Greetings,
I joined this forum for one reason only. I had a specific question, regarding Dragonfly Khukuri and Knives. Mostly I wanted to know if anyone else was experiencing inordinately long wait time, after placing an order with the company.
Turns out a few people had. Mostly it seems as if individual experience with Timothy McLaughlin, and his Blue Dragonfly Trading Post, or Dragonfly Khukuri and Knives business, has been varied. However, some of us seem to believe he's a decent human being with bad luck, and possibly worse business sense. I personally do not believe him to be dishonest, but I still can not recommend purchasing from him either way. It's unfortunate, especially since I went into the transaction with confidence and a genuine fondness for Timothy McLaughlin himself. I had watched a few of his videos, in which he's certainly affable and good-natured, but more importantly (as far as I'm concerned) he spoke of a relationship he maintains with the smiths in Nepal, who produce the khukuri he sells. He came across as a businessman who genuinely cares about the craftsmen who supply his products. I found that appealing.
My experience has not been a good one though. It started out great, and deteriorated from there. Since all the whys and wherefores are largely open to speculation, I'll just state a few facts and we can all get on with our lives.
I waited for well over two years, only to receive a khukuri that is pretty similar to what I ordered, but not exactly right. A few subtle custom options that make a difference to me, which are not included in the khukuri I was sent. Either way, the khukuri I received is different, in a couple of specific ways, from the version shown on the website. And so I'm left somewhat dissatisfied with the whole thing.
I should state that the quality is a little less than I was expecting, but there's nothing specifically wrong with it either. I mean it's not loose or wobbly, bent or cracked, or otherwise seriously flawed. It's just not exactly what we agreed upon, and the long wait and poor communication from the seller have combined to create a negative experience in purchasing my first khukuri.
Since this forum is in place for this and other reasons, I figured I should share my experience.
Have a great day
I joined this forum for one reason only. I had a specific question, regarding Dragonfly Khukuri and Knives. Mostly I wanted to know if anyone else was experiencing inordinately long wait time, after placing an order with the company.
Turns out a few people had. Mostly it seems as if individual experience with Timothy McLaughlin, and his Blue Dragonfly Trading Post, or Dragonfly Khukuri and Knives business, has been varied. However, some of us seem to believe he's a decent human being with bad luck, and possibly worse business sense. I personally do not believe him to be dishonest, but I still can not recommend purchasing from him either way. It's unfortunate, especially since I went into the transaction with confidence and a genuine fondness for Timothy McLaughlin himself. I had watched a few of his videos, in which he's certainly affable and good-natured, but more importantly (as far as I'm concerned) he spoke of a relationship he maintains with the smiths in Nepal, who produce the khukuri he sells. He came across as a businessman who genuinely cares about the craftsmen who supply his products. I found that appealing.
My experience has not been a good one though. It started out great, and deteriorated from there. Since all the whys and wherefores are largely open to speculation, I'll just state a few facts and we can all get on with our lives.
I waited for well over two years, only to receive a khukuri that is pretty similar to what I ordered, but not exactly right. A few subtle custom options that make a difference to me, which are not included in the khukuri I was sent. Either way, the khukuri I received is different, in a couple of specific ways, from the version shown on the website. And so I'm left somewhat dissatisfied with the whole thing.
I should state that the quality is a little less than I was expecting, but there's nothing specifically wrong with it either. I mean it's not loose or wobbly, bent or cracked, or otherwise seriously flawed. It's just not exactly what we agreed upon, and the long wait and poor communication from the seller have combined to create a negative experience in purchasing my first khukuri.
Since this forum is in place for this and other reasons, I figured I should share my experience.
Have a great day