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Still no knife from Dale Chudzinski

I don't know if postig here just gets him pissed off at you...but I sent him a letter about 3 weeks ago politlely asking when I might expect to see my knives (ordered about a year ago) and included a stamped, self addressed envelope for his reply. Nothing, and no answer to one or two emails sent earlier.
I voluntarily paid him in full at the time of my order, because I have respect for the financial dificulties of craftspeople/small businessmen, and have never been burned (yet).
 
emmacat: I doubt he`ll get pissed at you for posting here.
I`ve been completely honest with Dale about posting here, and infact i`ve told him on more than one occation, that i post here on Bladeforum about him, and he`s replied that that`s totally fine with him. Now, i`d warn against trying to attack him, as that`d rub me the wrong way too.
Just send him emails on <spam>a1961<spam>@<spam>localnet<spam>.com
It`s where i`ve had most luck in contacting him. Ofcourse, i`ve as i said, sent him over 30 emails in total, so that`s what? One per week or something?
So my best advice is not to be worried, and just send him emails.. Send duplicates! When you send one, just send the same message once more.
 
I used to freak out if I was a couple days late with shipping a knife. Sheesh!
 
Arrived!!
I`ll still check on this thread often though, and if i can give advice, or help to try contacting Dale on behalf of anyone, i`ll give it a shot.
Cause he still knows his way around knives, even though he`s.. Well.. I don`t really know what happened in Dale's life to kick things so off track.
So all i can say about Dale, is that his knives are good quality. I just feel it would help his knifemaking if he looked at the way he does things. Like for instance communication through email.
But he`s done me good atleast. (After 35-40 emails, and around 8 months of waiting time. I gave him fair warning about me being a control-freak atleast. :D )
 
marchurdle: Ask and ye shall receive!
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I just have to give my experience with ordering a custom knife. In the last two weeks,I have ordered 11 custom fixed blade knives from various makers.I was told by all that no payment was required or wanted. A couple makers told me pmt makes them uncomfortable because things happen and its easier with no money tied up.This is my experience from 8 makers plus the two custom folders I ordered a couple months ago.Not to sound abbrassive but,why so many people feeling obligated to pay in full? Maybe put a % down or something.Most real good makers are so busy,they have product going out all the time which means money coming in.And,if a small % down is coming in as well.I was reading a thread somewhere here,JD or KF that a person should never,ever pay in full for custom work. Alot can happen in time. I have a knife on order that will take three years.I was told,I do not want money down at all.Just curious,not trying to fan the flames but rather supply some info to people new to customs that may not have ordered yet.

MPE
 
MPE: The reason i want to pay in full, is cause i don`t always have money available. And i`m an impulsive buyer, so suddenly i use the money i`ve put away for something completely different. Ofcourse, in this case, Dale didn`t tell me not to pay, or just pay a small amount. He sent me a paypal invoice, and i paid in full the moment i got it, simply because i had the money.
True, i did think about it for a moment, as he isn`t a dealer, and infact had to make the knife. But i had also read alot of promising reviews of his goods and service, so i was calmed. That is, until i happened on this thread.
But i think that custom makers not wanting payment before they`re done, or maybe just a percentage, is more of an unwritten rule, more than anything else. I do like the rule, but i wish there were more information about this.

Hollowdweller: Yeah, i agree with you on all four counts.
I don`t really understand the need for all the 1/4" to 1/2" prybars, when it`s a cutting tool we`re all obsessed about.
But then, i`m Norwegian, and we generally don`t have the need to use our knife as anything it isn`t designed to do. And nowadays over here, we`re not even allowed to carry any kind of knife in public. (Really, not even a SAK or Leatherman we`re allowed to carry, unless we can explain the carrying with work-related usage.)
I wish i could strap this baby on though, and carry it proudly.
Hmmm... I think i trailed off topic there. Sorry about that.

In short: (Which is a bit too late, but.. Well..)
I love the thin blade, and the edge was convexed to perfection. I must admit that it was slightly blunted towards the tip, but nothing i didn`t fix in 5 minutes with a DMT diamond hone.
The handle is just perfect! I thought, the moment i got it out of the package, that it looked kinda big. But it fills the hand just right.
And again, yeah. I never understood the whole choil thingy, nor the reason for stopping the edge sometimes a full inch from the handle. This is the way a knife is meant to look. It`s simple, and i like it.

(And i`ll stop here, before i get hunted down by the typing association for violating my keyboard.)
 
I have contacted Dale to make me a Antler Nessmuk back in Feb 2005. At that time he told me the wait would be approx 4 weeks. I said no problem and please go ahead and make it. We agreed that I would pay in full as soon as it is ready to ship. 6 wks go by Nada... a few months go by Nada... close to a year goes by and still Nothing..... But I must admit that there was very little communication from my end during this time.

