Oh, the heartbreak

[Steve Voigt]

A few weeks ago, I bought the very nice looking, massive tataki nomi below off ebay. The price was very reasonable. I'm a japanese chisel newbie, so I sought advice from several experts who all gave it a thumbs up.

298888

Well, the package arrived today. The top was cut wide open, and here's all that was in it:

298889

It's impossible to know for sure what happened, but I have a pretty good guess: the f#@&rs at customs opened it and didn't bother to reseal it.
Obviously, there's no way to replace something like this. The best I can hope for is a refund. :(

Sorry for the self-pitying whine, I just had to get that off my chest.
So, does anyone need an extra hoop for a japanese chisel? :p

[george wilson]

That is a shame for sure.

[David Weaver]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Vlt-lpVOY

that's a bummer!

Try again. Same thing, I'd say, look for a tataki from someone who isn't a current it maker and try again. There's not a whole lot of difference in edge holding between a $35 unknown maker quality chisel and one that's $115 (generally there isn't any).

[Christopher Charles]

Perhaps that's the one ring to rule them all?

Bummer indeed!

[Tom Vanzant]

If you haven't already done so, contact the delivery people. They delivered a package that had been tampered with and the contents lost or stolen. Worth a call...
Give eBay a heads up too and let them know.

[Brian Holcombe]

Definitely not cool! There is a chisel, less the ring, in someone's sort facility with all of the workers wondering where it came from.

[Tony Shea]

That is def a bummer. You really need to follow up on that with the delivery people. And don't be soft with them as in don't take "I'm sorry sir but there isn't anything we can do about this."

[Steve Voigt]

Thanks everybody. I did call the post office, but they weren't much help. Trying to get a refund from the seller, we'll see how that goes.

[David Weaver]

I'm sure it wasn't the seller's doing. IIRC, that chisel came from takeshi kuroda (jp metal master) near miki.

I ordered a folding marking knife once from fujibato and it disappeared, despite being registered, after it got over here. I guess someone at the post office decided they wanted it for themselves, because it made it to New York and was scanned in here and then disappeared. I didn't get any satisfaction in that case at all, just three letters from Japan Post asking if I'd received the item because they had noticed that it was never signed for.

After those three, nothing. Fujibato is not that nice to deal with if something goes wrong or if a customer isn't happy with the conclusion (and it wasn't his fault, anyway).

[Steve Voigt]

Thanks for the suggestions and good vibes, everyone.

Dave--yeah, it was jpmetalmaster, and no, it's not really his fault (though he could have packed it better). I contacted him once and he didn't seem to understand--language issue, no doubt. I clarified and haven't heard back, so I'll try again. If he doesn't respond, I guess I have to go to ebay. My understanding is that the seller is ultimately responsible for shipping issues, even if it's not his fault. I hope he had insurance.

Oh well, back to hunting for an appropriate chisel…

[David Weaver]

If you don't purchase insurance, it's not his responsibility after he packs it. Especially if it has tracking. At least it used not to be. I've never had a package opened by customs, I'd assume that in this case the problem was theft and not accidental loss.

As far as I know, he uses google translate to converse back and forth, so you never know what he's getting through the translator.

Fujibato, on the other hand, has a pretty negative reaction to any criticism. I remember someone saying they didn't like the stone he gave them and he told them they were a "little girl" :)

[Steve Voigt]

Happy ending!!!
When I talked to the local post office yesterday, I told them "if the carrier finds a chisel in his bag…"
Well, I guess that happened, because this afternoon a chisel mysteriously appeared in my mailbox, with no explanation. Crazy! But a big relief. Thanks everybody!

[Brian Holcombe]

That's awesome!

[Jim Koepke]

Happy ending!!!
When I talked to the local post office yesterday, I told them "if the carrier finds a chisel in his bag…"
Well, I guess that happened, because this afternoon a chisel mysteriously appeared in my mailbox, with no explanation. Crazy! But a big relief. Thanks everybody!

Not only awesome, expletive deleted awesome!

jtk

[Harold Burrell]

Oh, wow...that's GREAT!

I would still sue somebody, though. You know...for all of your emotional trauma... ;)

In fact, I have felt so badly for you through this whole thing that I might sue somebody.

[Steve Voigt]

Oh, wow...that's GREAT!

I would still sue somebody, though. You know...for all of your emotional trauma... ;)

In fact, I have felt so badly for you through this whole thing that I might sue somebody.

Yeah, I'm going to need years of therapy. :p

[David Weaver]

Happy ending!!!
When I talked to the local post office yesterday, I told them "if the carrier finds a chisel in his bag…"
Well, I guess that happened, because this afternoon a chisel mysteriously appeared in my mailbox, with no explanation. Crazy! But a big relief. Thanks everybody!

Now we expect to hear how it works! IME, beating plane mortises out with a japanese chisel is pretty unsatisfying until you find the angle where they won't chip at all, but once you get that, they are worth the price of admission. I could've cut all three of the mortises in the beech planes without resharpening (with the bench chisel I used), but my first few attempts with an imai chisel weren't too great because I may have expected too much out of it.

Now you're ahead of me. I'm still waiting for my folding marking knife!

[Frederick Skelly]

Very glad you got your chisel back Steve!




I ordered a folding marking knife once from fujibato and it disappeared, despite being registered, after it got over here. I guess someone at the post office decided they wanted it for themselves, because it made it to New York and was scanned in here and then disappeared.

In the recent past (last 4-5 years), some local post office personnel acknowledged openly that they had a problem with theft. I learned this when I got a tour of my local post office and noticed that there was an mezanine above the sorting area that had oddly colored windows in several oddly shaped nooks. When I asked, the person giving the tour told me the nooks were observation points done in such a way that folks on the sorting floor couldnt tell when they were being observed. She said they served a couple purposes, but were really put in to help curb theft. I was shocked, frankly. So I asked a few clarifying questions and got the same answer. I dont think she was pulling my leg.

Just for the record - every post office employee Ive ever known personally has been a pretty good guy/gal. I dont mean to offend - Im just relaying an experience that still seems odd to me.
Fred

[Tom Vanzant]

Steve, great news! Persistence paid off. I imagine the mail carrier was happy too.

[george wilson]

It is a miracle you got the chisel!! The Post Office is never responsible for losing anything,it seems. Between my co-worker,Jon,and myself,one year they lost 5 letters. I have had letters come back missing postage,and could see where the stamp had been torn off. One time,I finished my car payments and went to get the title. I had missed a payment(which was LOST by the USPS),and had to pay the payment plus a fine. No answer from the post office when I complained to them.