dan prentice

OilMan said:
Respectfully, with an attitude like that you should stop taking orders. You're just gonna piss off someone who wants to know about their order or why it wasn't shipped when you miscommunicated it would be.:(

You might not care about your customers knives but they sure do. It's nice to know your opinion beforehand though so a person can move on to a maker who can communicate with the people paying their bills and not get pissy about it.

oil
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Tanguay Custom Knives said:
I never said don't communicate. I said if a maker doesn't get right back to you maybe (and probably) there's a good reason!

Most people don't just foolishly hand their cash over to someone before knowing something about them, their work, and their rep. If you trusted him enough to give him your money, give the man the benifit of the doubt. He may just have something a little more pressing going on at the moment.

I do care about my customer's knives, by the way, to the point its made me sick about being just a week late.

Thank you, though. You just helped me make up my mind.
Scott
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It really goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, that good communication is key to keeping everyone happy. That said, it's statements like Oilman's without understanding Scott's words that makes problems bigger than the truely are. It's a perfect example of miscommunication.

IMO, if you choose to air out your purchasing or selling issues in GBU it could potentially come back to bite you in the butt. I don't know if GBU works or not except that it doesn't look like it worked all that great in this shituation. :grumpy:
 
Which words didn't I understand? People that can't/won't/don't want to keep comms with their customers will soon find themselves without any. People that blame their customers for them (Knifemakers) not keeping comms should not have any (customers).

I view my job (IT), doctors, and knifemakers roughly the same. We are glorified service people for the most part. Why is it unreasonable to expect people to keep to their word/deadlines? I meet my deadlines or I know I'm gonna take heat for it. Just like everyone else. And if I don't tell my boss where I'm at on a project when asked then I expect to be looking for another job. If I get sick/hurt/whatever I tell the people relying on me to keep my word my situation as they are not psychic. Why the double standard? Everyone's got issues.:confused:
 
Life happens, and sometimes the best laid plans go awry. I do want to be informed if my knife is not going to be shipped when the maker said it would, but I also realize that sometimes things happen that make this next to impossible. The maker can have planned to ship the knife the next day, but instead ended up in the hospital without any way to communicate with the customer. I do expect to be informed as soon as is possible, but I can live for a while without communication. Not too long though. If a maker is in the hospital for a week and a couple of weeks after getting out he has not contacted his customers to let them know what happened, I don't think that is the right way to do things. Even if you are having computer problems there has to be some way to get in touch with your customers. The maker needs to make sure that he has every one of his customer's phone numbers.

As far as makers not taking orders is concerned, that is completely up to them. Well known makers can do this without it hurting business. Makers that have too long a backlog should stop taking orders, at least until they get caught up. Part time makers can afford to do this, because they have another job that pays the bills. It is probably not a good thing for a new full time maker to do, as it might turn off a lot of potential customers. Making knives should be something the maker enjoys, and it shouldn't be somehting that stresses him/her out. There are pros and cons to whatever choice the maker goes with. Choosing the alternative with the most pros for that particular maker is the way for him/her to go.
 
Just a thought--

If a maker runs into life's unplanned difficulties, why is it so hard to simply leave an answering machine message that generally states the problem with a possible timeframe noted for when the problem may be resolved? And if you don't have an independent line, when someone calls, how hard is it for the answering party to explain the situation right then and there?

Another option is to keep an e-mail db of customers, or even people who have shown an interest in a maker's knives in the past. I know of at least one such custom maker who does exactly this. If he was to run into some sort of issue, in one e-mail, he can contact everyone and let them know what the situation is.

With all due repsect, I just don't think it needs to be as hard to communicate with customers or potential customers as some here are making it out to be.
 
Custom knifemakers are a special situation, it seems to me.

Why?

Because the custom knifemaker is an artist and a businessperson; both.
Very rare.

Artists - musicians, actors, writers, painters...obtain an agent as soon
as they possibly can. And an accountant. Assistance with the business
side of things, in other words.

Custom knifemakers want to do their art - not the business stuff.
Invoicing, sales, marketing, bookkeeping, website issues, etc. -
that stuff is generally not their bag. What they want to do is
what they love to do and have a special ability and training and skills to do - design and turn out beautiful handmade knives of great quality.

But, it seems to me, the custom knifemaker has to take care of
at least the essential business stuff even though it is a PITA and
may require skills they don't have. If they're not gonna do it, then they
have to hire someone, at least part time, to email or phone, maybe do some shipping, keep some records, etc.

Or find some other way do deal with this stuff, put the knives on
consignment with a dealer, whatever. But it's gotta get done.

Because if you want to make money selling your art, you have to take care of your customers.
At the very least, you've got to make the effort to do so.

IMHO.
 
I'm still waiting for my knife which was promised to be sent out 3/19. I forget which # promise that was. No money, no knife. I left another message last weekend. Have not heard anything from Mr. Prentice yet.
 
Mr. Prentice is a few miles from home the last I checked and he's been busy trying to get his blades made up for the Journeyman Bladesmith testing... He was sick, he had eye surgery, his website PLAINLY STATES that ACTIVE DUTY GOING ON DEPLOYMENT HAS HEAD OF THE LINE PRIVILEGES!!!

