grrr, Custom orders

panch0

panch0

Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
3,415
Man, being under the gun really sucks. I have a guy waiting for a knife to be done by thursday. I had her nice and silky, the leather sheath needs to be stiched and stained, and my wife walks in while I am trying carefully remove some scratches on the spine. She startles me and the 600 grit just went across the blade. I used a piece of cardboard with 600 grit glue to it and now there is a gap along the handle that I can't reach an it look horrible. Is there an emoticon with me kicking myself in the head? So how can I rescue this blade? thats what I get for being such a chicken and getting startled easy.:(:grumpy:
 
Wrap paper over a razor blade. You should be able to CAREFULLY get close enough to the guard.
 
Thanks for this post! I've been having a related problem of a little bit of rust cropping up on my 1080 blades after they've been polished and the handles put on but before they're done. The blue painters' tape protects from scratches fine, but sometimes i get streaky rust. Same problem for a different reason, sounds like a good solution.
 
Not exactly the emoticon you are looking for but the feeling is probably about the same...

punchself.gif
 
When I am involved in delicate operations in my shop, I lock the doors. I am usually wearing hearing protection headphones with a book running, so even a loud knok at the door barely registers. Also I am not easily startled.
Del
 
I hate it when people (like my parents) bother me when I'm working. I am all in my own little world, and they scare me and I jump like an 8 year old girl. Luckily I'm not at custom orders yet, but it still does get annoying.
 
The emoticon say it all gixxer. Lol. Mike its a knife my co-worker want to give to his brother who is in town for a vacation. He leaves on friday. I don't know if is considered custom. He told me the style of knife with dark wood handles. I tried what tecsec mentioned. It worked out a little but the handle is not flat and I need to find a similar object to shape and have a go at it. Thanks tecsec.
 
Have you tried a piece of brass rod? I've found that can be useful in some situations.
 
This kind of stuff only happens when it counts and you are under a deadline. I have a piece of plastic with a 45 degree bevel to an edge and the width of the ricasso. You can also put a curve in it if you need to. Don't use micarta because the edge won't be smooth because of the linen or canvas. I don't wrap the paper but carefully line the edge of the paper up with the edge of the plastic. The bevel should be on the top as a clearance cut to keep from scratching the guard. Pinch it there and very carefully lay it as close to the guard as you can, apply pressure and slowly drag it out. Watch your plunge cut or you will have new scratches to deal with. I use new paper and drag once, and then cut it back so that every drag is with new paper. With the paper not being wrapped over the end of the sanding block, you have less of a chance of scratching the guard. It might take some time to get the scratches out, but this will work.
 
:D :D :D
sorry Pancho , could not help myself . Welcome to the world of custom knife making orders . ;)
I know , I'm an ass . :D
 
Thanks Jack! I may not be doing too many of these for a while until I learn some more patience and time management. I still don't know how to estimate my time correctly on making knives and waited too late to start and am under the gun. next time I am making two blades instead of one incase of crap like this.
 
panch0 said:
Thanks Jack! I may not be doing too many of these for a while until I learn some more patience and time management. I still don't know how to estimate my time correctly on making knives and waited too late to start and am under the gun. next time I am making two blades instead of one incase of crap like this.
Click to expand...

I just read about a guy in Blade magazine who's policy is not to take orders, but to make them at his pace, then put them up for sale.
Sounds like the way to go.
I do my best leather work when I have a dead-line to make, I guess because I hate to let anyone down. And sheaths have to fit certain knives so I have to take orders.
 
Rayban, I want to be at that level some day. Until I refine my methods I am just going to make them and then put them up for sale. I just don't want to bomb so early in my knifemaking journey. Just watch... someone is going to ask me to make them one, and I will end up saying yes.:o
 
panch0 said:
Rayban, I want to be at that level some day. Until I refine my methods I am just going to make them and then put them up for sale. I just don't want to bomb so early in my knifemaking journey. Just watch... someone is going to ask me to make them one, and I will end up saying yes.:o
Click to expand...

A lot of makers do just that. Just make knives. If you like how they turn out, others will, more than likely, like them too.
 
panch0 said:
Rayban, I want to be at that level some day. Until I refine my methods I am just going to make them and then put them up for sale. I just don't want to bomb so early in my knifemaking journey. Just watch... someone is going to ask me to make them one, and I will end up saying yes.:o
Click to expand...

Chill Pancho , set your own time frame and accept the challenge . Never-Never take deposit's up front unless you really thrive on pressure . Take it slow my friend . The challenge is practice and learning and it will always be unless you stop being critical of your own work . My wife hates me taking orders because I get so anal I drive both of us nuts.
 
rayban said:
I just read about a guy in Blade magazine who's policy is not to take orders, but to make them at his pace, then put them up for sale.
Sounds like the way to go.
I do my best leather work when I have a dead-line to make, I guess because I hate to let anyone down. And sheaths have to fit certain knives so I have to take orders.
Click to expand...

Thats exactly what I do, I take custom orders and warn the potential customers that I will do it but buy if you want to buy at that time. That way mostly they say "ok make one whenever you have time..." I also hate to work by due dates, the result never satisfies me when things in a rush...
 
I hear you, Pancho. I put myself in a nasty bind by taking a re-handle project and giving a done-by date before I realized how messed-up it was... then I put it off because it sucked, and now I look like an idiot. Luckily for me the client is very understanding. He doesn't know it yet, but he'll be getting a free neck knife just so there's no hard feelings.

I've decided I won't be taking deposits if I ever get a custom order... I'll just make it and if it takes too long or the customer doesn't like it, I'll offer it up in the For Sale forum. Does that make sense?

edit... seeing the above posts, I think I'm on the right track. Like Pancho, I don't want to get in over my head and possibly have a bad reputation. I have nightmares about seeing my name in GB&U... I've seen it happen to makers who took a bunch of pre-orders and deposits, ran into one difficulty or another, and ended up with a lot of angry people breathing down their necks.
 
Pancho -

I had to chime in on this one for a few reasons...

1) Jack is right. Three months - or whatever lead time you're comfortable with. Never answer, "Yeah, I can have it to you next week". You'll regret it later. You can always finish early and as the old saying goes, it's always better to "Over estimate and under deliver". If you tell a customer ordering a custom (and co-workers ordering knives count) three months and you deliver in three weeks they are usually thrilled. That is unless they need the three months to get the money together. Still at that point, YOU are ahead of the game and no one is tapping their foot.

2) Never let one custom get in the way of another custom - meaning the call from the customer who tells you circumstances have changed and they "must" have their knife sooner. You have to tell them that they "can't butt in line" as you wouldn't allow it to happen to them. Never let a custom get in the way of knives you need to make to replenish the ones you sell on your web site, or through dealers, etc. That's your life blood. Customers remain your customer because they like your work and they know you'll deliver. The "new customer" (the custom order) will do the same and sometimes the waiting only builds the anticipation. Face it, we're guys and we're much like kids in more ways than our wives tell us we are.

3) I can have headphones on, ear plugs in, the shop door locked and/or the radio up louder than an airstrip and my wife will find a way to startle me.:mad: It never fails. I'm not as worried about messing something up as much as I am becoming a human pin cushion. :eek: An emoticon with trickling blood would be good right here.

Good luck with the scratches. Just my 0.04 cents (adjusted for inflation)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top