To OldeWolf and Anyone whom is concerned

[Karda]

RE: You have been reported to Paypal‏
11/07/12

WeirdPoe Poe
(weirdpoe@hotmail.com)

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This is amusing. You did exactly as I hoped you would do; blaming someone else (this Nick person) and in the process not owning up to your choices that you decided to carry despite the Karma risk. This is the kind of behaviors I was referring to and others has been trying to tell you for those years. You just wouldn't listen.
Yangdu at this point is collateral damage since you decide to be in the way. Know what's ironic? You wrote an apologist post justifying your behaviors as a moderator/Himalayan Import employee (despite the fact you said you don't "work" for them). It was that post of yours that made me decide to send an email notifying Paypal. I have nothing against your dog, nor against your physical well being (glad you survive the deer by the way but was it Karma speaking? Only life will know), nor against Yangdu and the company.

No, you have not directly crossed path with me in those years on board (I made sure of that) but I had to talk to members who were very frustrated about your behaviors and remind them that Himalayan Import is separated from your conducts. Unfortunately some of them observed that you changed the way things worked (for good or for worst) on HI and they stopped being a fan. Their choice but it's one less money in Yangdu's pocket, thanks to you.

Meanwhile, see you on board. I don't see any point in continuing this conversation so I will not be coming back to this old email of mine for a while.
Have fun, I will be watching for any slip-ups.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


First let me apologise to you all for recent happenings and for some of what i'm about to say.

I don't like to bring these things onto the forum, but in light of recent events, i feel that some things need to be said here on the forum. There seems to be a few of you who are disgruntled by the fact that some things have changed on the forum since i became a member and/or moderator of the Himalayan Imports forum.

One of you, a banned member named OldeWolf has taken it upon himself to supposedly take action against myself and Auntie for some percieved wrongdoing on my part, leaving himself blameless. He has reported both of us to Paypal and to the Better Business Bureau anonymously, or so you've said in your emails to us. Your actions are that of Cowardice and Childishness. Some of you are apparently hiding in the shadows, talking and causing trouble for Auntie And H.I.

Your actions most likely will serve nothing more that to hurt her business more than i ever could, although in your emails you seem so concerned about that issue that you resort to childish actions and Emails. This is what is telling about you. You have an Internet history of such behaviors. These are acts of a self absorbed, self entitled, spoiled rotten petulant child. The same behaviors you so well displayed on this forum and others before your own actions forced another site moderator to remove you with predjudice.

I act in accordance with the sites rules, but also according to Auntie Yangdu's wishes. If anyone has a problem with my Supermoderation of the site, or with my moderation of the Himalayan Imports forum. You have the capability to voice your concerns and opinions with the site admin Spark or with Auntie Yangdu herself. You know how to contact them yourself. Anyone is free to contact me personally with issues you may have and we will discuss them, provided that you can do so in an adult manner. As of yet, Auntie or I have recieved no such contact on the matters a few of you seem to be disgruntled about and concerned with.

As for the changes in the forum? Again, any changes in the way we've done business in the past, has been forced change because of the action of a few whom choose to not be honest in their dealings with us as a company or by their poor behavior. The warranty was changed because Himalayan Imports could no longer afford to stay in business bearing the brunt of returns by those who are either dishonest or choose to abuse our product carelessly, then expect Auntie to replace their product at her cost when it was their own wrongdoings that caused failure of the product.
We do our best to err on the side of caution and respect in all return matters. We only ask that you take the time to educate yourself on the various styles, finishes and other such matters before placing your order. We do our best to treat all our customers fairly and respectfully, we only ask the same of you regarding us and the Himalayan Imports business. We are not really responsible for cases such as OldeWolfs, where he wanted a perfectly finished item, but chose to order a villager model which has less fit and finish, thru his own ignorance and instead of just politely returning the item for refund, took it upon himself to act in juvenile manner and try to hurt the business while leaving himself blameless. Even then the product was returned and refunded.

Many of our older members have walked west, some have gotten on with their lives and others may have left because they feel that this forum is no longer what they feel it should be. That last group has forsaken all that this forum has long stood for, failed to voice their concerns to us in the proper manner and broken their vow to Uncle to help keep his dream alive and well. They may have their own reasons for doing so, real or percieved, but without taking the respect and care that they would give Uncle Bill and treated Auntie or I in a like manner, voicing their concerns in an Adult manner privately we will never know or be able to correct the situation.
If any of you are disgruntled because, as a fairly recent addition to this family, i've ended up as Auntie Yangdu's right hand man or Supermoderator. I am sorry you feel this way. There was plenty of time for anyone to step in to the place i am now. I've worked hard and tirelessly to avail myself to make this forum and Bladeforums in general a better place. This job is not any easy one in either area and has come at some cost to me both mentally and physically, but i do it out of love and respect for these things and people that i believe in and the ideals that they espouse.