Is your custom knife so important to you that you have to have it before Sgt. Smith gets his before he heads off to the sandbox??? Do you know how many have been ordered since you ordered yours?? How many that got yours set back a bit??? Please look between Shiite and Syphillis in the dictionary if your looking for sympathy.

And he's also Active Duty Military. This is his HOBBY. His PAST TIME. He don't get the luxury of going home everyday at 5PM and getting to work at 8AM and thinking that nothing will happen that he has to stay over. Anyone that has ever been active duty should understand this. If you have never served then you probably never will understand it.

His comment about "Not taking orders" is about it becoming a PITA that his "HOBBY" that he enjoys is becoming a "BOTHER" that makes the whole process miserable. He started small... he simply made knives, and listed them for sale as he had them made.... THEN he started getting orders for specific stuff and that is where it's at now. He told me that he was considering the stopping of ORDERS in the sense that he wanted to be able to ENJOY making the knives, and then put them up for sale, and then it'd be first come first served. Better to have someone happy with the knife that's made than UNHAPPY with the knife they ordered and had to wait on.

He also took the time and trouble to make some videos of the knife making process and has taken the time on numerous occassions to speak with me as well as other members here on how to make em, where to start, and what should be done....

I'm sorry you had an unpleasant time with his lack of comms... You have the knife... Are you happy with it??? And Dave.... Last I heard your's should be out this week. I know the one I ordered, a simple little no handled cable necker, I'm still waiting on... But that's fine... I told him not to worry with mine as it wasn't a Life or Death situation.... I don't see how anyone here it's a Life or Death for, but then I'm not omniscient (sp?) so go figure.

That's just my change on the subject and feel free to think of me as you wish... It'll not change my sleep pattern.

DM
 
It's not just sellers (e.g. makers) that have responsibilities;
customers have responsibilities as well.


For example, customers need to check sellers websites...

A seller (maker) posting a message on their website is a completely acceptable form of communication these days.
 
As much as I agree that getting a knife is not a life or death thing, and that waiting a little while extra is no big deal (I have had to wait an extra 6 months to a year for a couple of my knives), I do still believe that communication is paramount. Though there are times when it would be impossible to get in touch with a customer, I do think that if you have the time and ability to visit Bladeforums, then you also have the time and ability to email your customers.
 
DevilMan said:
Mr. Prentice is a few miles from home the last I checked and he's been busy trying to get his blades made up for the Journeyman Bladesmith testing... He was sick, he had eye surgery, his website PLAINLY STATES that ACTIVE DUTY GOING ON DEPLOYMENT HAS HEAD OF THE LINE PRIVILEGES!!!

Is your custom knife so important to you that you have to have it before Sgt. Smith gets his before he heads off to the sandbox??? Do you know how many have been ordered since you ordered yours?? How many that got yours set back a bit??? Please look between Shiite and Syphillis in the dictionary if your looking for sympathy.

And he's also Active Duty Military. This is his HOBBY. His PAST TIME. He don't get the luxury of going home everyday at 5PM and getting to work at 8AM and thinking that nothing will happen that he has to stay over. Anyone that has ever been active duty should understand this. If you have never served then you probably never will understand it.

His comment about "Not taking orders" is about it becoming a PITA that his "HOBBY" that he enjoys is becoming a "BOTHER" that makes the whole process miserable. He started small... he simply made knives, and listed them for sale as he had them made.... THEN he started getting orders for specific stuff and that is where it's at now. He told me that he was considering the stopping of ORDERS in the sense that he wanted to be able to ENJOY making the knives, and then put them up for sale, and then it'd be first come first served. Better to have someone happy with the knife that's made than UNHAPPY with the knife they ordered and had to wait on.

He also took the time and trouble to make some videos of the knife making process and has taken the time on numerous occassions to speak with me as well as other members here on how to make em, where to start, and what should be done....

I'm sorry you had an unpleasant time with his lack of comms... You have the knife... Are you happy with it??? And Dave.... Last I heard your's should be out this week. I know the one I ordered, a simple little no handled cable necker, I'm still waiting on... But that's fine... I told him not to worry with mine as it wasn't a Life or Death situation.... I don't see how anyone here it's a Life or Death for, but then I'm not omniscient (sp?) so go figure.

That's just my change on the subject and feel free to think of me as you wish... It'll not change my sleep pattern.

DM
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This wasn't a question of an order slipping. The OP sent his money and was told his knife was shipped when it wasn't.

It's simple really -- don't tell people their knife is shipped if you haven't done it. If you have time to tell them that, you have time to tell them it will take an extra week because you are in the hospital. Or, if you took their money, and the knife is sitting on your bench, maybe your wife could box it up and mail it.

How long did it take to make the knife? Looks great. But that doesn't matter till it's in the hand of the customer. No knifemaker, hobbiest or pro, should screw up their reputation, and many hours of work on the knife, for want of ten minutes to box up a knife or call/email their customer.

