The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
This is a subject that has recently hit home with me, and I am currently struggling with an answer.
I have never taken deposits, however, due to some recent events, I am considering it. In the month of October, I had 4 knives scheduled for delivery, two knives each, from two different clients. Two of the four knives were completed, and then within two days of each other, I get emails from each of the clients, stating that they were canceling their orders. No explanations, no "sorrys", just "cancel my order". When I emailed I got no response from either, and after leaving a couple of messages for each, got no return calls.
That pretty much represented my income for the month of October...I'm not whining, just stating facts. My thought is that had I required a deposit, whatever the amount, it might have made the individuals stick to the deal. I can assure you that if either of those individual every place an order with me again, I will require full payment in advance.
I'm mulling it over.....November is usually when I do a full update on my website, and make any policy changes. My thought right now is that I will still take orders without a deposit, but prior to starting the knife, I will require some type of deposit (not sure exactly what yet). I have always trusted everyone, and not taken deposits, but being "messed over" like that, it makes me believe that the Maker needs a bit of leverage to ensure they don't get taken for a ride. Of course all the knives will still come with a money back policy of satisfaction, but hopefully a deposit of some type will help the client stick to the deal.
I always ask makers to let me know when they are about to start my knife so that I can send payment in full. That way, when the knife is ready to ship, the maker has been paid and there are no delays.
I typically call or e-mail them to let them know the knife is ready. If they tell me they will be putting a check in the mail right away, I will normally ship the knife that or the next day. They usually get the knife the same day or sometimes (because I ship everything Priority Mail) a day before I get the payment. If I have not done business with the collector/buyer before, I will typically ship the day I receive final payment.
It again all comes down to integrity and a relationship built on trust.
I have sent monies within the last 5 years upon being informed that the knife was "just about done" and have waited past that point from 1-3 months, which is not acceptable to me....how about you?
Nope, it has worked out well for me every time.