Bill Kelso Delivery Time to US?

[Jeff M]

You are correct Jeff. These delays are very unfortunate and will deter people from ordering from BK IMO

It certainly has me.
I've been biting at the bit waiting for BK to get their act together.....but won't take the plunge till I see some stability from them.
Even then...I may not. I understand that BK was looking at some new leathers, commenting that they were more expensive. No word on how that will affect price...if things finally do get rolling.
Then there is word they are working on an exclusive deal with a "jacket shop" in the UK for their Dubbow 27798 design..which is the one I would be interested in.
More price increase.
A huge part of the appeal for me of a BK "original contract" A2 was the price. If that's not going to be as much of a factor, then it comes down to just design "authenticity" and quality and my feeling of security in purchasing from somebody "local" (US) who I have dealt with before.

That position is already filled.

 

[too much coffee]

Howdy Jeff;

I believe I have the answer to your question you submitted over at the VLJ about vintage mouton.

A customer orders a BK M-422 and by the time it's in the customer's hands, the mouton (and the leather) are now "vintage"!

Looks like brother PLATON over there is into his Muhammed Ali "rope-a-dope" defensive position, but still taking body shots.

Regards,
coffee

 

[Jeff M]

Howdy Jeff;

I believe I have the answer to your question you submitted over at the VLJ about vintage mouton.

A customer orders a BK M-422 and by the time it's in the customer's hands, the mouton (and the leather) are now "vintage"!

Looks like brother PLATON over there is into his Muhammed Ali "rope-a-dope" defensive position, but still taking body shots.

Regards,
coffee

I love it
:eusa_clap
The dodging and weaving, no matter what the cause, certainly doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy about the operation.
Especially after the Mark Moye debacle.

 

[too much coffee]

It certainly has me.
I've been biting at the bit waiting for BK to get their act together.....but won't take the plunge till I see some stability from them.
Even then...I may not. I understand that BK was looking at some new leathers, commenting that they were more expensive. No word on how that will affect price...if things finally do get rolling.
Then there is word they are working on an exclusive deal with a "jacket shop" in the UK for their Dubbow 27798 design..which is the one I would be interested in.
More price increase.
A huge part of the appeal for me of a BK "original contract" A2 was the price. If that's not going to be as much of a factor, then it comes down to just design "authenticity" and quality and my feeling of security in purchasing from somebody "local" (US) who I have dealt with before.

That position is already filled.

Good post............and I concur.
Seems like they're always "looking at some new......" and/or "waiting on a supplier of....."

 

[ButteMT61]

IMHO, they bit off ,ore than they can chew. Tried to do too much, too fast. Instead of getting one or two jackets out and delivered, they've tried to make an entirely new lineup without all the vendors ready and delivering. I feel their intentions were honest, but they shoulda started small and built up - gaining trust and orders instead of angst and doubt.
I hope they pull it off - after all. We're but a small percentage of the potential customer base. Their eBay store has 100% feedback so I don't think they're scamming anyone. And PLATON does take a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. lol

 

[too much coffee]

I agree Scott. I hope they can be a successfull manufacturer as well. The more choices the consumer has the better. Free enterprise being what it is and all.
I read over at the VLJ from brother PLATON that BK sold 40 jackets in three years, 10 to VLJ members. They're gonna have to bring a better game to the stadium.
After three years the vendors should be solidified, production should be sailing smoothly, your market base clearly defined commensurate with the offered products and general teething issues should be just about over.

Well, I hope PLATON keeps his day job! And you're right.......he seems to be very resilient.

coffee

 

[JollyGreenSlugg]

It can be hard to hand money to any business if we're unsure of what we'll receive. I guess part of the challenge is reaching a 'critical mass' of customers who are willing to hand over their hard-earned to ensure that a business reaches the next level. I figure that I like what I've seen and I admire Platon and Andy's efforts, so as soon as I could afford it, I placed an order. Having a family, I went for a house jacket, and I really don't think I could tell the difference. So I'm hoping that my one order will be one of many which encourages Bill Kelso Mfg to keep working with the expected difficulties to be found in Greece.

