DHL, lost knife and some cable making pics.

ArielSalaverria

ArielSalaverria

Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
1,617
If someone sees this knife for sale or in someone's possesion, please let me know!

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I shipped it DHL and they lost it... That's it... They just don't know where the package is! They have a tracking number yet they don't know where it is...
Ruben and I use DHL and they usually provide a good service, but this time they screwed the pooch on me...

Aparently it got to Miami, FL and they missplaced it.

Now since my customer already paid for it, after waiting 4 days to see if DHL could find the package, I offered him a full refund.

He prefered to have me making the same knife again, so I cut him a spot with absolutely no waiting period and this past weekend I started making his new knife, trying to get it as identical as the previous one as I can.

Seeing that I got a package lost and now I have to deal with the shipping company to get a refund or something, I thought about getting some positive things out of this:

#1. If you buy a knife from me and you don't get it, you will get the chance of having your money inmediately refunded or getting another knife made with no waiting period. I might be far away from my customers, but I ALWAYS will take care of them.

It is my duty to make sure what I ship arrives safely, and if it doesn't, I have to offer an instant solution MYSELF, no wait months for the shipping company to answer the claims.


#2. I'm documenting all stages on how I remake this knife, so people can enjoy this and my customer can check the constant updates on his new knife.

#3. Shipping issues SUCK (OK, that wasn't a positive item)


Making the new knife

1 1/8" diameter cable.

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I place it on the oven at 800C to burn oil residues.

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Weld the point.

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After heating I twist the cable to close the space between the strands.

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Showing the extra torsioning.

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I place the piece of cable to be used inside a SS pipe.

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At 1300C I hammer it with a 2 kilos (4 pounds) hammer to weld the cable and leave it ready to start the stretching process.

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Ariel
 
Sorry to hear that Ariel... I would opt for a new knife as this buyer did as I really admire your work. I'll be following this one too.
 
This guy is not only a fabulous artist, but he is also honorable. That quality is in short supply these days. I am the buyer of the original knife, and at the onset of this whole deal Ariel has assured me that "I had no worries" and he has been true to his word. Again I say Thanks, Ariel. Now we are going to see how honorable the people at DHL are.
 
Ariel that is very upstanding of you :thumbup: I hope the bastid that stole it gets cut and bleeds out Via instant karma.
I am extra mad hearing this because that exact blade is my wallpaper.I hope dhl makes good too.
 
Sorry to hear of the trouble the two of you are having on sealing that deal.
Ariel I would be interested in an update on how DHL handles your claim. DHL is much more expensive than other carriers and we will see if they are worth it or not. Please keep us updated.
I hope all works out for you guys.
 
Looks like DHL locat4d the package and Gene will finally get it today. Let's see the condition of the knife when he gets it.
Somehow the package got originally routed to Santiago de Chile, Chile instead of the US...

More pictures

Flattening with the hydraulic press

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Piece of cable flattened.

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Cutted and ground cable piece

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Placing the blade in a solution of 70% ferric perclorure and 30% water for 2 hours. Many people wonder why cable gets patterns as it's just one steel (1085) The etching results since on teh welding process the steel gets decarburated (looses carbon) then the perclorure practicly doesn't eat up that portion where the welded union is.

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Placing the blade on the oven at 860C for 20 minutes and quench in oil. Then I do the second HT step at 250C to relieve tensions.

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After the entire HT process, I place the blade in a solution 50/50% of water and clhoridric acid to get rid of the dirty that comes from the previous process. I use this method as if we use a mechanic method (like a rotative brush) we will perjudicate the drawings of the pattern.

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Blade ready to get a handle.

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Ariel
 
that's great!!! keep the tutorial and pics coming. I'm glad to hear the DSL found the blade, but waiting to see what it looks like when the buyer receives it. You're a good man Ariel.
 
Well Gentlemen,
Through Brimstone, Fire, and Hell, but I've finally got it! The pics don't do it justice, it is a beautiful work of art. I am very glad to finally have recieved it. Ariel is truly an artist. My hat is off to you Ariel.
 
Very nice photos and it is nice to hear that everything worked out with the shipment.

Reading through the comments on this board makes me appreciate what a good group of folks are here.
 
Well, after 2 weeks, my customer got the knife in good shape!
That's great news to me.

Of course I will make a knife out of this blade, but it won't be the same as the one pictured on top. I was making an "exact" copy just so my customer could get another piece like it.

Ariel
 
Thanks for the wonderful pictures explaining your process in making the cable knives. I was wondering how you did it.

Reid
 
Thanks for the tutoria. i am very impressed with your knife. I was wondering what the ss steel is for. Information is power
 
Glad to hear it all worked out for both of you. I can imagine the frustration level that came with that little DHL error. Whew.
Ariel,
Like the tutorial, thanks for posting that.
 
I'm really hoping that you'll do the handle in the same style, I was really looking forward to seeing that process.
 
Good to hear it arrived, Ariel.
You do great work, share a lot of yourself with us, and are an honorable man.
I'll have to buy another of your knives soon.
 
dozuki said:
Thanks for the tutoria. i am very impressed with your knife. I was wondering what the ss steel is for. Information is power
Click to expand...

You're welcome!

I have a hard time tracking all the questions I got, so sometimes I'm a late responder :(

The ss (stainless steel) is to prevent the cable to weld against the container, so I can extract it with relatively ease.

Since ss take a more complex process to weld together, making this process for carbon steel (cable is 1085) assures that it won't get stucked with the container.


Regards,

Ariel
 
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