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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2009 2:12:15 GMT
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Marc Ridgeway
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"The best cost less when you buy it the first time." - Papabear
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on Jul 26, 2009 2:19:25 GMT
almost certainly...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2009 14:35:10 GMT
Jin-Shi is a distributor
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2009 18:43:04 GMT
As I understand it, he does not make the blades himself, but will customize a raw blade as a customer desires. Handles, wraps, fittings, scabbards, all kinds of different combinations can be ordered. I'm awaiting a response currently from him on an Ox Tail dao that I wanted a different scabbard than stock. He's checking on what he has in stock. Several different woods available.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2009 2:12:33 GMT
I'll pop in here and clarify things. I am not a manufacturer nor a distributor. A distributor usually has no say in what he/she distributes. Hands on wise, I mostly do touch up and the last step of quality control.
Most affordable manufacturers have negligible knowledge about how a sword should feel. Most of them bang out crowbars that look like swords. So my main function is adding value in manufacturing (process improvement) and in customer relations.
1) I serve as the brains of the operation using knowledge to get the right products to the right people at the right price. I have worked with my manufacturers for a while and know their quirks inside out. If someone ordered direct from the manufacturer they would get something considerably different from what I offer.
2) Customer relations: I know the background of just about everyone who has dealt with me and 90% of them are practitioners. I assess what someone needs and inject some of my own thoughts on their behalf and also from the manufacturing side. Many practitioners want something at least somewhat historical, but are unsure of the details. I've exchanged dozens of emails and spent over an hour and a half on the phone with single customers in getting the details just right. To my knowledge, this combined with my prices seems to be a winning combo.
I would like to eventually have a greater hand in the manufacturing, but at this point it is not viable and I haven't met the right people to make it happen yet.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2009 2:15:50 GMT
Garrett you do have a winning combo. I'm just still trying to get the money together to order from you, and I'm hoping you're around for a long long time to come. Thank you for the explaination of just who and what Jin-Shi is.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2009 5:59:23 GMT
Makes sense to me; thanks for clarifying that. Still waiting on a response for that oxtail dao, though...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2009 20:47:36 GMT
Ooh, nice to get more pictures of the tang from that sinosword site.
*is anxiously awaiting his Jin Shi sword*
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