To our older member who've stuck around to help as they can and be an active part of our family, our hat is off to you and you have our undying love and respect. I hope you know that your prescence and help is much welcomed and appreciated. Our hearts are open to you and your opinion is welcomed.

To our new members. Again, as i've said before, Your patronage and help is much appreciated. I hope you find a place in our family and are with us as long as some of our older members have been. We hope you understand our mission and goal and wish to be a part of our achieving it. Please do not let some of the things that may happen to turn you away.

To those that act to the detriment of the forum and the Business....Shame on you. Karma and Lord Buddha are watching you, as is Uncle.

Continued Below​

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Karda, I consider myself an old hand. Not the oldest, nor the most insightful, and certainly not the wisest on anything.

I do consider myself a good judge of character. I believe that is a gift that some have and some don't. My father seems to have a BS Alarm that was genetically passed down to me. You, my friend, are a good egg. I have always thought that you were a great fit for HI, and I am not surprised in the least that you were asked to become a Super Moderator. You're a by the book kind of guy, and you know that will rub some folks the wrong way but will earn the respect of many more. A man who tirelessly wears his convictions on his sleeve will not have an easy road to travel. He will, however, be on a righteous path. Being true unto our own selves is all we can really do in this world.

For good or bad, I generally get a slight buzzing in my head upon reading the first few posts of a new member. I can tell their personality, their motives, and how good of a "fit" they are going to have among our happy little corner of the internet world. I'm not judging them by any means. My job here for HI is not to make sure only round pegs are allowed to post and participate. As a moderator, all I should do is call balls and strikes when rules are broken (a tertiary function at best with the population of such good guys and gals we have posting here), and more importantly try to share what I have been SO privileged to learn from the men and women who came before, to try and pass down as much as I can to folks who weren't lucky enough to know Uncle Bill, or Yvsa, or Rusty, or Pappy, or Brian in Chicago, etc etc etc. We all should be so grateful that we have Howard here as a moderator as well. He's been around even longer than I have and has certainly walked in the footprints of others more than I have. Some of his stories and pictures of his travels with Red Flower perfectly sum up what HI is.

I can earnestly and honestly say that OldeWolf was on my radar from the get go. I didn't find him pleasant to read and felt that he would be better served either buying a "perfect" stamped steel KLO or paying a custom maker around $2200 for 6 months worth of effort to "fix" all of the silly issues he had with a $100 blem. I could see that he was rocking the boat and upsetting Karda and Yangdu. It takes a lot to ruffle their feathers, and it is a good bet that if you can then it is almost a 100% certainty that your actions are probably of an offending nature.

In short, no moderator here is above reproach if any of you folks have an issue (this goes for guys who have been here since '99 with 20K posts all the way to newer folks with posts in the single digits). If there is ever a problem, please feel free to contact us directly, or contact another mod if you don't want to bring your issues to us face to face, or contact a Super Mod if you want to be anonymous, or post in the Tech and Support forum if you really want to drag us into the spotlight. That is why we are here, to serve you fine members and customers to the best of our ability.

I got off on a bit of a tangent there. I apologize, but that's sort of my "thing" isn't it

 

[Karda]

My only addition to Uncle Bills post below from 2002 would be:
If you cannot act with manners and forethought in an adult manner or discuss any problems you may have with us as a business or individuals, without trying malicious actions and behaviors to harm what Uncle Bill, Auntie and Pala have started........you don't belong here and we wish all the best to you some place other than our forum.

This may be old hat to old timers but it might be worthwhile reading for newbies and strangers.

If you break a khukuri down to its smallest component you begin to realize what it's really made of -- start magnifying and keep zooming in. You end up with some molecules, then some protons and neutrons, then quarks, and then pure energy.

If you break Bura down to the smallest component you get the same thing -- pure energy.

So what we have is one energy manupulating another energy. What is done in the manipulation is a changing of the universe. The universe is changed and will never be the same because of the action -- remembering that energy cannot be created or destroyed -- only manipulated.

Although many are illiterate the kamis have some innate sense of what it going on in the process and view it as a spiritual undertaking which I find quite understandable. They are profane but they are also very religious. The khukuri itself is imbued with notions from the Hindu and Buddhist faiths and there are physical reflections of this on both handle and blade.

