Isaac Smith & Blackburn Tools

[Bill Satko]

I personally like to forget bad experiences but sometimes you can't help but get reminded. Yesterday I got an email from Isaac Smith of Blackburn Tools. I got burned by Isaac when I ordered a saw from him and put down a 40 dollar deposit in 2014. I probably could have pursued getting my money back but did nothing other than emailing him about it. Back in 2015 he responded how he was way behind on orders due to personal problems. Long story short, I never heard anything from him since yesterday.

His email:

Dear Customer,​

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Firstly, an apology to everyone who is waiting on an outstanding order. It’s no secret that I’ve fallen behind on orders, a situation that is frustrating for everyone involved. As communicating individually with customers has lately become very time-consuming and unsustainable, I’d like to take the time to address everyone at once via a Zoom webinar.​

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Joining me on the call will be Robert Porter and Sean O’Donnell of Union Manufacturing Company. We will discuss current backorders, my working relationship with Union Manufacturing, and the recent launch of Accu-Burr. We’ll also field questions submitted during the webinar.​

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Please join our Zoom webinar next Saturday, May 13th at 3:00 PM Eastern Time (link below). I look forward to chatting with you.​

If you’re unable to join us live, a summary and instructions for accessing the archived webinar will be posted afterwards on my website.​

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If you have any questions about this, please contact Robert Porter at rporter@unionmfgco.com.​

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Finally, this is the only unsolicited email you will receive from me. If you’d like to receive further updates and news about upcoming events or new tools, you’ll need to sign up for my email list (I promise to not bombard your inbox with emails).​

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Thank you,​

Isaac Smith​

Blackburn Tools / Accu-Burr​

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I googled "problems with Blackburn Tools" and got a number of hits of people wondering where their orders were. Seems like a problem vendor can go years providing terrible service.

I am providing this information so that anyone here that thinks of ordering anything from Blackburn Tools or Union Manufacturing Co. (they have problems too!) are aware of a potential problem. If you want a saw or saw parts I suggest you look at Bad Axe Tool Works.

Funny thing is, I must still be on his list of customers that he has not provided a promised product.

 

[Don Baer]

sounds like a woodworker some years back who was to provide cutting boards for everyone who helped him buy a sander...

 

[Ryan Mooney]

I think Union has been generally doing a lot better job.. at least of managing expectations and not selling things that don't yet exist.

I kind of wanted a couple parts Blackburn sells (and no one else really does) but pretty much wouldn't order from him simply because I know I'd never get it. It's unfortunate as I think he's actually not a bad person in this case just vastly out of his depth business wise.

 

[Leo Voisine]

Not all that have a desire to do or make something are going to be good at "business".
Just because he may be a good guy does not mean he is good at business.

I would try to get the goods from him - even if it is from 2014

 

[Darren Wright]

Not making excuses for him, but manufacturing is a hard business. When I was selling stained glass lights, I was hoping to just sell lighting kits to other stained glass makers, but even that was hard, between supply chain and bottom line costs to make any profit.

I wouldn’t let him off the hook though, at least get your deposit back, it will build integrity in him to do a refund, or show he has none