As we Aussies sometime's say, it's worth having a crack at it!

Photos to follow once it arrives.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Jeff M]

It can be hard to hand money to any business if we're unsure of what we'll receive. I guess part of the challenge is reaching a 'critical mass' of customers who are willing to hand over their hard-earned to ensure that a business reaches the next level. I figure that I like what I've seen and I admire Platon and Andy's efforts, so as soon as I could afford it, I placed an order. Having a family, I went for a house jacket, and I really don't think I could tell the difference. So I'm hoping that my one order will be one of many which encourages Bill Kelso Mfg to keep working with the expected difficulties to be found in Greece.

As we Aussies sometime's say, it's worth having a crack at it!
...
Cheers,
Matt

Better you than me.
Thanks for offering yourself up to take the proverbial the bullet!

 

[andyfalzon]

On behalf of Bill Kelso, may I say that I suppose you guys can recognize the fact that Bill Kelso has devoted great effort time and money to make good quality jackets. The reason for the delays is because third parties can't always provide the expected quality in the expected time and are many times unreliable. These suppliers are often monopoly in their sector so we have to play by their rules. If they are going to delay, they are going to delay. We cannot do anything to force them to deliver on time.

Do you think Bill Kelso keeps you waiting long time so that in the end they can deliver bullshit jackets to you? Is that what you are afraid of? In the case of newly established vendors it's the opposite you should be afraid of, the fast delivery.

I will quote another vendor.

Delivery time

Right now, we're running around 8-10 months for delivery after deposit payment is received. This may seem like a very long wait, but we only have one operator making the jackets, and high quality is far more important than speed. Suppliers we have for horsehide and goatskin often take unknown amounts of time to produce what we need, so we ask for your patience. We want you to be truly satisfied.

There. The same applies for BK. "Suppliers take unknown amounts of time"

Soon there will be a time when you will be missing the good old days when you could order a jacket from BK and receive it in 2 months.
BK also has one operator making the jackets, I am afraid in the near future when everyone will witness the high quality of the jackets deliveries will take much longer.

Regarding the M422 jacket in which the customer provided a Talon, it should be mentioned that the customer ordered a size 52 while BK's largest size is the 48. BK agreed to make the jacket if customer provided the Talon because BK stock Talons were long enough to fit jackets up to size 48. Also, mouton was available at the time of the order but the customer preferred to supply his.

BK is currently making the best Indiana Jones jacket on planet Earth and delivery is about 2-3 weeks.
BK is fighting on many fronts and its first priority is to make jackets that worth the money and the wait.

For your info there will be about 7 new jackets presented by BK next season.

 

[ButteMT61]

Andy,I don't think the stance you're taking here helps (my opinion). Put yourself on the customer's side. We had the terrible Aero USA debacle, Greece is in financial straights, and the jackets have met with many obstacles, with few examples in site. None of those things matter to prospective customers. You've been defended more than anyone I know of in a couple forums. Nobody wishes you ill, or expects "bullshit" jackets. I think he fact that it's being discussed means just the opposite. However, nobody with the above in mind is going to take a chance with this until there is more "beef". We all wish you luck and success. But money is money. And most of us aren't rich.As to "7 new jackets", again, nobody cares about next year or what's next - they're looking for the now...

 

[andyfalzon]

I guess you are right. It should be more actions than words
so we better let the good results speak for us.

 

[Grayland]

I started this thread, so I feel as though I should chime and say....my BK "house" A-2 is awesome and was delivered in just over 3 weeks. Great looking leather and a beautiful fit. I'm very happy with my purchase and the customer service/communication was first-class.

 

[Jeff M]

I guess you are right. It should be more actions than words
so we better let the good results speak for us.

