dealer/custom knifemaker drama

viva la

viva la

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The knife place I go to carries a lot of CRKT, Kershaw, Spyderco kind of stuff.

He also carries a few pieces from a custom maker who lives about an hour from here. I started researching this maker after seeing his pieces in the store and he does some great work.

I emailed the maker asking if I could come out and see his shop, and he said yes, so I went out and spent the good part of an afternoon at his house, seeing his collection, talking knives and eventually ordering a knife from him. He is a true custom maker and doesn't make two of the same.

Come to find out, the guy who owns the store is now mad at both of us for cutting him out of the deal, and feels I should have ordered through him. He also told the maker that he set up us meeting and feels the maker should have told me I had to go back to him and order it through him.

I don't think I am in the wrong here but thought I would check with you guys. Should I have ordered through him or is it pretty much none of his business that I ordered directly through the maker?

As an aside, I was in the store earlier talking to him when the maker called me to set up plans to meet for lunch tomorrow, lol.
 
it in part depends on what agreement exists between the store owner and the maker.

If the maker had agreed on the store owner being "exclusive distributor" for his work, then I wold lean toward feeling the store owner was justified in being mad.

If, however, the store owner merely is a "dealer" for the maker, then he has no ground to feel cheated because there is no obligation from anyone to buy from him.

It also depends on your agreement with the dealer, did he set up the meeting with the clear expectation that you would buy from the store? If this was expressed as part of the condition, then he would be right in feeling mad. If this was just a favor for a customer, well, that's part of doing business, just like a customer might come into the store to look at his knives then go home and order from the web.
 
Horizon_Seeker said:
it in part depends on what agreement exists between the store owner and the maker.

If the maker had agreed on the store owner being "exclusive distributor" for his work, then I wold lean toward feeling the store owner was justified in being mad.

If, however, the store owner merely is a "dealer" for the maker, then he has no ground to feel cheated because there is no obligation from anyone to buy from him.

It also depends on your agreement with the dealer, did he set up the meeting with the clear expectation that you would buy from the store? If this was expressed as part of the condition, then he would be right in feeling mad. If this was just a favor for a customer, well, that's part of doing business, just like a customer might come into the store to look at his knives then go home and order from the web.
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There is no exclusive agreement between him and the store. He just happens to sell a few of the guys knives each year. The maker actually talked to the store owner 8 or so years ago about doing an exclusive thing, but the owner said no.

As far as setting up the meeting he did nothing. The only time he was involved at all was when I said "Do you think he would mind if I called and asked if I could take a tour of his shop?"
 
well i would, but he is also the only decent dealer around here...don't wanna burn bridges. On the other hand the only knives I get from him are automatics...

Unfortunately he has lost himself some business with me...he carries quite a few William Henry's that I want. And it's funny, he is getting bitchy about what would be a few hundred dollars, yet I have spent prolly at least $7000 in the last year at his store.
 
Yep, the store owner's reaction is out of line. He has no business even knowing about your meeting with the maker, much less commenting on it.
 
viva la said:
well i would, but he is also the only decent dealer around here...don't wanna burn bridges. On the other hand the only knives I get from him are automatics...

Unfortunately he has lost himself some business with me...he carries quite a few William Henry's that I want. And it's funny, he is getting bitchy about what would be a few hundred dollars, yet I have spent prolly at least $7000 in the last year at his store.
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You sound like a good customer. You've given him quite a bit of business you could have otherwise taken elsewhere, and he snaps at you for cutting him out of business he had no involvement in.

I think you owe him nothing, and should make that clear
 
kawr said:
This dealer sounds like a complete tool. Greedy, selfish, arrogant.
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This.


It's none of his business, he isn't a middle man just a store owner who happens to occasionally sell some of the guys work. I wouldn't deal with that store owner anymore.
 
viva la said:
well i would, but he is also the only decent dealer around here...don't wanna burn bridges. On the other hand the only knives I get from him are automatics...

