I need some minds greater than my own for this one.

Fours years ago I sent a piece of beautiful mesquite to a 'smith for a stock for my Mark X rifle (25-284).
He told me he could do it in approximately 9 months.

Well, it kept taking longer and longer, and then it turned into 3 years. To be fair, he would always speak with me on the phone...never, ever dodged my calls, and told me why the delays were happening.

Last year he told me the dimensions of my blank weren't right for the stock configuration I wanted, and said he would use a piece of exhibition grade Claro walnut he had for my stock....no charge on the wood.

Ok...so I got the rifle (complete) today....maybe the finest stock I have ever held in my life. The wood-to-metal fit is just unbelievable. Total time was about 4 years.

He charged me $950 total (shipping was about $30).

I feel guilty accepting it at that price.

Suggestions on a tip?
Thanks,
Garrett

P.S. If anyone wants to post pics, I can email them to you. ngpowell@aol.com

If you really feel it is too little then by all means pony up what you think is fair. I have a hard time when I feel like I got the best of someone. It's one thing to feel like I negotiated a good deal, quite another to feel I got the best of someone. Perhaps it was his way of making up for the delay!

I'll send you an email and post those pics if you'd like.

The smith sounds like a helluva guy for making it up to you for taking so long and you sound like a helluva guy for worrying about taking advatage of him. Talk to the smith and tell him your concern. Two fellas like yall ought to be able to come up with something that makes you both feel good about the situation.

this is meant in humor!!!

seriousl.. humor...

if he had cut that claro blank, 3 years ago.. (or bought it cheap was it was wet)

waxed the ends..

threw it in the loft of his garage..

it would be hard and dry by the time he started work on it!!!

Call him, tell him you think he charged you too little (have a number in mind) and see what he thinks...

if he wont take it... start another project and give him a deposit

jeffe

What Jeffe said and put him on your Christmas card list too

Terry

After 4 years I suspect he was trying to rectify his promises...He owes you something for that long wait...

He is a good guy and made the deal right for you, tell him how much you appreciate it and let it go......At that price he didn't lose any money and made a little I would think on a claro blank...sounds like a push to me...

I have learned that it's not a good deal when one party feels he got the better of another, even for the party who got the advantage.

A good deal happens when both parties feel they did okay. You clearly feel that you need to do something in this case to get to fair and square.

I like jeffeosso's suggestions for making things right.

If you really feel like he needs a tip...ship him a box of omaha steaks or something similar with a nice note..

These guys have all given good advice about calling the guy and offering to make things right with him. That way you can enjoy the gun. Otherwise every time you pick the rifle up instead of having a sense of pride, you will be feeling pangs of guilt - not worth it. Make it right and really enjoy the rifle.

Like others, I think a gift of thanks from you would be good for all involved. Remember, if he waited a couple years to let you know the dimensions weren't correct, that tells me it was the first time he seriously looked at the project. If I promised something in 9 months and then find out I made an error 2 years later I'd want to correct it too. I think the Omaha steaks are a good idea, or even better is find a nice restaurant in his town and make a reservation for him and his wife and get them a gift certificate, if they have kids give them $25 cash for the babysitter. Depending on the city and what you feel like I think $75 or so for the dinner but the price will be different depending on the town. My sneaky way of thinking is if you want to make a lasting impression ALWAYS get the wife involved wheree SHE feels appreciated!

I would make up the difference by giving him more business, at a fair price of course.

Start up another project with him and send him a gift (bottle of his favorite liquor, steaks, whatever).

I agree with the above posters. YOu should send him a gratuity in thr form of a gift of some sort. You'll feel better and he will most certainly enjoy the steaks/whisky/wine!

The coolest thing I ever saw in a gunshop was a $100 bill that a customer fired a group on with their new rifle that the proprietor had just rebarrelled and bedded....and sent as a tip.

Of course, this was more of a varmint rifle, but there was a TINY cloverleaf group on this bill, and it was displayed prominently in the store. I don't think the store owner could have been anymore proud of anything, and quite a nice bit of advertisement as well.

Not trying to start anything over the defacing of legal tender....just thought it was neat.

After seeing so many posts on smiths who will not return either phone calls or materials, this was nice to hear. Perhaps it might be appropriate so share this individual's name and contact info? A little advertising wouldn't hurt and any smith with a sense of honor deserves our support.

I have mixed emotions about this.
First, the 'smith must feel some remorse for taking an extra 3 years and 3 months to deliver. That is a LONG time, what if you had died during that time and never seen the gun. I doubt the man gave you anything but a very decent deal. I think $950 for a wood handle is pretty damned rich, but then again, you fellows may be of the deep pocket crowd who indulge in very expensive items on a day to day basis. If you have parted with the coin and rendered what he demanded, I would call it done. Perhaps next time he will deliver in 9 months and charge you $2,000 for his efforts.

Aw that is easy, Just send him $950 and tell him you want another just like it.

Here's the pics.

Thanks Mike for putting up the pictures.

Sorry about the quality; my digital camera lacks a macro feature.

