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Post by mpsmith47304 on Feb 19, 2019 14:09:28 GMT
That looks.... weird. Is the handle hollow!? You just can't see the tang very well. It's in there. I'm not sure how this happened, but my best guess is there was a flaw in the wood. I think this was just rotten luck, but they could have noticed this and changed it before they sent it to me. Ah got it. Thanks!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2019 14:18:15 GMT
Bladeforums offers a designated subforum to post of Good, Bad and Ugly experiences.
BKS went to social media pages such as Facebook and twitter a long time ago. As such, they are not posting on the various boards (as themselves). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a competition (a decade ago) to design swords for SBG. A leafblade and a ring pommel. Promoted and pre-sold, this was a limited and numbered edition project. A rough winter and priorities shuffled progress reports and projected fulfillment dates. Explained/excused a few times and as described on their pages, custom orders are not at the top of their to do lists. That is not exactly what many of those ordering the SBG swords expected. An issue with BKS can sometimes be over promising and under delivering. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An unfortunate truth is that some use the business model of taking orders and then not being able to quickly deliver, or even meet projections of completion when set months (then years) in the future. I am not sure how many here remember a couple of decades past that all those dirk orders were left in limbo with the explanation a year later that the dog had eaten the order book. True story and there are some here that know who that maker is. It is just an example and every instance should be considered individually. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will write this. While discussing the SBG project swords (in progress a year later, long long ago) with one of the principals of BKS, I was offered the opportunity to endorse a similar project on another board as some sort of payoff to not discuss BKS at all. I kid you not! Even offered a spot to do articles for their pirates emag. Oh those wacky brothers! One of them often has no idea what the other is up to.
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BKS remains as a large volume producer looking at percentages and positive exposure. Media allows them to put their best foot forward and as with any large (as in diverse) operation issues need to be dealt with but the positive will usually be more remembered than the stumbles. That could and should be a positive but keep special orders in mind if committed to dealing with them. I cannot endorse them for custom work.
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Post by Lancelot Chan on Feb 19, 2019 14:53:55 GMT
Yeah, one of the makers I referred to who took my friend's money and never refund / deliver is the one whose dog ate the order book. LOL.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2019 15:10:53 GMT
"BKS remains as a large volume producer looking at percentages and positive exposure. Media allows them to put their best foot forward and as with any large (as in diverse) operation issues need to be dealt with but the positive will usually be more remembered than the stumbles. That could and should be a positive but keep special orders in mind if committed to dealing with them. I cannot endorse them for custom work."
Edelweiss, I think you really hit the nail on the head. Back when they were a small outfit they relied on building a customer base by fulfilling custom orders. As everyone on this forum knows, custom orders depend on frequent email correspondence, sketches, drawings, pictures, schematics, revisions, changes, setbacks, and above all, feedback from the customer. Custom orders can be very expensive and they are usually very time consuming. The most important aspect of the custom order is the one-on-one relationship with the customer. You have to make one customer happy, over and over again.
BKS has all but abandoned that business model. Instead of making one customer happy, one at a time, they fulfill large batches of orders for retailers and corporations. Instead of earning a good reputation through positive word of mouth within our tiny community, they saturate social media with expensive and handsomely produced "content". Instead of delivering on the individual customer's wish fulfillment (i. e. making one person's dreams come true), they sell to the widest audience possible the IDEA that they can make your dreams come true.
The sword I own is a beautiful work of design. The hilt components are so beautiful in person. The blade is good, but rather forgettable. I think it should be three inches longer (don't we all wish that?). They fixed the tang, but they did not bother to spend the time ensuring the fit and finish was perfect. As it stands, even with the hole in the wood handle, I cannot achieve a proper fit with these fittings. When they repaired the tang, they extended the length so that the fittings could not compress properly. So not only did they send me the sword back with a hole in the handle, they sent back a sword that does not fit. In so doing, they devalued my sword. I think they owe me money. When the Attorney General's office calls me, I will have quite a story to tell.
