Club Obi Wan

BendingOak wrote:I understand having concern over no posting or his health. Telling him how to handle his health and how he should share that is no one biz. It's a personal thing even if it effects his hat company. He still has to deal with it himself first. Example he didn't post about his cancer or his battle with it until it (what is hopefully it's end) behind him.

I don't think it's fare to tell him he should have someone keep people up to date on his health.

Amen! W>

Oops my last post was meant to be a PM, sorry...

BendingOak wrote:I understand having concern over no posting or his health. Telling him how to handle his health and how he should share that is no one biz. It's a personal thing even if it effects his hat company. He still has to deal with it himself first. Example he didn't post about his cancer or his battle with it until it (what is hopefully it's end) behind him.

I don't think it's fare to tell him he should have someone keep people up to date on his health.

I agree John, but the fact that no-one has heard from him for such a long time still has me pretty concerned for him and makes me check regularly for any news about him.

Regards, Geert

March 2008 here for my dad's hat still not received. I got mine and my brother got his, and this is the only one left.

Sitting Rabbit wrote:March 2008 here for my dad's hat still not received. I got mine and my brother got his, and this is the only one left.

When did you and your brother order yours? And when did you get them?

My brother ordered his July 2007 and both my Dad and I ordered ours March 2008. My brother and I received ours, but my Dad never did. I've emailed Steve over the years, and I get about 1 reply a year saying (You're Dad's hat is coming). That's all I get! He would very much like to be wearing his hat and he's worried he'll never see his money again.

And when did you and your brother RECEIVE your hats?

Received them June 2009 I believe.

Still waiting on my March 2008 order. Emailed Steve in June to confirm address, etc., and got a brief acknowledgement, but nothing since.

Chewie Louie wrote:

I don't think so....

This is more like it:

I hear ya Kokopelli, but fulfilling the demand of so many that want one of Steve's hats is like a . . .

Hi all. Just joined here (first post). Figured I'd chime-in to let you know Steve Delk got my hat done and I received it on September 9th. Like others here, I waited quite a while for it (I first ordered it in March of 2008). It's indeed everything I'd hoped it would be...a very nice beaver Raiders hat that is very well made.

Joe

Awesome to hear he's well and making hats still. We were getting worried.

Glad to hear you got your hat! I noticed that Steve logged in to COW yesterday... so hopefully that's a sign that he is doing well and is getting some hats out.

UkulelePinoy wrote:Hi all. Just joined here (first post). Figured I'd chime-in to let you know Steve Delk got my hat done and I received it on September 9th. Like others here, I waited quite a while for it (I first ordered it in March of 2008). It's indeed everything I'd hoped it would be...a very nice beaver Raiders hat that is very well made.

Joe

Excellent looking fedora, Joe--it suits you. And welcome aboard!

Best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

Thanks for the update Joe.

Sir, it does look like a magnificent fedora, gives you the studious look of an archeologist combined with the alert presence of an adventurer, wear it wisely. and it still looks new....

That's a beautiful Lid, Joe... Congratulations!


I find it VERY heartening to learn that all signs would suggest that perhaps Steve is feeling a little better... Sincerely hope this is the case.

I as well am heartened to hear that Steve must be well enough to make it to the post office at least! I definitely want him to be well more than I want my hat but good news all around. I hope he has the time to let us know how he's doing. I don't even want an update on the work. I just want to see how he's been doing.

Excelsior!
Riothamus

Joe - Steve is the master and that hat looks just right on you. I have had my Crystal Skull Adventurebilt for 3 years and it still looks like new. Sometimes people get the sizing wrong and Fedoras can look very obviously too small or too large. That though looks great.

stones

Let's hope next time Steve goes MIA we all don't go throwing the baby out with the bath water. Let's try to be positive and think that something bad didn't happen but he is just working his tail off trying to get everyone their hats.

I don't think that's a fair thing to say. As I said earlier in the thread, I can think of a half dozen vendors off the top of my head that have taken far more heat for being uncommunicative. Even those that have explained their absense is due to serious health or other personal issues, they have been blasted for not communicating with paying customers. No one is expecting more of Steve than is expected of any other vendor.

It's great to see that Steve is filling orders. I sincerely hope that means his health woes are far behind him and he can get on with enjoying life.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I'm just glad to hear Steve sent out a hat recently.

jlee562 wrote:I'm just glad to hear Steve sent out a hat recently.

Me too

As has been explained by Steve 'ad nasium', 'we' are not his ONLY customers that hit his order list in the flurry of CS orders in 2008. As was stated above by UkulelePinoy and the latest delivery we've been alerted to, he just joined COW, and yet was also on that order list from 2008.

That said, please don't bring up the 'uncommunicative vendors' again, as they were the ones who DID disappear with customers funds and have never returned or have ever been heard from again. They were subsequently banned from the site for those actions.

The comparison to this situation is not valid as Steve HAS explained his situation on several occasions, and IS seen to log in.

Why he has not responded is not understood either, but it's nothing like those 'other vendors' we've had to remove from this site, or left owing people money never to be heard from again.

Bringing them up even violates the long time posted rule regarding discussion of or reference to banned members:

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=13312" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please keep on the rails and to the original intent of this thread.

This thread was created to allow folks to discuss AB updates if any are forthcoming, not as a vendor bashing vehicle.

If you'll recall, those old vendor threads, when started or steered in that direction, were immediately stopped and locked too.

Last call. Please heed the warning. No more will be given.

Regards. Michaelson

Well at least Steve looks to be doing ok if a hat finally arrives to someone, I thought something maybe happened to him. I ordered a hat in January 2008 and still no hat, I tried e-mailing him on the after I saw his post about the lost order fiasco. I guess I will try e-mailing him again, hopefully he will respond. I don't want to bug him, I know his time is spent on making hats, and plus his health lately has me at a great concern for Steve. I guess I will just keep trying to get a hold of him every now and then. Glad to hear though that he is alright.

