I, too, found the comparison posts in poor taste, though I'm not sure I can articulate exactly why. It's something along the lines of what Monitor said above. For me, it comes down to the tone of a brand, which, for these really small makers, where they're doing their own representations on social media and such, often means the tone of the owner.
Throughout the ordering process, I found Himel to be kind of tone deaf, in terms of dealing with customers. He strikes me as a no BS kind of guy, which is all well and good, but it starts to come off as curt. I would send him an email and, a week later, he'd respond with these demanding messages , asking questions I'd answered in my previous correspondence. For instance, I selected options when ordering through his website, and then repeated those options in an email, saying something like, "For your convenience, here are the options again." A week or so later, I got an email to the likes of: "i really need you to tell me which options you want b/c i need to make this jacket ASAP before i complete other work!" The communication was always sparse, poorly written, and seemed to consistently suggest I was at fault for delaying the process when, one, I hadn't complained about the lead time at all, and two, I'd provided as much information as possible as early in the process as possible, sometimes twice. After all that, my jacket was made in the wrong hide the first time, and the options were: 1. Take this incorrect fulfillment of the order for a discount, 2. Wait for us to remake it.
Compare this process to, say, Langlitz, who made me a jacket based on measurements I wrote down on their standard order form. Once, they made a very, very small mistake, and when I pointed it out, their reply was: "We're so sorry. We will fix this immediately." And they were, and they did. I paid Himel twice as much, gave him the same measurements, but then he complained, and I use that word intentionally, that he also needed a fit jacket. So I had to pay to internationally ship him a fit jacket. Carrie of Thurston Bros. and Scott of Langlitz patiently answer so many questions and also keep track of a ton of data for each order. If Himel's stitch count is so great, and he is the pinnacle of jacket making, why can't he also make a custom jacket strictly from measurements? If he's the top choice for vintage repro leather jackets, why did I feel like such a bother to him throughout the ordering process?
In other words, as Monitor suggested, once you start aggressively comparing yourself to other well-known, well-liked makers, you invite all kinds of comparisons, some of which might not be so favorable. It is definitely not my intention to bash Himel here; I'm just trying to point out that, for me, this is a customer service thing, which stems from a tonal issue, which could easily be solved by hiring someone to manage external communications.
Throughout the ordering process, I found Himel to be kind of tone deaf, in terms of dealing with customers. He strikes me as a no BS kind of guy, which is all well and good, but it starts to come off as curt. I would send him an email and, a week later, he'd respond with these demanding messages , asking questions I'd answered in my previous correspondence. For instance, I selected options when ordering through his website, and then repeated those options in an email, saying something like, "For your convenience, here are the options again." A week or so later, I got an email to the likes of: "i really need you to tell me which options you want b/c i need to make this jacket ASAP before i complete other work!" The communication was always sparse, poorly written, and seemed to consistently suggest I was at fault for delaying the process when, one, I hadn't complained about the lead time at all, and two, I'd provided as much information as possible as early in the process as possible, sometimes twice. After all that, my jacket was made in the wrong hide the first time, and the options were: 1. Take this incorrect fulfillment of the order for a discount, 2. Wait for us to remake it.
Compare this process to, say, Langlitz, who made me a jacket based on measurements I wrote down on their standard order form. Once, they made a very, very small mistake, and when I pointed it out, their reply was: "We're so sorry. We will fix this immediately." And they were, and they did. I paid Himel twice as much, gave him the same measurements, but then he complained, and I use that word intentionally, that he also needed a fit jacket. So I had to pay to internationally ship him a fit jacket. Carrie of Thurston Bros. and Scott of Langlitz patiently answer so many questions and also keep track of a ton of data for each order. If Himel's stitch count is so great, and he is the pinnacle of jacket making, why can't he also make a custom jacket strictly from measurements? If he's the top choice for vintage repro leather jackets, why did I feel like such a bother to him throughout the ordering process?
In other words, as Monitor suggested, once you start aggressively comparing yourself to other well-known, well-liked makers, you invite all kinds of comparisons, some of which might not be so favorable. It is definitely not my intention to bash Himel here; I'm just trying to point out that, for me, this is a customer service thing, which stems from a tonal issue, which could easily be solved by hiring someone to manage external communications.
