I'm relatively ignorant when it comes to the midtech or custom market or whatever you want to call them these days. I've seen the Gareth Bull long wait time thread in GB&U but never really looked at his knives. I saw a pic of one of his knives in a recent thread and gotta say I was intrigued. Googling I can't find much else besides a Facebook page of his, but was wondering what the general consensus is on his knives? I really like the look of the Shamwari and just wondering the cost and what people think of this knife or any of his knives. Oh yeah, and the wait time... Does he ever come to Blade and sell some of his stuff?
-
All For Sale threads must have a pic showing the knife being sold with written date listed & your username! - scammers hate this one trick! The rules for The Exchange can be found here. Please read and follow them. Stop using Paypal Friends & Family and follow our best practices to prevent getting ripped off or having a bad deal.
-
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.
Gareth Bull questions
- Thread starter uofaengr
- Start date
I got a chance to handle a Shamwari about 2 months ago (I think), and I really did like it a lot. It was in a group-meet (not from this forum though) in my area with some close friends, and there were a lot of other great knives there, so it kind of got jumbled and lost in my mind after that, but I recently have started to think about them again too.
If I had a chance to buy one, I would jump on it in a second now, but I didn't think that when I first handled it. Kind of like a Sebenza, you have to really look at other knives next to it to see what it does so well. The one I saw had excellent fit and finish though, and, even though the lock-up was later than most people would seem to like, his lock was perfectly tuned and designed, and the owner said it had not moved after a lot of use and fondling, so it was obviously done right.
Can't say much to the price issue though. That's kind of the wall I've hit with getting one too, since they never really show up on the exchange, and I didn't really find much information myself.
Hope that at least helped some.
If I had a chance to buy one, I would jump on it in a second now, but I didn't think that when I first handled it. Kind of like a Sebenza, you have to really look at other knives next to it to see what it does so well. The one I saw had excellent fit and finish though, and, even though the lock-up was later than most people would seem to like, his lock was perfectly tuned and designed, and the owner said it had not moved after a lot of use and fondling, so it was obviously done right.
Can't say much to the price issue though. That's kind of the wall I've hit with getting one too, since they never really show up on the exchange, and I didn't really find much information myself.
Hope that at least helped some.
justsomedude
Gold Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2011
- Messages
- 1,128
The consensus, as far as I can tell, is that his knives are really great hence the high demand for them. Unfortunately the maker could not keep up with the demand and rather than 'closing his books' for a period or using one of the many other well established practices custom knife makers use to balance supply and demand he simply continued to take orders for knives he did not have the capacity to produce. Pepper in some legitimate set backs like materials availability in South Africa and lack of transparency about these delays (i.e. telling people "one more week, one more week" instead of "sorry but it's going to be a couple months longer than I thought") and you've got a pretty decent understanding of the consensus opinion.
It's quite a shame as I really like his designs and his production quality is considered top notch. However I will never buy a knife from him as I doubt the level of support he'd provide for it and there are just so many other makers out there I respect and admire more as people.
Even if he did come to a blade show to sell his wares I'd feel bad about buying a knife from him knowing that he has many customers who've paid him already for products undelivered.
DISCLAIMER: Every opinion expressed above is hearsay based on internet research and having watched the controversy unfold from the start. I've never met the man nor had communication with him of any kind, nor have I held any of his work in real life, nor attempted to place an order with him.
It's quite a shame as I really like his designs and his production quality is considered top notch. However I will never buy a knife from him as I doubt the level of support he'd provide for it and there are just so many other makers out there I respect and admire more as people.
Even if he did come to a blade show to sell his wares I'd feel bad about buying a knife from him knowing that he has many customers who've paid him already for products undelivered.
DISCLAIMER: Every opinion expressed above is hearsay based on internet research and having watched the controversy unfold from the start. I've never met the man nor had communication with him of any kind, nor have I held any of his work in real life, nor attempted to place an order with him.
It's a shame since they're beautiful knives. The blade on the Shamwari is gorgeous. Reminds me of an old large regular Sebenza but with a better looking high grind. I'd be concerned too about support for the knife from what I hear plus being in South Africa.
justsomedude
Gold Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2011
- Messages
- 1,128
"It's a shame" is exactly right.
