Um....Has anyone heard from David McDonald?

[Professor Zhirinovsky]

So, I sent a sword & fittings to David McDonald at the beginning of last summer to have a new tsuka made, and here it's been almost a year now and I don't have my sword. More worryingly, I haven't had any update other than that he received it. I've emailed him a couple of times over the past few weeks, and called his phone (no answer, left a message), but I'm not getting any responses. I've mentioned that I'm just wanting to have him check in, that I'm not concerned that the work isn't done, but still nothing.

This is just a showato blade, so there is no financial incentive for it to "go missing", but I'm getting a bit worried that something has happened and that my sword is lost. Does anyone have any insight into this situation, maybe there is an explanation? Is he sick, or on some long vacation? What should I do?

[Bruno]

Hello Craig,

 

Yes David is not the fastest to answer I agree.

 

Not sure why, but you don't need to worry about your sword. He might just be busy and communicate a little.

 

This year he did some little work for me, shipped back the sword to me in France and...Never asked to be paid although I asked him a few times to sent me his invoice.

 

I have another sword I will sent him soon. I totally trust him and accepted he is just not a phone or email guy. Just be patient, he is a quiet type.

[Professor Zhirinovsky]

Okay, thanks for the Bruno. How long did it take to get your work back, and did you get any communication during this time? 

The wait doesn't bother me, just the dead silence when I request an update, you never know what has happened. 

[Bruno]

Hello Craig,

 

My communication is 100% by emails with David.

 

Sometimes I wait one or two months to have an answer, sometimes a few days It depends. Maybe the time passes differently in Montana! 

 

It took several months to have my work done, it was not an important one. I always tell cratsmen I am not in a hurry so don't expect anything done fast. Plus as long as I know my sword or fittings are beetween his hands I don't worry. Maybe if you have ordered a more consequent work it is normal to wait longuer. I also think he has many customers and take the time to do an excellent work.

[Fuuten]

Not speaking out of experience with this craftsman but, especially now with something like covid still lingering, communication is really important. With costly ramifications should something happen to a small craft/business. While understandable it would really bother me on a daily basis if I did not receive a reply for 2 months even if the financial impact were small.

[PNSSHOGUN]

No excuse for poor communication when running a business, it is pretty disrespectful.

[Bruno]

We are too much influenced by social medias and their instantaneous answers that satisfy us. We have less tolerance for waiting than we used to and get more easily frustrated by that.

 

I don't take a long wait of response as a lack of respect. A communication can be very good with only a few messages, while it can be useless with many.

 

In the past I used to send work to talkative craftsmen. They were keep telling me how good they were and always sent  prompt replie but at the end were not so qualified. Quantity is not quality.

 

Once again, the most important is to have the best job done, and with David you will have it.

[Ed]

I saw him just a couple of weeks ago at the Chicago show. He stays pretty busy, I wouldn't worry.

[PNSSHOGUN]

A year without an update is inexcusable, some would look to pursue legal action sooner than that.