Dan Koster Kickstarter Disaster

Wow. Those Kickstarter comments are quite the interesting read. Three months ago Koster explains to his backers that “last night I was fitting locks” and then, nine days ago he reports to those backers that are still hanging on “I was up until 11 last night fitting locks.” He’s recycling excuses again.

The Kickstart backers that haven’t bailed out on Koster have got to be some of the most patient and optimistic folks out there.

One of the fed up Kickstart backers posted this message to Koster a week ago,“You have made promise after promise that the knives are coming soon, but delivered nothing. Taking money under false pretenses is a crime. Refund my money today or strap in.”

“Shouldn’t it be possible to make a practical, comfortable folding knife that could stand up to bushcraft and survival use?” is the statement Koster used to lure backers into his Kickstarter campaign. I guess the answer to that question is, “Not if Dan Koster is making it and you’re expecting to receive it in this lifetime.”
 
A question come to my mind. Mr. Koster has failed to deliver, or has been very late to deliver, knives for forum members, private individuals, kickstarter investors, and dealers. What is he doing with his time?
 
Dan just posted an update that he has ONE knife PARTIALLY done. He still needs to do "...final handle shaping, grinding the blade, adding the detent and putting everything in the tumbler for a few hours to get deburred and stone-finished. Then etch, sharpen, final touches...". This is after a mountain of excuses and him stating on February 15 of this year that "...I finally have the stop pins here in the shop ready to go. Builds can now go forward."

I hope that the backers get their knives. At this pace, that should be around 2021...
 
What a shame, I have one of his original bushcraft fixed blades and it is a fine knife with many well thought out features. One could only presume that his folder would be of equal quality.

Unfortunately empty promises and missed deadlines don’t make knives. If they did, there’s another outfit out there with the same business plan whose praises they’d be singing in TGB&U instead of them being banned like mr koster.

Hope you all get some kind of satisfaction from Dan but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

For the folks who have one of his blades, what do you do with it? Can’t sell it with a clear conscience... Give it away? That’s your best bet, give it to someone who’s going to use it instead of put it in a safe. It’s either that or use it like it was meant to be used and be glad you have something besides a bad feeling and a lighter checkbook.

Next time someone comes up with an idea to make a better folding bushcraft knife and goes to Kickstarter to fund it I’d like to think folks would be a little more cynical before plunking down $500-$900 on something so intangible from a maker with a bad history proceeding him.
 
Sadly, there is no recourse through kickstarter, unless Dan Koster decides to actually refund. The only possible option that may bear some fruit is for the backers to join forces and take him to court (for this money, may not be worth). I learnt a lesson few years ago on kickstarter's business model, and have been wary of supporting anyone on KS who does not have stellar reputation (of the amount of money is something I can afford to lose).

Hope Dan delivers on his promise, and the backers' don't have to chalk it up to experience.
 
I've followed his knives for years, and think I've reviewed two of his EDC models. Great knives. Superb ergonomics for my hand.......


I have long said I'd only buy one of his knives off of the secondary matket... and even that changed, because if you have an issue, I don't see how you could send him the knife and expect to get satisfaction.....

Shame, really.
 
Well, I'm one of those who has been ripped off by Dan Koster. I ordered my knife from him back in 2013. I still have the emails stating turn around time of 6 to 12 months. Over the years I have emailed Dan for updates and never received any replies. Here's a link to his order list: http://kosterknives.com/2016Orders.htm
I'm only about half way down the list after 5 years! This guy has taken 10s of thousands of dollars from people and not delivered their knives. He says he got over his head with orders but instead of completing the orders he moved on to taking large orders for dealers and finally to Kickstarter where he collected another $22 thousand and has failed to deliver a single knife in over two years.
I finally had enough and asked for a refund, this time I did get a reply:

"I'm still making knives. Deposits were always non-refundable material purchases. You are welcome to wait out your spot, sell it to someone else or walk away. I did not force you to place a non-refundable deposit. I got bogged down by lots of different things - but I am doing my best to get things done and make them right. The knives I am making now are much better quality than when you originally placed your order. And as you can see - many others are still patiently waiting to get theirs. I will get to it. I do apologize for the wait. Angry emails and phone calls aren't going to make it happen any sooner. I suddenly found myself with over 1000+ orders and had to close the books and try to catch up. Going from over 1000 to the 200 or so I have now is pretty good for a one-man shop. Work with me on this and I'll make it right for you. Let me know. Thanks!
Dan"

That was a year ago and no knife, no movement on the order list and now he's doing the same thing on Kickstarter. Excuse after excuse for years. I see one of his backers threatened legal action and actually got a refund. This guy is a complete rip off artist.
 
"Deposits were always non-refundable material purchases. You are welcome to wait out your spot, sell it to someone else or walk away. I did not force you to place a non-refundable deposit."

LOL!

Any maker who takes a deposit for a knife made with basic materials obviously can't afford to make knives.
 
So...

It has been 2 years since the Dan Koster Kickstarter Disaster got funded.
It has been about 1.5 years since the project was supposed to be complete.
Dan has had all the materials for at least 9 months.
He has made numerous (broken) promises about when he will complete the first knives.

... and yet not a single knife has been shipped.

And let's not forget that there are a lot of people waiting on orders placed years before the beginning of the Dan Koster Kickstarter Disaster.

Anyone want to offer an estimate regarding when all the Kickstart backers will get their knives?
 
Sounds like deposits and Kickstarter funds were probably used to kickstart his living expenses and/or habits. I'd also bet any future "deposits" are probably funding materials for knives he makes to sell to dealers and such to keep paying the bills. Anyone on a waiting list probably will never see product. You know robbing Peter to pay Paul till it's so bad there is no way to recover imho
 
Wow... ever considered buying some of his knife. Glad I didn't pull the trigger. This guy is totally a scumbag.
 
Damn I can rem her trying to get one of Dans knives even signed up for his bushcraft folder and was told I was on a waiting list. After about a year I sent him an email and got a very terse reply that I was on the waiting list..then got an email telling me that he had some available and went to the site he dir cited me too..nothing. Then The Kickstarter program started, the price of the knives went up and BS bell rang, stayed far away. Already had my baptism of fire in the Sketchenscales debacle along with a knife maker now banned from here. I now only deal with custom makers who o lay take a small start up deposit with payment when the order is complete. I feel for all the folks caught up In this type of situation..good luck to those twisting on the vi e.
 
You want a great knife at a very reasonable price take a look at Carothers. On the recent pre-orders he does collect full payment but he has proven he can produce what he has committed to on time or a little before. After dealing with Dan for a couple of years it sure is nice to deal with someone of honor and makes an outstanding blade.
 
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