That's not me on Ebay - and Why I am Slow with special requests

[Burl Source]

If any of you buy handle material on ebay from It's a Burl,......that's not me.
The wood is coming from here but it is not me selecting and selling it.
When I am cutting handle material for my web store there is quite a bit that is not used by me.
Those pieces go into bins here for sale to walk in customers and non knife makers.
Some of the wood that I reject, other people think it is great.
There is rarely a time that a knife maker comes here and does not fill a box full of pieces from the bins.
The point that I am trying to make is that a lot of it is good wood, just not what I choose to be selling.

Why I am slow with special requests
Some of you from here and elsewhere have made special requests for items not in my web store or just for additional photos and such.
You have probably found me to be a bit slow. Some have even become frustrated with me.
I am running the handle material as a one man show. Currently I work at this seven days a week from the time I am fully awake until I am too tired to do more and go home.
My feeling is that the web store takes first priority over everything. Items purchased through the store get dealt with first because they are already paid for and I owe the customer to deliver as promised. Anything else comes after my responsibilities have been fulfilled.
Sometimes the requests are for something simple and not very time consuming. But they still have to wait their turn.
I have a hard time saying no so I hope you all will bear with me if you ask for any special requests. I will do my best.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Good to know, Mark. I always thought that was you on ebay.

Take a break every now and then. We don't want you to get burned out. The guys with special orders also will have to realize that these take time. It is not like you wave your magic yardstick and a certain size and color of handle block appear.

Besides, we all know that you buy your handle material from Miles Gilmer's cast off pile

 

[Burl Source]

Good to know, Mark. I always thought that was you on ebay.
Besides, we all know that you buy your handle material from Miles Gilmer's cast off pile

I was the one who started the ebay thing here years ago. I used to sell big burl slabs and whole burls. I think you bought a big buckeye slab one time.
Now the boss has his daughter selling stuff from here. The point I was trying to make is that the handle material she is selling now is not the same stuff I sell in the web store.

and......I do buy from Miles at times. Usually Blackwood and Black Palm when I can get the good stuff. They put their cut offs in wine barrels. You can usually see a few old guys digging through them and fighting over the stuff.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

You know I was just kidding. Now I know why I can't get the good black palm from Miles any more...you get there first

Yes, I bought a couple big slabs from you through the ebay store a while back. That Buckeye slab was a monster. About 48" round and 4" thick. I made a lot of handles from it. Then you said to yourself, "Hey, I can cut those up myself."....and the rest is history.

Miles is a good guy, and there definitely are deals for those who can go and scrounge his odds and ends yard. But the personal service from you, and the high quality of the blocks you deem good enough for knife handles is why I rarely go to his site any more.