IndianaChris

IndianaChris711 wrote:Well at least Steve looks to be doing ok if a hat finally arrives to someone, I thought something maybe happened to him. I ordered a hat in January 2008 and still no hat, I tried e-mailing him on the after I saw his post about the lost order fiasco. I guess I will try e-mailing him again, hopefully he will respond. I don't want to bug him, I know his time is spent on making hats, and plus his health lately has me at a great concern for Steve. I guess I will just keep trying to get a hold of him every now and then. Glad to hear though that he is alright.

IndianaChris

exactly the same,except for august order,not january.
glad he is fine,but a little communication both ways sure will be better

I paid full price with out any COW discounts in 2008 and was told it would be done in August but 3 years later I'm still waiting. I did email him in June when he asked customers to email him and I did receive a reply from him confirming my order. Like everyone I wish the best for him. Cancer is a terrible thing and my own family has been stricken with it more than once. I'd like to be hopeful that someday a hat will appear on my doorstep but I think Indy said it best...

Don't be, he will deliver. I can't say when but the guy works harder than anyone I know right now at making a hugh amount of hats. He makes more hats than any 4 handmade/custom hatters put together. It's not that he is faster than anyone else. He and I take about the same time to make one hat. I just can't put in 16 hour days like he does.

I have no doubt that while Steve is physically able to make and send out hats, he will. I just hope he isn't pushing himself (and his health) too hard.

jnicktem wrote:I have no doubt that while Steve is physically able to make and send out hats, he will. I just hope he isn't pushing himself (and his health) too hard.

Then you don't know Steve very well. I beg him every time I chat with him to be kind to himself but he cares very much on getting everyone their hat and works himself hard because of it.

I really wish he didn't. His health is so much more important than a hat.

jnicktem wrote:I really wish he didn't. His health is so much more important than a hat.

I so agree with you Nick. He needs to put himself first. I myself have never had so much stress in my life as I do now with the hat biz. It was a lot less stressful for me when I was fighting fire. At least in the fire department I can go home and put everything behind me. Hat biz, from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep Im think about the hat biz. Steve is that way as well.

What I have a bad feeling about the most is the toll the cancer can take on a person, cancer recurrence, subsequent infections as a result of a battered immune system. Who knows how many hat orders he has and how long it will take to finish them all... if indeed he has the strength to work all day. Even if he beats recurrence, as much as a person might want to be active, these types of illnesses can drain a person to the point where they don't have the energy or physical stamina to work like that.

I hope you take a few days off once in awhile to recover and just do something else. I can imagine your situation... I would need an escape once in awhile.

The Man with the Hat wrote:What I have a bad feeling about the most is the toll the cancer can take on a person, cancer recurrence, subsequent infections as a result of a battered immune system. Who knows how many hat orders he has and how long it will take to finish them all... if indeed he has the strength to work all day. Even if he beats recurrence, as much as a person might want to be active, these types of illnesses can drain a person to the point where they don't have the energy or physical stamina to work like that.

You got that right.

Thats why I come in here and say. " Lets go easy on Steve and not put any more pressure on him." Believe me He knows how much people have been waiting and he wants to get everyone their hats as fast as possible.


...and on that note. Im off to eat and head to bed.

Just for everyone's reference, I placed an order on 8/5/11 (with the 6 week lead time). I received it tonight, 9/30/11, at exactly 8 weeks. Very impressive considering it sounds like he's been quite ill recently.

I've never had a hat of this type before, so I don't know any better, but I must say that it does seem to be of excellent craftsmanship.

Thanks for the report and welcome to COW! It's so great to hear people are getting their hats from Steve. Not that there was doubt- but not hearing from him in awhile and knowing his health history made a lot of us worry about it. I hope he is indeed in good health!

Wow three years is a long time to wait for hat that's paid in full. Anyone know why Steve would complete a hat for someone who ordered it on 8/5/11 before the 2008/2009 buyers?


"Just for everyone's reference, I placed an order on 8/5/11 (with the 6 week lead time). I received it tonight, 9/30/11, at exactly 8 weeks. Very impressive considering it sounds like he's been quite ill recently."

thePawn wrote:Wow three years is a long time to wait for hat that's paid in full. Anyone know why Steve would complete a hat for someone who ordered it on 8/5/11 before the 2008/2009 buyers?


"Just for everyone's reference, I placed an order on 8/5/11 (with the 6 week lead time). I received it tonight, 9/30/11, at exactly 8 weeks. Very impressive considering it sounds like he's been quite ill recently."

Oy vey, not this again.

This has been explained several times. Steve raised the price of his hats to $650 as a way to curb demand. His website says a 6 week lead time. So when somebody orders a hat at $650, Steve works on those on his day(s) off. They do not otherwise interfere with the regular queue of orders.

I am very glad to hear that steve is sending hats out. To me that means he is feeling a bit better and hopefully he can keep in good health. Take it easy Steve, dont work too hard man!

I know the explanation, but darn it if I'm not a little miffed when I hear a summer 2011 order being delivered before spring 2008 orders, regardless of the circumstances. An alternative way to curb demand and restore health would be to stop taking any new orders until all older orders are shipped. In any case, fingers crossed that he's healthier now and we'll hear of someone here with a spring 2008 order receive one soon.

So, send him the extra money and he'll pull yours out of the rotation and make it on his day off, just like he did the summer 2011 order.

Easily fixed!

Well, unfortunately it appears the complaints continue, sugar coated or not, so it's best to close the doors on this one until someone has a delivery in hand and has something to report.

Just drop me a PM and we'll reopen this one when that happens.

Regards! Michaelson