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Custom order advice

I

icemanjeff

Joined
May 15, 2003
Messages
87
Hello all. I was looking for a bit of advice. About one year ago I placed an order with a custom knifemaker. This maker is well respected on this and other forums so I had no hesitation to place an order. I was told at that time that it would be a year wait. I was fine with that and placed an order. Sometime in July 2006, I contacted the maker for an update and he immediately returned my email and said he hadn't started it yet as he was out of the steel I originally wanted. Through that conversation he said if I wanted it sooner, he could make it out of a different steel and start right away. I was totally fine with this as the steel he was going to switch to is very good and I am not that picky. We finallized everything and he requested full payment which I provided. Near the end of July, he said he would conact me "in a couple of weeks". I never heard from him in that time. I sent him a couple of emails in late September and October and didn't get a response. I sent him several more emails to both his email addresses in December with no reply. I have called his phone number and left messages twice in the past couple of weeks with no reply. I am not sure what to do next. All I am looking for is an update on how he is doing with my knife. If he hasn't got it finished yet it is no big deal as I know he is busy. I am starting to get a little worried as he seem to be ignoring me. I see that the maker is still posting here on Bladeforums so I am not sure what is going in on. If anyone has any advice for me that would be great. I have not included his name at this point as I don't want to "call him out" if I don't have to. This is my second custom project. My first one was not a very good experience but I thought this one would be better due to the rave reviews of this maker on the various forums. Thanks for any help in advance.

Jeff
 
You should provide his name, and this needs to be in TGB&U board. I had an order with a maker who was respected at the time, took two years to get a knife, which was not the one I ordered, and many others were shafted by him. He got out of knifemaking.
 
You should search the GB&U forum and see if there are any other topics about that maker. Perhaps you can get an idea of what's going on.

The initial delay wouldn't concern me. But any delay after he asked for full payment would.

-Bob
 
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Never prepay unless you're requesting special materials. If the knife was just late, I'd say no big deal as it's commonplace for makers to not deliver on time but the prepaying part is a little more troubling.

Phillip :)
 
its been my experience that it may be neccesary to pay a small downpayment (say 10% or so) if ya request a one off knife or one made of high $$ material (ie devin thomas damascus, ivory, etc) but other than that no down payment should be neccesary, if a 'smith asks me to pre-pay that to me indicates future problems and i pass irregardless of how much i want the knife.

in dealing with perhaps a dozen custom smiths i've NEVER had one ask me to prepay or put down a deposit except one time and that 'smith ended up with a lot of problems. luckily my BS meter went off and i passed even though i was really wanting that knife.

without knowing who ya are dealing with its hard to say what to do but i would start with calling the 'smith on the phone and seeing WTF and if he keeps ducking ya i would post his name & go from there.
 
Thanks for the advice folks. I was in email contact with the maker tonight. Everything is fine, he is backlogged with work and was behind on emails (this is what I suspected). At least I know he hasn't fogotten me....:)
 
I don't usually post on these threads but.. Everything is not fine!

The maker asked for payment, recieved it and then disappeared for several months. Posting here got the OP a response which was long overdue.

My .02,

Win
 
icemanjeff said:
Thanks for the advice folks. I was in email contact with the maker tonight. Everything is fine, he is backlogged with work and was behind on emails (this is what I suspected). At least I know he hasn't fogotten me....:)
Click to expand...

Meh, death in the family, illness, injury, computer virus, etc. etc. I don't see how you get almost half a year behind on emails.
 
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