I  am forwarding this from a knife maker that is not a member here:

 

Knifemaking friends: There is a gentleman who represents himself to be a PhD student from Australia who is doing testing on hand tools, specifically tomahawks and machetes it seems. I, unfortunately, made the bad decision almost a year ago to donate a tomahawk to his research and agree to help him in certain parts of his research. Specifically, I agreed to add carbides to the edges of some titanium tomahawks he was supposed to send me. Over the past 10 months, this man has taken up countless hours of my time with his requests, demanded things he has little right to beg for, and became a general nuisance. His requests became so constant and incessant that I had to forward his e-mails to my wife so that she could be a buffer in our communications and reply on my behalf. It is when he became both condescending and insulting to my wife over e-mail that I decided to cut him off entirely and rescind my offer to participate in his research. Despite my offer to pay for return shipping, to date he refuses to return my sample tomahawk, and says he is going out of town until September, so he can't even think about returning it until then. (Mind you, he is still at home right now... with our Hawk). I highly advise that if any of you are approached by him for commercial samples or help in his research, that you politely decline and cease communication with him as quickly as possible.

 

 

Names removed to avoid legal problems

Again, someone takes advantage of blacksmith's giving nature.  I would assume the Hawk is lost forever, and not try to get it back as you would need to be in contact with this person to do so.  Unless you had a contract, I don't think he legally has to return it. Add it to lessons learned, and don't look back. Be happy he is gone from your life, and the Hawk, even though valuable to you, was a cheap price to pay.  Lesson learned, shame on him. 

Try to find out if he is a PhD student and if so complain to his department!  Do you know what field he was working in?  I have some contacts in the archeological metallurgy mailing list I could ask.

Well said SC Dave.

John

Mind if I post this on Reddit knifemaking and blacksmithing sections too? That'll hurt his chances of tricking/screwing someone again.

I am just sharing a post from another knife making group I am part of.

 

I am attempting to warn makers about the scam.  please feel free to share it.

Thanks, Steve. Just one of many operating out there with their minds going every second to figure out a way to cheat someone out of something.

Dave

Hi Steve how about state and town we might be able to warn people a bit better  over here  too

not to fall for his crap   from that erea 

Chris