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Frequently Asked Questions
PLEASE NOTE: My knives and customized work are "hand made" to tolerances found by hand and eye, as opposed to fully automated production. Each knife was it's own journey for me, and I became friends with your knife. Many handmade things, which are usually worth more for that reason, show that they were hand done.

Knife measurements are approximate since no two hand made knives are the same.
A Few Important Notes (as of 2021)
NEW INQUIRIES: Let me know if you have been to my shop or have a Chax knife. Then I can seperate you from a 12-year old kid hoping his mom will give him just the first installment and then surprising her for the next etc. heh heh

TURNAROUND: Please realize that your order will be put on a master list and I will do it according to your "turn" and or as logistics demand. You are welcome to a picture of the list upon request to have an idea of my work load. If you order, you'll see that my updates keep you well informed on progress and plans thereof. I also remain "all ears" to comments and strive to work as a brother to you. I only ask that you return the same attitude towards me.

PAYMENT: If you send me any payment, be sure you get a pic from me within a week showing that you did, usually as an asteric(*) on your slip or I wont know you made said payment. This can happen if I open an email of prepayment or a check and I am away from the shop and your slip and miss making a note. Don't want it to look like you never made a payment!

ABOUT GROUP UPDATES: I email out group updates to all clients periodically so you know fairly well what's going on in the shop--and elsewhere with me and am happy with you all talking between yourselves and can fairly well attest to that you're in a bunch of good people as I dont work for unfriendly people, the best I can tell, in fact, far to the opposite.

TO THOSE ORDERING OR RECEIVING ORDERS: Please read info below which answers some of the first questions usually asked of me:

• Please refer to my site using model names to order rather than just asking for "I want a knife thats sharp and cuts things". That will get us nowhere. You can send me a sloppy drawing of what you may want with the length in inches. I can make one graceful and good from there. If my site doesnt have at least parts of the knife you may want. We can make hybrids of my models as well.

• I no longer take orders with a "schedule for completion". There are too many unknown interruptions such as clients walking in and acts of God in my life to be able to forecast completions. So far, I don't think anyone has waited over 11 months. For those wishing to gift a knife by a certain time, below is one idea for you:

One way to still "save" that gifting is to order your knife and have me make a certificate that you can give to the recipient that says "You are having a Chax handmade knife made for you". Then you can go on my group update emailings that report progress. You may also forward those updates to the recipient if you like.

CALLING: If you call you MUST leave a message as I do not have a phone in shop.

For any additional information, please don't hesitate to ask! Thank you!

| Prices |

Due to so many different combinations of steel and handle materials, I no longer put prices on particular knife models, but can say that the average kitchen or hunting knife i make cost about $200, a little more than they used to be, due to rise in steel and handle material costs. My knives also include a kydex sheath with a Chaxloop, so please consider that $25 to $35 of that price is taken up by the sheath.

The steel grades beyond 440c can be as much as double a knife's cost, and some handle materials, like antler or mammoth ivory, usually add $100 to $200 to the cost of a knife. The resulting knife though, has a value much greater than it's cost to have me make it. Steel cost can vary from $8 per foot to $400 an inch and yet all of it is very good knife steel. So it completely depends on your preference. I think i can safely say that the days of the $100 HANDMADE knife (having seperate handle material, other than skeleton knives) are pretty well gone.

Through the years it has been unanimous among my customers that my pricing has been totally respectful for your dollar and that I have tried as hard as I can to deliver you the best you can get for your expenditure. Once there was a man who came to my showroom bent on castigating me for knife costs but after examining my knives and prices, the only thing he had to say was a question: "Who did you study under?" These are real knives, the ones you'll hand down through generations that will long outlive us all. I like making them and your payment enables me to do so.

| Knife Guarantee |
If you are dissatisfied with any CHAX Knife, send it back in reasonable condition within 30 YEARS for a refund according to the condition of your knife.

We want you to love the personality of your knife, in part, for the hand work of CHAX Knives.

Production knife makers make 1000's of each model knife and it is nothing for them to send out a replacement even in the case of intentional abuse. It is actually cheaper for them to replace than spend 15 minutes on the phone with you.

There is no "indestructable" knife. Any knife can be ruined.

I have had only three cases in 18 years and felt two were intentionally abused. It was apparent on one that there was an edge to edge chop made with two very heavy knives i suppose "testing" them. Naturally you can crash two similar items together until one or both will show damage.

I would hope that a reasonable person would understand in this case 30 hours of work for a free replacement is just not fair, but i may replace these at a fractional cost in gratitude for the original purchase, perhaps half', if you are reasonable enough to give me the chance to offer.

A third case occurred when a blade made as a very thin flesh blade, fractured on wood or bone and we worked it out by my customer and friend receiving discounts on a couple other knives he liked.

I will do repair work in any case at a reasonable working man's cost, or free if it was not abused. "Abuse" can be argued, but i am willing to resolve these issues in a relative way. Only if you "stomp off" will you not receive tangible, compassionate help from me.

Also, if you receive a Chax knife shipped and dont like it, i can put it on the table where someone will, and make you another as you like.

I may not do this however if you ordered something so weird or strange that it would not resell in over two years. In a case like this i will offer several choices of resolution.

| Options Note |

You choose the options of the knife - steel type, grind, blued (carbon steel only), cryogenic, pin type or nut & bolts, scales (any kind of material & color in obtainable existence), finger guards, sheath, etc. Contact me to discuss your wishes and their resulting costs.

| Help Choosing A Knife |
I plan to follow up with help on choosing which style or model, but for now, to a great extent, looking at the knife picture, and "reading into it" the tasks a particular knife is good for, does work very well. But to help move your available spec choices along I recommend:


3 EDGE THICKNESS CHOICES [if knife has not been made already]:

• Standard edge thickness if you're not sure.

• Heavy edge for chopping and brutal survival use.

• Flesh edge for neat field dressing and butchery if you will glide along bones, an office environment usage, light carving, and a blade under 4" long. You can still have a Keemosabe flesh, but don't chop trees with bullets in them.

| Answers To Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |

• I have declined folder work since 2011 but still may accept some from established customers or others at certain times, when i may have the time

• I offer customers various means in which to pay with. However, I must add an additional percentage depending on the form of payment to allow me to offer the convenience. The transitions and possible additional cost are as follows: Credit Card +5%, Paypal +3%, cash, or check. Insured shipping is typically $15. Contact me prior to purchase if you have any questions or concerns.

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