Ever been stomped on?

[kyratshooter]

A friend came over the other day. He had a nice flat of O-2 stock. He wanted me to show him how to make a sax blade for his reenactmen use. He has no tools and no knowledge of such things.

We hacksawed and heated and forged and we ground and ground, we sanded and polished, we draw filed and measured, marked and drawfiled again. Half a day of this.

Then we heated and quinched and tempered and drew the temper on that big 15" honker.

Then we hunted in the antler box and found a nice piece of caribou. We drilled and pinned and polished again and made him a really beautiful and historically accurate 8th century blade.

He just called me to bragg about selling said knife for $450 at the club meeting this morning.

I feel like one of Tom Sawyer's buddies standing next to a fence with a paintbrush in my hand!

[Ted]

So you made 400 bucks right!!!!

Aren't friends great! I've had a few just like that, notice I said had!

[Sam]

You're getting half right?
-Sam

[kyratshooter]

Nope, apparently not. He just said he sold HIS knife for $450.

No good turn goes unpunished.

It was his knife. Bit I had intended that it REMAIN his knife.

If he had called and said he could not cover his electric bill and someone made him an offer, would I mind if he... I would never have hesitated and felt good about the price he got.

I still feel good about the price he got for my work, but I have never had anyone offer me that much for my work!

Perhaps I lack in the PR and marketing departments.

There's some lack of good manners and common courtisy involved in all life works. I expect too much.

[BENESSE]

Next time ask him to show you how to paint your house.
Then stand back and take notes. Maybe he'll get the message.

[Wise Old Owl]

Wow - I was already to post about me being trampled by a horse when I was 13...

So Tell the buddy he owes you a case a beer, and then some.

Make another and put it on Ebay the second one will be better.

[crashdive123]

Too bad you didn't get any pictures of it. I'd sure like to see it.

I'm always kind of torn by stuff like this. On one hand, it was his knife and he can do what he wants with it. On the other hand, he took advantage of a friend. Full disclosure at the outset would have been the right thing to do.

[randyt]

he's a bum. a friend makes or gives me a knife my children will inherit it unless I wear it out.

[LowKey]

That's kinda low.
Maybe he figured he knew where he could get another one...
Tell him he can go whittle one.

[Rick]

You guys are such sore losers. There's a right way and a wrong way to go about this. Stand back and learn the right way. Ahem.

Step 1. Create as near perfect a replica of the original as possible.
Step 2. Call your friend and explain that since he sold the first one you made him a second one to use.
Step 3. Inform your friend that this knife will cost 1 case of beer (your choice of brands here).
Step 4. Inform your friend that he will have to come by to pick up said knife.
Step 5. When friend arrives with beer welcome him into your home. He is, after all, your friend.
Step 6. Once the door is closed hack him as severely and completely as possible with said knife.
Step 7. Dispose of body and any incriminating evidence.
Step 8. Take detailed pictures of cleaned knife.
Step 9. Post pictures along with description on eBay.
Step 10. Enjoy beer.

[p moore]

One detail you left out. Start at the fongers and toes, and work your way in.

Paul

[huntermj]

It was his knife when you gave it to him, RIGHT.
To do with as he wished, RIGHT.
Let it go. i know it stinks but you did all that you could for your "friend" RIGHT
you gave it to him, it was his do do as he wished, you might not like what he did with your gift, but it was his to do as he wished.

[oldtrap59]

I feel for ya ky. Some will say forgive and forget. I would have to say forget and next time this guy wants some help, tell him he only gets one lesson for $450. Oh, I guess that wouldn't be forgetting. But then I have a very good memory.

Oldtrap

[kyratshooter]

I do wish I had taken some pictures of the blade.

The sax has a straight cutting edge and the spine angles down to meet the edge at the tip. It's like a big bowie with a sheepfoot blade. Those caribou slabs had a nice gold tone and I used copper pins. It was a very nice knife.

Us reenactors tend to keep things our friends make for us. That was why I was a bit shocked. My gear is filled with things friends, some now dead, have gifted to me. I would part with them for no reason.

[BENESSE]

Seems to me ol' Rick has been stomped on a a time or two. :sneaky2:

[Rick]

One could say I'm a serial friend. If you know what I mean.

[BENESSE]

Read you loud 'n clear!

[LowKey]

Your post makes it sound like he sold it within weeks of you making it?
I dunno. $450 for a handmade replica — sounds like he got ripped off.

[Swamprat1958]

That stinks. It is for certain he does not appreciate the effort you put into making "HIM" a knife.

I don't think I would be as willing to help him on another project.

[hunter63]

I do wish I had taken some pictures of the blade.

The sax has a straight cutting edge and the spine angles down to meet the edge at the tip. It's like a big bowie with a sheepfoot blade. Those caribou slabs had a nice gold tone and I used copper pins. It was a very nice knife.

