D. Martell UPDATE - Please read if waiting for work from me - Part II

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Dave Martell

Dave Martell

Forum Founder
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Feb 27, 2011
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Location
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Hello everyone, I have some things to share with you...

First is that I've been offered some help, from a very kind member of this community, that will greatly assist me in speeding up the process of knife making.

As a result, I’m in the process of acquiring a new 2x72” belt grinder which will be a HUGE upgrade to the very limited 2x48” grinder I currently use.

I’ll explain what this means…



The Plan

As many of you are aware I have a backlog of pre-paid for Martell knives and an always growing stack of pre-paid for re-handle coupon work that constantly comes into the shop. I have a hard time fulfilling these pre-paid orders on a timely basis because I need to also make knives for sale to keep the lights on. This is a vicious cycle, that unfortunately, (out of necessity) currently favors the “for sale” work - This needs to change.

The plan is that once I can begin using this new equipment effectively I’ll divide my time between the making of pre-paid knives/pre-paid re-handle work (fulfilling of outstanding orders) with the making of knives/handles (for interim income generation), as I have been doing, BUT with a shift towards a ratio that favors the pre-paid for work. This being possible with the increase in speed offered by the new grinder.

The ultimate goal here is to catch up on the pre-paid backorders at a faster rate than previously possible and to reduce the current effects of the new work that is "cutting in line".




Moving Forward

The new grinder will not be in place until the mid-end of December so no significant change will be seen until the beginning of the New Year.

In the meantime, I’m going to make a few changes in the process that I believe will help (at least) the pre-paid re-handle customers. I'm going to try again to co-ordinate incoming work to alleviate the amount of time that you have to be without your knives and to hopefully reduce your need for, and my anxiety to provide, constant updates. I’ll post more as soon as I can.


To everyone waiting on me, thanks for your patience.

Regards,
Dave
 
Great work Dave, glad that you are heading to the right direction and moving forward!
 
/de-lurk

Allo-

As a quiet member (ok, lurker), I did get 'caught up' in this.

Did things go horribly wrong? No. Dave made good.
Did things go as I expected? Nope, product was delivered late (depending on how you count 4mo).
Do I understand things go squirrely in life? Sure.

So I'm here to vouch for Dave and his effort to get straight.

BUT I will scold him AGGRESSIVELY for allowing me to have incorrect expectations. (It's not really important if it was a mistake, miscommunication, overly optimistic ability to magically get back on track, etc...)

How was the process and communication? Like I said to Dave, it certainly wasn't perfect. Was I disappointed, yup, but I wasn't harmed. We made it back to even. But it did take a bit of 'wow' outta the experience of some great knives.

A great product, a decent guy, it's unfortunate to see the stumbles. I'm here to support and say even when things went 'not perfect' we still got to the end-zone.

WL
\re-lurk
 
As someone that is waiting for work from you Dave, all I can say is you have my full support and confidence. I know it's never easy to work yourself out of a hole, especially with constant scrutiny. As customers I believe we need to take a level of responsibility as well (not pointing fingers). If you have unrealistic expectations from a maker you are only going to be creating more tension. That being said, I am not I'm line for a rehandle (and I can see the frusturating aspect of being without a knife).

So at least for me Dave, if you need to focus on other things to keep the lights on, and to make a better creative environment for yourself... feel free to put me at the back of the line.
I figure it's a bit like cooking, you make your best dish when you are happy and focused.

Sorry about all that, felt like I needed to speak my mind

-Kevin
 
I sure do have some great customers/friends here at KKF, I'm very lucky in that regard.

Thanks :)
 
Current doings....

I'm working on multiple Martell knives from my pre-paid list, a few petties and a suji. The suji is actually not a pre-pay, it's a contest won knife from 2012 (!!!), that I'm finally getting to. I feel ashamed for making this guy wait so long. Ugh

I also had a couple of Christmas gift knives, one completed, the other in work.

Lots of sharpening keeps rolling in Nov-Dec this year. I'm happy and very grateful, to have this work but it slows down the knife making.

I plan to attack rehandles next month....and rehandles I've got a lot of here in the shop waiting. I'll do first in - first out. I'll contact those who have knives here when I get started on their knives so as to discuss details.

I'm also starting up a new website for Martell Knives. It'll be mostly informative at the start but I hope to eventually have knives for sale there. Might also re-do my sharpening websites while I'm at it....but as always time is an issue...

Thanks for your time,
Dave
 
For those looking to send in work...


