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I have had a terrible time dealing with a blacksmith named Jake Beimler. I have had to call the police on him, as well as my attorney, as he tried to not send me an $80 ulu I bought for my son. I still don't have it, but the girlfriend says it has been sent. We'll see. My personal opinion is that he is a liar and a thief, and it was only through extreme effort on my part that the girlfriend seems to have responded. Just so you know, I was very patient and deferential for 2.5 months before I blew my lid. This was a very negative experience.
AVOID HIM
Your comments do not reflect reality. I bought THE ULU ON THE TABLE. I had it shipped so I didn't have to bring it through Customs. I notified the police - which you already knew. They know your game. So does Norwegian Cruise Line. You are fortunate to have FINALLY shipped the item so my attorney at Ross & Mathews didn't need to write a letter or otherwise get involved. Tell your "artist" to be more clear if he is going to take 2 months to box and ship his "work of art" that took maybe a hour to create, and tell him not to say "yeah I'll get it in the mail tomorrow" if that is not his intention. If that's not asking too much of you, that is.
I am the said girlfriend of the blacksmith and I would like to state that if someone would like to purchase a custom knife from a bladesmith that they should expect to wait longer than two and a half months to receive the product. This customer did in fact receive his knife and I have not heard from the police, his lawyer or any other authorities. Please sir if you commission another artist to do work for you, please try to be patient. Also the phone works better than email with artists. Just a thought!
I also met Jake in Ketchican while visiting Alaska. I paid him cash in advance to make 2 adze heads as he said he had made them before for a couple of artists that I was aware of. I was very excited to get to use them in my volunteer work doing and teaching Northwest Native carving, but I really wasn't expecting to see them in the mail for about 3 months. I knew these things took time. After 3 months I emailed to make sure he had my correct address and heard nothing back. After 4 months I tried calling and left a detailed message. Nothing. I've called and emailed several times and earlier this month I celebrated the 1 year anniversary of the time I wasted that money on Jake Beimler's talents. If he called and said that he couldn't do the job and needs to send me my money back, I'd totally understand. If he had gotten back to me at all, in any way, I wouldn't be writing this. Cheating tourists is not that surprising I guess, but cheating a fellow artist is very bad Karma. I know some carvers up there and they will certainly not be supporting Bifrost Blacksmith as long as I haven't received what I ordered.
To the gentleman called IrishCarver. I am so very sorry about your order. You are welcome to contact me at our new number [protected] or email me at krystled@hotmail.com. I would like to fix this mistake. We would love to send you some adze blades or refund you if you prefer. I hope to hear from you very soon!
Jake is a true artist. I appreciate and value his work, and forgive his lackluster attention to the detail required in creating and shipping product. This 'special order" requirement is common with tourists who visit art studios, etc, and cannot find exactly what they like. Many are haughty and think themselves too good to purchase the items displayed. Please learn from this mistake travelers/tourists. If you like what you see, purchase it and move on.
Ketchikan runs on a different time schedule than the rest of world. No one would cheat you on purpose. The pace is slower more relaxed and the community is more of a family than a town. That said 80 dollars for a knife is nothing. I am a professional chef and most of my knives cost 5 to 10 times this price. An hour of a lawyer's time is 3 to 4 times that and 80$ isn't worth the 40$ dollars it would cost to bring the case to a small claims court and 65$ to a process server let alone your trip to Alaska to prosecute said case. I am sure that if you actually spoke with your attorney they would tell you this after you paid them 400$ for their time. When you commission a work of art you should expect delays even of individuals who do not run on island time and be proud to support local artists. Case in point read about Michaelangelo and the Sistine chapel. I own several of Jake's works and he definitely isn't charging what they are worth. He doesn't own a factory or a mold and you would be hard pressed to even find a ruler in his shop. Yes, that's right he does it all by eye. Each piece is forged by hand and he doesn't release a piece unless it is perfect. He has travelled the world learning his craft. If you want instant gratification buy a soul less blade at Walmart that was made in a press or mold by untrained slave labor in China that will lose its edge the first time you swing your blade. Life is to short, be happy your supporting American made products and in doing so American families. Howl into the wind, it will do you no good, and I wouldn't be surprised if your new knife doesn't cut you. Karma and knives go hand in hand.
We purchased 2 knives from Jake. They are beautiful! Krystal mailed them and we got them within a week! I highly recommend them!