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Still no knife from Dale Chudzinski

V

vashooter

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Mar 2, 2006
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Well, it has been almost a month since Dale promised me, again, that he would finish my knife.

Needless to say, I don't have my knife.

Has anybody received a knife from him recently?

Sure would like to have my knife.
 
I am really surprised when I read this and the previous thread. Dale has always had a stellar reputation. Sorry to see that you are having this problem.
 
vashooter said:
Has anybody received a knife from him recently?
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Nope, not me. I'm still waiting for the two that I paid him for in September of 2004!
 
bobert said:
Nope, not me. I'm still waiting for the two that I paid him for in September of 2004!
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Wow, paid up for a year and a half. I would love to know what kind of reason the maker has for that kind of a delay. Have you heard from Dale?
 
Yup, I heard from when him back in December when I posted in Old Hippie's complaint thread. He told me not to worry, he would "make it right". A few weeks before this, he told some else that if they ordered a knife, the delivery time would be five weeks. Here it is three and a half months later and I still don't have my knives.

Heard from him again a few weeks ago. He said he just wanted to let me know that he has full intentions on doing his part on our deal. Good to know. Although, at this point it is doubtful that he can actually honor his part of our deal.

I say it's doubtful, because when I ordered my knives, I paid extra for a special piece of wood that was big enough to make both knife handles. Last year in October, I sent him an email asking him if he still had the wood. He didn't answer. When I posted in the other complaint thread, Dale replied to my email asking about the wood. The question is quoted right in his reply, but again, he doesn't answer it. Just more of the same old "I'm sorry, don't worry, you'll get your knives".

That, coupled with the fact that several people who ordered knives after me, have got theirs, and I don't have anything but a bunch of "I'm sorry" emails, is what bugs me about the whole deal.

When I finally do get them, I'll be lucky if I can pick one of them up without having negative thoughts about it.
 
There is something that happens that I have a hard time understanding. Why do knives sometimes get delivered to some customers before other customers that ordered and paid for their knives long before? If I paid for a knife, was told that something had happened and my knife would be delayed and then I saw others that ordered after me getting their knives before me, I would be very upset. I would demand a refund and to heck with how much I wanted the knife. That knife would always leave a bad taste in my mouth, so I wouldn't want it anyway.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
Why do knives sometimes get delivered to some customers before other customers that ordered and paid for their knives long before?
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Most knifemakers make knives in batches. That's the only practical way to do it. If you made knives one at a time from raw materials to finished knife before starting on the next knife, that would be so inefficient production would be a great deal slower -- and you would spend a lot of time twiddling your thumbs waiting for the current knife to get back from heat treatment. Each batch has to be the same design, or at least similar, so orders have to wait until there are enough orders for a particular design to make a reasonable size batch.

Whether a knifemaker should accept payment for a knife before it's finished is another question.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
I would demand a refund and to heck with how much I wanted the knife. That knife would always leave a bad taste in my mouth, so I wouldn't want it anyway.
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I'm on the fence here. I totally understand about the bad taste thing and it's a concern of mine also, as this has become a thorn in my side. However, at this point in the deal, I think it would leave a worse taste in my mouth to get a refund. It'd be like saying "Thanks for all the empty promises, let me give you a nice interest free loan for your trouble".

I did send him an email at the end of last summer telling him that if he wasn't able to make my knives, give me a refund, no hard feelings.
He replied assuring me that he would make them ASAP.

Dale and I made a deal, I honored my end of it, he didn't. I want what's owed to me, and I don't think that's asking too much.
 
Cougar Allen said:
Most knifemakers make knives in batches. That's the only practical way to do it. If you made knives one at a time from raw materials to finished knife before starting on the next knife, that would be so inefficient production would be a great deal slower -- and you would spend a lot of time twiddling your thumbs waiting for the current knife to get back from heat treatment. Each batch has to be the same design, or at least similar, so orders have to wait until there are enough orders for a particular design to make a reasonable size batch.

Whether a knifemaker should accept payment for a knife before it's finished is another question.
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Well, that still doesn't explain how people who ordered their knife a year after I did, got theirs before me.

