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Bad Koster's Kickstarter project

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For those of you that are curious, Koster's Kickstarter project has progressed to a new level. It seems that he has run out of excuses. Now he makes vague statements about where we are in the process, only, there isn't any progress. I have stated before, it is like watching a train wreck. Fell free to add your "I told you so" comments. I deserve them.
 
For those of you that are curious, Koster's Kickstarter project has progressed to a new level. It seems that he has run out of excuses. Now he makes vague statements about where we are in the process, only, there isn't any progress. I have stated before, it is like watching a train wreck. Fell free to add your "I told you so" comments. I deserve them.

No one deserves to be screwed over by that lying crap sack Dan Koster. I had to go check out the kickstarter page again (I promise it isn't because of a raging case of schadenfreude) and when I read his comment, "every one on this list *will* get their folder. I’m have never taken anyone’s money and canceled their order." I nearly choked on my coffee. He is probably telling the truth, though; he never canceled those orders placed and paid for years ago, he just never delivered the ordered knives and kept the money. Kind of like what he's done to the people who backed his kickstarter. Bravo to you for suggesting other Kickstarter backers come to GB&U to post about this train wreck.

Almost a year ago I posted that the Kickstarter backers that hadn't bailed on Koster yet had to be some of the most patient and optimistic people ever. I think the optimism has pretty much died off now, along with the patience. I'm sorry you all were taken by this fraud and I thank you for keeping us updated. I hope you get your knives, but I highly doubt that you will. Dan Koster could use a good swift kick in his fraudulent keister.

"Shouldn’t it be possible to make a practical, comfortable folding knife that could stand up to bushcraft and survival use?" Not in this lifetime if Dan Koster is tasked with making it.
 
How long has this Koster debacle been going on? Seems like years.

I can't remember the last time I made up an excuse to not fulfill a commitment, work or otherwise. Some makers want to compare knifemaking to turning water into wine... "IT'S A MIRACLE!" It's no harder than thousands of jobs. Mr Koster, stop making excuses, fulfill your orders, and start acting line a man.

It's just like any other craft but yet some of these jackholes make it out to be the hardest job in the world: "Muh supply problems," "Muh back hurts," "Muh meth addiction is acting up," "Muh wife is sleeping with my best friend," "Muh daughter is sleeping with my best friend."

I've heard so many excuses over the years from many makers, but the excuses from Koster are now legendary... but it all boils down to the same thing: integrity, or a lack thereof.

Koster is just another in a long line of cons who claim to be a knifemaker. Good grief, it never ends.
 
Dan has been doing this for years. Even before the Kickstart debacle, Dan had a huge list of open orders that were years past the promised delivery date. That was part of what made the Kickstarter so problematic from the beginning.

Dan figured out long ago that most people will just give up and walk away quietly if you ignore them long enough, and there are numerous people that have given Dan money and never gotten knives. The few that are very vocal with their complaints get some money back, but it usually takes a public threat of legal action to get a refund out of Dan.

Dan always has an excuse. However, his personal social media shows that he always has time to take trips and participate in various activities...

At this point my advice is to post on his Kickstarter daily and demand a refund. Threaten legal action. Hold the Dan accountable and don't let him get away with this BS again.
 
At this point my advice is to post on his Kickstarter daily and demand a refund. Threaten legal action. Hold the Dan accountable and don't let him get away with this BS again.
....... this is great advice. How such people thrive is that they ALWAYS make people who contact them feel like "the one" who he/she/they is going to deliver for, they also often do fire out a product to some of the vocal ones as once they are placated and stop honking then others too start to think it will be OK. Survive? have used a similar ploy to stave off the hordes for years now. Trickle out enough blades and lots of pics of "work in progress" and many will just keep living in hope their lottery ticket is the next one to win. This, along with a few vocal cheerleaders, keeps the majority at bay and the scam in play. I am lucky that I have never been caught up in such games (as a customer) but have, trough a presence on various US based forums, seen it play out time and time again in relation to knives, guns and several different types of custom gear.
 
Hello all,

I would like to bring some fresh info about Daniel Koster and his knives.

1) Bushcraft model (fixed blade)

I ordered a Bushcraft model (fixed blade) in June 2014. I paid a deposit at this time. The turnaround time was announced to be 6-12 months on average.
I was contacted by Mr Koster in April 2019 and he informed me my knife was completed. I paid the remainder and received the knife in May 2019.
Total wait time : 59 months instead of 6-12 months.
I'm really happy with this knife. It's very ergonomic and well built.

2) Bushcraft folder model (Kickstarter)

In november 2016 I backed the Kickstarter campaign for a Bushcraft folder model. I paid full price upfront (yeah I know...)
The delivery time was announced for June 2017...but alas there was no delivery at this time.
The two first knives were only delivered to the first backer in the list (he ordered 2 knives) in December 2018.
There was a lot of complaints from backers in the Kickstarter page (and I was very vocal in my complaints). See the thread here.
The multiple excuses from Mr Koster were not really convincing to say the least.

I was second in the list of backers so that gave me hope I had a chance to really receive a knife at the end.
And finally my knife was announced to be ready in September 2019 and I received it the first of October.
Total wait time : 35 months instead of 7 months.
And I was only the second in a list of more than 50 backers so the end of the agony is not in sight for them.

I think the Bushcraft folder is cool and it keep the excellent ergo of the fixed blade. But there is lock stick (I hope it will improve with time). The real problem is the fact that there is almost no detent (see the 1080p Youtube video below). For me it's not really a deal breaker because there is no clip on this knife and it's carried in a pouch so no risk to open it accidentally. But it's nevertheless a shame to have this ultra-weak detent.

