firstly...thank you everybody for your great feedback...in this day of China bending us over (with no lube) it is both refreshing and humbling to have your work appreciated like this and I thank you again.....
but alas Olsteve (and you probably are not even aware of it)..... it is guy's like you that frustrate the crap out of me and that's why I am driving a school bus.....not having a shot at you personally..but put yourself in my shoes, you are not being totally fair here and are what I call a tire kicker hence the frustration. Here is the way a tire kicker will frustrate you if you are a shaper...and here is how not to enquire about a custom made surfboard.
email received...... (not yours Steve but you may see some similarities )...... hey mate just enquiring about a new board.... I like the look of your silk pin...can you nock me one up around 9'6" and how much will it cost.
cheers Tire Kicker.
reply sent....yeah great boards....you will rip on it bla bla bla bull****e bull****e bull****e (now if I say cost is $1500...not knowing anything else but length)......invariably (and it happens all the time) Tire Kicker comes back with ....great go ahead....oh.....can you throw an indigo blue tint (hardest colour to glass known to man) on....and oh yeah....two white pinlines a 1/4"apart on the deck....and maybe one on the bottom....oh and 3 cedar stringers, and a handmade plywood fin and can you polish it up nice and shiny.
no I have been in this game for a long time I'll send a message back saying it will cost $1500 but could cost anything up to $1700 depending on all the above.
so Steve...bit unfair when I receive a message saying cool mate will let you know when I am ready to go.
only to find in an obscure forum post that you are going with.....I quote.....a customised fireball evo with double overhead buletti glove box 2 9'6"x 23"x 31/4" round pin with 8+ 6+8 wrapped rails standard yellow stripe design in gloss finish for $1535?? (sorry just put the glove box thing in for some comic relief),
a little more info there Stevo,
I guess what I am trying to say is that given the chance I could have matched that price...so the "cool mate I will let you know when I am ready" is... as far as I am concerned not kosher....but hey...no hard feelings....enjoy the overhead glove box... I only hope this little rave enlightens a few on the etiquette of how to order a handmade custom surfboard....made by surfers...for surfers.
cheers Ronnie.
ps if you never ever go...you will never ever know
pss this is in no way a shot at you Vanders