1 year (Feb 2006) goes by and Dale finally emails me telling me that he had problem with his computer and that he lost all of my emails, contact info, etc.... until my recent email. He tells me sorry and that the knife is done and all he has to do is make a sheath for it. So I send him payment in full at this point to hold up my end of the bargain.

Now it is nearly Feb 2007 and I still didn't get my knife. I am not sure if Dale reads this forum or not.... But if you are reading this... Please either send me the knife or my money back. Whichever is more convenient for you.

I just hope this doesn't turn into a Ed Schott experience.
 
Ban said:
I have contacted Dale to make me a Antler Nessmuk back in Feb 2005. At that time he told me the wait would be approx 4 weeks. I said no problem and please go ahead and make it. We agreed that I would pay in full as soon as it is ready to ship. 6 wks go by Nada... a few months go by Nada... close to a year goes by and still Nothing..... But I must admit that there was very little communication from my end during this time.

1 year (Feb 2006) goes by and Dale finally emails me telling me that he had problem with his computer and that he lost all of my emails, contact info, etc.... until my recent email. He tells me sorry and that the knife is done and all he has to do is make a sheath for it. So I send him payment in full at this point to hold up my end of the bargain.

Now it is nearly Feb 2007 and I still didn't get my knife. I am not sure if Dale reads this forum or not.... But if you are reading this... Please either send me the knife or my money back. Whichever is more convenient for you.

I just hope this doesn't turn into a Ed Schott experience.
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound good at all.:(
 
It's quite disturbing to see how many one to two month delivery dates have turned into one to two years, or more. Also, there is no excuse for telling someone their knife is ready, send the money, and then not delivering the knife. That's the kind of thing Allan Blade does.
 
Ban: As hollowdweller said, that doesn`t sound good at all. But you should just keep sending him emails. He has supposedly had some computer problems, but you can also try to reach him on this email addy: chudzmail@gmail.com Which isn`t tied to any specific computer.
Dale is a hard man to contact through email, and i have the notion that he seems to leave his house for extended periods. Still, that doesn`t excuse it.
I`m sad to see that it wasn`t just a one-time thing. Hopefully though, he can get it together and either refund you, or send you a knife.
But if you want to have a chance, either way, i`d say that your best bet was to email him until he answers. Weekly, or maybe even daily.
 
aarya,

I understand completely and am not blaming you at all. This is a bad situation and I feel bad for you and the others as well.I am impulsive as well and spend money like crazy.I am taking the money that I owe for knives 6 months out or more and tying it up so its harder to get,but still available.I hope the deterance and the out of site,out of mind will work.I would like to list a few makers I ordered from for you and others as well for future ordering.

Ingram Knives
Ohare Knives
TwinXBlades
Graham Knives
ChaxKnives
Michael Lovett
Koster Knives
Brian Goode

MPE
 
aarya,

I will try to contact him at the other email and see what happens. Has anyone tried to contact him by phone?

Ban
 
I've called at least a hundred times, and emailed a lot more than that. I still don't have a knife or my $158.00. I have filed a complaint with the New York State Attorney General's Office. I'm thinking about taking further legal action. I will talk to my lawyer this week.

If you've been ripped off, please file a complaint with the NYSOAG

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/complaints/complaints.html
 
You know I have read this whole thread. This guy Dale, sounds like he's on drugs. And its beyond my comprehension why some of you still buy knives from this guy? Pay in full no less! With all the other choices and more honest knife makers out there... WHY?
 
Mark Lewis: Really?? Ouch.. Well, i really think that it would be easier to look after customers in his own country, and yet he`s continually not replied to you.
Yet he`s continued to reply to atleast some of my emails... Hmmmm...

I`m sorry to say this, but i think it might be time for Dale to feel the weight of the hammer on his neck. (Not literally, but figuratively.)
He can`t continue to do this.
I got an answer on the 1st of February, to an email i sent him on the 30th of January, where i told him that the knife had arrived.
I also sent him an email on the 31st of January, which explained to him the situation of one Mark Lewis. Would that be the same as this Mark Lewis?
Well, i haven`t received a reply to that email yet.

So... As WTF thinks, i wonder if there isn`t something.... Well... There is something weird going on.
If i receive an email that needs my attention and reply, i reply to it immediately. And i definately don`t go around choosing which emails i reply to or not.
I had high hopes for Dale to mend this situation, but it seems to become increasingly difficult for him, since he`s not delivering the promised goods.

I would cut him slack, if he told the truth. But all i`ve been told so far, is that he`s away on family business. And, while it`s fully understandable for a week or two... Maybe even three... It gets tiring after 6 months. And if he`d just say that he couldn`t finish my knife, and just refund my money.. Well.. I think we`d all be alot happier. Instead of continually being led on a wild goose chase... For a non-existant goose.
 
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