The gunsmiths name is Don Burkhart, from Rawlins, WY.
In addition to supplying the walnut (at no charge), he also returned my Mesquite blank for a future project.
He also blued and fitted a skeleton buttplate and grip cap I supplied, executed a fleur-de-lis pattern at 22 lines per inch, and fit the recessed (hidden) sling swivels.

You can tell I'm pleased....

Garrett

That is a fine rifle, and in my opinion worth the wait!

quote:

After 4 years I suspect he was trying to rectify his promises...He owes you something for that long wait.

I agree.....but also agree that after seeing the photos it was worth it.....Personally I think you got a bargain and I'd accept it that way.....it should have been done on time but wow.....it's beautiful!!!!

It seems to me that you got more than you wanted, and that you could have at any time stopped the project and went someplace else, but you didn't. In my mind, you owe the guy a few bucks. How much is up to you. And, I have a feeling that by your very asking the question here you already knew it in the first place.

HOLY SHIT!!!!!

That is an INCREDIBLE stock for $950!!!!

I'd send him this:

Eagle Rare
and call it a done deal.....

I like what Bentbrass has to say about how everytime you look at the rifle you may feel a bit of guilt. You should try and remedy that.

While I havn't had any Gunsmith work done I am more than willing to pay more for a job to get done if I feel it is worth it to me. Be it Machine work or having a Carb rebuilt or even buying something second hand. If it is what i have my heart set on I will gladdly over pay if I have been treated well. It may not be smart business but I leave satisfied with the product I have left with.

yep

Billhilly6 pretty well covered it IMO. Talk to him man to man, or over the phone if he's too far from you, tell him your thoughts and ask him straight up if he feels that he came out on the short end of the deal. If he says no, I'd evaluate how you felt at that point.....if you still think you owe him something.....I'd send him or his wife a $100 bill or two, whatever you think and call it even.

I think most people, certainly including me, would rather have cash to buy what they want, not steaks or a bottle of whisky that he might not even drink. Gifts are fine, but money is prime.

BTW, based on the photos, it looks to me like you got a helluva stock making/checkering job for $950, and that doesn't include the blank. However, 39 months late is not to be forgotten. I'd lean towards calling it even if he does.

The first time I had a certian 'smith do a rebbl/blueing job for me I felt much the same way. There were similar circumstances beyond his control that held things up and he was clearly bothered by it and communicated openly with me about it. The finish product was quite a bargian, and Ive since gained much appreciation for just how labor intensive gunsmithing can be.

Ive also given him several other smaller jobs since that first one and a case of his favorite beer, I no longer feel that I somehow owe him. He appreciated the work and I appreciated his skills. I now consider him not just a gunsmith, but a friend and fellow gun nut and wouldnt hesitate to call upon his services again when the need arises.

Now I understand how you feel, I'll tag a swag that most stockmakers would charge $2-3k for that piece of wood and making that stock out of it.

I'd agree with the suggestions of contacting the smith and letting him know how you feel. He may utterly refuse any sort of gift, saying that he wanted to make things right to you in his way, and to enjoy the stock. He may also be flattered that you feel he was too generous in making amends, and work something else.

It's a rare and nice thing to know of folks that are willing to make things right, no matter how long it takes them to do it.

The smith put more than time in that -he put his soul in it!Having said that its more rewarding to work with people who appreciate the effort and end result on both sides.

I do remember with great fondness two individuals.
One having just come back from Africa said"Well I gave evry one over there a tip" as he handed me a new $100 bill.
The other gentleman sent me a case of live rock lobsters and then mentioned me with praise in a book on sheep hunting.
This I will remember and enjoy always.
You should do the same.

Do the same thing that you would do if he overcharged you. My guess is that you would call him and discuss the difference in what you paid vs. what you expected to pay.

Fast Ed

This may be just my dumbness , but aren't those Leupold QR levers on the "wrong" side of the gun. Does it matter?

By the way, one other thing you could do for this fellow is to let everyone else know who he is and where he is so that his business might increase.

I would demand a totally new stock that is suited for hunting , that damned thing you got will look terrible after a week in the rain and heavy brush , you better send that stock over to graybeards where all they do is talk a good hunt in the sun and shade.

22WRF, the smith's name is Don Burkhart, out of Rawlins, Wyoming.

I couldn't be happier with his work.

Redlander, yes, the QR bases are set up backwards from normal.

The action was redone at John Westrom's shop, by his apprentice David Smith. The bases were machined out of blocks by him, to fit the action exactly. That was how he wanted them to sit.
The bolt handle was by Jerome Glimm.

I agree that is stock is not the right one for two weeks in the bush during rainy season.
However, it is the perfect gun for whitetail and other deer species under most conditions that I hunt them.
I plan on taking it to Texas in May for an Axis deer hunt.

Garrett

Garrett, you got an exceptional deal on the stock, late or not. I charge over half of that bill just for the skeleton butt plate. He did an exceptional job. And it will do fine in the wet and snowy. Skibum took a new rifle I stocked for him to Idaho last November and hunted with me and they will hold up. Sounds like you are not afraid to use them.