Precisely.
As a potential customer, I don't give a rip why a company is not delivering their products.
As far as I know, they may not be able to cut it when it comes to getting reliable suppliers lined up. They may have blown their bankroll on a supplier that went bankrupt and have no more capital to invest in raw material....and go belly up themselves. (A definite concern given the financial situation in Greece.)
Marketing claims about the quality of a product are meaningless until there are enough of them out there to be critiqued/appraised by people I know and whose judgement I trust. I need to see the "bona fides".

Re; "7 new jackets"......that news does not reassure me.
I think it would be better to concentrate on the jackets already offered and be sure production is up and running on those before spreading even thinner.

You are right. It is a tough market. There are several manufacturers out there making "gold standard" reproductions who have established themselves over the years. If BK can join that list and offer something the others don't... such as significantly cheaper prices... that would be fantastic. Till then....it is as you say all just words.

(BTW, love your web site!)

 

[aswatland]

The BK jackets that I have pics of look really good and I'm waiting for more reviews. I believe the issue is due to getting some of the correct components, which hopefully will be resolved soon.

 

[Jaguar66]

Let me reply to this thread. I have 2 Bill Kelso A2 jackets (an original russet BK which was one of their first orders, and a seal brown A2), plus have dealt with them on a few other items I have needed. They have responded with utmost responsiveness and integrity, I would not hesitate to order anything at all from them.

 

[hyptul]

I started this thread, so I feel as though I should chime and say....my BK "house" A-2 is awesome and was delivered in just over 3 weeks. Great looking leather and a beautiful fit. I'm very happy with my purchase and the customer service/communication was first-class.

Congratulations on your successful purchase.
And what color was still a jacket? Dark seal or lighter?

I ordered a seal brown jacket but not yet received it.

 

[Grayland]

Congratulations on your successful purchase.
And what color was still a jacket? Dark seal or lighter?

I ordered a seal brown jacket but not yet received it.

Seal Brown, the lighter version.

 

[hyptul]

Seal Brown, the lighter version.

Thank you.

 

[KevG]

I started this thread, so I feel as though I should chime and say....my BK "house" A-2 is awesome and was delivered in just over 3 weeks. Great looking leather and a beautiful fit. I'm very happy with my purchase and the customer service/communication was first-class.

I'll second that

And here's a link to pics of my house russet

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?53372-Show-me-your-favorite-jacket/page13

 

[Jeff M]

Let me reply to this thread. I have 2 Bill Kelso A2 jackets (an original russet BK which was one of their first orders, and a seal brown A2), plus have dealt with them on a few other items I have needed. They have responded with utmost responsiveness and integrity, I would not hesitate to order anything at all from them.

I'll second that

And here's a link to pics of my house russet

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?53372-Show-me-your-favorite-jacket/page13

Original BK house jackets, or the new "original contractor" designs?
It is the latter where BK seems to be having problems with delivery.

Playing devils advocate here. The road is littered with the carcasses of "good" companies run by "good" people with "good" ideas producing "good" products. who either didn't have the expertise, the finances, or the luck to survive. in the past 5 years I have seen two well run, well intentioned, honest companies go bankrupt. In one case, the companies business plan evolved to the point where it failed. Added and advertised new services before they were ready to deliver them. Suppliers didn't meet deadlines...which put pressure on them.
In the other, the financial fiasco hit them...banks called in loans they couldn't pay off.
As honest as BK may be, as great a people as they are, as reliable as they may have been with the old line...as wonderful a new product as they are advertising...it is worrisome to me to have read weekly updates for several months now about supplier problems being the reason orders are not being filled. Something definitely is not working.
Combine that with the daily news about the Greek financial meltdown, the Euro teetering....two thoughts come to mind.

1) What the heck is going on over there? Are companies unable to deliver products? Has the system broken down?
2) Seems like there should be some excellent deals on Greek manufactured items. Is that not going to be the case? Why not? Is the tie to the Euro keeping cost of manufacturing high? Perhaps too high for small companies to bankroll new projects?