what is a reasonable wait time for a custom build

[elmoto475]

I have been waiting for a custom build from a builder for almost a year . He keeps saying that he will get to it soon ( next month or next week ) then weeks pass and nothing. I have already paid for the build . this is my second build from him the first went without any problems , I was supposed to get a build slot in April of 25 then at the end of June , then the end of July , then positively in November ETC ! not sure what I should do .

 

[KentuckyBlackBird]

I’ve been waiting 4 years on one. The maker is a friend of mine. I don’t sweat it. If this guy has made you one before, trust in the fact he will do it right. I’m assuming you liked the first one, or you wouldn’t have ordered a second. Randall’s for instance have about a 6 year wait currently. You can’t really rush someone’s process unless you want a rushed finished product.

 

[DeadPineKnives]

The fact that you paid for it troubles me, but the length of time is quite normal. A knife maker's waiting time depends on many factors.

 

[Steven65]

I have been waiting for a custom build from a builder for almost a year . He keeps saying that he will get to it soon ( next month or next week ) then weeks pass and nothing. I have already paid for the build . this is my second build from him the first went without any problems , I was supposed to get a build slot in April of 25 then at the end of June , then the end of July , then positively in November ETC ! not sure what I should do .

Never pre-pay.........ever. Your money has already been spent and he needs to work on knives he can sell. Yours is no longer a priority. There are so many threads on BF like this.

My advice is ask for an immediate refund. Either your knife will quickly appear, your money will be returned, or you will know that you have a fight on your hand.

 

[Tom Lewis]

I would ask for a re-fund. If a knifemaker says a pre-paid knife will be ready in April it should be ready in April.

 

[Stuart Davenport Knives]

Refund. If someone were to pay me for a knife upfront, that knife would be my priority, like Tom said above.

 

[Thescrawnylumberjack]

My wait time maxed at 6 months. Now it’s under 4 months.

I take a deposit and the remaining is typically due when I start the build. I used to do 5 builds a week but frequently got bogged down with little issues that would set the build back so I switched to doing 20-25 builds a month (not all custom) so if there was an issue with the custom build it would still likely get completed by the end of the month. If I can’t get it done I let the customer know.

 

[Linus Knives]

I try to get custom orders done in 1 month or less. I do have some I've had more than a month and I've done some in less than a week. It depends on several factors but I try as hard as possible to get it done on or before I say it will be done. And if I can't for some reason, I absolutely let them know why and when it will be done.

 

[Lorien]

I personally enjoy the reward of being paid once I'm finished producing something.
I don't recall ever having been paid in advance for a commissioned item.
In some special cases, I've left it up to my client to decide what to pay me once they received the thing I made for them.
It stresses me out when I blow past proposed deadlines, and for me, avoiding promises regarding timeframes helps me sleep at night.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I don't make a lot of knives, but I can sell the ones I do make.
I charge an initial fee if the customer wants expensive appendages- silver/gold, pearl, etc. to cover the up front cost. If they don't pay, I can sell the knife.

 

[Forrest Taylor]

I've made a few custom knives, based on specific designs, for customers. I've never charged them anything up front. Turn around time, even with sending off for heat treating on the pre-oven ones, was never more than a month.
If it was me I'd ask for my money back. If he finishes the knife then buy it from him later

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I agree with Forest. Ask for an immediate refund . Tell the maker that when he gets the knife finished you will purchase it at the original price.

 

[i4Marc]

As a maker, I never take a deposit or any kind of payment up front. Sometimes a buyer will want to pay up front. I think it is a gesture of respect and/or enthusiasm. However, I explain that if for any reason I am unable to complete the knife, the buyer will not be out any money and I won't need to return funds that will likely already have been spent. It protects both parties that way. I keep the customer in the loop with periodic updates and when the knife is ready to ship we deal with payment.

I can be slow. But a year is asking a lot of a customers patience. That said, these are handmade items and depending upon the complexity of the build and the attention to detail of the maker, a build can take a while.

 

[elmoto475]

thank you all for taking the time to answer and help me resolve this issue, I have been in contact with the builder and he assured me that he will be finishing working the build in the coming week, hopefully he will meet this promised schedule. Thanks again for your responses !