This ever happen to you??

Very nice knife, he's an idiot for refusing. I'm sure you'll have no trouble selling it.
 
Godogs! That is one sweet little hunter!!! Guy's a fool. Some one said Brock's, Humm? Who's Brock? I once introduced him to a fledgling knife maker, oh, mabe 20 years ago. The Guy's grind was a little crude, but he had talent, and heart! Brock struck a deal with him. The Guy spent time with me when ever he came to ft. Hood, retired, and became one hell of a knife maker. I knew him as HJ. or Harold. You may know him as KIT. Well that Carson guy anyway. Every time I see Brock, I'm ask if I can get more of those Bigarson Fighters for him. You know, the Big D Ring Fighter. Seems like Brock would like to be able to get into them for around a buck-75. Oh, and when am I going to make big knives like Harold. Man, this guy hasn't a clue. He wouldn't know a Big Bear if it fell in his lap, and cut his pecker off. mabe I should drop by the surplus store, and pick up a china special, and etch Carson on it. Haa!!! I know what you mean about Killeen, and Cove being so crooked. But don't despair. They are equal opportunity screwer's. They screw anyone. Next move, they are going to bull doze my home for a wider road to nowhere, just so they can put in another strip mall on a road to no where. Back to Brock. He is a self proclaimed expert in every thing. He's the local knife expert, as well. complete with an old grey stone, and a can of oil on his glass chow case. He will tell you all you ever wanted to know about knives. He's never heard of Loveless, Moran, Lile, Hibben, Johnson or tony Bose, but that guy over in the next county that epoxies handles on old files, and sharpens them on his bench grinder, now thats a knife maker. Nobody's better.:jerkit: Mike http://www.lovettknives.com/
 
This is the reason I ask for a non refundable deposit before I start the order. If he doesn't take the knife, I sell it to someone else and keep his deposit.

I don't ask for the deposit if I know and trust the person or have dealt with him in the past.

I also know a hardware store owner down here who says or thinks he knows everything about knives but if it's not mass produced he thinks it's junk.

Best for me to politely walk away from such people. :jerkit: Keeps me out of trouble.:eek:
 
Hank
you can look at this in another way..
a happy customer is one for life and the word he spreads is gold if it's good.

what I would have done, keeping in mind you can or will sell that knife in time anyway..
so you make another one for him BUT
I'd tell him, OK I'll make you a different one
but
the price is now ??$$ (what ever you think the aggravation is worth..)
just tell him,, now I have to sell this knife to someone else it wasn't made for..
he can refuse the deal on his terms or order another one.

I look at it like I've just made another knife for more money and if he doesn't like that one, it will sell, so it's still money in your pocket. :thumbup:

if he doesn't like the next one, go up on the price again and put him on the back burner, tell him I have other customers now ahead of you.. you'll have to wait now I'm so sorry:p . you see where I'm coming from?

I know you'd like to slap him up side the head but
if you make him happy (and in your terms) he'll show that knife to how many of his customers???
don't bite your self in the A$$ to spite your nose..be customer friendly it's lour rep..
make money and play with him at the same time :D :D it's just the way I'd handle it..
but if it were years ago, I may have just told him to F off too..
I have a different way of looking at things now..and business is good..

BTW... nice piece :thumbup:
I'm not sure about you, but I need to make money making knives..:)
 
Don Robinson said:
This is the reason I ask for a non refundable deposit before I start the order. If he doesn't take the knife, I sell it to someone else and keep his deposit.

I don't ask for the deposit if I know and trust the person or have dealt with him in the past.

I also know a hardware store owner down here who says or thinks he knows everything about knives but if it's not mass produced he thinks it's junk.

