Dealer promised delivery dates

Most experienced collectors understand that delivery dates are not only estimates, but optimistic estimates. ;) For me, as long as the communication is there and I get a heads-up before the maker starts working on my order, I'm good.

Oh, and a maker can take as many orders from a customer as he pleases. There may be downsides to doing so, but it is not "unfair" to anyone.

Roger
 
I fullly understand the maker's plight of scheduling. As a businessman in the knife field I am constantly under pressure to produce quickly and sometimes with a deadline. One of the hardest areas to manage for me.

Most of us tend to predict output in an ideal working scenario with no distractions and at 100% efficiency. Sounds about right at the time.

And then family, project setbacks, simple time needed to stretch back, and other variables get in there. We're all imperfect. That's life.

I am extremely flexible on my wait times for others. I wish for the same.... :D

Coop
 
Originally Posted by Kevin Jones View Post
How do makers and you other collectors feel about multiple same maker orders?

Originally posted by RogerP:
Oh, and a maker can take as many orders from a customer as he pleases. There may be downsides to doing so, but it is not "unfair" to anyone.

As a collector, I agree with RogerP. A maker, however, who plans to fill such an order before other orders may do himself a disservice, since such a policy may dissuade potential customers from placing orders.

I am at the age where I do not consider a wait of more than a year something I want to do.
 
blad5 said:
I am at the age where I do not consider a wait of more than a year something I want to do.
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A year wait time or MORE for a maker who balances quality, price, and the elusive "desireability" is to be expected...there really is not much more to say than that....except I really don't know what I will be doing a year from now, do any of you? So to that year wait time, add 90 days, and you have a realistic expectation of what a delivery date my be.

When I started collecting, there was a collector from Switzerland named Eric Meyer(phoenetic, I have never seen his name in writing)...his advisor/money-man would go through the NYC Custom knife show and buy EVERYTHING on the table from specific makers, I know because I witnessed it...did I like it? No, I didn't but there was nothing that I could do about it, and money talks, Eric had big bucks.

I have monopolized many a maker's entire output in a month in the past as a dealer, and am pretty sure that they were happy for the work, especially since I coordinated with them for slow times, like around tax season(before refunds get shipped out).

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson


Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
A single collector having 5/6 orders or perhaps more at a given time with a single maker doesn't strike me as fair/un-fair/ good or bad, just interesting.

Interesting as I wonder if these collectors actually expect/plan to take delivery on all the knives or in some cases see the orders as just options to buy?

In other words, if the maker continues to be hot and in demand, perhaps the collectors take the orders as they come up, if not perhaps they pass.

A collector's taste in knives can change quite a bit in 5/6 years. Does this cause concern to collectors having these multiple orders with one maker?

A question for makers; out of say 50 special ordered knives, how many do collectors actually pass on when informed their spot on the list is up?

Another maker question; do you take multiple orders (say a collector orders 5 knives over a twelve month period) as serious as consistent single orders?

Just things that came to mind as my friend was telling me of his orders.

I think Keith has a good system of placing a new order as an order is received.
 
If there are no contracts, deposits etc., and the wait time is only a rough estimate, I don't see how anyone could complain. There is no obligation from the customer nor the maker. The bottom line is how many knives are on order, not how many people have knives on order. If a customer doesn't like it, he/she can always go else where, or get in line. If I really wanted a knife bad enough from a certain maker, I would do my best not to piss them off.
Bob
 
As a maker I am always glad to take multiple orders from one customer, either at one time or at different times. Each one is treated as an order and will be taken in turn. We sometimes work knives together, or in a batch, to make the completion more cost effective. That may cause one knife to be ready prior to another in line, but it speeds up the whole process and is worth it to us. We will also from time to time work on one out of order on the list for a serviceman heading overseas. Most customers are very willing to work with us as to delivery times and we only quote approximate times any way. We encourage customers to e-mail us if they have questions. We check e-mails several times a day and it never moves a customer back in the order of things to be done. E-mails are requested because we can check them when it is convenient to us and we don't have to interrupt what we are doing. We also have a record of the contact and so does the customer. We don't take deposits, but we are very serious about our commitments and do not like it at all when we get behind or have a problem that causes a delay. It does happen.

On custom orders we nearly always make two blades for each order. One is completed for the customer and the other is held in reserve in case something goes wrong with the first. The backup blade keeps us from being very far out if we have a problem with the first and also serves as one that can be completed quickly for a show or "shop knife." The primary function of the extra blade is to back up the customer blade though.

We always hope that the customer is just as serious about his order as we are. I don't like the idea of a person placing the order just in case he might want the knife at some later date. It costs us, as makers, money if we have to sell the knife a second time. We see this as a commitment of both parties. While no money has traded hands, we will do our best to uphold our end of the bargain. We expect the same of the customer and only on the rare occasion have we been disappointed.

The only other way to look at it, as I see it, is like Starkman1 said:

If there are no contracts, deposits etc., and the wait time is only a rough estimate, I don't see how anyone could complain. There is no obligation from the customer nor the maker. The bottom line is how many knives are on order, not how many people have knives on order. If a customer doesn't like it, he/she can always go else where, or get in line. If I really wanted a knife bad enough from a certain maker, I would do my best not to piss them off.
Bob
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