I'm just spit balling here... but my guess is that their manufacturing processes is extremely linear and lean. They take orders, get the steel done, then order the handle parts, then the sheaths. So given that the model I ordered was new, they didn't make or could not make, a prototype to send in advance to the sheath maker. They must finish step A to get to step B and then to C until the process of building the knife is done. Which probably saves them some money, but any hiccup in quality or parts availability in the process will create extreme delays. A low tolerance for quality not up to spec by the QC process and a major wrench is thrown into the whole process further down the line to the waiting customer.
I am also guessing the staff may not have the capacity to build any one knife or model from ground up like other makers in their class. I am sure they can reduce the steed, grind/sharpen it and assemble. Perhaps they can't do a one offs or small batches due to either limited tools, material, skill, personnel, and time… or all the above.
They appear to me as being set up for doing, or are setting up for, distributor businesses like BHQ; but want to retain the craft knife aesthetic for marketing purposes, maintaining retail sales... or whatever. With the outfit they have, they should be strictly focused on orders to distributors and pull out of the retail game all together. That would save them the time and grief and ultimately help with cash flow. However, they are to risk adverse and do not want to take on debt. So, in order to scale up they used the pre-sales as easy and interest free loan. GofundMe Style campaigns are great for your nephew’s t-shirt company, but seriously limits a small business immensely in the long run. I'm guessing the tactic worked before when the were smaller, they tried it again not recognizing that the business had fundamentally changed since then.
During the pandemic we saw so many small businesses fail in part because they had no debt, which meant they had no banking relationships built up over the years. Sure, they ran a profitable business with little to no outstanding loans to hold them down, but this leaves few options for weathering out trouble or adapting to change. The books look good, but the company can be ruined with any adversity faced. Covid restrictions didn’t directly close as many businesses as people think it did. The restrictions simply accelerated the inevitable with some shody businesses, and exposed the financial weaknesses of others, even those who thought they were profitable before the restrictions. Small business like to cut corners and they pay for it in the long. Not hiring enough staff, owners not paying themselves, owners controlling every aspect of the business, irrational fear of debt, etc. What Survive is caught up in is not nefarious or criminal. They are also not a ponzi scheme as some in here have suggested....
What they are going through is actually pretty common in other small businesses. We have to be careful to also not compare them unfairly to smaller businesses like hobby builders, and very large companies both types of busnesses who can absorb wasteful practices and where the margins are not as thin. I have consulted with many businesses like them before, but in a different industry. All I know is just from personal observations... take my comments with a grain of salt, as I could be wrong.
I think they are genuine and not bad people at all. I hold no animus towards them, just extremely disappointed I was lied to and as of yet, not refunded.
