Hate To Wait? Then Pay The Price
Being a typical July day in central Maryland, it was hot, humid, thick and miserable. Of course, the air conditioner decided to go on the fritz. While the inside blower blew air, it wasn’t mixing with the cool refrigerant that makes the air so refreshing on a hot summer day. Even worse, it decided to conk out on a Friday night, meaning if we got someone out the next day, we would have to pay weekend rates.
The owner of the company showed up, they were so busy, and I explained the problem. The outside unit was trying to start, but the fan wouldn’t work. This narrowed things down for him. He popped the side panel off and used his voltmeter to figure out what was getting current and what wasn’t.
Skilled work takes time. Here a grip frame is being
EDM’d for a Mag-na-port custom sixgun.
Flashback
Luckily, it was daytime, and I wasn’t asked to hold the flashlight. This is the first job many of us endured, as our fathers swore at everything going wrong while trying to fix something, mainly because of their own frustration. With those memories flashing before me, I chuckled.
Thankfully, the owner was competent, diagnosing the problem in 30 seconds. The capacitor needed to be swapped out, and he happened to have a replacement on his truck.
He hooked it up took less than a minute. We tested the unit, and it started blowing wonderfully cool air again. It was fixed. I was happy. Then came the invoice. I won’t mention how much it was, but it wasn’t cheap. It didn’t matter, as another night of facing the ravages of prickly heat, sweat, sticky bed sheets and misery would be no more. I was happy writing the check. While doing so, I was reminded of another story …
Engraving takes time because there are only so many,
and it’s a slow and tedious process.
Ship Ahoy!
A large cruise liner had a major problem — its propeller decided to stop turning. No problem, unless you wanted to go somewhere. The large vessel was lifted out of the water and moored for repair, but being out of service costs the cruise line hundreds of thousands of dollars each day the ship is out of commission.
The repairman responded the next day. He told the captain to start the engine and put the boat in gear. The mighty ship rumbled, but the propeller was frozen. Feeling the sides of the boat with his hands, the mechanic walked almost the entire length of the vessel and then abruptly stopped.
Picking a large hammer from his bag of tools, he sharply hit the side of the boat two times, and the propeller started turning. The captain was elated. That is, until he got the invoice. The bill was for $30,000. When asked why it cost so much for such a short, easy fix, the mechanic replied, “You’re not paying for my time, but rather my experience and expertise. A lesser-skilled mechanic could have taken weeks to do what I did in mere seconds. You are paying for my 30 years’ experience, education and training.”
Custom work separates the plain to exquisite, like these
Tyler Gun Works gun, tomahawk and knife. Each is individually
made, not stamped out, having its own unique pattern and style
Two to Tango
I heard it long ago and never forgot it. While working construction during summer break, a customer was complaining about a bill. He wanted to know why such a short job cost so much. My boss told him this. You need to consider three things for every job, but you only get to pick two. You decide what is more important to you.
The three things are good, cheap and fast. Remember, you can only pick two for the job. If you want cheap and fast, you’ll end up with what you pay for — low quality. If you want good and cheap, the work will be too slow. And if you want what everyone wants, quality work at a fast pace, you’re going to have to pay for it.
Remember my air conditioner? I received good work at a fast rate — and paid for it. Happily! Now, how’s this all tie in with what we care about here? Great question!
A carved holster from Milt Sparks and custom stocks from
Herrett grips took time, but it was well worth the wait. Once
in hand you’ll forget all about the wait.
Custom Guns & Other Stuff
Let’s talk about what we want to hear about. You know, stuff pertaining to guns — be it customizing, building or repairing. It doesn’t matter. It’s all applicable. Knives, holsters and other custom goodies we love drooling over can be lumped into the pile too. The thing they all have in common is we hate waiting for them!
When feeling antsy or impatient, remember the above stories. Reputable vendors need time to make quality items, as many are one-man shops. If you want it now, you’ll pay a premium for it, usually from someone else who waited for it and decided to sell it. Best to plan, make your order and forget about it. When it does come, you’ll be happy with your latest acquisition.
The guys having all the cool stuff took years acquiring it because they know quality goods are worth waiting for. These guys didn’t do it overnight, and you should expect to do it the same way. It’s simple. Don’t buy junk. Wait for what you want. It will be worth it in the end.
