Sounds like an awesome knife, I hope it turns out well and I'm excited to see the results! And I hope some of the hurdles facing the Strata x Togashi order do not befall such a fun project.
Re: the custom order Strata took with Togashi and the timeline since some users are commenting on it and I've received some messages - there's not really a single reason this order is taking so long, it's a mix of things. We are ordering it through one of our vendors, Hitohira, who often does not take custom requests. So it took some time to get the order submitted in the first place. I don't have any control over how quickly Hitohira then communicates with Togashi, nor how Togashi integrates the order into his backlog. Sometimes some smiths will make similar orders in batches so they can focus on the same material rather than jumping from material to material. Depending on when the order is accepted, the smith may have just completed a cycle of that steel so the order may have to wait until the smith comes around to that material again.
If the vendor and the smith/makers have a tight relationship after many years of working together, the makers may occasionally do a favor a squeeze in/rush the order. Some production depends on the seasons. Few smiths work in the summer because of the heat, but then can be overloaded with winter holiday production levels and thus try to only focus on easier to produce orders that they deem the most pertinent. Togashi makes Honyaki nearly year-round but may favor making Honyaki in the winter because there may be less issues with failure at quench and colder ambient temps may yield higher HRCs, thus, "winter Honyaki" (it's also just more comfortable in the workshop when the ambient temp is cold but the furnace is hot, the opposite of the summer).
Coincidentally, I've actually had 3 custom Togashi Honyaki on order for nearly 3 years with Hitohira. Why is it taking Hitohira so long to get the order going? No idea, other than Hitohira is still a young business and has does not have the same relationship as Togashi may have with a different vendor he has been working with for longer. Hitohira is very, very maker-minded in the sense of not wanting to nag or burden the makers. One of Hitohira's goals is to try and change the way the ordering process and demanding workload is for the makers. Often times, at least previously in some cases, some brands had/have too much influence on the operations and workloads the makers have to deal with, which leaves a sour taste in their mouths. Hitohira is really trying to avoid that and allow the makers to breath and have more flexibility in how they accept and process orders. Perhaps, sometimes, that means not pushing the makers for faster fulfilment dates, or ordering less quantity of something. To what degree is that affecting the Togashi order we placed? Not really sure. But by working with Hitohira I in turn need to respect the way Hitohira is conducting business and be cognizant of possibly a whole slew of things I might not even be aware of in regards to all the moving parts it takes to get something made.
With other brands, like Sakai Kikumori, who have an incredibly close relationship with Tanaka and his family, I can have custom or special projects produced typically within 9 months, sooner if the stars align and things go smoothly. But then again, I was told that the wrought iron Tanaka x Myojin project could be completed within a year or so, and now it's looking like it will be closer to two. So it often depends on what the project is specifically. I always relay the information I am given as it would not do anyone any good to try and misinform or fluff up expectations from customers. As I've gained experience over the years I really try to emphasize that things can get delayed for any number of reasons, and I always ask for patience. It's one reason why I generally don't take deposits unless I'm 100% positive about the outlook of the order at hand, and why I allow customers to drop out of a group order. And yes, it can definitely be frustrating for me when I'm informed of some delay or whatever, largely because I do not like letting people down and now I have to reach out to everyone involved and inform them of the unfortunate news. Some people have monk-like patience and some have no patience at all, that's just the world we live in. I do my best to roll with the punches, but I can only do so much, and I can only ask customers to be patient for so long. I always respect someone's perspective if they have to cancel.
OK, before this gets any longer or before I start talking in circles, I'll cut it off here. I hope this illuminates somethings for some people. Any of the aforementioned issues (and many others I didn't touch on) can befall any retailer, brand, or maker. So if you have placed an order with another retailer and things are taking longer than expected, feel free to ask about the status of things but be mindful that if the retailer or anyone involved in the production chain could do something to speed things up, they probably would have done so. As always, if anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me. Email is typically best as I don't always check my KKF inbox as often as I probably should -
[email protected]
Again, I hope this Honyaki project turns out well and everyone is satisfied and happy. I hope this post doesn't take away the focus of this thread, my apologies if so.
Always all my best regards,
Evan
