Is it just me?

Burl Source

Burl Source

Joined
Dec 7, 2008
Messages
7,187
I stumbled across a thread a couple days ago and it has been bugging me ever since then. Without naming names, here it is in a nutshell.

A customer had ordered a knife to be made by one of the makers who is active and well thought of on this forum. He saw another knife on sale that he liked as well. So he started a thread asking which knife others thought he should get.

What bugged me was 2 things.
#1 That the customer thought it was no big deal to go backwards on a custom made knife that he had ordered. It wasn't because of financial or other difficulties. It was because he liked the way the other one looked.
#2 The majority of those who posted in the thread never confronted the poster about honoring the commitment they made when ordering the knife.

I can understand if it was for a production knife that was on back order. But this was a knife being made by a young man who supports his family from the knives he makes. The maker made a post that said it was ok to back out of the order.

I was taught when I was young that a big part of being a man is honoring your commitments. Doesn't look like that's very important anymore.

I know I am ranting and this was really none of my business but it really bugged me and I had to get it off my chest. I did not post in the thread I am talking about because I thought I would just be stirring the sh.....
 
I never read that post. I have a question or two before I make a comment, though. Did the customer make all arrangements and agreements with the maker and was the deal completed (without the actual knife of course). Did the customer intend on buying both knives or just one? If the deal was complete and he was just waiting for the knife to be made (and didnt tell the maker to hold off until he decided), then he is, at the least, a jerk. It would be like ordering food and while it was being made, changing his mind and going to another restaurant. It might be a different story if he told the maker to hold off until he made a decision. I am surprised that no one commented that he honour his commitment, did they know something you didn't?

As for it being your business, its on the web... :-)
 
I don't know all the details, just what I read in the post.
The customer was calling it a pre-order. The knife maker stated that he had not started the knife yet and that it was ok to back out. The customer was asking the rest of the forum which one knife he should get. The one he ordered, or the other one he saw on sale.

My opinion is that if you place a custom order you should be sure you are going to follow through on your end of the bargain. If you aren't sure yet, wait until you are. I am probably over reacting but I thought it was inconsiderate of the buyer. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut.
 
As long as no work had been done and no money had changed hands, I see no real problem, but I agree with you 100% that a business deal, once entered into, should be taken seriously by both parties and not dismissed for frivolous reasons. As a maker this kind of thing should be expected to some extent but it can start to feel like people are taking advantage of your time when you spend time discussing an order that never pans out.
It does not sound like this is the case here, but I get the feeling that some people enjoy designing a knife and discussing it with a maker, but then when you put an actual price in front of them, the fun is over and their interest just fizzles out. The transition from imagination to reality can be abrupt, I guess.
 
I am with you Mark, it is not just you. We are supposed to keep society in check, if we see something we disagree with it is our obligation to speak up or we get the society we deserve. If the buyer had made a deal he should stick with it. If he checked with the maker before he considered another knife, no big deal.
 
Personal judgements and situations not agreeing with ones own perspective aren't necessarily "keeping society in check" and if it was who gets to appoint who gets to "keep society in check"?
 
I read the thread and I agree with you Mark. I did post in support of the custom maker in question in an attempt to steer him back to where he should be.

Personally I think the maker is, like so many here on BF, too nice. I would have told the guy that he was free to cancel the order but if he decided later to place another "pre-order" He would have to put a deposit down on it to prove commitment at the least. His time is worth something and e-mailing or PM'ing back and forth with someone on the fence takes time away from knife making.

I'm sure some makers here would like to be a little more rigid. With the feedback and the potential for a buyer to try to convince everyone that the maker was an unyielding, uncooperative, p**ck if he did hold him to it, probably keeps the makers in check more than it should.

In short, I agree. Don't order if you can't swing it or you aren't sure.
 
I met the maker in person at one of the knife shows. Both him and his friend were very friendly and respectful young men. They made a very good impression. It has been about a year and still every once in a while my wife will ask "How is that nice young man doing that we met at the Pasadena show?"
 
First off, I think it's fine for you to post these questions. Someone said "Keeping society in check." and I agree with this. I don't think it is meant as someone being appointed judge and jury... it is more about voicing opinion and bringing questionable subjects to the forefront.

Personally, unless the customer requires me to adhere to certain "out of the norm" details on their request, they are not obligated to by until they see the finished piece and say "I'll take it." I always reserve the right to interpret a design how I see fit. They came to me because they like MY work. In demanding this kind of freedom from my customer, I can't rightfully say "I'll make it the way I want and you'll LIKE it!"

I think it shows great character on the part of the maker to chime in the way he did. It's tough if you are living knife by knife or having to go into dept on materials for an order thrown into limbo. It is definately something that you need to know both sides of, before making a judgement call.

Rick
 
Rick Marchand said:
First off, I think it's fine for you to post these questions. Someone said "Keeping society in check." and I agree with this. I don't think it is meant as someone being appointed judge and jury... it is more about voicing opinion and bringing questionable subjects to the forefront.

Personally, unless the customer requires me to adhere to certain "out of the norm" details on their request, they are not obligated to by until they see the finished piece and say "I'll take it." I always reserve the right to interpret a design how I see fit. They came to me because they like MY work. In demanding this kind of freedom from my customer, I can't rightfully say "I'll make it the way I want and you'll LIKE it!"

I think it shows great character on the part of the maker to chime in the way he did. It's tough if you are living knife by knife or having to go into dept on materials for an order thrown into limbo. It is definately something that you need to know both sides of, before making a judgement call.




Rick
Click to expand...
.



.
that's what I say too. And then that dude goes on "THE LIST"
 
I'm not a maker, but if I order a knife and then don't need/want/can't afford it then I nut up, pay for it, and then sell it. Bailing isn't a problem near as much as it is a symptom of a larger failure to parent. Most of my generation was raised by MTV and the lowest common denominator at daycare while Mom and Dad were busy tanning/texting/working. You don't learn accountability, common sense, or individual responsibility from people who don't care - it's too much trouble to teach!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top