Ever felt like this?

Ivan Campos

Ivan Campos

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 4, 1999
Messages
2,480
Today, after a consideable delay, I sent a box to a customer in the US wich had four knives in them, one of them my best creation so far, maybe teh best.
It was a special one-of-a-kind model based on my Iv Chopper but with a 16" long, wide blade, long guard, 6" long handle made of wood covered with continuous star ray skin and wrapped in genuine ito. It took me quite a while to finish this one to my satisfaction and the whole order was surrounded by delays of many kinds. Happily the customer was quite understanding, actually more that I was with myself - and did not get too pissed about it.
The funny thing was that when I was packing the knives I was feeling a mix of aprehension and pride - much like when I shipped my first knives to customers back in 2000 - and I am still thinking about how their owner will feel when he opens the box and handle them.
 
Oh yeah Ivan, I get that feeling too. I much prefer doing eye-to-eye deliveries so you can gauge maybe something of what they're thinking but that's getting a little rare these days - this is a fairly small town and I think about everyone who wants my work has plenty. :D So almost everything is getting mailed out now and I always have that sense of "I hope this is what he was expecting..." But I always offer full return privilege with no qualifications so I feel like I'm doing the best I can. Haven't had any takers yet, thankfully... It helps if the customer uses email (very rare for me, most are old guys or something) so I can send a pic for approval.

The best though, is when a few days after you mail it the phone rings and you get to talk to someone who says it's the nicest knife that's ever been made in the history of the world or something equally ego bloating. :D On the other hand, one guy called and left a message once: "The knife is beautiful, but was there some reason you didn't sharpen it?" :o Yikes!
 
I just wrote an almost identical response to a thread on "the other forum".I would have one heck of a large collection of my own Blades.The best analogy I can give is its like when you were a kid and your Dog had puppies,boy getting rid of them was tough :( ,sometimes tears and all.Most of the time we knew they were going to good home. Now when I get rid of a Blade I just think of it that way,going to a good Home,on a great Hunt,or protect someone in Harms way.Its always nice to get a reply from the buyer telling you how much better they look in person too. :D
 
End of the story: the customer got the knives early this week - and he seems to have approved them all! Now I can breath again :)
 
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