what if your asked to build something that will not look good?

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mywoodshopca

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Nov 3, 2008
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Charlottetown, PEI Canada, Derby Kansas and Canyon
Had a request for 2 secret compartment keychains..

1. dark celtic knot with a light colored wood dyed green on a silver keychain
2. dark celtic knot with BOW on a gold keychain..

I think the knot on bow will look horrible.. what do you all think?

I dont want to turn down the business, but hey, word of mouth is what gets sales and if a product dont look good, it may affect sales.. :confused:
 
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jimbob91577

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I had one of these...

...last night. I opted to take a sample of some cut off's and show them what the two woods would look like together. Once they saw how the pieces contrasted each other, they opted for something different.

If they still had wanted it, I would have made it for them though...
 

pipecrafter

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I think it also depends on whether taking that job would mean a real difference in paying bills or not. If I really need the business, I'll make any color of something I currently make that someone wants. However, there are some things I just won't do. In the end, it's up to you and how comfortable you are being associated with that piece of work.
 

areaman

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I think if a person wants a certain thing or color, if you dont do it for them they will just go somewhere else, and perhaps not do business with you again. I think you did the right thing showing them and letting them change their mind. But then again I havent sold much either.
 

NewLondon88

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I think that if they insist, then you should take the money and make what
they want. Then you should find a field and bury them so they won't tell
anyone that you made those awful things.
I was never very good at problem solving. When I suggested feeding the
homeless to the hungry, people didn't like that idea either.
 

DurocShark

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I've done one commission that came out completely fugly. The buyer was ecstatic. I can laugh about it now, but when I did it I was tempted to say it didn't happen.

MapleCocoRetro.jpg
 

sbell111

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Franklin, TN
If a customer asks for something, we make it for them. We make them pay in advance, but we make whatever they decide on.

Regarding your dark knot on BOW, I would carefully choose the piece of BOW that I used. I would pick out a light, creamy piece of BOW instead of one with dark veining.
 

Chasper

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In the normal course of my work I spend every day organizing marketing efforts for products that I would not buy myself. There is nothing wrong with them, just not my personal taste.

Pen making is my personal artistic expression right now. I make pens I like, and I like selling them because they are an expression of my personal taste; it is a high compliment with someone buys one of my pens. However, I can and have been bought. I've made pens on special request that I did not like. I don't feel good about comprimising and selling out my principals, but I appreciate the money.

I don't see that making a special order that does not match up to my personal taste is a risk to my reputation as a pen turner. Even if I don't like a pen I'm still going to pay very close attention to all the details and make sure that ugly pen is as well crafted as I can possibly make it.
 

george

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I would also take the job. You know what they say, customer is always right.
Just last week I have made a Lotus pen with some colorfull blank (both by buyers choice), for which I was sure from the start, that it will not look good. And it did not. But the customer said: Wow, just like I wanted.
 

OldWrangler

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The customer ain't always right but he is still the customer. I will make anything. I guess that makes me a pen prostitute.
What I don't enjoy is sending out a pen that I think looks like crap, then the customer shows it around and the orders come in for more of the same......bummer!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Rangertrek

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Customer is Right

I have had this happen a few times. I use the old saying 'The costomer is always right'.
I have made a few ugly pens (kit and wood a bad match), the money for those was the same as any other pen.
If you can, as mentioned above, show them an example of the woods, and if they still want it, start up the lathe, then deposit the check.
 

wolftat

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I have found that some of the butt ugliest pens have been the quickest to sell sometimes, to each his own. Get paid up front.
 

Randy_

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There is no accounting for taste. What you find ugly, will be thought to be beautiful by someone else. Make a reasonable effort (show cutoff sample, for instance) to discourage the project; but then do it if they insist. Since it is a custom job, get paid up front.

I once had a local, well-known artist paint a handsaw for me......wanted it in various shades of gray and white. Exactly the colors a winter scene would take on an overcast day. She advised against it; but I insisted. It turned out very well and she, herself, admitted that it was much nicer than she had expected. Maybe she was just being polite:rolleyes:; but I was very satisfied and still admired that saw every day!!

Sometimes the customer is right!!:biggrin::biggrin:
 

GouletPens

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A wise master cabinet maker once told me that there are 3 parts of negotiating any commission: service, quality, and price. The customer often gets to choose two and you get to choose the other. As long as you are choosing one, then you should consider it. If you can't find which one is your choice, then don't do it.
 

amosfella

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The money is always right. Look in some modern art galleries..... Most of that work is fugly, but people still buy it. It all has to do with taste..... If they're paying, I"m making.
 

wolftat

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I was asked to make a curly maple zen pen for a customer recently. It seemed like a nice normal request until, she asked if I could dye it green for her, I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. I made the pen, it was as ugly as could be, but she was practiculy jumping for joy when she saw it. I couldn't even bring myself to post a picture of it here.
 

amosfella

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Well, everybody has different tastes, otherwise every one would drive a diesel mercedes, listen only Rachmaninoff's music, own steinway pianos, have Fila dogs, and pet ferrets for mouse control......
(Disclaimer, personal preference is in the post, and should not be considered gospel)
 

fyrcaptn

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Mills River, NC, USA.
pen

My basic take is make the pen, do your best work, and appreciate their business.
Just like the posts on pens from plain woods that people wanted. Its their pen, their money, their preference, and your business. I'd not take anything for my plain old pine pen from the house I grew up in.
I like to give people what they ask for. I may make my case about why it may not come out as they imagine or what problems they might expect from their choices but in the end its they that have to be happy with the pen. As long as I know they made an informed decision I can sleep at night.
I've only not made one pen I was asked to make. It was a celtic knot and I just suck at them still. I put them in touch with someone that made them happy. I figured I lost a customer but I've done pens for them since.
 

Stick Rounder

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"The customer ain't always right but he is still the customer. I will make anything. I guess that makes me a pen prostitute."

I think the term is Pen Ho. LOL
 
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