The days of tackling work as it comes have long passed and I need to get more organized, so, I'm shopping for a scheduling/planner type program.

My plans for this planner are to be able to plug in work on a scheduled basis, to be able to communicate better with customers in scheduling their work, to know what I need to do and when it needs being done, stop the guesswork, and to basically become more responsible in fulfilling obligations.

I'll update this thread when I have more to share.

Dave
 
OK, I've wasted sooooo much time on the search for a program to help me keep track of my schedule, etc...I'm going to just buy a stupid book and do it the old fashioned way which is probably what I should have just done in the first place. :slaphead:
 
Or just use excel... if you are lucky a quick google search may give you an already done template....

Otherwise totally agree. Sometimes you can't beat an old fashioned book and pencil
 
UPDATE>

It's become very clear to me that no matter how hard I work that I will not get out of this mess I'm in anytime soon.

What I'm up against:

1. Rehandles that have been stacking up for 1.5 yrs and still coming.

2. Early paid for Martell Knives are still outstanding and need to be built....plus some from the last few months.

3. I have to make new knives, do sharpening as it comes, and take in repair work just to keep the lights on. This is no exaggeration either, "barely scraping by" is the saying that comes to mind here.


#3 takes so much time each month that I never have any extra time to deal with #1 & #2. I'm able currently, at best, to do one extra pre-paid for job each month. At this rate it'll take any 2-3 yrs to do just what I have here now!

I have customers asking when they can send in their knives for rehandling (claiming a rehandle coupon) and I have no idea what to tell them, I certainly can't say send it in in 2 yrs or I'll contact you in 2 yrs...ugh.

And it sure doesn't help that I've had to lower my knife prices down by 30% of what I was charging not so long ago. The pricing thing is a direct result of me having to sell X amount each month to cover bills and not being able to wait for a buyer. I'm sure it doesn't help that there are now 200 extra kitchen knifemakers in the custom market but I have no idea if that has directly effected me or not.

So I'm at the point that I don't know what to do besides just keep on doing it, I have no options.

I hope that this doesn't upset my customers too much but I feel the need to share this with you.
 
Dave, while it may upset some customers, the fact that you are communicating is a huge plus. Keep chipping away at it.
 
Dave,
I understand your situation, and as always respect your work and understand it takes time and effort.
That being said I have had some stuff kicking around for a while, possibly years, that I have been meaning to send you. I have possibly even asked this before, but would you prefer me send it off to you and have it collect dust and wait in line or wait until demand dies down and space frees up?
 
KCMande said:
Dave,
I understand your situation, and as always respect your work and understand it takes time and effort.
That being said I have had some stuff kicking around for a while, possibly years, that I have been meaning to send you. I have possibly even asked this before, but would you prefer me send it off to you and have it collect dust and wait in line or wait until demand dies down and space frees up?
Click to expand...

I'll shoot you a PM
 
I truly can't belive the community is still supporting you! This is just an absurd situation. I know people have hard times in life and in their businesses but come on this is too much. I'm not for going against someone or throwing anyone to the dogs but if someone can't get their **** together they need to find a way and get **** done, or admit his mistakes take the heat and blame and move on. And not to carry it with him and with his customers for years. Yes this is a community and yes this post will get deleted and I might get a ban or a warning but come on mods and members get your heads out of wherever they're stuck in and see the truth with clear eyes, if I was you I'd take the hit close the business and move on to another profession or atleast stop trying to run the businesses books and hire someone who can do it. If this was a real business it would have been bankrupt and in courts a very long time ago, and I'm not saying that that's what I or any of my friends would like to see happen but in my opinion we as a community can't keep on supporting this. This is just my opinion feel free to delete it or comment on it and good luck to you Dave Martell I truly mean it [emoji16].
 
Kingkor said:
I truly can't belive the community is still supporting you! This is just an absurd situation. I know people have hard times in life and in their businesses but come on this is too much.
Click to expand...

This is hard for me to believe too. I can only attribute it to the level of quality people we have here.




Kingkor said:
I'm not for going against someone or throwing anyone to the dogs but if someone can't get their **** together they need to find a way and get **** done, or admit his mistakes take the heat and blame and move on. And not to carry it with him and with his customers for years.
Click to expand...

I truly am admitting all my mistakes yet I've left out many additional contributing factors as I feel most people don't want/need excuses. I promise that I've done my level best to take the heat by admitting my mistakes in public for all to see. It's of course very unfortunate that I have customers entangled in this mess with me.




