Thread: Bessey K-body clamps

Ohhhh - only 499 to go

So how badly do I need a twin screw vice?

I've never had need for one before.... but at $170.00 US plus GST and Stuff it'll still be a couple of hundred dollars less than a well known supplier sells them for... maybe it could be handy on the end of the new bench??

Help!!

I am falliiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnngggggg.


P
:eek: :eek: :eek:

HH and bitingmidge

I am not sure if it is worthwhile to spend the US$170. Yes you will save a lot of $$$ because they are soooo expensive here. But I cannot think of anything a front vise and a pair of wonder dogs cannot do.

It is going to take a lot of skills to install the twin-vice (see FWW tools and shops 2003-2004). It will be a lot easier to drill holes on the bench and 2 wonder dogs cost only $50.

Well that’s what I’ve decided to do anyway.

Cheers

Yeah but think about how good it will look on the bench and how much mileage you'll get out of telling people how much less you paid for yours

HH.

Hammer, you are a real smooth salesman. OK I will take 2, one for my new workbench and one for the dining table.

Originally Posted by Wongo

Hammer, you are a real smooth salesman. OK I will take 2, one for my new workbench and one for the dining table.

Great for holding the Sunday roast.

I thought that today was my last pay day prior to D day for this deal. I just realised that I will have one more pay day before the 18th.

Hooroo, I'm going shopping.

Dan

Originally Posted by DanP

I thought that today was my last pay day prior to D day for this deal. I just realised that I will have one more pay day before the 18th.

Hooroo, I'm going shopping.

Dan

Didn't know Vicpol hired addicts.

It is going to take a lot of skills to install the twin-vice (see FWW tools and shops 2003-2004). It will be a lot easier to drill holes on the bench and 2 wonder dogs cost only $50. - Wongo


Yes - I designed my bench around the wonderdogs, and they do work well. I don't like the way my big Record skews though, and dicking about with spacers will work...just as cutting the lawn with nailclippers works. Cr@p analogy, i know.

And, I have a new fetish for dovetails , and twin screw vices. There, i said it.

We've all got to have one vice. (pun intended)

Dan

Greetings Bessey Boys,
I have watched this thread for seemingly months and studiously kept ma big mouth shut, but I think the time has come, not to get stuck into you, but to explain a few of the basic facts of life for us as a Bessey retailer and a Veritas importer/retailer. This is not a whinge per se, it is not a cry for sympathy....I don't need either, but in fairness, I think you should know the following facts which pertain to this small part of running our business.
Bessey clamps are excellent products. They are distributed in Australia by a NSW distribution company. I don't know why they are so expensive for you or for us, perhaps the volume of product imported augers against "best deals" with Bessey, maybe the freight is a killer, maybe its a"catch 22 " combination, I don't know, but I do know we make 3 parts BA selling Bessey clamps. And add to that customers who order special clamps and never turn up to collect them when they arrive, any margin we might have eecked out of any other sales of Bessey clamps evaporates as the darn special items go rusty on the shelves.
Wouldn't it be nice if all our customers came in, ordered and prepaid,were prepared to wait weeks and weeks, never reneged on the deal and dozens of blokes all wanted the same item at the same time so we could pull a deal with the factory...retail nirvana !
As to Lee Valley and Veritas, whilst appreciating the wonderful products and innovations offered by this company, Rob would agree that resellers don't enjoy quite the same response to an order that an individual mail order customer does ! I am not complaining, they have their priorities and their own business perspective to maintain, but here's my twopenneth worth...in November 04 I decided (correctly) that low angle block planes were going to be big demand items for Christmas. So I reveiwed stock and realised that I would need to order to cover anticipated demand (now that's always a bet!!) and decided that we should order a bunch of planes and sundries including L/A Block planes, all up about a $7,500 order consisting of a very limited number of lines. Due to time constraints (Christmas 6 weeks away) we asked for airfreight. Lee Valley acknowledged our order and promised that they should be able to arrange to pick, pack and airfreight on or about December 22nd. Fantastic!!!
Just not in time for Christmas!
True to promise, the tools arrived early January 05. We disapointed a few customers, but guys and gals who love us (heavens knows why) came in in the new year if they missed out at Christmas and showed great loyalty and bought their precious Veritas planes from us then. Bless 'em.
You can imagine my frustration at some of your stories rightly praising Lee Valley for "same week service" Wow ! I'd like one of those. Oh, and BTW, despite Lee Valleys genuine best attempts to assist O/S resellers, and we acknowledge that; once again, we sell 'em 'cause we love 'em, our margin sure don't pay the rent !
This is not sour grapes. Far from it. We sell nice quantities of nice product to heaps of customers, Forum members and non members, and hopefully, will continue to do so, but whilst you might be able to stir up up buying collective now and again, don't be too hard on "day in day out retailers" who are not here to "rip you off", but some of us genuinely want to be of service to our "at home Australian customer base", give you the variety and choice you all want, oh, and maybe make a living.
And just for the record, I was a woodworker first.
Geoff

Good to hear from you Geoff

I think most of us appreciate the service we receive from the better of our local retailers, and definitely want you guys to be able to make a buck and stay in business.

But, of course, we all appreciate good service, and few of us can pass up a substantial saving if there's one to be made. Unfortunately in some areas service is less than ideal, and prices can get more than a little out of reach for many of us.

I know you guys as retailers of Bessey don't make much out of it - evidenced by the universally high pricess here in Aus from all Bessey retailers, even Bunnings. Obviously there is a supply chain issue at work, perhaps the distributor needs to realise that working to reduce costs will increase volumes substantially. There's a demand out there - but who can afford to fill their clamp rack with Besseys at the current retail prices?

I have a feeling that the end result of our little bulk buy exercise is going to be more demand for Bessey products and increased pressure on the distributor to bring down prices.

We may do it again, who knows - the prospect of dealing with 3,000 pounds of gear heading in 50 different directions this time doesn't exactly fill me with excited anticipation

Originally Posted by DarrylF

Good to hear from you Geoff

I think most of us appreciate the service we receive from the better of our local retailers, and definitely want you guys to be able to make a buck and stay in business.

Geoff

I agree entirely with Darryl's sentiments. As a customer of yours, I am quite happy with the product range and the service I get from Carba-Tec at Balcatta. As a dedicated weekend woodworker, I need you to stay in business so I can continue to get access to the good quality specialized tools and equipment that the major hardware retailers don't try to supply.

Anyone who gives a moment's thought to the issues you outline in your post will realise that you're not having a whinge but simply stating the facts of life as a retailer.

Keep up the good work. You've got a loyal customer here.

Col

Geoff,

My parents used to run a small business in Hong Kong – selling spoons, chopsticks and all that crap. I am talking about something worth $1 or $2 (AUS 20c). They earned their money by not having a life, by working 7 days a week and 12 hours a day, by not having time to spend money. My point is – running a small business is very hard and I understand.

People buy our stuff because they are willing to pay the money, not because they want to help us. They dont know our story. In fact, some people would bargain with me every time. It is harsh but it is reality.

Personally I don’t have problem with Carba-Tec YET and I am willing to wait for a few months if you can offer me something worth $1000 for $500.

Good luck with your business mate.

Cheers