So, the prayers and blessings of the kamis are a part of the deal. I personally admire the prayers and blessings -- never fail, always serve well, never draw in anger, if drawn in conflict serve the owner well and pity to the enemy. However, some do not share the same philosophy so if you are adverse to prayers and blessings then buy a factory khukuri.

Our entire operation is based on religous considerations and we will never change this modus operandi. All of us pray for each other. When the kamis thought I might die they conducted special prayers for me. They pray for the customers. They pray for themselves and their families. They pray for peace in the world. We do the same here and this is why we took on a Chaplain so that we might conduct our prayers in perhaps a little better fashion and in doing this maybe also help some in need.

I could ramble on but I think this is enough to get my point across and perhaps explain to strangers why and how we operate. If loving God and neighbor, trying to do what is good, decent and proper turn you off then you don't belong here.

Everything considered allows us to make the true statement that it all has to do with khukuris.

I am hesitant to make this post but I think it's necessary to reiterate the philosophy which sets the modus operandi of Himalayan Imports, BirGorkha and the HI forum. Seems it is time.

When I sold our first khukuri in 1988 I did not do it with any hope of fame or fortune. I did it because I knew that the sale meant some kami in Nepal would be paid for work done. The first ad which sold this khukuri cost $135. The khukuri sold for $150. Another ad was placed, two khukuris were sold. Another ad in another magazine, and a couple more khukuris sold. Finally, ads in 3 or 4 magazines, sales generated from articles about our khukuris made Himalayan Imports a viable business. Advertising cost at that time was about 50% of gross sales.

Then onto the internet and everything turned around and today we are able to provide for the welfare of perhaps 150 of Nepal's lowest caste and the poorest of the poor. Khukuris have done it and therefore they are related to almost everything in life -- eating rather than starving, having shelter rather than sleeping under a bridge, the basics needs of life, and an offer of hope for the future. And, I think very importantly, the effort is not charity but simply an opportunity. Remember, under and unemployment combined in Nepal is near 80%. Having an honest job is a blessing in such an environment and this is what we do. We provide work and opportunity.

So, the driving force behind Himalayan Imports and BirGorkha is dharma, duty, an effort to make the lives of some of the less fortunate somewhat more tolerable. Fame, fortune, profit, the normal motivations which drive most businesses do not drive us. Seeing that a family has enough to eat is more important than making a profit. I see Yangdu sell knives at cost on a regular basis when we have a decent inventory -- this to keep the kamis working.

When our village sarki recently sliced a foot long gash in his thigh we took him to the hospital, got him fixed up, and paid him his "workmans' comp" for a couple of weeks until he was able to return to duty. This is standard practice for BirGorkha. Our social services fund could easily be turned to profit but we don't do it. Dharma comes first. The Dharma path is the one that I have chosen in this life and Pala, Yangdu, Pradeep, all associated with HI and BirGorkha honor my decision and participate gladly.

When I was asked to moderate a forum on Knife Forums I agreed and said I would have only these basic rules -- no profanity, no personal attacks, no badmouthing of competitors products. Anything else was fair game. We started over on the old knife forums and our forum soon became the most popular on that site. I think the reason for this was we were an oddity. I followed my own rule of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and this seemed to attract people. And I was younger and stronger then and could give a good deal of time to moderating very "iffy" discussions. I don't think I ever deleted a post, almost never edited a post, and never banned anybody although at times I was sorely tempted to do so. I used my Buddhist philosophy to good advantage and we waded through some very difficult discussions.

Then I was asked to moderate this forum on Blade Forums and agreed. Same philosophy as the Knife Forums HI forum. As you can see the forum has been and is still pretty popular. Because of my very firm belief in free speech and expression I allowed some posts which most would have banned. There were trying times when politics, religion, customs, entered into the discussion, especially if driven by zealots and fanatics and we had a few. But we survived and the forum became a place where anybody could say just about anything and it remains that way today to a high degree.

Along the way Rusty and I became good friends and visited personally. Rusty became pals with Pala and Yangdu. As he came to know me he began to understand what I was trying to do with both HI and the forum so when it became necessary due to health problems to get help in moderating Rusty was a natural. I am indebted to Rusty and grateful beyong description for the great effort and fine job he has done.