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Post by Lancelot Chan on Feb 19, 2019 15:18:46 GMT
Really sorry to hear about that. I was never their fan since I'm not into stage blunt and I think I will never be one either.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2019 15:29:38 GMT
I have hopefully just underlined that folk need to be proactive. Do research any maker/provider back as far as one can read. The internet is often forever. I am melancholy regarding some of them that have gone through tough times and recovered. While continuing to somewhat praise a few, I know there were (and probably still are) hurt feelings. The list of instances would fill a book and that is what the GBU subforum elsewhere offers. Just in the Japanese type swords alone, I have had a lot of communication from both sides regarding lost swords, poor performance of work done, rebuttals from the providers....on and on. Those working the green rooms of discussion boards often left to try to mediate but in the end, the customers are most often in the right. Then providers arguing each other's issues. Oy ~~~~~~~~ Further refining this claymore worth the effort and a return of sorts. May its continued life add in appreciation and not be a sore spot of any remorse. Consider the original costs as made and the journey of its inception. A unique piece with its own history.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2019 15:34:52 GMT
It is a unique piece and it definitely has a history now. It's rather like Narsil. I will put the finishing touches on it and it will become my Anduril. Perhaps I ought to name it. Any suggestions on a name?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2019 15:46:32 GMT
I would stick with its original moniker of Nightmare A soon enough wistful memory you may make whole. There was a claymore some will remember that was dubbed Blackbird's Lament. IIRC, that one had no poor implication in the name but it is maybe curious that the beasts sometimes get colorful names. Jake Powning and Al Massey, so many years ago. So Blackbird's Lament it remains in name through a few owners. Boat names are changed at times but Nightmare may be remembered honorably forever.
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Post by zabazagobo on Feb 19, 2019 16:21:30 GMT
I would stick with its original moniker of Nightmare A soon enough wistful memory you may make whole. Nightmare may be remembered honorably forever. Pure poetry there, Edelweiss, that is a perfect name for this sword
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stormmaster
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I like viking/migration era swords
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Post by stormmaster on Feb 19, 2019 18:30:07 GMT
I would name it Reminder. So it reminds u not to buy from bks in the future if u see them post something cool
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Post by elbrittania39 on Feb 19, 2019 22:25:59 GMT
Walletcleaver?
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Terricus
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Even if I stand alone, I will never stand down
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Post by Terricus on Feb 19, 2019 23:15:34 GMT
Ahh mate keep it Nightmare, seems a perfect name to describe dealing with BKS.
I'd thought about them before but after this, thinking about them is probably as far as I'm gonna get.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2019 23:29:04 GMT
Nightmare it is. I have examined the sword thoroughly today and have a solution. I received some awesome advice from one of our mods on how to get the guard to fit more securely, and the pommel has a threaded peen block that can also be finished with a hot peen if I wish (who came up with "hot peen"?). So I can get out of this sticky situation by carving a handle that is joined with glue. I can assemble with epoxy to be extra secure, just the way Albion does it. I'll go with a nice exotic hardwood that keeps the brutal, no nonsense aesthetic. I think the nightmare is just getting started.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2019 23:53:55 GMT
Arms&Armor uses a threaded "peen" block as standard but they do key the pommel. My BP arrived loose and as tight as I could go, it would not compress further. The pommel was a jam filed fit and needed just a little more filing to allow a tighter hilt. The guard opening was horrible on that sword as well but I sorted things out.
Several of my reproductions got reworked a bit to make things better.
I look forward to your project completion and finishing the adoption phase of a one off.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 16:40:34 GMT
Here is an update on my progress of updating the handle. I selected some really beautiful figured exotic wood. This is bocote.
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Post by MOK on Feb 28, 2019 19:05:37 GMT
Oh wow - for a good long while, there, I thought that the black line is the edge of your carpet and the sword is on the floor next to your boots, and was really struggling to make sense of the scale and relative size of things... But yeah, that's a really good-looking piece of wood! The grain should look quite interesting once it's all shaped and polished.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2019 18:26:50 GMT
Here is my last update on this thread: I just finished making a new handle for this sword and she is officially operational again!
The wood is bocote. I love the pattern, don't you?
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Post by RaylonTheDemented on Mar 8, 2019 18:33:17 GMT
Yep, pretty nice work there, like the overall look.
o7
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Mar 8, 2019 18:56:02 GMT
An attractive wood pattern you have. Good job and I am glad it is finally functional again. Looks like a good sword.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Mar 8, 2019 19:25:14 GMT
Really nice looking, man! Of course, I haven't seen many claymores (with exceptions) that weren't. Just call it my Scottish blood. You have a real winner there and I'm so sorry you had to go through so much hell to see it get its final glory.
I was going to add something else to this---a question to everyone in general---but I don't want to stir up another BKS-smashing firestorm. Besides, it's probably been brought up already...I just don't want to reread nine pages.
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