Maniago shops

[Bill DeShivs]

Thank you for your input, Barshoo!

[Markco the Mad otter]

Interesting. I did know Rick but was totally unaware of the attempt at having a memorial knife done for him. I used to talk to Sara quite often and of course met her when I was there. She did seem very suspicious of a lot of people for reasons that I never understood...

I have known Sara since mid-2000's. Early on, I had written Frank letters via email. (Frank and I have the same birthday. He once very kindly wrote, "You are my treasure in the U.S.") Sara read my email's to Frank, and translated Frank's replies to me. We were "friends" on Facebook. When I wrote and told her that Angelo Campolin was making the knives for Rick's memorial knife project, she replied, "We are makers, not sellers". It's been 3 years since any words were exchanged.

Maybe they quite selling. I haven't been able to talk to Sara for awhile nor have I tried to buy knives from them for probably been a few years. Sara had been on FB but pretty sure that she isn't any more. I miss talking with them.

[Luke_of_Mass]

Interesting. I did know Rick but was totally unaware of the attempt at having a memorial knife done for him. I used to talk to Sara quite often and of course met her when I was there. She did seem very suspicious of a lot of people for reasons that I never understood...

I have known Sara since mid-2000's. Early on, I had written Frank letters via email. (Frank and I have the same birthday. He once very kindly wrote, "You are my treasure in the U.S.") Sara read my email's to Frank, and translated Frank's replies to me. We were "friends" on Facebook. When I wrote and told her that Angelo Campolin was making the knives for Rick's memorial knife project, she replied, "We are makers, not sellers". It's been 3 years since any words were exchanged.

Maybe they quite selling. I haven't been able to talk to Sara for awhile nor have I tried to buy knives from them for probably been a few years. Sara had been on FB but pretty sure that she isn't any more. I miss talking with them.

it looks like they've set up a storefront here: https://www.frankbeltrame.com/italian-knives/

it would seem most things are out of stock though. I really wish you could design your own knives through an interactive website - pick the scales, blade type, nickel silver/stainless, red dot/no red dot, overall length, etc etc and have it give you a sliding scale estimate of the cost of the knife based on how many you want and the materials you have chosen. This would probably eliminate most communication breakdown as far as what is possible and at what cost with quantity considerations. AB once had a website sort of like this (the SKM one) but it was completely unmanned and emails were never returned so I didn't really feel safe ordering there.

[jerryk25]

This forum string is kinda why I never lingered here before. . . .
SharperDeals seemed classier.

You don't know why they (beltrame) have an attitude, whether they got burned,
Whether the local economy is hitting them hard.
It happened at my shop once, we had to cut out the dead weight.
Some nice people we used to go the extra mile for, got used to it, and later when we couldn't afford the time.
When we started saying "No" . . they got all pissy. . .

A warning is fine. . . but do it with some consideration. . .
Say . . "They don't seem to have the same level of service as they did when the old man ran it."

Disclaimer. . . . I draw for Walt. . . maybe I'm biased. . . . . but My contacts with them were always just fine.
People reply in kind as they themselves are addressed.

Ivano . . . Don't leave the forum . . . online friends are all I have now.

[arthas]

Hello!

I really wish you could design your own knives through an interactive website - pick the scales, blade type, nickel silver/stainless, red dot/no red dot, overall length, etc etc and have it give you a sliding scale estimate of the cost of the knife based on how many you want and the materials you have chosen. This would probably eliminate most communication breakdown as far as what is possible and at what cost with quantity considerations. AB once had a website sort of like this (the SKM one) but it was completely unmanned and emails were never returned so I didn't really feel safe ordering there.

Just to add some historical information here...

I developed the origina AB Coltellerie web site which had exactly the "configurator" you are talking about, which was used to choose handle, blade, etc. That was in the early 2000s: it worked well for the time, and by the way at that time AB Coltellerie was a responsive company with good customer service.

It all went downwards in the subsequent years, unfortunately.

Also, as an interesting side note, this was the AB/SKM Forum in the late 1990s / early 2000s: I then detached it from AB/SKM in an effort to make it an "independent" meeting point, so I renamed it to TalkBlade. Nevertheless, its roots are AB/SKM related.

Michele.

[barshoo]

Just to add some historical information here...

I developed the origina AB Coltellerie web site which had exactly the "configurator" you are talking about, which was used to choose handle, blade, etc. That was in the early 2000s: it worked well for the time, and by the way at that time AB Coltellerie was a responsive company with good customer service.

It all went downwards in the subsequent years, unfortunately.

Also, as an interesting side note, this was the AB/SKM Forum in the late 1990s / early 2000s: I then detached it from AB/SKM in an effort to make it an "independent" meeting point, so renamed it to TalkBlade. Nevertheless, it's roots are AB/SKM related.

Michele.

Thank you, Michele, for this exciting "history lesson"!

[COCONUTS]

I ordered 1 way back before the internet from Frank and it was a long long process. I thought my money was gone forever, but it finally arrived. That was the first time I sent money overseas. I think I ordered it out of a magazine if I’m not mistaken…..