3) Pictures :

Bushcraft fixed blade :

MudOlrL.jpg


dkQprvT.jpg


Bushcraft fixed blade and Bushcraft folder :

90fz8KN.jpg


0fVMR4J.jpg


Video of the folder :


4) Conclusion

Would I recommend Daniel Koster as a custom knife maker?
No, because the wait time is insane.
No, because at the beginning of the Kickstarter campaign he never explained he was only only a part time maker.
No, because the multiple excuses he provided during the Kickstarter wait time makes no sense for me and it was VERY frustrating to see no progress on the build during months and months.

But at least I can say Mr Koster eventually delivered the two knives I ordered from him.
 
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But you are second on the list?

God help the guy that is 98th.

No thanks.

I tried to get on the folding Bushcrafter list years ago, and when he couldn’t seem to add me to the list I walked away thinking he was not a good risk. Too many legitimate and ethical makers to bother with this knife maker.
 
I'm glad you got your knives and that Koster seems to be trying to fulfill his obligations to his Kickstarter backers. If I was last in line, though, I wouldn't hold my breath...
 
Hello all,

I would like to bring some fresh info about Daniel Koster and his knives.

1) Bushcraft model (fixed blade)

I ordered a Bushcraft model (fixed blade) in June 2014. I paid a deposit at this time. The turnaround time was announced to be 6-12 months on average.
I was contacted by Mr Koster in April 2019 and he informed me my knife was completed. I paid the remainder and received the knife in May 2019.
Total wait time : 59 months instead of 6-12 months.
I'm really happy with this knife. It's very ergonomic and well built.

2) Bushcraft folder model (Kickstarter)

In november 2016 I backed the Kickstarter campaign for a Bushcraft folder model. I paid full price upfront (yeah I know...)
The delivery time was announced for June 2017...but alas there was no delivery at this time.
The two first knives were only delivered to the first backer in the list (he ordered 2 knives) in December 2018.
There was a lot of complaints from backers in the Kickstarter page (and I was very vocal in my complaints). See the thread here.
The multiple excuses from Mr Koster were not really convincing to say the least.

I was second in the list of backers so that gave me hope I had a chance to really receive a knife at the end.
And finally my knife was announced to be ready in September 2019 and I received it the first of October.
Total wait time : 35 months instead of 7 months.
And I was only the second in a list of more than 50 backers so the end of the agony is not in sight for them.

I think the Bushcraft folder is cool and it keep the excellent ergo of the fixed blade. But there is lock stick (I hope it will improve with time). The real problem is the fact that there is almost no detent (see the 1080p Youtube video below). For me it's not really a deal breaker because there is no clip on this knife and it's carried in a pouch so no risk to open it accidentally. But it's nevertheless a shame to have this ultra-weak detent.

3) Pictures :

Bushcraft fixed blade :

MudOlrL.jpg


dkQprvT.jpg


Bushcraft fixed blade and Bushcraft folder :

90fz8KN.jpg


0fVMR4J.jpg


Video of the folder :


4) Conclusion

Would I recommend Daniel Koster as a custom knife maker?
No, because the wait time is insane.
No, because at the beginning of the Kickstarter campaign he never explained he was only only a part time maker.
No, because the multiple excuses he provided during the Kickstarter wait time makes no sense for me and it was VERY frustrating to see no progress on the build during months and months.

But at least I can say Mr Koster eventually delivered the two knives I ordered from him.

I am really happy you got your knife. I would not be happy about that detent, especially after 35 months. Koster is truly a POS.
 
Wait, I'm sorry, THAT'S what people are waiting for!? Those basic af bushcraft knife patterns?! There are literally a ton of makers right here in the Maker's section who would bang one of those out for you in the steel of your choice and almost certainly for less than you paid this Dan Koster scumbag, AND it'll arrive right away. Hell, that's not even a special pattern! Also, TOPS called and said to say hello, because their folding BOB said "Cute knife" to that sad no-detent nonsense.

Wow. It would be infuriating to give that scam-artist money, only to be waiting for years for a knife that's such a basic elemental design that you'll see that exact knife being churned out by reputable folks like...well, it'd take me too long to list. It's a big list.
 
I got fed up with his excuses long ago after waiting for a bushcrafter that was supposed to be ready to ship next week, to moths later it arrived. I got drawn back into his shenanigans when I won his raffle for his new logo, it was supposed to be ready at the end of the contest, received two years later and after a number of emails. His work is not worth the headaches, sure am glad that I was looking back then for another maker that I found @Nathan the Machinist, his work is very reasonably priced and of higher quality then anything Dan has turned out.
 
So it took close to a year between the first backer receiving his knives until you’ve gotten yours? That’s insane. Those don’t look like knives that should 10 months to make. I sincerely pity the rest of the backers, at this rate the 50th backer will be waiting 50 years for their knives.
 
"My knives sell quickly and are in high demand not only because my pricing is lower than knives of equivalent quality and materials, but also because I am much more efficient with my process"

So efficient that it takes over two years to make two knives that somebody with a grinder and a Jantz catalog can make on a Sunday afternoon! Amazing!

Okay,maybe not. But that is literally a year a knife. For those.
 
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Wow. It would be infuriating to give that scam-artist money, only to be waiting for years for a knife that's such a basic elemental design that you'll see that exact knife being churned out by reputable folks like...well, it'd take me too long to list. It's a big list.

Honest question : Do you know any other 3V scandi grind folder?
 
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