To: Tim
Date: 2 September, 2022 12:03 PM
“Just to let you know my order arrived nice and early this morning, to recap this was my issue, ordering from eBay and nothing turning up for weeks on end and then a crap product, safe to say (like Ron seal) you done exactly what it said on the tin :0)
You are what we call a trusted supplier and would feel more than confident in ordering from you again.”
I appreciate that for a lot of people, ordering stuff from social media or whatever and then hoping and praying for it turn up is all part of the new instability in modern life.
Is it going to on the slow boat from a certain country for a month or more?
Then when it does arrive, is that box is going to be empty? (either literally or value-wise?)
It’s a weird time and frankly I understand where everyone’s coming from.
But it does mean that with just a bit of actual effort and customer service I can get a high quality product out to people when they are willing to reach out and ask a question.
Fortunately because of past question-askers, I can also supply you with info you might be looking for right here.
Here's the FAQ, warts and all:
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#1 "so how long does it take from order to delivery…” (and where is it from?)
BY EMAIL:
Okay, so how long does it take from order to delivery? As you can imagine I have ordered a few knives, been screwed over from China (but that’s my fault, little shits) and recently tried Canada, just looking for a nice set of knives that won’t go blunt to replace the hammers we are using at the moment.
Regards
D
TIM:
D
If you order on a working day, it'll usually be dispatched the same day and arrive within something like 24-48 hours depending on where you are in the country.
I understand your concern but I'm not sure the nationality of the people who make the knives is your worry, but rather the quality of the workmanship. I understand especially since the COVID-19 debacle we're all a bit suspicious of Chinese products and China in general has a negative reputation in the press.
However, having myself attempted to source British made knives I can tell you a few things:
1) First there are very few British-made premium chef's knives on the market for less than about £100 and if they are, then someone somewhere is lying to you. This is a reflection of how difficult it is to manufacture anything in Britain right now and I make no apology for going further afield to get it made and available to customers for less.
2) The British-made knives that I have sampled are of questionable quality. The first sample I had from a Sheffield firm I won't name actually rusted within three weeks. Others that I know of keep the big price tag and "British made" label but use low quality steel. Forest and Forge knives for instance are about £100 but their blades score something like 55 on the Rockwell Scale of Hardness. The Spitfire by comparison scores 57.5.
So as far as British-made being superior - I think unfortunately that may now be a distant memory preyed upon by devious marketers.
On the other hand you will also probably know that most tech companies have their very best products built in China, including Apple's iPhones which many would say are the most popular on the market.
Ultimately D it's your choice, but as with anything from any country, there's good and there's bad.
If I'm selling crap, then no-one comes back and I make no money. It's not a viable business model for me if it doesn't work for my customer.
Thanks
Tim
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#2 What’s the angle of the blade on the Spitfire?
BY EMAIL:
“Hi I am looking at the Spitfire knife. I am an avid home cook... I tried to find on the website the angle of the blade as it will eventually need sharpening at some point. “
TIM:
The blade angle is 15 degrees.
On profile, customers have said it is more of the Japanese style than it is Western. But it does not have the Japanese aesthetic - it is slightly more unique than that.
I hope this helps - I see you have already made a purchase, so let me know how it goes - I am at your service.
Thanks
Tim
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#3 "propper checks" (safety)
BY FACEBOOK:
I just wanted to say without propper checks you do realise young kids are buying these knives very easily & carrying them on the streets !!!!!
TIM:
Thanks for your message.
If you were to take the time to understand the platform you are using, read our product pages and go through the checkout process yourself, you might find the answers to your queries, such as they are.
In any case, since I will assume you’ll probably share this message, I will respond:
Visit our site and you’ll see that:
I need also hardly point out that our Spitfire is not some cheap piece of scrap metal.
It’s a premium chef’s knife for passionate cooks who want to draw a bit of attention and frankly I think anyone would struggle to use it for anything other than its obvious designed purpose!
So in conclusion, this message is just wrong and it’s scaremongering.
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#4 Can women use this product
BY FACEBOOK:
(Various on this theme, on almost every advert we put out)
WHY CAN’T WOMEN USE IT?
UNLIKE NORMAL KNIFE HANDLES THIS ONE CANNOT BE HELD WITH YOUR HAND, INSTEAD IT IS WIELDED WITH YOUR P****, HENCE ONLY SUITABLE FOR LADS.
TIM:
Obviously not a real question, but I will reply to it anyway just for fun since he keeps coming back and is clearly enjoying himself.
No:
Women, can’t use the Spitfire because we’ve installed a scanner on our website which prohibits females from buying!
So there it is. You’ve discovered our dark secret!
Okay not really, but then I'm not sure this was ever a serious question.
Anyone who wants to draw a bit of attention – whether online or off – would do well to check out all of our products since they are designed to serve as a stunning backdrop to delicious dishes of all kinds.
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if you've come this far, then I recommend taking a swing back by the Classic Collection Page - just to make sure you haven't forgotten anything...
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I was searching for something totally unrelated.
But the headline was something like "6 things people who have a good relationship with money always splurge on"
And that totally grabbed my attention - like it’s grabbed yours I assume!
And frankly some of the things that were on it were pretty fascinating.
I've cut it down a bit for faster reading (plus some of the things on there were like loyalty cards which ... I don't think count):
#1 Education
This is a given, I suppose - anything that gets you a new skill is worth spending on, I'd agree with that.
#2 Labour saving products for work
Anything that again improves your productivity at work, ie your ability to earn more money. Makes sense.
#3 Experiences
“An experience that improves your health and quality of life can be a good target for a splurge.” That's fair - something you'll never forget and enhances your life.
#4 Good kitchenware
Yep. I didn’t make this up.
According to Business Insider, kitchenware that lasts is always a good investment because it’ll encourage you to cook home more often - saving money on going out, while at the same time perfecting a great life skill.
Plus, I’d add that you get to control what you put into your body and thus, control your health.
Have you ever heard a better argument for splurging on one of our beautiful knives?
Optimised for both function and feel? Optimised for control?
Tbh at this price, it barely even feels like a splurge!
What are you waiting for? Business Insider wouldn't wait...
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There is an earlier “stage of evolution” which is far more fundamental:
And it happens before anyone ever gets to the experimental, adventurous stage.
In fact, I think it’s probably the most important stage that everyone just kind of skims over.
That is the “control” aspect.
A shedload of people I speak to are – despite appearances – really fussy about their food.
Or – translating it into my own language – “they know what they like”.
And that is almost always that initial inspiration for getting in the kitchen in the first place!
Quick disclaimer: look, I don’t diet.
I’m a man of 31, I run a fair few miles a week and rarely go out more than once a week (boo hoo).
So the idea of “health food” turns me off faster than a light switch.
But I get that for others, that’s what makes them tick.
It’s the first step into the kitchen – the easiest in fact – that leads to them controlling their life more – be it in health, in going vegan / vegetarian or even just making food you like.
And then the excitement of success keep them going!
That excitement rolls into the next meal, and then the next, until you look round and actually you’re pretty good at this thing and it might be time to start an Instagram account!
Sound familiar?
Anyway moral of the story is if you want to control your food, you’ll need to get good gear and we’ve got the perfect upgrade right here at https://shopify.swordandstone.co.uk/
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