I wanted the forum to be not just a place to discuss khukuris and blades in general but a place where somebody in trouble could come, state his trouble and ask for help in the form of prayer or even money. I wanted it to be a place where help and advice could be solicited. I wanted it to be a place where ideas, philosophies, could be discussed. However, I wanted it to be a place motivated by the first rule, "Love God and love thy neighbor as thyself." I never wanted to see hate or loathing as part of the discussion or posts made simply to stir up contentions and discontent.

And here is the secret to making a decent, meaningful post: No matter what subject you might be posting about if you do so with the basic rules in mind, "Love God and love thy neighbor as thyself" and "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" you'll end up with a good, meaningful post that will probably be of some kind of benefit to all. Check your motives before making your post. As my old guru used to advise me, "if you can't do it with love don't do it at all."

If we follow the rules this can be a fine and worthwhile place so let's all give it the old college try.

 

[wildmanh]

Ouch, this is not cool, not cool at all. Good luck dealing with all this. I think you mods do a pretty good job. If you need any help, let me know!

I've been on Bladeforums since July of 2000, IE over 12 years and have been frequenting the H.I. forum since early 2001. So I've seen change, some that I agree with, some that I don't. That doesn't really matter so much to me, Learning about and sharing info on H.I. Khukris is one of the many reason why I come here. Sure, I don't post or check in as often as I once did, but I still come back because, This is still a great forum!!

With in the last few weeks, I saw a forum member get all upset over the traditional handles on Khukri's and other things things that to me seem unimportant. He had come to the forums earlier asking about modern Khukris. Some of us had advised that he get a Blem, play with it, and if he didn't feel comfortable with the "traditional" handle, that he change it. Things went nuts really fast. It sounds like this may be part of the problems happening behind the scenes [PM's, emails and the like].

Here is something that I've learned: Think of Bladeforums as the Cyber Space equivalent of an Apartment or Business complex. Spark is the Land Lord [owner], Yangdu runs a shop here, the Mods are her help and we are Guests. In the real world, if you go into a shop, have a problem, be polite and work with the people there to solve the problem. Most people tend to leave their ego's at the door. But some don't as I learned working retail for many years. The Curtasy's that we give a shop keeper and their store or the tenant of a house, should be given to the Cyder shop keeper. Leave your Ego at the door, you ask for advice, listen, thank them and apply it. If the advice doesn't work, politely leave [sell or trade the item if it doesn't work] and find somewhere else that meets your needs.

When I see problems creep, I think we would be all better off following the Golden Rule, and also getting out side and using our blades. Speaking of which, I think I'll head out side in a few to split some Kindling with a Khukri or two.

Good luck and God Bless!!

 

[Steely_Gunz]

And that, ladies and gents, is why you should drop Mr. Ellsworth a line any time you need high quality custom leather work
You're a true asset, Heber. We appreciate you stopping in around here when you can

 

[danboy357]

And that, ladies and gents, is why you should drop Mr. Ellsworth a line any time you need high quality custom leather work
You're a true asset, Heber. We appreciate you stopping in around here when you can

Will definatley take that advice, I could use a nice leather sheath or two. I am sorry that this fella is causing pain at HI guys. A few weeks back I read an old thread involving him and was wondering what his/the deal was. It's sometimes very hard but always good to remember when frustration rears up that as all things, this to shall pass.

 

[danboy357]

To our new members. Again, as i've said before, Your patronage and help is much appreciated. I hope you find a place in our family and are with us as long as some of our older members have been. We hope you understand our mission and goal and wish to be a part of our achieving it. Please do not let some of the things that may happen to turn you away.

Continued Below​

I was wondering, does HI have a "mission statement" if you will? Sorry if I missed it if it is somewhere obvious as I tend to do that when looking at a computer screen. The virtual world is not my prefered "type" of scenery so I try to get in and out quickly. I would love to here it or someone like Karda, Steely or Howard's interpretation of it when there is time. I understand that HI is not about getting rich and seems to be much about funneling a living to the Kami's and taking care of friends and family but i'm sure there is a much more to it. I also understand that it may just be hard to explain with words, although I have seen some good stuff on paper/screen here. I just wondered if anyone who has been around a good deal longer than my 5 months here would like to put it out there so that I and other newcomers may have a better understanding of what we have become involved with and perhaps appreciate it even more than we think we do. I don't know; it's been on my mind for awhile now and this seemed like a good time for a lesson in what we should be grateful to be involved in, beings that there is a perceived enemy at the gates and since it's almost Thanksgiving!

