Ripped Off by Dustin Turpin Knives– Deal with Caution.

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Hey there folks,

I am one of those people (25 total) that was "lucky" enough to get a spot on Dustin's books over two years ago (February, 2014). I paid a $100 deposit via PayPal (no chance of using that route to get some money back) to be on that list and, of course, haven't seen squat. I'm not out a Rolex but I'm out $100 and a knife. Dale is a class act all the way around and I'm really sorry that this crap has gone the way it has for him.

I must admit that I was laughing a little when people suggested seeing Dustin at Blade or the Gathering...I don't believe that Dustin will ever make knives again...he is seriously damaged and beyond repair (I might be wrong of course...and have been wrong many time before...hey, the Soviet Union collapsed and there is peace in Northern Ireland so anything can happen). He was already playing the overworked/stressed card for more than a year before his last IG post. When I heard that he and his wife were expecting their first child I knew that the deal was forever doomed. If a person thinks their life is stressful before a baby comes into their life good luck when the baby arrives (those sleepless nights don't improve one's behavior...especially if you're on the edge already).

Anyway, sorry for the ramblings but I just wanted to share my experience/thoughts.

Cheers,
Ben
 
bodog said:
But to give a $7000 Rolex based solely on the word of a dude you have no idea about seems so implausible and stupid that I initially thought the OP was a troll. After reading the entire thread it's obvious that it was just a naive sucker who got duped out of a freaking Rolex for a couple of knives that likely cost around $500 to make. That's a straight up con no matter how you look at it and the dude should have and could have seen it coming. I don't really feel bad for the OP, but Dustin Turpin is still a con artist.

I'd never walk up to some dude standing on a street corner in the ghetto in the middle of the night, give him the keys to my car, tell him where I parked it, and ask him to go get it for me and expect to see it back. It doesn't take a genius to see how that'd end up just like it shouldn't have taken genius level intellect to see that when a dude asks for a freaking Rolex up front with no real paperwork to begin with that he's going in for the steal.

You set yourself up for failure with this deal.
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Well, I'm not looking for you to "feel bad" for me and you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

This was not someone I viewed as just a stranger "off the street" as you put it, but a high-profile knifemaker with a lot of popularity and presence in the knife community and I simply thought (foolishly, admittedly) that he would not blow his entire reputation in the custom knife world over one deal - and not when he seemed to be able to auction his higher end knives in the $3000-5000 range.

Obviously I was wrong and used poor judgment. Guilty as charged.



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Liberty43 said:
Hey there folks,

I am one of those people (25 total) that was "lucky" enough to get a spot on Dustin's books over two years ago (February, 2014). I paid a $100 deposit via PayPal (no chance of using that route to get some money back) to be on that list and, of course, haven't seen squat. I'm not out a Rolex but I'm out $100 and a knife. Dale is a class act all the way around and I'm really sorry that this crap has gone the way it has for him.

I must admit that I was laughing a little when people suggested seeing Dustin at Blade or the Gathering...I don't believe that Dustin will ever make knives again...he is seriously damaged and beyond repair (I might be wrong of course...and have been wrong many time before...hey, the Soviet Union collapsed and there is peace in Northern Ireland so anything can happen). He was already playing the overworked/stressed card for more than a year before his last IG post. When I heard that he and his wife were expecting their first child I knew that the deal was forever doomed. If a person thinks their life is stressful before a baby comes into their life good luck when the baby arrives (those sleepless nights don't improve one's behavior...especially if you're on the edge already).

Anyway, sorry for the ramblings but I just wanted to share my experience/thoughts.

Cheers,
Ben
Click to expand...

Thanks Ben.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
lawfor said:
Well, I'm not looking for you to "feel bad" for me and you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

This was not someone I viewed as just a stranger "off the street" as you put it, but a high-profile knifemaker with a lot of popularity and presence in the knife community and I simply thought (foolishly, admittedly) that he would not blow his entire reputation in the custom knife world over one deal - and not when he seemed to be able to auction his higher end knives in the $3000-5000 range.

Obviously I was wrong and used poor judgment. Guilty as charged.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

You sound like a decent guy. Sucks that it happened. Hope you get a positive resolution. Based on what's been presented you simply expected someone to be honest. We've all been suckered and have been played as fools. You're not alone.

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JohnWE said:
I look at things this way.

Let's say that we've been asked to assign blame to this situation.

On the one hand we have a customer who willingly send a watch that's valued at $7500 to a guy he didn't know in exchange for 4 knives. On the other hand we have a knife maker who accepted the watch as payment in advance at its agreed upon value who has still failed to deliver his total end of the agreement after several years.

The customer made a mistake, the knife maker lied, cheated and stole.