He had so much potential, could have been the next Shirogorov, Three Sisters Forge or even CRK.
He had so much potential, could have been the next Shirogorov, Three Sisters Forge or even CRK.
I've never understood people crying over long waits for highly sought after customs. It comes with the territory. Every person getting on his books knew it would be a long wait... Yet they cry when it's been "too long". If you don't want to wait, don't get on a high profile maker's books.
justsomedude
Gold Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2011
- Messages
- 1,128
It's not that it took him a long time, it's that it took him longer than the time he quoted the customer who paid up front in full and that he did not communicate the delays to those customers appropriately- from what I understand from reading various threads about him on various forums.
I am on many wait-lists that are years long but I was told up front that it would be a long wait and I was not asked to pay in advance.
I don't see these people as complaining about long wait times, I see them as complaining about being lied to and stolen from.
I am on many wait-lists that are years long but I was told up front that it would be a long wait and I was not asked to pay in advance.
I don't see these people as complaining about long wait times, I see them as complaining about being lied to and stolen from.
justsomedude
Gold Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2011
- Messages
- 1,128
Yea, I think we're on the same page. In fact I think this conversation exemplifies the Gareth Bull situation in that there's no black and white solution and blame is difficult to distribute properly.
Someone in the GBU thread here who waited almost two years still said this about him after receiving the knife, "I believe Gareth has good intentions, but may have over committed in the beginning."
Somone who started a thread on a different forum said this after waiting over a year for their knife, "I had hoped to come here one day and give Gareth a glowing review. He did, in the end, send a knife. One of the two for which I paid him. Unfortunately the first time I put it in my pocket, the clip snapped off.... [He] promised to make it right by sending a replacement. That was in March. Here we are in September, and many excuses later Gareth has not followed through. He is not a man of his word."
Based on some of the very redeeming public statements that Gareth has made I believe his reputation is still salvageable, and there are things he could do to get me to consider placing an order with him again, I think he's on his way but not nearly there yet.
Something that is often viewed as a detail but I believe is a huge difference-maker is the fact that he took large deposits or full payments for many of his orders. If I placed an order and put down a minimal or no deposit I would have no problem with a missed deadline and at worst would cancel the order and forget about it. But if I had put down a few hundred dollars or more in advance I would be much more demanding that deadlines be met and would not consider a refund fully satisfactory. At the very least I would start a thread here telling/warning others of my experience.
Perhaps my perspective is still incomplete, and that if I place an order with a maker who requires payment in advance then I should understand that this maker doesn't have a cash reserve and may need to sell more knives before he can afford to make mine... Perhaps this is one of the inherent sacrifices when placing an order with a new maker... I don't know, I'm not sure I could buy into that.
Someone in the GBU thread here who waited almost two years still said this about him after receiving the knife, "I believe Gareth has good intentions, but may have over committed in the beginning."
Somone who started a thread on a different forum said this after waiting over a year for their knife, "I had hoped to come here one day and give Gareth a glowing review. He did, in the end, send a knife. One of the two for which I paid him. Unfortunately the first time I put it in my pocket, the clip snapped off.... [He] promised to make it right by sending a replacement. That was in March. Here we are in September, and many excuses later Gareth has not followed through. He is not a man of his word."
Based on some of the very redeeming public statements that Gareth has made I believe his reputation is still salvageable, and there are things he could do to get me to consider placing an order with him again, I think he's on his way but not nearly there yet.
Something that is often viewed as a detail but I believe is a huge difference-maker is the fact that he took large deposits or full payments for many of his orders. If I placed an order and put down a minimal or no deposit I would have no problem with a missed deadline and at worst would cancel the order and forget about it. But if I had put down a few hundred dollars or more in advance I would be much more demanding that deadlines be met and would not consider a refund fully satisfactory. At the very least I would start a thread here telling/warning others of my experience.
Perhaps my perspective is still incomplete, and that if I place an order with a maker who requires payment in advance then I should understand that this maker doesn't have a cash reserve and may need to sell more knives before he can afford to make mine... Perhaps this is one of the inherent sacrifices when placing an order with a new maker... I don't know, I'm not sure I could buy into that.
