Bad Steven Ketchen <spketch> MIA: Overbooked? Off the grid? Lost his phone? What's up?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Ernest...cancelled my gso-10 pre-order long ago...had to jump thru a few hoops to get them to issue a check...but nothing like this.

Don't give up yet. I still have a glimmer of hope he'll do right by everyone. He's been too solid for too long to flush it all down the crapper at this point. We do have that in our favor.

Plus not a lot of guys seem to be having the same issue as us...I guess that's a good thing.
 
PeteyTwoPointOne said:
Ernest...cancelled my gso-10 pre-order long ago...had to jump thru a few hoops to get them to issue a check...but nothing like this.

Don't give up yet. I still have a glimmer of hope he'll do right by everyone. He's been too solid for too long to flush it all down the crapper at this point. We do have that in our favor.

Plus not a lot of guys seem to be having the same issue as us...I guess that's a good thing.
Click to expand...


Pete as others have said you are handling this extremely well and shows a lot of your character and sadly the providers character. Agian best wishes that it works out for everyone involved
 
Pete

I surely hope that only a couple of folks are going through this.

I do hope he turns it around... he has a lot of good reviews that I am sure he earned... what a shame if he destroys all that hard work. The quick monetary reward just isn't worth it.
 
Ernest...crickets over here too...he's got 9 days to have my 4 knives in my hand or I'm escalating my PayPal. I'm hoping his silence means he's modding his ass off on some handles for everyone.

However, at this point I'm afraid he'd need a few of Santa's little helpers to show up at his shop with some magic Dremels and pixie dust to pull it off.
 
Pete

The one good thing, I hope, is that their are only a very few merry men in this waiting game.

Sure hated to spend money on something i thought I already had...really like the GB2 and as I said previously some vendors are out of stock and Blade HQ was running low on stock so repurchased the dang thing. Thanks Steve.

I will keep it as a user and safe queen the other if I ever receive it... maybe I should start a betting pool, I will spit the wins with ya..
 
I've been following this thread with interest, as I have a few knives Steve has done awesome work on with great communication throughout the process each time. I have sent a few emails (no response) about further work over the past few months, but am glad this thread popped up when it did. I hope Petey's and others transactions are resolved soon and would assume that many on BF would be disappointed if Sketchen Scales came to an end in this fashion. What a bummer, such nice work.
 
ArchVV

My first go around with Steve.... not impressed at this point... had a promise my knife would be done in a couple of weeks first part of... was In Negotiations for scales on another knife and then dead silence... don't normally prepay but I did this time based on all the positive reviews... dumb of me.. rotten of him. He has a couple or more of us twisting in the wind.
 
This is NOT a letter from Steven Ketchen (but it should be)

This is just how I would attempt to get everyone their knives finished and returned. Steven, you have to start somewhere and you started off in the right direction but I don't know what happened. I know it's embarrassing Steven but by not saying anything you leave everyone to their own imaginations and it's getting ugly.

I'm disappointed in you Steve for not following up. Any business, big or small can weather almost anything if everyone is being updated as to the current status of their order, even if it hasn't changed. A 10 second message once a week is all it would take, hell if you're afraid or embarrassed to talk to any of these guys then send out a broadcast text, I'm sure you have text and phone numbers for all these guys. Hell you can make a form letter like this and send it, hell save more time and use this one but if you do, make sure you stick to what you say you'll do.

Hello (insert name here),

First off let me apologize for not fulfilling your order and letting you down. I know my lack of communication is inexcusable and unforgivable but I am determined to gain back your trust and this is the start of that process.

I will gain that trust back by fulfilling your order without any further delay. Please understand that I disappointed others as well and in an attempt to make everything right, this is the order I will be completing the orders. (oldest order to newest, most expensive to least expensive, pick something, put it on paper Steve and work off of it.)

Till you get your finished order and you are satisfied, in an attempt to regain your respect and trust I will not be taking any new orders. So you won't have to worry I'll keep everyone apprised of their order's status either by text message or as part of a weekly update in the thread on BFC's GB&U . Taking 15 minutes out of my week to keep everyone updated as an exercise in better business practices is the least I can do and will do so till you receive your order and are completely satisfied.

Again I apologize for letting this get to this point, your business means a lot to me but your friendship means more.. I can be reached here, (XXX) XXX XXXX or here (XXX) XXX XXXX ext. XXXX . You can also contact me by text at the above cell # or here on BF in this thread. In order to concentrate on finishing your order as quickly as possible I will respond to everyone at the end of the week. Should a problem arise I will notify you within 24 hours to let you know of the problem and discuss how you want to proceed.


I can't expect everyone to forgive me but this is the first step in attempting to gain back your respect, trust and maybe someday, your business.

Thank You,
Pete Ketchen







That's what I'd do Steve.

Will it help? I don't know but one thing for sure, it will turn this thread and your business right around and I guarantee you'll be the talk of the forum.

Good luck guys, I'll check back in a couple of days. Hoping the right thing is done and the best outcome for all.
 
T Erdelyi

Deep breath... if he could or would turn this around and I receive my k ire and the work is stellar as all in the past have claimed.. hard swallow I would try his svc's again.. only not prepay. I do not want to see this fellow fail.. I have never used his svc or attempted too until this go around. He has made a lot,of folks happy and proud to own a knife pimped by him.just hope he picks himself up and does the right thing... it would be a shame to lose his talent.
 
Very true BD, and that's what most of us who have dealt with Steve in the past are hoping.
I can't convey to you what a pleasure it was dealing with him. Forget the amazing work, he's a really good guy.
I'm still hoping.
Come on Steve.
Joe

braillediver said:
There's an awful lot of good will extended to this guy. Sort of humanity vs a human. Time will tell. It would only take a second to respond here in the positive.
Click to expand...
 
Steve said he'd have my knives in my hand by this weekend...there's nothing inbound from MA on my USPS dashboard...looks like I will have to escalate PayPal this weekend. :thumbsdown::(
 
  1. Sorry to hear that Pete. But after 7 emails with no response, 1 letter with no response, 1 $153.00 cashiers check cashed and a brand new Spydie GB2 held captive I was hoping for some positive news. I could cuss like a sailor but what's the point, Mr. Ketchen has apparently slipped over to the dark side. But the day isn't over yet, maybe just maybe he is on the way to the post office with your knives.
 
PeteyTwoPointOne said:
Steve said he'd have my knives in my hand by this weekend...there's nothing inbound from MA on my USPS dashboard...looks like I will have to escalate PayPal this weekend. :thumbsdown::(
Click to expand...

I hope that's not the case but you're probably right.

My dashboard account usually works pretty good but it has failed me twice in the 10-12 months that I've been using it. Both were shipments sent to me in the last 30 days. They never showed up on my account despite the fact that I already knew they had shipped.
 
Down to the wire. He could overnight them for the 14th. Ever the optimist sort of.

You've been down right saintly. These stories sadden me because working with your hands and creating things is a gift and becoming a lost art. The people who reach out and support these craftsmen are helping keep that tradition alive. There's something special about that relationship in a world of iPhones and Facebook. That or I watched too many Wonderful World of Disney shows growing up.
 
Well I have been following this hoping for a more positive resolution. Sorry to see it go this way. I have never had a knife customized but pictures of his work was tempting to me. Was hoping that you guys at least got your blades back! I'll check back later. As others have said Pete, you're handling this in the most mature/professional way.
 
Hate to read about this OP...I've never been his customer but several of my friends have, and all were pleased with his work. Good craftsman are hard to find so this is disheartening...I hope it has a positive outcome somehow.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top