Has anyone heard from him? I sent him a large chunk of maple, my NIB barreled action and a $750.00 deposit. I have been sending emails since July no reply. Should I be concerned?

I sent him a check last Jan. 2010 for a stock, and it was cashed no responence to several e-mail and many phone message.

two months with no replies.....yah, I'd call that a bad sign. nothing on his website to indicate he's sick or AWOL.

Have you tried picking up the phone and going "real time", rather than email?

Worst case, send a registered letter and see if it is accepted.

I left a few messages on his phone.

How many others have had problems with Claude?

If I don't get some action within the next week I'm going to the local DA. I have all correspondence between us and will send it to the DA. It's a small town so maybe I'll get some satisfaction.

Sounds like draw a line in the sand time - best of luck.

A little while back someone posted a list of reputable stockmakers. This name was on that list. I posted that this name made the list suspect. Sitka Deer jumped in to defend Mr. Gatewood. Perhaps he will be along shortly to explain the difficulties.

I'm sure you had justification (or hope so), and it's always nice to get multiple perspectives. Perhaps there's justification, perhaps not.

I'd need a lot more info both ways to make a judgement.

No product, no contact since July?...justification? Unless the man's wife died and he fell into a bottle, there can't be much justification...just sayin.

All considered he is sitting on about $2,000.00 of my assets. I am certainly willing to work with someone to resolve difficulties but with no response it is difficult.

This behavior dates back to about 2005. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Past instances can be found by Google. Search his name on homegunsmith.com.

I guess you learned to do the Dick Tracy too late.

Case closed. Here is Claude's reply. I have asked him to return everything, including my deposit.

As far as I'm concerned the matter is closed once I get the stuff back. I'll let you know when it arrives.


Ok, should I send the fitted stock as well?
Sorry for the delay. I should stay on top of emails and phone calls, but its my attempt to try and get on top of the huge work load in house now. My apologies.
I ran one stock and there was a crack that showed up thru the wrist, I have photos of that, and I think I already sent photos of the cracked blank, I can resend those showing I had to take your blank from more or less the middle. I was able to get another blank from that slab where there weren't cracks. Its fitted now and I'm working in it with the rest of the work.
Your barreled action is safe and kept in a safe when I'm not using it.
Your huge slab has been reduced to not much (again those huge cracks ruined most of it) I will quit immediately and ship all if that is your request. Or I'll finish and ship, I wasn't going to charge extra for the extra work I encountered from this blank, while gorgeous, its essentially cost me about twice the labor. From running two stocks and discovering the hairline cracks after it was fitted, to having to band saw off an inch or more from the nearly 4" thick blank.
I thought there might be doubt, so I've taken pictures of the discards.
I guess please advise, I will gladly box whats left and ship all tomorrow if that is your desire.

I've had custom rifles made, and revolvers, that I've waited over three years for.

I knew going in, and yes, that's justification.

This ain't the first time.
Butch

I've got a large deposit on a custom knife, and haven't had contact in far longer a time than that - I knew going in that was the case, as such, I'm not concerned in the slightest.

If you've ever dealt with 'in demand' cutom work, it's pretty standard actually.

You are this far along into it.

It is justification for the delay, not so much so ignoring inquiries.

Whatever the hell that means. I did not get burned by him. I however was looking for someone to do a stock inlet and researched a few names first.

When told up front, "we are in demand, backlogged, am willing to accept your work, but will contact you when the need arises, (as I've been told) you have a choice to make.


In demand custom work goes that way.

I don't know if that's the scenario here, but understand that it could be.

Well a simple phone call would have put this mess to rest. It smacks of arrogance to just ignore inquiries.

I ordered a Tyler-T-grip about four months ago, I understand that they are in high demand, and their output is small. After three months I gave them a call just to make sure I hadn't slipped through the cracks, they were very polite and reassuring that they still had the order...this is on a $40 part. If one wants to make a living or a side job working with the public, they ought to respect their customers.

I don't have a dog in this particular fight, but something seems to have changed in much of the business world, including gunsmithing. Seems that communication with customers is seen as a bother, or optional.

The reason I am posting this now, is that the other day I was going through some correspondence files, and came upon a few letters from gunsmiths, that were hand typed, single spaced, sometimes running more than a single page. These from the '70s and '80s.

I know that time is money, but something has changed over the years. In this day of electronic communications, it's hard to understand why a brief e-mail or quick phone call wouldn't go a long way toward avoiding misunderstandings and ill will, which few businesses can afford.

Just my $.02

Paul

Many also don't realize that this is the era of consumer friendly. Those who refuse to change will be replaced in the market with those who do.

I do photo restorations on the side, I have a policy that if you are not satisfied, don't pay. I'll do my best to restore your picture, but if it isn't to your liking I don't want you to pay for something not to your liking. I have not been paid for jobs I have spent three or four hours on, jobs I don't think anyone could do better, but I would rather they sut-up and go away, than bitch and moan to others that they had to pay for what they thought was sub-par work.

I always email a proof if possible and ask if they are happy with the finished product, if not, what they would like to see different. I always return emails or calls.

from the reply:

"Ok, should I send the fitted stock as well?"


"My apologies.
I ran one stock and there was a crack that showed up thru the wrist, I have photos of that, and I think I already sent photos of the cracked blank, I can resend ... "


"I will quit immediately and ship all if that is your request. Or I'll finish and ship..."


"I thought there might be doubt, so I've taken pictures of the discards.
I guess please advise, I will gladly box whats left and ship all tomorrow if that is your desire."




