I’ve been googling Marcou Planes can come of with two different websites:
marcouplanes.com
and
marcouplanes.co.nz
Anybody know what’s up with that? Why Philip go though all the trouble of maintaining two slightly different websites? This just does not make sense to me.
Chris
Replies
The reason for two web sites is that I am not willing to be associated with Wiktor Kuc any longer.
People will recall that there were "complications" with him some time ago in which he was caught (thanks to alert folk here on Knots) attempting to sell a plane without my permission. He also retained two planes without authority and converted a customer deposit of $847 to his own use. He was brought before an arbitrator and subsequently signed his name to a witnessed mediation agreement in which he had to return the planes and the money. Despite all possible leeway being given, he has not repaid a cent of the money, having cancelled his original cheque due December 15th 2007, then come up with a string of pathetic excuses, culminating in a claim to a commission, saying that I must pay this before he hands over the money. It is true that a commission is payable, but at no stage have I stated the amount as at the time he was no longer my agent, and I volunteered to pay "a commission" in order to induce him to give details of the customer that he was holding back for his own ends . Anyway, he signed a document promising to pay the money and the commission red herring has nothing to do with that-it does not appear in the mediated agreement document.
He was given a deadline date of April 2nd to make good or else he would be finding that support for his web site would be falling away: since Derek Cohen has been privy to every step of this distasteful business from the start, he has instructed him to remove all his material, and I have set up the beginnings of another site. I intend to notify other key folk- it is simply not acceptable that us woodworkers (or anyone) should be prey to this type of dishonest and unscrupulous person.
I regret having to air this again, but I am determined to have folk see that all is not as it appears at WK Fine tools-it is at best a false image, and nobody likes to be found in bed with a thief.Philip Marcou
Edited 4/2/2008 3:37 pm by philip
You go Philip!!
Harry
Following the path of least resistance makes rivers and men crooked.
Good for you, Philip. Keep us posted as to the new web site, and don't be bashful about it. Your tools are beautiful, and I'm glad you're finally getting away from that scum bag!! I wouldn't send him a wooden nickel.
All the best,
Jeff
So... Which site is your site?Thanks
Scott
Scott,
Actually they are both mine since I paid good money for the first one (the .com one), although it was not registered in my name. I now know better....
The untainted one is the .co.nz one and this is registered in my name. In due course it will take on some life and get regular up-dates.
Thanks for your interest.Philip Marcou
I will add a few points - any more than this really should come from Philip, and I have no doubt that it will surface.
When this dispute arose I voluntarily stepped in to help because I recognised that Philip and Wiktor would destroy each other, or at the least Philip might come out with a tarnished reputation by association, if permitted to debate the situation in the public domain. Some will recall the debate that this created here on Knots at the time. Boys in the playground that were spoiling for a fight. Idiots! In the time I attempted to act as liaison and so, to this end, I involved a colleague of mine, a professional mediator, to try and broker a deal. As a personal favour to me, these professional services were provided free, and it must be acknowledged that Peter (the mediator) did a great job and spent a considerable number of hours at this (as did I - and am now utterly exhausted). I kept abreast of all proceedings and discussed much of the content with Peter (I just did not intervene).
My involvement became very direct in the last few months when it became clear that the contract agreed to by Wiktor was not being honoured. He found every excuse - all sounding quite plausible - to avoid meeting any deadlines. His last effort was to demand that Philip pay a commision on a sale before he settle the balance. I can substaniate that neither the commision nor the amount was part of the final contract (of which I have a copy). Seeing that this was Wiktor's ongoing strategy (such that, if one accepted this, he would just find another reason to delay payment, etc, etc), and that he had been extended a leeway by Philip on a couple of occasions, I set a final deadline, the 2nd April 2008.
Negotiation is only possible when two parties are prepared to compromise, and in this regard this was not forthcoming from Wiktor. I have an idea why he will not pay, but this is speculation, so I will not say more in this regard. The bottom line is that Philip has been more than fair, has demonstrated a willingness to accommodate Wiktor's (self-reported) difficulties, but time is up. The plug is pulled.
One of the conditions I presented (early on) was that I would remove my articles from wkfinetools and have nothing more to do with that site if Wiktor failed to meet his responsibilities. I warned him that others are likely to do the same when the word gets out. As late as last night (my time) I was still trying to get him to understand this. I have instructed Wiktor to remove all my material.
I am in the process of developing a new website, one of my own. Hopefully, it will be up by this weekend. With a few new articles shortly. The address is inthewoodshop.com (but it is not yet on line).
Exhausted in Perth
Derek
"...I recognised that Philip and Wiktor would destroy each other..."A tad bit over the top, maybe?
Boss,
You of all people surely undestand how important is one's reputation. It takes many, many good acts to build a good reputation but only one bad act to destroy it utterly. This effect is amplfied for anyone in business or a similar endeavour that relies wholly on other people's goodwill and high regard. I can't believe that you would be so cavalier with your own reputation as a profesional maker - or perhaps you have a different view?
I've been a customer of Philip's for some time now and have nothing but praise for his goods, his conduct in purveying them and his behaviour as a generous human being into the bargain (not too common a trait in many modern business ventures, sad to say). He has plied me with good advice, replacement bits for ones I've lost and "extras" in the form of alternative blades as well a number of small, exquisitely-engineered and functional tools.