In any case, be honest and tell your customer what is really going on -- that's the least you can do if you have their money.
 
i fail to se how diamdave and myself are the dickheads -we didnt say it shipped numerous times did we-

we didnt NOT pay on time did we-

yet some of you want us to be the bad guys-because we were told our knives shipped when they werent

if a guy takes your money-he should ship the knife asap-so now diamdave is doing the same waiting game i went thru-

as for my knife-its not more than i paid for like he tried to say-its the 400$ knife i ordered-its nice,
 
Just because I spoke with him over the weekend about my knife.... He informed me that he was getting his knives tested, and that he had taken 10 days off of work to try and get caught up on his orders and to get his blades made for testing.

I felt that since I had spoken with him, that I would post up that he mentioned he had 3 or 4 knives for customers that he intended to get done in this time period also. I know mine is waiting to be heat treated he has said.

I'm not trying to make anyone here look like a dick..... I'm simply trying to put out there, that he don't want his reputation harmed anymore more than anyone else here does. I can say that I have purchased things before and out of happenchance *like cars breaking and having to fix them so I could get to work* that the money for the stuff I was buying didn't get there as soon as I had hoped to get it out. I did try to keep the comms up, and I did pay for what I said I would get. Just wasnt' as soon as I had planned.

It happens to all of us at some point in time.... If Murphy's law has never struck you then you should buy lotto tickets...

As for emails and phone calls.... Wouldn't you rather he not be able to answer the phone because he's polishing up or sanding down the blade/handle of your knife???

I really am sorry that you guys are waiting on your blades, and that you feel slighted in the least. The times I have spoken with him leads me to think that he wants to get you your stuff just as much as he wants to get it made.

Hopefully it will all work out in the end.

Like I said.... I felt I should relay this since I spoke with him while he was going to the testing...

DM
 
The problem here is not that the knife took a few extra weeks to get to the customer. The problem is that the knife was paid for in full and the customer was told that it had been shipped when it wasn't. Dan should never have told rosconey2 that his knife had been shipped when in truth it hadn't been.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
The problem here is not that the knife took a few extra weeks to get to the customer. The problem is that the knife was paid for in full and the customer was told that it had been shipped when it wasn't. Dan should never have told rosconey2 that his knife had been shipped when in truth it hadn't been.
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Amen brother.:thumbup:
 
This whole situation is fubar since this was posted, a simple case of miscommunication by Dan for obvious resons and intolerance by the customer. So what; you paid your money for a knife and now you don't get your toy in a timely fashion and since the guy is down, you kick him on a message board? Man that's hogwash...If Dan said the knife was sent and wasn't he made a mistake, simple. plain and obvious. Since he has been through the ringer here he probably feels all raw about things, but you know what, its business, no more, no less. If you have ever dealt with any other custom fabricator you get more BS than Dan has ever put out and a longer wait time. So next time be a little more patient before you slam a working man on a worldwide site.
 
Though I have not bought anything from Mr. Prentice we have spoken several times and I find him a stand up guy. From what I have seen of his knives, they are very nice and wouldn't hesitate to buy from him. He has an impecable record and though he dropped the ball on this, by NO means is it enough to condemn him. Too many people want to crucify others when things don't go their way. The money was sent and the knife was gotten but not within enough time to make rosconey2 happy. People have lives outside businesses, internet, and other things.......Prentice is also in the Military and I know for a fact that your life can go hold at the drop of a dime.

Keep on making your knives and folks will continue to buy them.
 
So far 20 different people, including myself, have weighed in on the shituation and it should have stayed between the buyer and seller. When the buyer determines the seller is a FRAUD(or vice versa) after due diligence and patience is exercised, THEN by all means report the abuse.

Using GB&U to mark someone as a fraud is a serious step to take. A problem that was between 2 people then becomes the problem of 1 against the world of onlookers.

Who do you trust and do you take sides based on the secondhand information. Will you then use the secondhand information to jump on the bandwagon to stand up for a situation that didn't involve you in the first place? That is shaky ground for sure.

It occurs to me that there are people with idle hands and minds that wait for a cause to rally to. If you have problems with a seller or buyer, the aforementioned folks are not going to make the problem better. I am taking my own advice and not taking sides in GB&U unless I encounter a verifiable fraud, no matter what side of the counter they are on.
 
I was not going to weigh in here, but I hate to see what may be a terrible outcome of events. Would it not be best to salvage all parties if possible, a good knifemaker and good customers? It seems a mistake was made, possibly one led to others, I don't know anything absolutely for sure at this point. None the less, it is time to swallow a big dose of pride and the two individuals at odds here to have a telephone conversation, ownership taken of mistakes, with appropriate apologies made, a verbal handshake and move on if possible. This really has not done anybody any good. What say you fellers, which one is big enough to make the first move with the right attitude and is the other big enough to recieve it with the right attitude and attempt to put this behind everyone? Guess I'll sign with my one of my official titles and it will explain why I'm such a sucker for wanting to see good endings.
Chaplain Jim Wharton
 
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