At any rate, it's been informative.

Well that is fine, that is not the issue, the issue is months of no replies, and that is not consumer friendly.

I haven't decided if I'd send 'im work or not. I guess I'd want some positive feedback (and examples of work), 'cause in all honesty, all I've seen here is negative - and I don't think they are lying.

It takes 2 minutes to reply to a customer's inquiry.

If you can't do that, you'll never see my business.

I had him do some work on a stock and never again. Communication was non exhistant from Clausde, He was almost a year past his promised delivery date, and the ebony grip cap he did was beyond terrible.

OK today I got about five emails from Claude. Now I ask you all why could he not have taken the time to send a few of those emails some time ago? Was it my threat to inform the local DA?

I know custom work takes awhile and if kept informed I am willing to wait. I was in no particular hurry for the stock. It's not like I'm leaving for Africa next week. If he can send a number of emails within hours today he surely could have done so before. I'm not sure about his claim to be swamped with work.

I would be getting my stuff back and finding somebody else to do the work.

Did yours fall off?

I ordered a Brockman's front sight on July 3rd of this year, just received the sight today.

guess they had a bad shipment that had to be returned and then the orders replaced.

guess that's the way it goes sometimes.

also have a knife paid for in full to Roy/Wildswalker for a year now, but that's different imo, I told him up front I wished him the best in his new endeavor and if he needed to back burner someone if he got overwhelmed he was free to do so with me.

I don't lose a lot of sleep wondering if Roy is gonna nick me for $250.

I'm willing to wait, or state otherwise upfront.

hope all works out for the OP

I hesitate to post in this thread since the topic (Claude Gatewood) brings up many adverse feelings. Contact me off-line if you would like to hear about my experience. I don't post much on this board so out of respect for the admins I will leave it alone. All I will say is get as much of your stuff back NOW but don't count on ever seeing your deposit again.

-- Brian/ale

I don't care who you are or your reputation, mishandling good faith on the part of a customer is unacceptable. I have had 4 custom rifles built by Dennis Olson in Plains, MT and I never waited more than a few months for the entire project to be completed. I would send him an action and he would build the rest. Dennis doesn't charge outrageous fees either. His work is as good as any in the business...

Those are nice!

Claude must have studied under Jack Belk.

Brian.

shrapnel; Those are beautiful. Are they the ones that are a photo of wood on top of a synthetic stock? Just kidding! I love good wood like that and sometimes wish I had a nice blank to contemplate.

The most significant thing about that wood is that it is all American Walnut. It isn't easy to find blanks with that much figure...

Update.

He did, finally, send back my barreled action, but despite numerous emails has not yet sent back my wood or any part of my $375.00 deposit.

I selected him because he seemed to have a good reputation on this forum. I guess he fooled more than just me. Has anyone had a positive experience with him? Has anyone heard from him recently?

I'd almost bet someone Else's rifle is sporting your wood

Never thought of that. I might be out a beautiful chunk of fiddleback maple and my deposit.

i sure hope not. but i have seen chit like that done by unscrupulous people

How far is Claude from where you live? Maybe you could get a campfire member to drop by and collect your money and wood if he lives too far for you to drive.

JM

that's a pretty good idea

Anyone in North Central Ohio might be able to help.

338 E. Friendship St. , Medina, Ohio 44256
Phone: 330-725-4867 (GUNS)

the fact that he clam your blank was cracked seems like he was sitting up his excuse for not having the wood

I'm from Cleveland and have friends there. We are planning a ride in Ohio next June. Might give him pause to see six Hogs pull up around sundown, even if we are all old farts whose days of slinging the Harley chain are long gone.

You could try talking to him again.

R.

A sock with a lock in it is not very heavy. LOL.

Send him a registered letter telling him you want your blank and your money back in X amount of time, or you're taking him to small claims court.

The old "your wood is cracked" line is one often trotted out by gunsmiths in this kind of situation. Had one do it to me on TWO stocks at the same time.

Brian.

knew a guy that sewed a cueball in a rag to take care of some business in a pool hall in Blythville Ark. When he whupped out the rag and busted the guy across the face, he found out his sewing job sucked as all he did was pop him in the face with the rag.
Tough trying to explain that...

Here he is: MySpace, friends and all. At least the same pic on his site.

http://www.myspace.com/367699228

He's in Ohio and I'm in Ca. I suppose I could get a judgment in Ca but it wouldn't do much good.

You get the judgement against him in California, and then send it to his local sherrif's department if he doesn't pay up.

Brian.

You get a certified copy of that judgment from your county in Cali and have it recorded in Medina (Ohio) county. Same effect as an Ohio Judgment.

i've done business with claude years ago before his divorce, Always treated me well. But this does not sound good.

ML

Divorce? Didn't know about that. Nevertheless I want my wood back.

I called several times and left a stern message. No response to calls and emails. I guess I should be thankful he saw fit to send back my barreled action. So I am out only the $375 deposit and my $300 piece of instrument grade fiddleback maple.

Let this be a warning to others here:

Do not do business with Claude Gatewood[b][/b]

reminds me of lots of us that gave John Illum of rampro deposits on custom actions. I know a few that lost $2000 deposits, when he disappeared.

I had a browning low wall with a gunsmith in SC, I figured I'd never see my rifle again. A long times (18 months) goes by I hear the stories of him being sick and then one day his daughter calls and says her dad passed away and where would i like the rifle shipped too.

I hope you get you wood and funds back!

ML