Thanks, Dan

 

[Esav Benyamin]

What a shame, that someone is so lacking in the social graces, he can't find any better way to reach out to others. Most people try to find their way through life in working, cooperating, and accomplishing something. This Oldwolfe can only hide behind a garbage can and yell insults.

And it is all about khukuris. You can hang one on a wall and admire the design, the craftsmanship, and the gleam of the sun shining off clean metal and leather and wood. Or take it down and go outside and return a fallen tree to its constituent elements as you turn it to mulch or firewood.

Whatever the situation, there always is a better way.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I was wondering, does HI have a "mission statement" if you will? Sorry if I missed it if it is somewhere obvious as I tend to do that when looking at a computer screen. The virtual world is not my prefered "type" of scenery so I try to get in and out quickly. I would love to here it or someone like Karda, Steely or Howard's interpretation of it when there is time. I understand that HI is not about getting rich and seems to be much about funneling a living to the Kami's and taking care of friends and family but i'm sure there is a much more to it and understand that. I also understand that it may just be hard to explain with words, although I have seen some good stuff on paper/screen here. I just wondered if anyone who has been around a good deal longer than my 5 months here would like to put it out there so that I and other newcomers may have a better understanding of what we have become involved with and perhaps appreciate it even more than we think we do. I don't know; it's been on my mind for awhile now and this seemed like a good time for a lesson in what we should be grateful to be involved in, beings that there is a perceived enemy at the gates and since it's almost Thanksgiving!

Thanks, Dan

My take on it is that Uncle Bill, Pala, and Yangdu are simply too old school and straight up honest to worry with a mission statement. IMHO, mission statements tend to be corporate jargon in order to keep an underlying hive-mind directive in place across the board. I know that sounds cynical, but I'm really not trying to be. I simply mean that mission statement is at its base the absolute core value that a company wants an employee to know verbatim and by heart.

It is probably more accurate to say that Himalayan Imports has a Mission without a statement. Uncle Bill, Pala, and Yangdu started HI to simply provide for the kamis, their families, and put food on the tables of some of the poorest of the poor by offering the best possible hand made Nepali cutting tools. There are so many facets that HI touches on. Duty to the kamis, duty to the customers, duty to actions that generate positive Karma. And those are just scraping the surface.

If I had to go to THE absolute core of what HI stands for at the most basic of basic levels, the mission statement would probably be:

Do good.

 

[Browning A Bolt]

It really is that simple like SG says. And people like OldeWolf are a dime a dozen. If it were me I'd tell him to take his best shot.

 

[Shaggy]

In the tradition of Uncle Bill, perhaps Oldewolf deserves more pity than anger (although he is being rather childish and petulant). Someone blinded by anger and desire for revenge certainly can't see what he is, and therefore has no hope of changing to become a better person. It's a shame that Auntie Yangdu and Karda have to deal with bad attitudes like this but unfortunately I suppose that is the nature of running any business today.

 

[Dirtbiker]

I'm guessing this means the end to raffles? It's a shame that the actions of a few (1) can spoil it for the rest of us. Shame...

 

[Yangdu]

Enough has been said about this problem and we all should get back to our work.
Special thanks to our moderators who upheld the reputation and
business practices that HI uses.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

You're absolutely right, Yangdu.
I'll button this up.

 

[Karda]

I would like this thread to remain open for commentary, please.
I feel it is important for our friends to express themselves.

I'm guessing this means the end to raffles? It's a shame that the actions of a few (1) can spoil it for the rest of us. Shame...

I'm not going to say that it is not a possibility. Auntie and I will have to discuss and try to think of alternatives. If any of you have ideas, they are welcome. We are both so busy right now that it will take some time, so the current one will likely be the last for awhile.

 

[Karda]

I was wondering, does HI have a "mission statement" if you will? Sorry if I missed it if it is somewhere obvious as I tend to do that when looking at a computer screen. The virtual world is not my prefered "type" of scenery so I try to get in and out quickly. I would love to here it or someone like Karda, Steely or Howard's interpretation of it when there is time. I understand that HI is not about getting rich and seems to be much about funneling a living to the Kami's and taking care of friends and family but i'm sure there is a much more to it. I also understand that it may just be hard to explain with words, although I have seen some good stuff on paper/screen here. I just wondered if anyone who has been around a good deal longer than my 5 months here would like to put it out there so that I and other newcomers may have a better understanding of what we have become involved with and perhaps appreciate it even more than we think we do. I don't know; it's been on my mind for awhile now and this seemed like a good time for a lesson in what we should be grateful to be involved in, beings that there is a perceived enemy at the gates and since it's almost Thanksgiving!

