An Update on Past, Present, and Future Orders

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Marko Tsourkan

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I am pleased to say that I am comfortable with quality of stuff I am sending out, so now it is time to turn my attention to efficiency.

Up to this time, I have approached projects with a certain quality of outcome in mind without any regard to time it took to complete a project. My justification was that I had to have a product before worrying about a bottom line. So now it is a good time to address the latter.

I am going to continue doing all processes in-house by myself, with possible exception of laser cutting blanks. This year I am set to purchase some new equipment (including salt pods) to speed up things without sacrificing quality. Right now, I estimate that I do more than third of all work by hand (hand carving, shaping and finishing sayas, hand finishing blades, hand finishing handles, setting final geometry of the blade on stones by hand, etc). If I can reduce that to 25% or less, I should see some time gains and that is my objective.

So, how does this relate to you? Well, all of you who have orders with me that are long overdue, will see them done before most of these changes take place. I will make up for a long wait with free work and discounts as I have done in the past and I hope it will leave you satisfied.

Recent orders will be completed withing weeks (I have less than ten). New orders will be completed on a more predictable schedule. I didn't want to take any new orders till I started these changes, so this is a reason why I have been hesitant to start take advances.

I apologize for not meeting some of your expectation on completion time. Quality work could take long to complete, and my optimism on completion time in this case has done more harm than good.

Marko
 
Good Luck Marko, I am sure you will put out some great knives and get them out in a time you are happy with.
 
It sounds like you've made great progress. Congratulations and good luck! I, for one, am looking forward to when you are able to take more orders. :thumbsup:
 
You do great work and the wait is worth it for your customers. Trying to get everything running in an orderly fashion isn't easy is it?

Good luck. -M
 
Nice to hear you are in happy place. I am eager to see waht you turn out. Good Luck!!!
 
Thanks, folks -

Actually, I am looking for another space for a workshop. Summer is coming and humidity in the basement is hard to control.

If I get the space I want, I will be on the ground floor and I will have a storefront. Maybe I will put out a sign. Forum members in the area will be welcome to come for a visit.

M
 
That's awesome! Glad to see things are picking up momentum. I'll have to get in line now for sure.
 
If you get that storefront you can only gain by putting up a sign but limit the "drop-in" meet and greet to a few hours a day or something so you don't have to stop in the middle of a process etc. I hope i made some sense with this, my brain feels like a piece of bubblegum after this day at the "office". :p
 
I guess, I wasn't very clear. By storefront, I meant a street level access to the shop. I won't have a counter or anything, but there will be a sign, so if people would like to stop by, they can. Right now my shop is in the basement, in a building that is tucked away in the back of a residential building. Hard to find and not very welcoming.

Plus, high humidity (basement) makes it not a good environment for working with natural woods, so I look forward to moving, despite the hassle - I already accumulated quite a bit of stuff.


M
 
Awesome man. Congrats on getting better situated.
 
Great news, Marko. Makes me wish I still lived up there.

Rick
Rick -
You are always welcome to stop by when you are in the area.

Knife making is one of those things, you can't do half way - you need proper tools, proper space to make quality stuff.

M
 
Hope you find exactly what you're looking for soon Marko.

I think it would be exciting and a source of pride to be able to "hang your shingle" out on the street.
 
I like to talk knives and always find time for people interested in kitchen knives.

I have been getting some referrals and a few folks stopped by. A couple of chefs who never seen hand-made knives, Japanese or American. One guy asked me if I could make him a hunter, one was disappointed that I make kitchen knives and not artistic knives.

In a new place I am going to have a cutting board and some vegetables on hand.

M
 
I will be in NYC next week with the wife on her vision expo conference. I would like to come visit you but it won't be possible. She would ask some serious questions if I were to to MIA for a half day or so. Those shigies are on the down low.
 
I will be in NYC next week with the wife on her vision expo conference. I would like to come visit you but it won't be possible. She would ask some serious questions if I were to to MIA for a half day or so. Those shigies are on the down low.

How about if I meet up with you in the city and hand over the knives? Say you are transporting them for a friend. :)

In any event, I would still like to meet up, even if I end up shipping the knives.

M
 
Hey Marko don't get too caught up in the whole store front thing I want to get a knife from you sometime too:nono:
 
How about if I meet up with you in the city and hand over the knives? Say you are transporting them for a friend. :)

In any event, I would still like to meet up, even if I end up shipping the knives.

M

Sorry M.
I am there Friday though Sunday and in a tight schedule. It is our mini vacation too since we have been working 6 to 7 days a week since new years.Plus we are doing carry on and the Tsa don't take too kindly to folks bringing 3 10+ inch knives on board.
 
Congrats on the move forward Marko - if you manage your efficiency gains whilst maintaining that ridiculous perfectionist work ethic, it is only a matter of time before you will be a huge deal. Best.
 
Thanks for the compliment.

I need to find a way to get more efficiency out of my time, so I constantly think about how to things differently. I sometimes take on projects to test some new approach, or method. Sometimes I succeed and incorporate that method in my regular processes. It's sort of never ending thing.

M
 
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