE MEMBERS AND LURKERS WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS INVOLVED IN TRYING TO RUN A ONE-MAN SHOP:
Try this on for size .... you have to order a 3-year supply of materials to get any kind of price break, but only get your money back 1 item at a time. You have to borrow money to get that big an order, and can't pay cash for it because all your sales go to pay off the principal and interest on the loans for the last materials and equipment/tooling you bought. You have to decide whether you are going to put time on the grinder to meet the orders from impatient customers or time in the office to do the taxes so the IRS doesn't throw you in jail. You accept below-minimum-wage payment for your shop time because you have to compete with stuff made in Pakistan by somebody that earns 40 cents a day. AND THAT'S JUST A START.

TWO HAWKS
http://www.2hawks.net
 
Two Hawks...
<b>"You accept below-minimum-wage payment for your shop time because you have to compete with stuff made in Pakistan by somebody that earns 40 cents a day. AND THAT'S JUST A START."</b>

Okay now hold up a second there.
I know how difficult it is to run a one man shop. Not making knives, but building custom pistols. I'm not taking anything away from the stress, toil and precious little financial reward of the less than "Flavor Of The Month" maker. It's damned tough and you have my full sympathy.

But let's not get carried away.
I don't think there are any Makers out there who have lost business because a potential customer thought to himself...

"Hmmm, I'd really like one of those 400 dollar customs from Mr.X, but I can get one almost exactly like it for 3.95 if I buy the Pakistani copy!"

If that idiot does exist, be very happy he didn't buy your knife, he wouldn't have been able to appreciate it.
I can just imagine his letter to the maker 2 weeks after delivery...

"Deer Mistr Ex...
I is retarnin yoor nife bacauze it don't karv granit so gud. Th blayd is all binded and chiped. Plez sind my munny bak.
Thank yoo.
Nimrod Numnutz"


Count your blessings.
;)
 
Guys i appreciate all the kind words. I just wanted to get my point out, and i think that is done. Lets not stray off topic to much, to be honest i just wish they would lock the thread :D
 
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