Thanks, Dan

Hey, Dan.....Our Mission Statement is pretty much summed up by Dear Ol' Uncle in post number 3. It can really be summed up in a few words.
Dharma, Duty, Honor, Love.

 

[pugs75]

I have been here since 2009, I have purchased over 20 blades in that time, I never had an issue with what I received and never made a complaint. I wrote in a post several years ago and am going to paste it here. It was titled The Amazing Blade.

I am somewhat new to this forum an have posted a few threads about the khuks I have purchased from H.I.. Before I purchased one, I spent countless hours reading here deep into the archives to present, just trying to get a perspective on these blades and the people who buy them.

I finally jumped in, when my khuk's arrived, I was in awe. I have done my research on these and know some of the history of them and the men who make them. Knowing what they are made from, and how the material is selected.

As Uncle Bill said, the blade picks its owner. Each blade tells a story, the sweat and toil that's put into each one. As I look over the blades, I am reminded that these are crafted one at a time, not a cookie cutter blade made in a factory that stamps out hundreds of blades a day, and all are perfect.

A Kami can make the same type of blade many times, but each one has a slight difference, never the same. It could be a harder hammer blow to one side making a fuller lower on that side than the other, or a habaki that shows where a pair of pliers held it tightly while fitting it to that blade, blood grooves that are not perfect on both sides, handle rings that have slight differences.

What does that mean to me?? Well it shows that a man crafted this with his bare hands and feet, on a anvil sometimes smaller than an old sledgehammer head. These differences give each blade a soul and an ability to tell a story.

"There are many Khuks, but this one is mine". How true is that.

It makes me feel good, knowing that I make a difference in the quality of life these fine men who craft these wonderful pieces of art have. So if you are reading this and are on the fence about purchasing one, jump of my friend and get one, you will not regret it, and if you are an elder to the forum thank you for reading. Regards Frank.

To this day I still believe this. For one person to cause so much aggravation to Auntie and Karda is very disturbing to me. I am a firm believer in Karma and this will come back to him some day. As for the great people who moderate, own and run this amazing company, keep on doing what your doing, your path is clear and we support you.

 

[teclis22]

I am very new to the HI area of BLade Forums so i do not know much about Uncle Bill and the "old ways". And only ordered a few knives. Gifted some away (always to wonderfull feedback) and had one fail on me while chopping wood, wich was replaced without any issue.

I do like the people, the products, but most importantly - i believe- that HI tries to make a difference /more/ then trying to make profit. its honestly the only forum where i join raffles for the cause not for the prize. Where i buy a product not because it might be a great deal but because i think it helps people to buy food instead of the 3rd hummer/ferrari.

To sum it up, for me as a normal every day joe dealing with HI feels like dealing with people, not a faceless company.

Please take this as a voice from "the masses". We might not be the highest spenders, or most vocal on the forum but do believe in the idea of "together for a better place for -all- of us"

 

[Insipid Moniker]

I've had nothing but good experiences with HI and have happily sent many friends this direction. For what it's worth, I find HI to be perhaps the classiest and most welcoming operation I deal with. My girlfriend purchased an AK for me as a gift and told me that when she called they patiently discussed models with her, offered alternatives that might suit my purposes better and made it clear that if I was unhappy I could simply exchange it. That's darn good customer service.

 

[Karda]

I am very new to the HI area of BLade Forums so i do not know much about Uncle Bill and the "old ways". And only ordered a few knives. Gifted some away (always to wonderfull feedback) and had one fail on me while chopping wood, wich was replaced without any issue.

I do like the people, the products, but most importantly - i believe- that HI tries to make a difference /more/ then trying to make profit. its honestly the only forum where i join raffles for the cause not for the prize. Where i buy a product not because it might be a great deal but because i think it helps people to buy food instead of the 3rd hummer/ferrari.

To sum it up, for me as a normal every day joe dealing with HI feels like dealing with people, not a faceless company.

Please take this as a voice from "the masses". We might not be the highest spenders, or most vocal on the forum but do believe in the idea of "together for a better place for -all- of us"

Well.... you see what i was driving in the Cantina. Debatable if we'll have a car for awhile. As for Auntie, she doesnt drive at all, although she does have Uncle Bill's old El Camino still. Neither of us takes very much from this as it is taken up by care for Pala, Bura, The kamis and their families, fuel and material supplies, shipping...... you get the idea. Our pay is in the form of friendship. More valuable than gold or platinum. Priceless to us and cherished. You "masses" are the butter and bread here.