A Sad Story, by Andy the Doormann

[doormann]

hello fellow collectors and switchblde enthusiasts! i'd like to share something that happened to me last year, and get some advice.
i purchased 5 MERLINS from Arlin Walker last year and since he's also a knife maker i asked him if he could repair an old italian gun knife that my wife gave me for christmas one year. it's the same style knife that is on page#112 of SWITCH BLADES OF ITALY. the knife was very well made but the trigger was plastic and it broke. arlin said that he'd be happy to look at the knife and repair it if he could, if not he'd send it back. so i sent him the knife and i haven't seen the knife since, and arlin won't return any of my emails!!!
now arlin (slo joe) has listed a knife on BLADE AUCTION and i'd hate to see anyone else get ripped off by this guy. this knife has real sentimental value to me, Arlin Walker i want my knife back!!! if you no longer have my mailing address email me at arroyodoor@charter.net and i'll send it to you. if anyone has any advice they can offer that would be great! if anyone knows Arlin please talk to him and ask him to send my knife back. thanks, the DOORMANN.

[hammerdownnow]

I would contact nlade auction and report the knife as stolen!!!!! Aparently, if he is selling it, he has staked claim to it. Do not wait to do this. Hope you have some proof of ownership.

[doormann]

Hello and thanks for the reply, i need to clarify that the knife SLO JOE has up for auction now is not the knife i sent him for repair(i wish it were, then at least i'd get to see it again). i contacted josh he gave me some very good advice on how to handle this situation. i've emailed Arlin SloJoe Walker and given hi 24hrs. to reply to my email, if i don't hear from him he won't sell another knife on BLADE AUCTION ever again.

[doormann]

i got an email from arlin today, here is what he had to say!Only one question...why have you waited so long to try and contact me. My computer had dumped all my email and I had no way to contact you.
I still have the pieces to this. when I started to put it together, I had to make a pin for it. When I started to grind it down it got hot enough to cause some sort of chemical reaction with the plastic sides. It did not catch fire, and it did not melt. It just put out an large chemical smoke and before I could get it in water it had disentigrated a portion of it about the size of a 50 cent piece. If you do not believe this, break off a small piece and heat it and watch the reaction.
I had to evacuate my shop and use the exhaust fan half a day to clear the foul smoke.
Since what I did caused this accident I will send you a fair price to pay for it and send the parts to you so you can prove what I say is correct. Or better since you say you brought Josh into this, send it to him and let him test it and let him see the condition of what you sent me.
You give me a fair price and I will either send it or paypal it to you and send the pieces, but I would suggest that you stop your threats.
I think we both know that Josh would not get involved in this, since it has nothing to do with blade auction, but was a private transaction between us.
I wish to end this, and end it civil, but be careful your threats do not backfire...

arroyodoor@charter.net wrote:
Regarding

[TexasJack]

Losing your cool is pretty much never a good way to deal with a situation. :cool:

There are bad, evil people around, and there are also good people caught up in misunderstandings.

[doormann]

GREAT NEWS EVERYONE, arlin sent the knife back!!! HURRAY!!!