The customer didn't do his due diligence, the knife maker lied, cheated, and stole

The customer is out $7500, the knife maker is out nothing as of yet although his reputation is surely taking a well deserved beating.

One of the parties made some mistakes which have cost him dearly, the other one is a liar, a thief, and and a cheat.

And some people want to blame the customer...
Click to expand...

:thumbup::thumbup:
 
Liberty43 said:
Hey there folks,

I am one of those people (25 total) that was "lucky" enough to get a spot on Dustin's books over two years ago (February, 2014). I paid a $100 deposit via PayPal (no chance of using that route to get some money back) to be on that list and, of course, haven't seen squat. I'm not out a Rolex but I'm out $100 and a knife. Dale is a class act all the way around and I'm really sorry that this crap has gone the way it has for him.

I must admit that I was laughing a little when people suggested seeing Dustin at Blade or the Gathering...I don't believe that Dustin will ever make knives again...he is seriously damaged and beyond repair (I might be wrong of course...and have been wrong many time before...hey, the Soviet Union collapsed and there is peace in Northern Ireland so anything can happen). He was already playing the overworked/stressed card for more than a year before his last IG post. When I heard that he and his wife were expecting their first child I knew that the deal was forever doomed. If a person thinks their life is stressful before a baby comes into their life good luck when the baby arrives (those sleepless nights don't improve one's behavior...especially if you're on the edge already).

Anyway, sorry for the ramblings but I just wanted to share my experience/thoughts.

Cheers,
Ben
Click to expand...


Totally agree on the baby thing, I am leaning that now.
 
bodog said:
A car dealer, then. I'd never sign and pay for a car for future delivery without a contract in place. Not without having some serious trust already established. Watching an active guy here or any other forum does not mean they have morals or standards. Threaten to foreclose on a house or take food out of a starving artist's mouth and you can almost bet he'll end up on the wrong side. This guy most likely sold the watch and paid bills. Doesn't make it right whatsoever. Just saying that most full time knife makers are usually in some kind of financial bind and while some will do the right thing no matter what, others won't. Without personally knowing the guy, you(the buyer) shouldn't be the one who winds up getting robbed to pay his bills without recourse.

Remember, keep your gloves up and protect yourself at all times. This guy happened to walk right into a knockout punch because he trusted a guy he didn't know from Adam.


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I live in the used car capital of the world, and I completely understand. Regarding the bolded part, I completely agree. (Even if the watch was actually gifted to the FIL I would never take it back. That watch could have been used and abused by now and need significant work done to bring it back to its true value.)

JohnWE said:
I look at things this way.

Let's say that we've been asked to assign blame to this situation.

On the one hand we have a customer who willingly send a watch that's valued at $7500 to a guy he didn't know in exchange for 4 knives. On the other hand we have a knife maker who accepted the watch as payment in advance at its agreed upon value who has still failed to deliver his total end of the agreement after several years.

The customer made a mistake, the knife maker lied, cheated and stole.

The customer didn't do his due diligence, the knife maker lied, cheated, and stole

The customer is out $7500, the knife maker is out nothing as of yet although his reputation is surely taking a well deserved beating.

One of the parties made some mistakes which have cost him dearly, the other one is a liar, a thief, and and a cheat.

And some people want to blame the customer...
Click to expand...

I understand, before I created an account here I unknowingly purchased several counterfeit knives (medford praetorian, strider sng, zero tolerance 0700, and a gerber with "microtech" etched on it) at close to full price for each. A good friend told me that my medford was fake, which led me to finding out that everything else was fake. I was pretty surprised at how many people were quick to blame me for this. I had been out of the knife world for many years and didn't realize how rampant counterfeiting had gotten so it never even occurred to me that the knives could be fake. Now I know better, but I tend to keep that story to myself. It was aggravating enough losing so much money for about $60 worth of "knives," even more aggravating being repeatedly told I was at fault, not the guy that sold me the knives.
 
Guys,

Let's not blame Lawfor, he is the victim here. Our community and society is built on laws and trust.

Dustin was considered one of the top makers and had a pretty good reputation before this, almost any collector in Lawfor's situation would of take that deal.

Let's not detract from the real issue, and that is Dustin has not fulfilled his deal with Lawfor. I'm saddened to read about this because Dustin makes an exceptional knife and shared a lot of knife making knowledge. But being a great knifenaker doesn't excuse this behavior.

You make a deal, you fulfill it, period. Nothing matters but those facts.
 
Pittknife said:
Guys,

Let's not blame Lawfor, he is the victim here. Our community and society is built on laws and trust.

Dustin was considered one of the top makers and had a pretty good reputation before this, almost any collector in Lawfor's situation would of take that deal.