Kingkor said:
Yes this is a community and yes this post will get deleted and I might get a ban or a warning but come on mods and members get your heads out of wherever they're stuck in and see the truth with clear eyes,
Click to expand...

Since I started this forum with Jim back in 2011 the moderating policy of censoring members comments were to leave them alone as long as the posts appear to be truthful, respectful, and not beating a dead horse. The new owners, to the best of my knowledge, along with the moderators have carried this policy on. I see no reason why your comments will be deleted, that you'd get a warning, or banned for what you've said here.




Kingkor said:
...if I was you I'd take the hit close the business and move on to another profession...or atleast stop trying to run the businesses books and hire someone who can do it. If this was a real business it would have been bankrupt and in courts a very long time ago, and I'm not saying that that's what I or any of my friends would like to see happen but in my opinion we as a community can't keep on supporting this.
Click to expand...

Maybe you're correct, maybe closing the business down is the answer, yet I've chose not to go that route.

Here's my reasons why....

1. This is the biggest reason of all - I can't just screw people, members, friends over like that. This just doesn't work for me. I want to make good as best I can.

2. What else can I do? My reality is that I can't work a regular job, working regular hours, on a regular schedule, this isn't something that I can do as I have physical limitations. The reason why I work for myself is because I either have to do this or collect SSI, that's government disability. When my problems came to me back in 2002 I made a decision that if I was to live through it that I was going to do my best to continue to support myself and not live off the government, not that one could actually live on $700 a month, but that's beside the point. It's either work for myself or become a peasant.

3. I've been working this business, in one form or another, full time since 2004. I taught myself how to sharpen, repair, and make knives including Japanese hair shears, all Japanese kitchen knives, and now custom knives. This was a long hard road with lots of trade offs taken. One of the biggest trade offs is having no time for my family. In fact the last two nights have been rather sad for me as my youngest daughter (8 yrs old) cried herself to sleep 2 nights ago and last night had me holding her for 1/2 an hour while she cried again. What has her upset is that she never gets to spend any time with me and is worried that because I'm the oldest I will die before she gets to do something with me. She was writing this in her journal too, it's effected her this much. She is 100% correct in that I spend almost no time with her/them. In fact besides the time we had together back in 2014/15(?) when we were homeless I haven't done anything with them besides going to the food store. I hear people complain about not having to be able to take a 2nd vacation this year and I chuckle to myself. Anyway, the point that I'm trying to make is that I have a lot invested in this business and I find it very hard to walk away from it.



As to the issue of hiring someone to manage my books for me. I think that would be great yet I don't do this because I have a rather simple problem - a negative cash flow. I believe that my problem can't be corrected by paying someone to tell me that I have more money going out than coming in.




Kingkor said:
...and good luck to you Dave Martell I truly mean it [emoji16].
Click to expand...

Thanks for your well wishes.
 
Dave,

I'm all or supporting the forum, small business craftsmen and the knife community in general, but we need a little more information:

Can you please post the list so we can see where we stand. As one of those customers waiting, I'd like to see where I am in the list. If you want to be truly open and communicate with everyone, let us see how much work is left to do, and where we are in that list.

What is the time estimate for a rehandle? for a sharpen? For a custom knife build? If you can just put together a simple spreadsheet of the work, the estimated # of hours to complete each job, and how many hours a day/week you are working, we can then reasonably estimate when we'll see our work.

April 2017 you told me it was a 6-9 month wait.
Jan 2018 you told me you hadn't started it and needed 1-2 more months
We're now at 15 months you've had my package and I've got no idea if my knives are next or there are 100 in front of me.

Please publish a list of where work stands so I can determine if it's worth waiting (and the likely hood I'll actually get that work done), and if I should just write-off the pre-purchase of the rehandles from you.

I hope you are able to turn things around as your work on my first handle looks great!

Thanks

Ron
 
I'm sorry to be disappointing you again Ron but I won't be able to comply with your request here.

Dave
 
Ok Dave, if you won't tell your customers where you are in the "list" you have, send me back my knives and refund me what I've paid you. 15 months is beyond unacceptable, especially considering you can't give any realistic estimate as to when you will actually be able to deliver.

ADMIN & MODERATORS, please consider the number of forum members who made purchases with Martell Knives based on the forum sponsorship and involvement, and the number of forum members who paid Martel knives for services and products which they are not able to deliver.
 
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