TeeJay

:thumbsupsmileyanim: :thumbsupsmileyanim:

This is all fine and good but the whole thread has taken a complete turn away from my original post.

The thread has nothing to do with how good or bad off board dealers are, just as it has nothing to do with how good or bad our dealers are.

My only point was that as we have formed the tag 'Trusted' to mean dealers on our board there is no point in asking if dealers that are not here are trusted or not.

Ken

Ahh, I see what you mean Yeah, pretty stupid to ask "Is so and so dealer trusted??" when they're on the list

I see your platypus and raise you a flounder...

This has to be the true definition of irony...

:thumbsupsmileyanim:

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain. - William Cowper

Touché... The Catholics can have their meek and mild Jesus who turns water into wine, I much prefer my God 'Old Testament'...

Oh yeah :thumbsupsmileyanim: Even Jesus was known to kick some ass when the situation called for it Besides, how can one doubt God's sense of humor when there is this fine example of His work... This is the work of someone with a few spares and time on His hands on the 7th Day

I'd like to throw in my .2c here, as my rep-buying experiences have been somewhat different to many. Due to cashflow issues, I can't afford the more expensive reps, and at the moment, even a $108 rep is an unaffordable dream, so I've always looked around and seen what deals were avaialable via 'off-site' dealers, and I can honestly say that I have not had half the troubles using them, that some folks seem to have had when using forum trusted dealers. A dealer I've been buying from on CQout, has a rating of 424 positive feedbacks, and zero negative feedbacks. This is a site which employs a 'three strikes' policy: More than three negative feedbacks, and that dealer is gone. No questions asked, just gone. 100% buyer protection. Even WatchEden, prior to their RWG days traded on CQout and were unlucky enough to fall victim to this three strikes policy, and I always (and still do) consider them to be an excellent dealer. Of course, you can't please everyone all the time, n00bs can have unrealistic and unreasonable expectations as to what they are getting, so of course, some negative feedback is inevitable (especially from those new to the rep game who seem to think they are buying regular goods at a regular store and expect identical standards of product and customer service ) I've seen one dealer come onto the forum, quickly become a regular poster and major player in regards the QC and customer service, and then sadly go down-hill to the point that they are no longer considered a trusted dealer, but instead a pariah to avoid (I'm not naming names here, I'm not playing favorites, I'm just giving the facts, I only named WatchEden specifically as they have been both an on and off-forum dealer, so an exception to the rule of say Silix and the Cartel) All I can say, is that people should go with whichever dealer they feel the most comfortable dealing with. They can all get access to the same stock, so it's not like trying to choose between the venders at the food-court, it's like going to a food-court where they are all McDonalds, and you just go to the kiosk with the staff you like the most. As with everything, reasonable expectations and behavior, yield reasonable results The one thing I would add, is that with on-forum dealers, should a transaction go bad, there is at least the option of Admin involvement to aid in the resolution, but as with everything, it is a matter of common sense when selecting... People don't go to hairdressers they don't like... People don't sit down for a tattoo when the artist's portfolio looks like a pre-schooler sketchbook ( ) People don't eat from places where there is filth on the counter or bad reviews... As many have said before me, first choose your dealer, then choose your watch

I never said I don't believe in irony...

i·ro·ny1    

[ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-]

–noun, plural -nies.

1. God's warped sense of humor, manifested through the system known as Karma

You couldn't make up that sequence of events up if you tried. One makes their own luck. By surrounding themselves with good people and not f&%king them over, they increase the probability of themselves not being f&%ked over. People who do bad have to remember it, having it on their conscience is punishment enough. Cause and effect, my RWG friends.

I know, it was a pretty amusing situation when it occured, and I can only say that Emily's life has been much happier since the removal of her bio-dad from it I know what you mean though, good people brings good situations, it's just a case of surrounding yourself with the right crew

I can see your position and believe your post holds a good degree of insight. And I am tempted to agree with you. But my inuitive understanding of the universe still holds me to the belief of karma. Now whether or not my belief in karma is simply a version of my own personal Jiminy Cricket residing on my shoulder reminding me of right and wrong I do not know. It could even be as simple as me being honest over the years has helped me to make good friends from people I have sold to or bought from. Thus making my own good karma. These are friends and contacts that screwing over for one simple deal would have cost me untold money due to the fact that I have made many deals with the same people over and over. Not to mention beer that I have swilled with them and cigars that have wonderfuly stunk up my deck.

So, now that I have calmed down and can think clearly: I would like to argue that on some level karma does indeed exist - even if we only make it for ourselves. But in arguing from that standpoint, I think I come close to proving both our points.

Karma exists... Best example I can give, is my wife's bio-dad never paid child-support, always played mind-games, always did everything to serve himself. He dropped dead of a massive heart attack at his market stall (where he made over £150 a day, yet still claimed poverty to the Child Support Agency) ten days before we got married, on the day which, had she been alive, would have been his ex-mother in law's birthday. That strikes me as too much of a cosmic smiting to be anything other than karma... Don't worry, the douche who stole your watch will get his when the time comes. Maybe the movement will fail and he'll miss an important meeting, maybe he'll get hit by a bus crossing the road, who knows, but one thing's for sure, his cards are marked with the Big Cheese

I have skinny wrists so any watch over 40mm looks ridiculous on me.

However, I think that watches have become retardedly big over the past decade. Makes everyone look like Randy Jackson. Just MHO.