Us reenactors tend to keep things our friends make for us. That was why I was a bit shocked. My gear is filled with things friends, some now dead, have gifted to me. I would part with them for no reason.

I agree, it's like taking them with you when you use that gear........

If things were that bad, I would call/talk to who ever made something for me and explain the situation.
Chances are they would help you out.

When I buy guns from people, some even when they are in a bind, (I do this alot), I always offer them first dibs, if I even consider selling it/them.

I do have ex-friends, now acquaintances that have broken this code.

[Batch]

While I can appreciate how you feel ky.

I also hear this guy calling you and saying that some guy offered him $450 for the knife you guys made. But, he turned the guy down cause you guys made it.

I hear you saying, "You knucklehead! We could have made another one!"

[kyratshooter]

Yea, if he had called and told me I would have probably told him to take the money and run!

It's just that this new generation don't follow the code. Some of us brag about how much we have turned down for some of our treasures.

You use that gear and every time you do you think about the guy that made it, and maybe remember a camp you were in where he did some fool thing.

I have a silver spoon that is part of my longhunter gear given too me by a man I still respect greatly. He gave me some of the best advice I ever had transfered to me. It involved the words "Shut up and listen for a minute!".

Every time I eat with that spoon I have to think of something that really needs saying before I can speak again. Which is unusual for me!

[EdD270]

I can relate. I have knives made for me by friends and relatives over the years. I've got way too many knives, and really need to get rid of some. But those "made for me" knives will never leave my hands, my heirs will have to decide what they want to do with them.
Then there's the other direction. I've given knives or guns to others, with the express understanding that they are special and if they decide to get rid of them I get first dibbs. Then later I find out they sold it or gave it away. It's a kick in the gut, but the decision was theirs.
The decision that's mine is to not do it again.

[Ole WV Coot]

I personally think it was worth the work and forget the $$ to find out about this so called "friend". He will come back to the well again for maybe something he really needs. It's worth it just to find him out.

[panch0]

That sucks! I had a simlar situation. A guy from work was going camping, so I lent him a knife. I told him to test it out and give it back to me and let me know how it performed. Well he had some beers at camp and gave the knife to one of his brothers. Thats the last time I trust him. I feel your pain buddy.

[BigDaddy]

I personally think it was worth the work and forget the $$ to find out about this so called "friend". He will come back to the well again for maybe something he really needs. It's worth it just to find him out.

K, I have to agree with Coot.

Criminal background check: $99.00
Credit check: $49.00
Driving record check: $35.00

Finding out what kind of a person your friend REALLY is: Pricless.

[finallyME]

When I was a poor college student with 4 kids, my in-laws gave us a Ford Windstar to hold our family. It was a little run down, and I fixed it a lot. Even put $1000 on the credit card to get the power steering fixed, which I am still paying off. When I got a job and an income, we gave the van back in better condition than when we got it. So, my mother-in-law lent it out to her son who had 3 kids. He had just finished law school as was trying to get rid of some debt. Not too long after he traded it in for a better vehicle. No compensation to his parents for their gift.

ky, at least now you know how great a friend he is.

[Camp10]

Well, I'm just getting to this thread. While I understand Ky, I've always been fine with this. In fact, I would be happy for anyone who sold my knife and gave me feedback of what he got for a price. I have given, sold, traded, and gifted many, many knives and I've never been hurt by a good deal and a happy customer...Just my 2 cents.

[glockcop]

One detail you left out. Start at the fongers and toes, and work your way in.

Paul

I'd start with the good old soldering iron to the genitalia. Then we'll work on that forked tongue of his.

[glockcop]

Yep, had a cousin who needed help renovating his home but didn't have all the money needed to finish the job. I helped with the project and fronted some cash. This disaster took the better part of 5 mos nearly every week end. It was gorgeous when finished. His sister is a real estate agent and asked if he wanted to put the house on the market. He did. Sold it about two weeks later and I still havent seen my $1100 bucks for about two years now. His wife says the'll "catch up with me at tax time". That's OK, I guess. I have my eye on his Browning Sweet Sixteen 20 guage that may have to come home as collateral. No good deed goes unpunished... eck-hem, I mean uncompensated :).

[hunter63]

Yep, had a cousin who needed help renovating his home but didn't have all the money needed to finish the job. I helped with the project and fronted some cash. This disaster took the better part of 5 mos nearly every week end. It was gorgeous when finished. His sister is a real estate agent and asked if he wanted to put the house on the market. He did. Sold it about two weeks later and I still havent seen my $1100 bucks for about two years now. His wife says the'll "catch up with me at tax time". That's OK, I guess. I have my eye on his Browning Sweet Sixteen 20 guage that may have to come home as collateral. No good deed goes unpunished... eck-hem, I mean uncompensated :).

I'd take that in "trade".........

[glockcop]

I'd take that in "trade".........

It's getting just about as ''close as a gnats legs are apart''.

[Rick]

Clearly, both of your wives were not around when you typed that.