Knifemaker dilemma, advice requested

OilMan

OilMan

Gold Member
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May 6, 2004
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Here's what is currently irritating me, what would you do in my position?

Have you ever ordered a knife in a configuration you've never seen before which the maker says he hasn't ever done for anyone else to have it go 3 times over the guesstimate as to the finish date, which was only a month or two originally, and meanwhile you see "your" configuration show up at a dealer site? After you had contacted the maker when it was 2 times the guesstimate and he said yours was in the next batch to be done?
I realize knifemakers have to sell stuff at shows in order to get their name out there and to survive but is it right to keep the people who already ordered waiting so they can do that? Meanwhile selling stuff that the first come customer had ordered? Not cool.:mad: I'm very seriously considering cancelling the order, what would you do?

oil

ps. My facts were a touch off. See below.:foot: Still late.
 
Late delivery on a custom knife project is second only to the sun rising in the East, as a natural occurance. I would have no qualms about asking the maker directly about the knife on the dealers website. Let him explain it, and then reach your decision on what to do.

I am curious, is the knife for sale from the dealer at the same price you had agreed upon with the maker?
 
I would ask the maker about the knife that is on the dealer site, and see what he says. Depending on what the maker says about that, would determine whether or not I would keep or cancel my order.
 
Never been in that situation, but I'd ask one thing. Is your knife possibly taking longer to construct than the similar ones you've seen around the net becuase of difficulty/delay in obtaining a particular special material or anything like that? If so, I might understand the delay. If not, I'd have an issue with it.
 
There are many possible explanations. Perhaps the one on the dealer's site didn't turn out quite the way your maker had intended for your custom order, for example. I agree that I would either contact the maker and discuss your concerns or just sit tight and wait it out. As was already pointed out, custom orders almost always take longer than expected and, after being in the game for a little while, I don't feel as much of a sense of urgency regarding when a custom order will be finished. If you get the knife a month or two later than expected, nothing will really be any different after all. Waiting an extra year or two, on the other hand, is a bit more frustrating, but not terribly uncommon with some makers. ;)
 
I would be extremely disappointed, and angry about that whole scenario. A knife being late is fine, and unless I have requested, and the maker has okayed that the design would not be used again, I would not be angry about seeing other knives made to that design. However, I would expect to have gotten the the first one made. There is no way that I would be accepting of the fact that my design input was put into a knife that appeared on a dealer website before I got my knife. I would be contacting the maker and wanting a full explanation of what the heck was going on. To tell you the truth, I really don't know what kind of an explanation I would consider as acceptable.
 
SO let me get this straight, you designed a knife to have built for yourself and your knife, or one very similar shows up on a dealer site before you get yours?

I ask the person building it WTF the deal is, then go from there..
 
At this point, would you be happy with the knife if it were to show up next week or would it remind you of the circumstances surrounding the knife (i.e., negative vibes due to missed delivery dates, seeing a like knife on a dealers web site, etc.) ?

If it's the latter, I would recommend that you cancel the order.
 
I was thinking this myself, and Gig spoke it out loud.

I once cancelled an order because of problems on promised delivery. I knew I wouldn't like the knife as much when it reminded me of broken promises.

This is your call, though.

Coop
 
DaveH said:
SO let me get this straight, you designed a knife to have built for yourself and your knife, or one very similar shows up on a dealer site before you get yours?

I ask the person building it WTF the deal is, then go from there..
Click to expand...


No. The equivalent would be something like having DDR put his MT blade on a model that hadn't had one yet. (I only use DDR as an example because of the distinctive blade style, it isn't him.:) ) I didn't really design anything, just the first for that particular config.

And it's more of a user knife so I do still want it, I guess I'll just have to wait it out.:(
 
Keith Montgomery said:
I would be extremely disappointed, and angry about that whole scenario. A knife being late is fine, and unless I have requested, and the maker has okayed that the design would not be used again, I would not be angry about seeing other knives made to that design. However, I would expect to have gotten the the first one made. There is no way that I would be accepting of the fact that my design input was put into a knife that appeared on a dealer website before I got my knife. I would be contacting the maker and wanting a full explanation of what the heck was going on. To tell you the truth, I really don't know what kind of an explanation I would consider as acceptable.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I agree with that.
 
possibility...go to the web site. Buy that knife. Cancel your ordered knife. Tell maker he's an ass.
 
shappa said:
possibility...go to the web site. Buy that knife. Cancel your ordered knife. Tell maker he's an ass.
Click to expand...

That's pretty funny. I'd do it but it went almost immediately.:( Yet another example of ya snooze ya lose.
 
I emailed the maker and asked what was up and was told that he's behind and he can't give me a due date currently.:( I'm thinking/hoping the knife will be worth the wait so I guess I'm waitin.:( At least I didn't make a downpayment I guess but I'd still just rather have it.:grumpy:
Also I was wrong about the other ones I've seen :foot:, the one I've got on order will still be a bit different.:thumbup:

oil

ps. Again, it wasn't my design.
 
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