UPDATE - Please read if waiting for work from me!

Hi folks,
As most of you know I've been working myself out of a VERY deep hole for a VERY long time. Many of you know this because you too have been in this hole with me, you've been waiting on either Martell knives or rehandles for a VERY long time yourselves. In fact there are some of you who have been waiting for nearly 3 yrs for a Martell knife/knives! I'm blown away by the patience (most of) you've shown me, allowing me to play catch up by selling knives and doing rehandle work all while you've been waiting on the side lines, this is simply incredible to me. I want you to understand this - I've NEVER forgot about you or pushed you aside easily, I made crappy decisions when I had to and they've always worn hard on me and this is all going to come to an end for you shortly, as I will be catching up here in the foreseeable future.

Currently, I still have a lot of rehandles in the shop to do, most are multiples for individuals. I believe that I've got all of the singles finished. Most of you folks who have multiples have recently received an email or PM from me so you know that your time is coming soon. For the rest of you who have not heard from me recently please hang on a bit longer while I push forward.

For Martell knife customers, I'm going to finish up a few knives that I have in the works at the moment and then I'm going back to the beginning of my list and making all of the knives owed (those paid for, be it partial or full payment) BEFORE I make any others. These knives will be made as close to possible in the order to which the original dates of payment were made.

While all this is going on I will continue to accept sharpening/repair work but I will not take on any new rehandle work, major projects, or make Martell knives for sale. It is of paramount importance to me to clear my books and make good to all who are owed before doing anything else.

I'm VERY sorry to everyone who has put up with my mess for so long. I hope that I can gain some trust back from you through fulfilling those orders that are way overdue.

I promise to be talking to you all soon. Please stick with me for just a bit longer.

Dave

 

Dave, your rehandle work is always worth the wait.

 

Update>

So far since posting this thread, I'm at 3 Martell knives done and another 1.5 (almost complete) from the front of the list (old orders).

I've also managed to do a crap load of western rehandles, repair & sharpening work, and a couple of Stefan handle installs too.

From here I've still got a lot to do though to get things correct. Many of you have already heard from me and know that I'm moving towards your turn but for those who still have knives here in the shop waiting please continue to know that I haven't forgot you and promise to get to your stuff ASAP.

I truly appreciate the patience that you've all given me.

Dave

 

Still plugging away folks. This past week and a half I've been working on petties, petties, and more petties plus some rehandle and refinishing work too. The Martell knife list of pre-paids and a significant number of rehandles that were waiting here have been done but so much more still to go.

The next round I plan on doing will be some Martell gyutos that were newer orders that I started on months ago that I need to get done plus "The Week of Tanner" (tons of rehandles....might be 2 Weeks of Tanner) is fast approaching too.

I'll keep you all updated as we go.

Dave

 

Stay sharp, Dave!

 

I'm in the middle of two Martell knives and 7 rehandles currently, 6 of those are for one customer!

 

Nice work Dave, keep it going.

 

So it's been awhile since I update this update thread.....

What's new with me and my progress? Nothing

I'm still behind and still digging my self out. Yes I'm always making progress but this progress is so slow that it feels like I'm going backwards, well sometimes I am actually, but that's the game I guess.

After losing stone sales, having some health issues, and some other hard times I've found myself in a situation of being greatly over extended. After a couple of years with this problem getting worse and worse I made a commitment to not accept any more pre-paid work in the form of taking deposits on knives (and this hurt) yet I did continue to sell rehandle coupons which obviously added to the problem = stupid. I eventually stopped this as well and this too hurt.

I've allowed myself to slip into a financial nightmare where I owe pre-paid for work while also needing to continue to make knives to sell to keep the doors open. The only cash flow I receive currently is from knife sales and sharpening work. Knife sales have been slow lately but fortunately sharpening work continues to roll in most days.

I've done my very best to cut expenses in my life but we don't do anything much as it was so there was little to cut but non-the-less my family does without as much as possible and we live meagerly. I have no running car currently without a loaner from my recently deceased mother-in-law. I spend money on shop supplies/consumables only as needed (mostly going without quality belts/etc) to keep rolling and I never upgrade equipment any more - not in years, can't even keep some things running sometimes. In all truthfulness it is a miracle that I'm still in business but persistence helps.


The nuts and bolts...

Currently I'm grinding knives to sell to be able to keep the doors open and the lights on. In between this work I'll be starting on the next wave of rehandles for a customer who has had his knives here on the shelves for at least a year now. It may take me another month or so to get these rehandles done and then I move on from there but I can never stop making knives, nor stop the sharpening, to keep the doors open.

If you have knives here for rehandle, or want to send in knives for rehandle (since you own coupons) please know clearly that what I'm saying here is that I have absolutely no idea when I'll be able to do this work. No matter how often you ask I will not be able to tell you when I will be doing your knives. All I can say is that they will be done as soon as I can do them and that each and every one of them weighs on me like 10 anvils on my forehead. I can't think of anything else - I want to do them, I live to do them, I want you to be happy and to have your knives back, and I hate this situation as much as you do and I promise to keep working to get us out of this mess.

I am 100% committed to working this problem out but I realize that this is only words to my customers who wait for work from me, however, if you are in this situation with me I'm asking, no - begging, for you to please allow me to work through this and make good with you.

This is me being as honest and upfront as I can be with you all, out in public for the whole world to see, and I would offer more if only I only could.

Dave