Unfortunately he has lost himself some business with me...he carries quite a few William Henry's that I want. And it's funny, he is getting bitchy about what would be a few hundred dollars, yet I have spent prolly at least $7000 in the last year at his store.
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Seems cut and dry to me:
Apologize to the dealer for any misunderstanding on his part. It will show that you are mature and have no ill will towards him. Reiterate that you like his store and the products that he carries, so much so that you have spend $7000 there in the past year(s). If he attempts to pry any details out of you, just calmly explain that the subject is not a viable topic for open discussion. Emphasize again, that you have been a long time customer and that you will continue to be, unless he does something that damages that for you (pursuing this conversation further).
That would be my course of action:thumbup:
 
IDK. I think it is really up to the store owner and the knife maker...either way, you should not have anyone mad at you.

I am part owner of an art gallery and we contract with artists to display and sell their work. We advertise it and give them exposure. We have an agreement with our featured artists that any art sold in this geographical area from our website, or from the artists home is subject to commission to be paid to us for promoting their work and name.

Our artists are aware of this and agree to it...we get commission they get exposure, advertising, and promotional parties. It is a far cry from what many knife dealers offer, but I think it illustrates where you fit it;)

I have no idea what agreement exists in your case, but I mention this only because I feel that regardless of any agreement YOU should not come under fire. We have had artist sell and not pay us the commission. This is a breech of our contract and as a result we pull their art and no longer promote it. The buyer is a buyer and has no knowledge of this agreement and should not be penalized or accosted...after all they are a buyer of the sort of thing we are in business to sell, so you don't bite that hand.
 
Would said maker sell many knives from his house while full time making without stores displaying and promoting his knives?

Without the store owner paying rent and wages and spending time with you showing these knives would you have ever known about this maker?

If everyone went straight to the source would there even be this store?

I guess there is a couple ways to look at it......

If the knife maker expects free promotion I don't think it is going to be from that store anymore.
 
unit said:
I have no idea what agreement exists in your case, but I mention this only because I feel that regardless of any agreement YOU should not come under fire. We have had artist sell and not pay us the commission. This is a breech of our contract and as a result we pull their art and no longer promote it. The buyer is a buyer and has no knowledge of this agreement and should not be penalized or accosted...after all they are a buyer of the sort of thing we are in business to sell, so you don't bite that hand.
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There is no such agreement between the maker and the store. The store just happens to have a few of the guys knives for sale.
 
Jimbo75 said:
Would said maker sell many knives from his house while full time making without stores displaying and promoting his knives?

Without the store owner paying rent and wages and spending time with you showing these knives would you have ever known about this maker?

If everyone went straight to the source would there even be this store?

I guess there is a couple ways to look at it......

If the knife maker expects free promotion I don't think it is going to be from that store anymore.
Click to expand...

Yes, he is a full time knifemaker, he has been a knifemaker for well over 30 years, has been featured in Blade and Knives Ill.

Yes I would have known about the maker, through looking online and finding his name, researching custom knifemakers. The only thing I would NOT have realized is that he lives so close.

I don't think he expects free anything from the store, my last conversation with him he told me he is deciding wether to even sell any more knives to the store.
 
viva la said:
Yes, he is a full time knifemaker, he has been a knifemaker for well over 30 years, has been featured in Blade and Knives Ill.

Yes I would have known about the maker, through looking online and finding his name, researching custom knifemakers. The only thing I would NOT have realized is that he lives so close.

I don't think he expects free anything from the store, my last conversation with him he told me he is deciding wether to even sell any more knives to the store.
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Those were merely rhetorical questions to provoke thought from a different perspective and weren't necessarily re this particular store owner but everyone since said knife maker first started out and got him to where he is today(if there were any).

Personally I don't care either way, it just seemed like everyone was jumping on the store owner without a thought to him trying to make a living, I guess I was just trying to put myself in his shoes.
 
The older I get the less time I have for negative people in my life. You behaved in a way you thought correct...he said you were incorrect. Ask him if he wants to continue the relationship? If yes the subject is dropped..if no then move on.
TC
 
you should smear poop on the door handles of his store, while it's closed :D

seriously, though, it sounds like a communication breakdown between the maker and the dealer. one thinks more or their relationship than the other does. either way, it's not your problem, i wouldn't worry about it and if he pushed the issue i'd just stay out of his store.
 
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