Putter togetherer (scissor maker)

[Racers]

Check this film out.

http://vimeo.com/98953952


Pete

 

[Baldhead]

I enjoyed that Pete, thanks for posting.

Baldhead

 

[AndyT]

Nice one. It's good to see that there are still skilled craftsmen in Sheffield, even if there are only a few of them.
I liked his worn-to-fit hammer.

 

[KevM]

Excellent - thanks for sharing, there are some super videos on Vimeo.

Not wanting to start anything but I'm pretty certain I saw a sharpening jig in use at ~20s in... :wink:, mind you I think this is pretty well balanced by all the other processes.

 

[Green]

Lovely film.

There is some great stuff on Vimeo.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A jig? ... not a JIG, surely
Seriously, interesting - but it would have been better without that music.

 

[KevM]

And all yours for £40 delivered, or their full range here

 

[hansonread]

After seeing the video I just had to buy some!

 

[KevM]

After seeing the video I just had to buy some!

I'm still trying to make my mind up between the all-purpose scissors, the Moustache and Nose Scissors ( :shock: Ouch!) or the Golf Hole-Trimming Scissors (who knew??)

 

[hansonread]

If you are unsure on the ground that you are laying the concrete on, if its prone to movements and cracking etc, you may be worth adding some A142 Mesh to the base to stop any future cracking. Its around 20 quid a sheet, but well worth it in the long run.

 

[Harbo]

Wrong thread I think??

Rod

 

[hansonread]

haha definatly! stupid back button!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Excellent Pete. But spot the deliberate mistake of the the film editor at the end!

 

[Berncarpenter]

Great vid thanks for sharing Pete. I think old Cliff Denton was amazing , i expect he's been a putter for some time.

Cheers Bern

 

[thick_mike]

I had to buy a pair too.

I would also like to buy the hammer! That's the best tool I've seen in ages...the handle is beautiful.

 

[Racers]

Excellent Pete. But spot the deliberate mistake of the the film editor at the end!

Different scissors in the last shots?

Pete

 

[Steve Maskery]

No!
The definition written in the credits says that Putter is a verb, but then goes on to describe the person, so it should be Noun!

Still a great video though.
S

 

[thick_mike]

They are struggling to keep up with demand after the video went up on the net (especially with Cliff on holiday in Filey oblivious to the stir the video caused). Got an email from the CEO (and van driver) that shows how tough times can be for tiny manufacturers...

Dear Madam or Sir,

It has been an eventful week again here (except of course for the still-unaware Cliff)! - but I did promise an update from the email below; so here we are:

I must thank the many WONDERFUL people who have messaged with their incredible support over this unusual time for our company. I have received at least a hundred emails from many extremely kind and understanding people, offering their willingness to wait for their scissors if a delay situation is unavoidable (or even if not!). “Take your time” is a phrase I have read more a few times, which is lovely and also highly ‘in the spirit’. Whilst I simply have not had the time to write back individually, many messages have left me feeling quite emotional indeed. I’m sure you know who you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Many many others I have not even heard from, which I also take as a further possible show of support. Either way I have had precisely three requests for refunds so far, and each with very good reason and even an apology.

Meantime we have deduced one thing at least here: this ‘internet sensation’ appears to have been a fairly brief surprise, and our website visit levels have dwindled roughly back to their usual traffic already. In some way almost a blessing at this precise moment.. but in other ways maybe more a long-term misfortune. At least you may certainly feel like part of a select ‘club’ of stakeholders now, I’ll put it that way!

We have further sadly deduced that we are short on the Traditional Kitchen Scissors featured in “The Putter”, which are of course the main item that many of you kind people have ordered. I believe this is going to become the crux of a problem.

We are too also behind on a couple of other items, namely General Purpose Scissors (particularly the 7”), the Thread Snips, and a few Left-Handed Dressmaking scissors, although we do hold the forgings (raw stock to be worked on) for all of these. I believe these orders will all be fulfilled within a month maximum, along with any others. It is only the Kitchen Scissors which pose a real problem.

Here is the story: I recently borrowed and spent £15,000 on a large number of forgings for both 8-inch and 10-inch Dressmaking/Tailoring Scissors and Shears, which was a pretty large investment move for our business. These products appeared to be our best-sellers in a popular marketplace and one in which we seem to excel. Dressmakers, tailors, quilters, knitters, stitchers and embroiderers are all people that genuinely do love their scissors, and they also seem to really like ours! So this was the area we were going to concentrate upon.

I was not, however, at this point expecting a great demand on Kitchen Scissors! and the forgings for those were already growing fairly low in numbers. ‘Forgings’ are what we buy in, the raw product (as seen hanging right at the start of “The Putter” film) before Cliff and Eric, Jamie and Ryan work their special magic upon them. To purchase more of these now I have to buy 3,000 kitchen scissors forgings as a minimum order. The pattern is completely unique to our company and 3,000 is the forge’s minimum order volume. This order will cost around £15,000. I still have not managed to get the number quite correct but we are roughly short by around 200 of these kitchen scissors at the moment for these recent internet orders. This means either somehow finding and spending £15,000 to continue… or refunding around £8,000 in unfulfilled orders and ceasing the product henceforth.

I have thought the options through again and again the last few days. In the end if you do not mind I am going to leave it up to the public vote? I will take a consensus of opinion from any replies to this email and see what the general feeling is?

Ironically if we had received exactly double the purchases from this surprise internet adventure, it would have forced the argument and I would have had no option but to re-invest. But again we are where we are! If anyone would prefer dressmaking scissors instead by the way, we have thousands!!!

A final point (and I don’t know what to make of this one myself!): PayPal have actually seized and frozen our PayPal account for now with all the order money still in it, apparently due to “Unusual Activity”. They can say that again I suppose, but this really isn’t helping any of us at all at the moment. I am hoping to get this problem sorted out early next week pending their ‘investigations’.

Regardless, again might I please ask that if anyone wishes for a refund: please email me henceforth with the title ”REFUND” and at least the 4-digit order number in the text. As soon as the PayPal issue is sorted out I will respond to this immediately.

Yours with kindest regards again,

Nick.

 

[bugbear]

I had to buy a pair too.

I would also like to buy the hammer! That's the best tool I've seen in ages...the handle is beautiful.

I found it interesting that the hammers were clearly loved, and a key tool, as was the very special custom made anvil, with its rivet
driving holes, and rivet setting holes. Clealy, for production, using multiple anvils or sets would take a fraction of time longer, and (I bet) he's on piece work.

But the screwdriver was clearly not loved! Looked like it came from a kitchen drawer, held together with sellotape.

BugBear

 

[thick_mike]

A bit more on the company on this segment done for a BBC2 programme...

http://youtu.be/IitTC4PqcOI