Let's not detract from the real issue, and that is Dustin has not fulfilled his deal with Lawfor. I'm saddened to read about this because Dustin makes an exceptional knife and shared a lot of knife making knowledge. But being a great knifenaker doesn't excuse this behavior.

You make a deal, you fulfill it, period. Nothing matters but those facts.
Click to expand...

^ I'm 100% in agreement with what you wrote, Mike. I mean who would've ever thought, that a maker as reputable as Dustin, would pretty much throw his reputation/career in the trash, for a watch?!?

Just out of curiosity, Mike: do you think this incident has anything to do with D.T., not attending Blade Show this year?

It really is a shame, because he is extremely talented, & makes amazing, high quality knives!
 
bodog said:
PS, if he really wanted to make it right he'd go to his father in law and ask for the watch back after explaining the situation. We all know his father in law would give it back. And Dustin Turpin would tell the guy to keep the two knives after sending the watch back. And Dustin Turpin would've thought of that solution on his own if it was a legitimate story. The watch is gone and Dustin Turpin needs to go find a different job where his word doesn't need to be trusted, something like a McDonald's cashier.
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No, if he really wanted to make it right, he'd simply get off his hindquarters and knock out a couple of knives.

That, or if his reputation is still intact enough, perhaps he could make one knife, and auction it off for about $3500 (or more if he's terribly lucky), and give the full balance of the sale to lawfor.
 
Pittknife said:
Guys,

Let's not blame Lawfor, he is the victim here. Our community and society is built on laws and trust.

Dustin was considered one of the top makers and had a pretty good reputation before this, almost any collector in Lawfor's situation would of take that deal.

Let's not detract from the real issue, and that is Dustin has not fulfilled his deal with Lawfor. I'm saddened to read about this because Dustin makes an exceptional knife and shared a lot of knife making knowledge. But being a great knifenaker doesn't excuse this behavior.

You make a deal, you fulfill it, period. Nothing matters but those facts.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike. Trust me, I've kicked myself in the ass over this situation way more than anyone else could - no matter how many times they imply that I'm a dumb ass :)
 
Mike's a down to earth friend hard to find dudes like that nowadays. :thumbup:

Yo Dustin, how about send back the $3500 to "Lawfor" and save yourself some dignity?! What a pathetic POS!!!

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Turpin probably thinks he's doing these guys a favor by giving them the remotest chance of owning one of his products. Once your head grows that big there's no turning back only crashing in flames.
 
Another problem though is even IF Turpin made it right I wouldn't want the knife/knives. A custom, for me, is a large part a reflection of the person who made it and if the guy is a toolbag I don't want the knife. So what was "worth" $1k would be just about worthless to me and if enough others feel that way you can't even come close to getting your $$$ back out of it.
 
I'm unclear on why you don't go after his father [supposing that is true, and he even knows who he is, let alone the gift story]. Why is that?

The rules are clear here. If I receive a gift that was stolen legally it is still not my property. Likewise, if I buy something in all good faith, and it turns out to be stolen, when the law recovers it, my financial loss is just tough shit on me. Buying used cars is a good example: Over and over warnings are put out to check the reg against known blacklists or potentially run the risk of losing a bunch of money if/when the vehicle is recovered from you. How does the situation with his father differ from that in the USA? I find it weird that he could now be the legal owner of the Rolex. Surely that's not right??
 
I doubt he gave it to "father" the guy is a dirtbag living off money he didn't earn.
 
KELAMA said:
^ I'm 100% in agreement with what you wrote, Mike. I mean who would've ever thought, that a maker as reputable as Dustin, would pretty much throw his reputation/career in the trash, for a watch?!?

Just out of curiosity, Mike: do you think this incident has anything to do with D.T., not attending Blade Show this year?

It really is a shame, because he is extremely talented, & makes amazing, high quality knives!
Click to expand...

I don't know him man, but I kinda know the situation.

Makers go through a lot of stress and at the same time get their egos pumped up through the roof. They start to buy into the hype and think everything they do is cool and right. The dangerous part is when they start believing people are just paying them because they are so cool and they don't have to actually deliver a product.

I get this a lot where people pump me up and I always remind myself that it is just hype, I am not cool and no one is paying me to hangout. The knives are what is important and you have to focus on making the knife for the customer per whatever deal you have made.

I'm sure there are people telling Dustin he is in the right on this, but I'm sure through all the noise he knows he is wrong. There are a lot of bold face liars and con artist that would show up to these shows after doing something like this, my guess is that Turpin is feeling guilty and not going anywhere because of this. That is just my guess though, I know if I were in his shoes the only place I would go until this is fixed is my shop.
 
From how it sounds this guy operates, Dustin Turpin will not be at the blade show. His twin brother Tustin Durpin might be ......

But seriously, sorry to hear this is happening to the OP. I appreciate the post as I now know who not to give my money to!
 
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