Darrell,
It saddens me even more that your response to this shows no remorse,
and a very apparent reckless disregard.
There are misunderstandings in life. Anyone our age knows this especially.
Matters like this however, show the true nature of how incredibly "backbiting"
the costuming community really is. I liken it to a fresh corpse laying in the
baking sun, and a gaggle of vultures circling their lunch.
You state that your primary excuse was my having sold my molds. You thought.
I've always considered you a man of integrity, Darrell. Even if I had sold my molds,
it still doesn't make it "right" to use one of my models to serve yourself. This has
nothing to do with the "community". This is made very transparent when you consider
that if it were meant to be a benefit to the community, you would have publicly offered
the holster as you do with everything else you make. Or at least everything that I know
you make. Instead, for how ever long this has been going on, you've only solicited the
sale of the holster in Private Messaging. When someone approaches you for a harness
or a blaster, you nearly give them "canned solicitation". "BTW, are you interested in a
holster"? This doesn't look as if you felt that any of it was above board enough to offer
the holster in a public run or Cargo Hold sale. And I can't reasonably say that I can
believe that it was only to "a few close friends", when I've received support and
communications with individuals that have been solicited this way. And there were
far more than 10. I know there has been volume, and I know how much you were
selling them for. Exactly $20 less than I did. That doesn't look like you're competing
with the man you stole from, does it?
The fact is, whatever money you made from this, was money that was taken directly
from me in a manner of speaking. But it's not as much about the money. Or I wouldn't
have condoned Mike selling recasts of my holster to recuperate funds he lost in a deal
gone sour with you. You left him in quite a lurch. So from a certain point of view, which
no one seems to have picked up on yet, or acknowledged, that's even MORE money taken
from me over all this. This should speak volumes about "my" character, "my" integrity.
What this is more about, is the reckless disregard I spoke of. It seems that no one
gives a **** anymore, about the sanctity that has been the honor amongst thieves.
Put simply, found item or not ... no one seems to give a **** about what goes into
something as complex as that holster was. This is about principle. It was my sweat
that made it happen, when no one else could figure out how to do it. It was my
money out of pocket that was lost in 8 weeks of mold R&D. It was my wasted time
invested when the holster had to be heavily modified to even make it feasible to
to produce without an injection molding plant. There is a reason the holster had not
been produced until I produced it. Because it was near impossible to reproduce without
professional facilities and tools. You, nor anyone else would have been able to recast
it as easy as you did, if "I" hadn't already made it "recast-able". That was my first
clue that something was amiss. No one, ever really knows what goes on behind the scenes
to make things like this happen. If you wanted to produce a holster, integrity would dictate
that you find your own, and struggle as I did. Not use me as a step ladder. But that is the
point isn't it? You didn't take into consideration that this piece isn't as cut and dry as it
seemed. Never considering it's complexity and that "someone else" had already made it easy
for you. Never once considering that perhaps you should compare it to an Original. Or maybe,
obtain an original for yourself, and figure out everything I had to, yourself. No, THAT is the
mentality of an average re-caster. There are no considerations. Just shortcuts, at someone else's
expense, because you saw dollar signs in a demand, that I couldn't meet to the extent that would
make everyone "Wal-Mart" happy. Your taking shots at "me" for not being able to satisfy the
masses, is low, and completely unnecessary. Normally, I would say, if you think you could do
better, go for it. This is America. But you even took that from me buddy. Because you DID go
for it
However you went about it, is left to be known. And I really don't care anymore. The facts
are the facts, Darrel. But it is clear that you've had someone else producing them. Wether it's
the U.K. or wether it's Florida. It doesn't matter. Without specific facts with regard to "who else"
and "where else", it's not my place to say. But it's been confirmed, that your holsters aren't being
shipped from Oklahoma, nor Indiana/Michigan (Stormrider).
Lastly, you'r personal shots at me only reinforce that you feel cornered, Darrell. Your personal threats
to me in private are also a sign of your true character. I wouldn't dream of posting it publicly, because
my only intent in all of this was to expose the facts. And the fact is, you took advantage of me, and
now you're on the defensive. I have never threatened you. I posted my private message to you publicly.
My stating that I would make sure that your business here is brought to an abrupt end, is not a threat.
But more of a service the the community. No one, but the self serving ... wants to do business with
someone like you.
Chris