Best for me to politely walk away from such people. :jerkit: Keeps me out of trouble.:eek:
Click to expand...
Don
I ask for deposits on the first time buyers most the time, but they are refundable (on knives that are not designed by the customer) but they have to take possession of the knife pre-paid first.. they pay for shipping both ways if he returns it and all merchant(card type charges/fees, this will of coarse depend on per order bases, if he wants another one then I deal with it accordantly..as said above..
I'm not telling anyone their business but just the way I deal with the situations
if anyone is interested :)
 
Dan Gray said:
I know you'd like to slap him up side the head but
if you make him happy (and in your terms) he'll show that knife to how many of his customers???
don't bite your self in the A$$ to spite your nose..be customer friendly it's lour rep..
make money and play with him at the same time :D :D it's just the way I'd handle it..
but if it were years ago, I may have just told him to F off too..
I have a different way of looking at things now..and business is good..

BTW... nice piece :thumbup:
I'm not sure about you, but I need to make money making knives..:)
Click to expand...

Wisdom..... you've been doing this awhile eh Dan ? I need to write some of this down :)

Mr. Robinson , I should tatoo the "politely walk away" to the inside of my eyelids . :foot: :)
 
All right...I'm working on the "kinder-gentler" aproach. Will see where it takes me. At least with that approach I won't let my alligator mouth overload my hummingbird ass as we say down here.

CDiprecison...did you ever get my PM??? Will start work on the sheath and get it ready in case anyone wants it.

Have a great 4th.

Hank
 
Please forgive my ignorance here, since I don't know what the common practice is in the US. However, in Australia it is the usual practice in many fields of custom work, that no work is commenced until some type of payment is received. In some cases (smaller amounts of money involved, often full prepayment is required). For larger amounts, a minimum payment to cover the cost of materials is common.

Does this type of thing not commonly happen for knifemakers in the USA?

Cheers
omniphile
 
omniphile said:
Please forgive my ignorance here, since I don't know what the common practice is in the US. However, in Australia it is the usual practice in many fields of custom work, that no work is commenced until some type of payment is received. In some cases (smaller amounts of money involved, often full prepayment is required). For larger amounts, a minimum payment to cover the cost of materials is common.

Does this type of thing not commonly happen for knifemakers in the USA?

Cheers
omniphile
Click to expand...
yes it's called a deposit or down payment..and the wording does mean different things. some take them and some don't and some are learning the hard way and some get a long fine by not..
I have other reasons for taking them from first time buyers other than covering some costs,
mainly to simplify it , it keeps an honest bargain between us..normally 25% for first timers..but all things are still negotiable
 
godogs, tell the moron you had to sell it to someone for more than you were asking him for it.
If he really wants one done custom...ask him twice as much up-front.
Nice knife!
 
I don't think you would get any money out of the idiot. The guy is a scumbag. Hey, that's a mighty fine knife! Call me a hard *ss, I don't have the required patience with people like that.
 
This stuff is why I rarely take custom orders anymore. I don't make knives to make money anymore - I make them from the heart and soul. If a customer wants a knife that I made with love and care, not one that I had to make to pay the bills, then and ONLY THEN, can I guarantee he is getting a true piece of ME.

I'm not saying this in a snobby sort of way, just stating that I personally don't get a kick out of making knives unless its a labor of love. Surely, having an artist's soul is not good for the wallet, but its definitely better for the customer. I make a knife to my liking and if someone wants to buy it, fine. If not, well it just goes into the collection of family heirlooms.

All in all, this approach works for me, and virtually eliminates being slave to fickle customers.
 
This is why I dont take custom orders. Same thing happened to me after busting my ass on a double ground fighter just to have the fellow ask if the next one could be 1/2" shorter. I started to break the tip off and ask for my payment. I still have that knife 12 years later as a reminder why NOT to take custom orders. It may seem a bit arrogant but I make what pleases me and that is what I have for sale. :grumpy: :grumpy:
 
I learned the hard way...

I now require a 25% deposit...non-refundable

That way if the deal goes south, materials are covered, I get some compensation, and I can sell the knife to another customer.

The thing is, every knife you make will "find a home" if you give it time. I carried a knife I made to shows for almost 3 years. It was finally purchased by a collector.

Godogs, I don't think you'll need to wait anywhere near that long for this one!
 
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