What should I do??? Custom problem...

gundy

gundy

Joined
Apr 6, 2001
Messages
4,836
Hey people, what would you do in this situation?

I searched high and low for a maker to custom craft the perfect field knife for me. Hey, I found him! Makes beautiful knives of all types and all descriptions. After a couple of weeks of sketches, emails etc etc, the order was placed. A few weeks later, it turns up and WOW, it was great....fantastic grind lines, exact weight and looks, (yes looks), it was all as I dreamt...except....

There was a problem in the finger grip notching/filing I had asked him to place at the usual thumb and forefinger loacations. They were crap, like somebody had attacked it with a hacksaw, not a file! They were not spaced evenly, they tapered along the width of the material and some deep, others shallow. Am I being too pedantic??? My dilema is, I do not like to upset anybody but I am absolutely sure that I could have done the notching 200% better myself! Do I refuse to pay or do I bite the bullet? It's also a touchy one because if they are buffed out, it may leave the handle a little thin near the ricasso...

HELP!
 
Work it out with the maker. There is no other solution. You have the knife, so you really can not refuse to pay. You could return it because you are unsatisfied, but if this knife was custom made for YOU, then the maker may not want it back. On the other hand, most custom makers stand behind their work 100%.

You have to sort this thing out with the maker. Be nice. But explain carefully why you are not happy and see what can be done.

Paracelsus
 
The first thing to do is to get in touch with the maker and talk to them.

There may be more alternatives that they can come up with to get things the way you want them. Give it a shot, most makers I know will do everything that they realistically can to make their customers happy.

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" The real art of living is to keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post in memory of James Mattis
 
Most definitely communicate with the maker. I would do so as soon as possible.

By not mentioning the maker's name, you have already shown that you are a gentlemen, and I'm sure that the maker is too.

I'm sure that two gentlemen can work this thing out.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

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Dick
 
I've been in this very pickle, where the knife was only about 87% to my liking. I sent it back to the maker a year ago this month, and haven't received it back yet despite constant communications via email, etc. I guess my point is that while he may agree to fix it, it might not be his top priority for a variety of reasons. Whatever you decide, I hope your experience was better than mine (in this one instance; other custom orders have been silky-smooth, though this was the only time I asked for something to be fixed). Good luck!

Professor.
 
Here's a thought. If this is indeed to be a user, field knife and you are sure you could have done the thumbnotches better yourself, why not try to clean them up yourself. A little carefully worked sandpaper and filing and you may not have to even talk to the maker again about it.

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Danbo, soul brother of Rambo
 
There is no excuse for shoddy work. If the maker wasn't comfortable putting on traction grooves, he should have practiced on scrap, or told you that it wasn't something he wanted to do. Have a polite and respectful conversaton with the maker, but shoddy work is not acceptable on a hand made knife that costs hundreds of dollars.

Nothing roasts my goat worse than this situation. It is like a slap in the customer's face to send him shoddy work for full price. If the maker screwed it up, he should have scrapped it and started over. If he is a maker that doesn't mind putting his name on a flawed knife, then hopefully sold you the knife at a reasonable value for the quality of work.

Like I said, have a polite conversation with the maker, but if it were me, the only satisfactory resolution would be a knife properly made and finished, or a price tag that reflected the low concern for finish quality, say $75 or so.

[This message has been edited by Steve Harvey (edited 05-21-2001).]
 
Ask the maker to fix it, make a new knife for you, or refund your money.

Any of these options should be completed within a (mutually agreed upon) reasonable amount of time.

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Tom Anderson
Hand Crafted Knives


www.andersoncustomknives.com
 
With handmades, we can expect a little variations (imperfections?) although in your case this sounds like plain shoddy craftsmanship. Its a pain, especially if you have to ship the knife all the way back to the US at your cost.

I'd suggest calling the maker directly to sort it out which was what I did with a well-known maker from Canada. IMO things like this are usually better handled in a conversation than through email. Watch the time zones though - calling a maker at 3.00am local time is likely to put him in a foul mood.

Also, the big knife shows are near this time of the year and turnaround may not be particularly quick.

Red

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"Praise not the day until evening has come;a sword until it is tried; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk" - Viking proverb
 
Thanks for all the help people!

I have contacted the maker with satisfactory results. He offered several solutions to fix the problem, from fixing it and if i was still not happy - to make it again!....to giving me a 10% discount from the price as I stated I would be interested to do it myself for an incentive. I know it will not take much doing and I am quite capable.

He has even invited me to a local guild show this weekend to discuss the matter over a cup of coffee, which I will be doing.

I might post some before and after pics at a later date as the knife is really a great peice of work - a pity about how something so small can ruin it....it will fix!

Thanx again, I will now withdraw my fear of ordering anymore customs...!!

and no - I would not dare mention his name as it is not worth ruining somebodies livelyhood over a problem that can be fixed - it just comes as a shock when the rest of the knife was so perfect and exactly what I had imagined...

Regards

Guy
smile.gif
 
Guy,
In any business, people make mistakes.It is how they respond to their mistakes that determines their worthiness. Sounds like you have found a good one!
David

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AKTI# A000150
NC Custom Knifemakers Guild member
NC Knife Knuts member
 
I've found in buying customs that the more information specified, the better the outcome. If you can't be right in the shop when it is being made (and this "rarely" happens, sometimes because of your proximity to the shop, and sometimes because the maker doesn't want you looking over his shoulder -- and I don't blame him), you should supply agreed upon drawings, or even examples from other knives.

I've had good luck so far. The little eccentricities (hope that's a word) have only added to the character of the knife. The last custom I had made was by Matt Harildstad in Canada (couldn't figure out why he wanted paid in $US rather than $Can.!) and we struck an agreement on those things that were important to me, and those that were important to him. We looked over drawings and he sent me a couple of scans, one after the blade was profiled, and one of the finished handle. I found that the features that were important to me remained important but I worked with him on the things that he had much more knowledge on than me. All in all, a great experience with no surprises!

Bruce Woodbury
 
Thanks Bruce,

in the early set, I supplied drawings of both knife and sheath I wanted, + photos of handle designs, textures and prefered blade finish. He did send me a scan and it looked great, but the notching was not to be seen, that is why I thought he had jumped on the knife with a hacksaw as it was going out the door.

He has been great though, and I have opted to fix the blade myself. Your right, I did nearly accept it for how it was (eccentrics?), trying to talk myself into the fact that I could treat it as a 'bush blade - throw the notches in any old how for a purpose' type of knife....it did not quite work for me! But I do know when I have used it for a while, I will appreciate every scratch, ding and damage it may have as memories of how they got there..

Thanks for your input..

Cheers

Guy
smile.gif
 
Ok, ok....

I will try and post tommorrow James.

Off topic for a sec.....are you going to the guild show in Melbourne this week? Might see you there?

Later

Guy
 
Hi Gundy... I have found out, if the work is just bad, and no attention to detail was taken, That you have every right to return the knife to be repaired, or to refund your money.

On the otherhand if you just don't like the knife, and the knife has no flaws in it, and the workmanship is of quality; Then you should call, or contact the maker, and explain that the knife is not what you expected. Some makers will give you back your money, and some may take the knife back, and try to sell it, and then give you back the money. This is because he made the knife for you, with your guide lines, and spec's.

This happened to me... I just didn't like the knife, and the maker worked with me. I sent him back the knife, he sold it. and sent me the money. I had to wait about seven weeks, and that was okay.

I wish you good luck, and hope it goes just as easy as my situation.
smile.gif


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