Peace out beeeatches

It's not so much the diameter of the case which was an issue for me, but the thickness and height which it stands from the wrist... Way too clumsy for anything other than casual/tool watch use, but of course, to each his own

It's not normal. The automatic movement should keep running all the time you are wearing it (and still run for appx 24 hours after being taken off)

How much would you be looking to get for the Yachtmaster?

Mod Team drinks Toddy's by the pool and surfs the forum on 60' plasmas...

While being massaged by naked ladies from south America...

You do your part and we'll do ours...

Double T

:thumbsupsmileyanim: :thumbsupsmileyanim:

How important is 100% perfect accuracy in the watch to you? If it's not, just buy a budget Submariner. That'll leave you the spare cash to keep the wife happy and hopefully make a start on your project watch

Thanks for the comments, amigos I'm glad to know it's not just me who doesn't really feel it, even though I understand that it is a popular watch I think if the watch was re-released with a 22mm bracelet, I would have no issues with it 'as a watch'. The height which the watch stands from the wrist is probably no worse than a PAM (but I think it is taller than the Heritage) but I certainly wouldn't try and wear it with a suit. T-Shirt and jeans or shorts (or a wetsuit ) sure, but not if the aim of the wardrobe is to look smart... I must also agree with the above comment about the fit and finish of the bracelet. Links flowed absolutely butter-soft, quite a difference from the 'straight from the factory and in need of lubing' rep bracelets The other aspect which did catch my attention, was the semi-matte finish to the dial. It would've been nice to see it under natural sunlight, but I doubt they'd've let me take it out of the mall for the experiment

Not impressed

Probably the shortest review I've ever written, so I'll go into a bit more detail

Everything I feared about the watch from seeing pics of it on here, were confirmed the instant I picked it up. The dial and case, viewed 'dial-on', was not so bad, especially as I had my Heritage on prior to trying, but the thickness of the case, definitely seemed a bit OTT, and I totally stand by my previous comments about the thickness of the bracelet... The DSSD needs a 22mm bracelet to be a proper aesthetic match for the case. It felt okay on the wrist, not too heavy or unbalanced, but it definitely isn't the watch for me, as I could never accept the bracelet/watch ratio... Oh well, I know it's a popular watch, and to each his own, but I just wanted say a few words on the subject

Thanks TJ

Any time, I've always been a sucker for custom

Love it :thumbsupsmileyanim: :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Looks almost like scorching... You could maybe try removing the marker and gently filing the side to see if the stain lifts, but not too sure what else to suggest

I'm with TJ and wearing the Tudor again today

Waiting for the Rapture with an old favorite

just don't get your art work ending up on this site.

http://hanzismatter.blogspot.com/

Awesome :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Komadori would be the more correct phonetic romanization, you are correct.

Ahh, I see I like how the word sounds similar to the rank 'Commodore' My own children's names, I would likely just do a straight translation, rather than finding the Japanese word, simply because I don't think Japanese has words for Luke and Lilith

Are you on Tattoodles.com for your peer reviews? He's a local tattoo artist that has made a name for himself amongst tattoo artists.

by the way when doing kanji characters, be VERY careful in replicating them. make sure you get a bonafide chinese dude to read over your proof first before doing the work.

I haven't come across that site before, but I will certainly check it out, so thanks for the heads up And absolutely. Luckily, my best friend's wife is native-born Japanese, so I have a source I can go to for translations

His characters are actually Japanese Hiragana and not Kanji. The good news, I was able to read them and translate correctly.

There was no way I was getting that one wrong Interestingly, the spelling I have always come across, is komadori, not komatori, as you wrote

But I know what you mean. I wonder how many people are running around with the Kanji equivalent of "Kick Me" tattoo'd on them.

Doesn't bear thinking about Or even if someone's gone to a person in a foreign restaurant in the hopes of getting a translation, and getting given the 'kick me'

Are you actually working in a shop or doing it at home? :-/

If it's at a shop I would have thought they could of advised you on your skill level, I don't need to say what I think as it's all been said...

I have 2 tattoos, one Jackass Skull that is awesome, and a star on my wrist that was done by someone who was supposedly the best in my area, it's wonky and I've regretted it ever since...

None of the shops locally will take on apprentices, they just see them as future competition, so won't do anything to help anyone out, and of course, in the process, totally forgetting that someone once gave them a hand-up to learn... Fortunately, UK regulations allow people to register as 'mobile artists', who then go to the client's home. It's just a matter of creating a sterile working environment, and to be honest, probably easier than maintaining a sterile environment in a studio, which has people in and out all day Sorry to hear of your own tattoo experiences, I've also seen some pretty shocking work come out of studios over the years I think it's sad that, as an industry, there is a lot of snobbery towards artists who don't work out of a studio. Sure, having a studio is nice and all, but it doesn't guarantee that the guy in the chair actually has any artistic skill, just that he knows enough about BBPs and sterile practice to pass the necessary paperwork... Several of the well known artists today started out at home with home-made equipment, but their work now speaks for itself Mine says I need to learn more, but that's okay, as that's my plan

I'll jump on the Quartz bandwagon with TeeJay. T, I'll bite, what is the contraption in your picture?

:thumbsupsmileyanim:

It's a tattoo machine, minus tip (of the tube) and needle. Essentially just two electromagnetic coils, as on old-fashioned bell ringers

well having a artists eye for things will definitely give you a head start on most tattoo artists....

Fingers crossed

Machine is 100% rebuilt, including the coil wraps (printed from close ups I took of Yen notes in Tokyo)