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2011
- Messages
- 936
On his Instagram he's had some mid-tech style knives available. I think the "issues" with him were largely that he overestimated what he was capable of doing. From what I've seen, it's gotten a lot better. His designs are very nice, definitely. His books probably aren't going to open for some time, since he's trying to get all the old orders off his books and seems to be switching to making stuff and having it available instead of custom orders.
Many makers will produce knives for shows or sale while long term orders are still pending. Some people have been waiting over 10 years for Emerson to fill their order.
What's unacceptable is being unable to service existing knives very promptly. That makes people doubt your product, no one wants to purchase something that's custom made and difficult/impossible to get serviced should something go wrong. Many makers with multiple year wait lists will have your knife serviced & back to you within a week. Customer service is just as important as product quality when it comes to custom knives.
What's unacceptable is being unable to service existing knives very promptly. That makes people doubt your product, no one wants to purchase something that's custom made and difficult/impossible to get serviced should something go wrong. Many makers with multiple year wait lists will have your knife serviced & back to you within a week. Customer service is just as important as product quality when it comes to custom knives.
This is a truly legitimate statement.
I would rather you were able to make my knife function again and you backed your product 100% with everything you had than you make the best knife on the planet, and the first time something goes wrong, it takes me 3 months to have my knife working again.
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2003
- Messages
- 20,201
Some people can talk themselves into anything.
He makes a very nice knife. A forum Gold member from South Africa, "knife36," has sold some of Gareth Bull's folders recently...on at least two occasions within the last three months... A close eye on the Exchange is required, as they go quickly. I was lucky enough to see it at the right time. I've been wanting one for a long time...the styling is beautiful, and build quality is outstanding, IMO.
Note the M390 blade, 0.140" spine thickness and grip thickness of 0.460" (IIRC)...same as my Zaan and large Sebbies.
Beautiful knives...beware of the front flipper (foreknowledge is important before you buy..)
This is his large 3.5 Shamwari, in G10 silver twirl...3.5" blade.
Note the M390 blade, 0.140" spine thickness and grip thickness of 0.460" (IIRC)...same as my Zaan and large Sebbies.
Beautiful knives...beware of the front flipper (foreknowledge is important before you buy..)
This is his large 3.5 Shamwari, in G10 silver twirl...3.5" blade.
Last edited:
Yeah your pics were the ones that made me do a double take and find out more about the maker. When I buy most any knife, especially expensive knives, I like to know that it's taken care of by the maker if something were to happen.
I probably won't be pursuing any of his knives anytime soon, but I think he'd do fine making batches of knives on his schedule and then selling them rather than taking orders.
I probably won't be pursuing any of his knives anytime soon, but I think he'd do fine making batches of knives on his schedule and then selling them rather than taking orders.
Absolutely LOVE both of mine, you won't find a better slicer, with the 3.5" large Shamwari weighing in at under 4 oz's and the 3" small Warlock at under 3 oz's either is a perfect EDC!
Fit and finish are just outstanding and although it's a very clean simple looking folder, attention to detail is not to be ignored.
Fit and finish are just outstanding and although it's a very clean simple looking folder, attention to detail is not to be ignored.
Last edited:
I'm sorry but your post really grinds my gears and made my blood boil a bit.... You obviously have no idea what most of the people who ordered from Gareth originally went through.
I was not "crying" over a long wait, I was upset with the fact that the maker quoted me 2-3 months and the fact that it was 2-3 years later before I saw my knife, not to mention all the lies that were exchanged. If he quoted me 2- 3 years originally I would have been just fine with it.
"I can level with you... I just feel like anyone could have walked away. No one held a gun to their head and made them sign up and pay."
Oh and this comment also shows your ignorance. I didn't realize I was being "scammed" (I use that term loosely) until after the original quoted time frame was not met. Obviously I could've backed out but I would've lost my money that I paid him upfront. I sent the money in good faith as he was in blade magazine and every other transaction he did up until that point was class act. Oh and when I ordered from him, he was NOT a high profile maker, but in the "up and coming makers" section in blade magazine....
In all your basically saying, that because Gareth is a good knife maker and high profile maker, he should be able to create his own time frames and lie. After all he's the one do us a great big favor of giving us the privilege to be on his list of orders.....
Complete and utter crap!
Sorry if this is not what you meant but that is how I take your messages...
Regards,
Ryan
Last edited: