In the Works at Dark Holler

[ChiefBroom]

A long overdue update will go out to our list shortly. If you don't have it by tomorrow and think you should, let me know.

We're still not taking orders again yet, but the website is progressing.

Below are some photos of the new Lotus (designed by Cody), Sumo (based on the vintage Simpson Bumblebee, aka Snowman), and Sherlock (Keyhole style).

 

[Yminoh]

Ken,

Got the update and I appreciate the time you took to update us. With that being said, I have to be honest and say I am concerned w/ the quality of knots that would be available for your handles. I've never had the pleasure of experiencing a Knot from Lee and was really looking forward to getting one paired w/ the style of handles you and Cody design. I honestly believe you are trying to put out the best possible product but as someone who has been on the list for awhile, I was hoping for a different update. Thanks again for all you and your son do for this community, and again, I really appreciate the update.

 

[ChiefBroom]

Ken,

Got the update and I appreciate the time you took to update us. With that being said, I have to be honest and say I am concerned w/ the quality of knots that would be available for your handles. I've never had the pleasure of experiencing a Knot from Lee and was really looking forward to getting one paired w/ the style of handles you and Cody design. I honestly believe you are trying to put out the best possible product but as someone who has been on the list for awhile, I was hoping for a different update. Thanks again for all you and your son do for this community, and again, I really appreciate the update.

We're not going to put knots in our handles that don't satisfy our standards. There isn't much we can do about the situation with Lee. Sending handles to England and then waiting for brushes to come back with no control or oversight over installation isn't a tenable arrangement. We said that a year ago. Our expectation was that Lee would put us in a position to source knots from him and install them ourselves. That didn't happen.

Consistency has been an issue, and since June Lee hasn't responded to our request for samples and/or a description of what he has available to commit to us. You might have noticed that a few new M&Fs have been popping up, but not many. As I said in the update, there has been no falling out, and we hope to continue collaboration with Lee in the future, but we're not going to sit around on our hands and wait. And we're not going to limit ourselves to a single source of knots that might not be able to continue fulfilling our needs on acceptable terms.

Also, as the update stated, we still have a number of second-batch brushes that Lee knotted, which will be offered on the website when it's ready. We're just not accepting orders for any brushes until then.

 

[ackvil]

Beautiful handles, Ken.

 

[ChiefBroom]

Here's an excerpt from the Update for context:

Prospective inventory

We still have some brushes held in reserve from our second-batch. Those were all knotted by Lee Sabini and came back to us from England in May. Again, they are not presently for sale. Absent exceptional circumstances, they will only be offered for purchase on our website.

We’ve continued to make handles in a variety of materials, including 26 and 28 mm Chiefs; 26 and 28 mm PK-47s; 24, 26, and 28 mm Falstaffs; 26 mm Sherlocks (Keyhole-style); and 24 and 26 mm Sumos. The Lotus, a completely novel design, has advanced through prototyping, and some other new additions are in the works.

We don’t have any interest in putting mediocre knots in the handles we make. Our relationship with Lee Sabini allowed us to come out of the gate with brushes we could take pleasure in using ourselves and pride in offering to others. But for a number of reasons, continuing to depend exclusively on Lee to supply and install knots in our brushes is untenable for us. This isn’t new, and there hasn’t been any falling out. I posted the following on B&B in December of last year:

We clearly need to put ourselves in a position to directly perform or otherwise closely manage all aspects of producing brushes for sale in the US (with the exception of tying knots).... Lee understands and agrees. Installing knots is non-trivial to do and extremely important to have done right. But we'll make sure that happens. It's not like we'd be breaking up. He just needs to ship us knots and make sure we're lined out to install them. He's good with that…. I'm OK with extending the current arrangement until we're set. It just isn't viable for the longer term….

Suffice it to say that progression in our relationship with Lee hasn’t happened yet. We’re still on very friendly terms with Lee, and we hope to resume collaboration with him. But we haven’t shipped any more handles to England since the TSN LE project was completed. In large part that’s because Lee wasn’t able to say with high confidence how many and what kind of knots he could commit to us, and he was substantially otherwise occupied through the remainder of the summer.

Although frustrating, the situation we faced in early July pressed us to do what we needed to do anyhow, which was set about finding one or more alternative sources of high quality knots. That has been my highest priority since the TSN LE brushes were shipped. During the second week of July, I traveled to Las Vegas to meet in person with representatives of four Chinese suppliers. Since then we’ve obtained and trialed a good many samples from both China and Germany. Those included three sequential batches from one stand-out Chinese supplier that has invested considerable time and effort toward understanding and meeting our requirements. We are placed our first order with that company and expect to be setting those knots by around the end of this month.

 

[Yminoh]

We're not going to put knots in our handles that don't satisfy our standards. There isn't much we can do about the situation with Lee. Sending handles to England and then waiting for brushes to come back with no control or oversight over installation isn't a tenable arrangement. We said that a year ago. Our expectation was that Lee would put us in a position to source knots from him and install them ourselves. That didn't happen.

Consistency has been an issue, and since June Lee hasn't responded to our request for samples and/or a description of what he has available to commit to us. You might have noticed that a few new M&Fs have been popping up, but not many. As I said in the update, there has been no falling out, and we hope to continue collaboration with Lee in the future, but we're not going to sit around on our hands and wait. And we're not going to limit ourselves to a single source of knots that might not be able to continue fulfilling our needs on acceptable terms.

Also, as the update stated, we still have a number of second-batch brushes that Lee knotted, which will be offered on the website when it's ready. We're just not accepting orders for any brushes until then.

Thanks for the response Ken. I know you are doing the best you can. Hang in there!

 

[Alejandro Salemandro]

Is it possible for somebody to just buy a handle? They are beautiful.

 

[Useless shaver]

Ken, the pics are not helping....


Seriously, thanks for your update and your efforts, really. You know you have my best wishes for the whole venture to achieve success. Paladin brushes are not only very good brushes (well, extremely good brushes), they are.. special. I hope, I am sure any (absurd) bureaucratic requirements will be beaten... and anyway we all find a way to get one of those very special pieces.

Even if I have to cross the Atlantic ocean by swimming...

Keep up the good work!!

 

[CtrlAltElite]

Damn good looking handleware!

 

[JimmyTheChooch]

Is it possible for somebody to just buy a handle? They are beautiful.

+1. This may help with the international shipping and I could source out my own high quality knot for one of those beautiful handles.

 

[BSAGuy]

Wow. Fabulous.

 

[rsp1202]

A new knot supplier and some second-batch brushes still hanging around. Yeah, those will sell. Thanks, Ken.

 

[Haggises]

The Lotus might be the best looking handle I've ever seen. Maybe even slightly sexy.

Great design!

 

[alfredus]

Thanks for the update and (as always) beautiful handles Ken!

I am sure you will overcome all problems and continue to offer us some great brushes in the future!

 

[spaceboy2001]

Thanks Ken for the update. The new handles look great!

 

[brucered]

Wow! That Lotus is classy.

 

[valkabit]

Thanks for the update Ken, and those are some beautiful handles. I already have a Jade Chief, but I might spend the rest of the day staring at that Jade Lotus

 

[Attila]

Thanks for the update Ken. Much appreciated.

 

[paintflinger]

Wooooooooo! Finally going to get my grubby mitts on an awesome pink handle Dark Holler.

 

[ChiefBroom]

Wooooooooo! Finally going to get my grubby mitts on an awesome pink handle Dark Holler.

Yes, you will.