Also, are you familiar with Dale and his knives? I'm not trying to be a smartass or anything, the reason I ask is because that is not my understanding of how Dale operates. I believe he makes them to order in a small coal fired forge. I could be wrong about this, though. It's been so long my memory ain't what it used to be. :D
 
this may be old hat to most but i'll say it anyway:

"never pay up front for a custom knife, other than a small portion (maybe 10% or so) if special materials are needed, or its some kind of weird 1 off custom design that he'd never be able to sell except to you." never pay 100%, never.

most, if not all legit smiths do not require a deposit anyway.

dale does have a good rep AFAIK, hope it works out ok for ya.
 
SIFU1A said:
"never pay up front for a custom knife, other than a small portion (maybe 10% or so) if special materials are needed, or its some kind of weird 1 off custom design that he'd never be able to sell except to you." never pay 100%, never.

most, if not all legit smiths do not require a deposit anyway.

dale does have a good rep AFAIK, hope it works out ok for ya.
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You know, I hear people say that all the time, and I suppose they're right, but I just don't live my life like that. I ordered the knives, he wanted to be paid in full, and I trusted him enough to pay him. I know a few people that know him and speak highly off him, so paying upfront is no biggie to me. I still have never once had any worries about him ripping me off or anything like that. Life happens, and for whatever reason, I got stuck in the back corner with a few others.

I got an email from Dale today. He says he will have my knives finished and in my hands within a week.
 
I hope my post above can be understood as only answering the question I was answering, and not intended to have any bearing on any question other than why knifemakers often do not fill orders in the sequence received.

If that answer is still not clear ...

If you order a style of knife that is not in great demand, you may find that the knifemaker completes several batches of other styles before he accumulates enough orders for that style to do a batch. Just about all knifemakers work that way, so they very commonly don't fill orders in the sequence received, and that in itself is not an indication of dishonesty or malice toward the customers whose orders are delayed.

That doesn't necessarily have much bearing on the topic of this thread. I answered that question here only because it was asked here.
 
My bad, I did think you were speaking about this instance, and I see now you weren't. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
 
Does anybody want to buy the knife I got from Dale? It's a mini-Nessmuk and I have a bad feeling whenever I look at it. It is just as I received it, hasn't been sharpened or anything.......125 dollars postal money order gets it to the first person.
Thanks,
Oldhippy
 
Hey, I was wondering if you ever got your knife. You should have at least posted in your thread that he did finally send you the knife.

I see you have that bad taste in your mouth that Keith was talking about. I look forward to a similar fate. Good luck with your sale.
 
Sorry about that... I thought I left that info about him "going to" send the knife when I last left a msg on here a couple of months ago. Anyway... He did send me a knife and it's for sale. When you get yours, let me know what you think of it & the sheath. Maybe I was just expecting too much....
Oldhippy
 
bobert said:
You know, I hear people say that all the time, and I suppose they're right, but I just don't live my life like that. I ordered the knives, he wanted to be paid in full, and I trusted him enough to pay him. I know a few people that know him and speak highly off him, so paying upfront is no biggie to me. I still have never once had any worries about him ripping me off or anything like that. Life happens, and for whatever reason, I got stuck in the back corner with a few others.

I got an email from Dale today. He says he will have my knives finished and in my hands within a week.
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imho sometimes not paying up front is in the best interest of the smith, it seems like when they start doing that it leads to problems........
 
I'm going to give another answer to my own question. Another reason that makers will send out knives to some people that have ordered well after some that have not gotten their knives is that it is a repeat customer. People that have ordered a few knives from a maker will usually get preferential treatment. Again, this shouldn't have anything to do with bobert's situation.
 
You know, this thread bothers me no end.
Bobert is a long time cyber friend.
I have done a lot of work for him and he is one of the best friends/customers I could ever wish to have - honest, friendly and truely a man of his word.

I have known Dale for quite a while as well, although we do not make regular contact anymore.
A couple of years ago I invited Dale to share my forum at Knifeforums, because he was a straight shooter and a nice person.
After a few months this arraingement was terminated.
Sometimes he got behind with his knife making due to ill health within his extended family, but every time he came up good in the end - usually the delay was not too long - a month or so.

These unresolved issues saddens me, as I never doubted his honesty and good intentions.
I can only hope he honors his commitments - especially where people who met him on my frorum, are involved.
Dirk
 
I am glad bobert has received an email promising his knife within a week.

I have received no such email - nor do I want one.

I just want my knife.
 
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