You may have noticed that Nate (the wounded soldier) has recieved a very generous donation from Philip, something that Philip himself has not mentioned or sought praise for.
In short, Philip behaves as any customer would want the best-of-all possible-makers to act in trading.
I can't speak about Wiktor as I don't know him and have only exchanged an email or three concerning the single article I supplied him some time ago. However, it pains me that he seems oblivious to the damage he is doing himself by being so careless with his own reputation. His site is a very good one, containing great information and many, many useful articles. Now one of his best contributors is leaving him because of his behaviour towards Philip. How many more will feel a similar disquiet at being even associated with such behaviour? It is a very sad thing to see, especially as it seems so unnecessary and easily fixable by Wiktor.
Latxe, a very satisfied Marcou customer.
I wouldn't really care if Philip stuck it in Wiktor and broke it off but that's just me.He could be a complete lecher but I know he makes a fine plane. Stuff happens in the course of commercial transactions. As old Bing said in a movie once - there's a little bit of larceny in everybody.In my life, the people I've met consumed with their own reputations usually had something hideous to hide. Like furniture, people with a few dings showing appeal to me a little more.
Edited 4/3/2008 1:00 pm ET by BossCrunk
Boss,
Despite not really being tempted to buy one of your pieces (couldn't afford it, never seen evidence of one, it's probably festooned with balls and claws if it exists) I hadn't assumed your graduation from the school of scoundrels as a disincentive. Perhaps, though, this explains your curious phobia for revealing anything about your claimed work - we might discover "stuff that happened during a commercial transaction".
Neither is it the case that being concerned about one's reputation is the same thing as being consumed by it. You have read too much Ayn Rand and swallowed it whole without even a pre-emptory chew. I know, you must be true to your self (whatever that is) and the suckers are just grist to your mill. Ha ha - one day a Bigger Egoist will sucker you. Perhaps you will applaud and gasp in admiration, as they haul you off to debtors' prison.
Lataxe, watching out for snakeoil furniture and con-makers.
I believe that Philip will be fine. The beautiful thing about making a thing is that the thing speaks for itself. Beautiful things can be made by very flawed people. God is Great, don't you think?
Edited 4/3/2008 9:18 am ET by BossCrunk
Boss,
"The beautiful thing about making a thing is that the thing speaks for itself. Beautiful things can be made by very flawed people".
Just so, but when it comes to selling the beautiful thing, one must ensure that the flaws don't exude into the transaction, in any of it's stages. In this case, there seems to be an unflawed maker (certainly in terms of the making and purveying) but a somewhat flawed middleman. The flaws have soured a transaction or two, for Philip and some of his customers, although Philip has subsequently righted the situation for them.
You can dissemble all you like - bad business practice harms everyone, including the perpetrator. You dismiss it as stuff-happens if you like. Personally I avoid flawed business people as there are better alternatives and I like to encourage good behaviour rather than the other kind.
Ah yes. "Good behaviour" - serving one's own ends whilst not unecessarily damaging those of others; or even helping them along. A prime example: trade, which increases with mutual satisfaction and decreases or dies when there is mere exploitation.
Lataxe
Do shopkeepers and clerks draw the blinds and flip the closed sign over when they see you coming?It must be wonderful to be such a ray of sunshine in everybody's life.You ever cut a 'brutha some slack?
Edited 4/3/2008 4:02 pm ET by BossCrunk
Philip:What a shame WK could not find it in himself to be honorable. What a pleasure to find that Derek was a true friend (as one would have anticipated from the tone of his regular posts).To all the rest -- I have had help and off topic friendly emails with Philip, even though I can't afford to buy his beautiful tools (but if I stumble into a major profitability/liquidity event, a Marcou plane will be part of the celebration). He has alwys been friendly and generous with his time.My read on the WK fiasco has always been that Philip is an honorable man who was near helpless to protect his interests in a foreign land (the USA) half a world away. The costs of litigation would have been greater than the possible recovery. Everything depended on trust, and Philip's trust was betrayed.Philip, I'm glad you have moved on -- and sorry this ever happened.Joe
Derek,
I am VERY glad to see that you supported Philip in his problem with Wiktor. I often wondered why you stuck with Wiktor so long. Good luck with your new website. I will visit it as soon as it is up. Please keep us posted. I would have suggested a different name:http://www.worldssharpestsite.comHave fun.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Philip,Your reluctance to talk about all the gory details is understandable, but it's actually as educational as any post on Knots can be. Thanks for the explanation.BTW, have you ever considered selling poster prints of your planes? I can't afford to put the planes in my shop, but I'd gladly decorate the walls of our showroom with the photos! No kidding...David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
David,
If I had the posters I would not sell them to friends: it would be most satisfying to give them to friends and customers. Still things are moving along and I do at least now have photos that lend themselves to being blown to poster size. It would be fair to say that if I have learned the basics of computer operation since I came to Kiwistan I will no doubt learn how to make huge posters.....
Thanks for your encouraging words.
How is the Angolan project shaping? Be sure to save a few boards of Chamfuta etc.....Philip Marcou
and nobody likes to be found in bed with a thief..
I agree unless she is really pretty!
I for one would buy one of you planes if I used them often. I just use my old junkers that work for what I do.
You do beautiful work by anyones standards AND 'then some'!
Philip,I am very glad to hear that things are moving on.
I wish you good fortune in your endeavors.MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
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