For me its a time thing. Being self-employed I tend to spend long hours at the pc to earn income, and any time taken spent modelling is money lost. Any way that I can save many hours NOT making rivets, is time I can spend on other parts of a project, and maximises the time spent away from work.

We often think nothing of spending £100 on a kit plus all the AM bits, so for me it was a no-brainer - I just put off my next project purchase for a bit. (Good thing too - the current one is going to take months )

At the show Alisdair explained a bit of the manufacturing process to me - it impressed me that these tools are made by a company that makes parts for Airbus (or Boeing - can't remember exactly). This coupled with a lifetime guarantee means you are getting a very high quality tool that will very likely last your entire modelling life.




Tarok I feel your pain - I lived in SA for 25yrs and was back recently - the tenfold increase in the price of everything in 5 years blew me away.

My second dumb question of the day...




Why is that sentence there????

SOP for reviews......LOL centeral thread for comments that's all

Unless someone has edited or deleted a response, I do not see anyone here referring to the price as ridiculous. I do see a post where Petition2God uses the word "ridiculously", but it is not directed at the Nutter.

Either I misread it or it's been edited....so what? It was 17 posts ago! Move on people...............let's try and stay on topic and constructive shall we?

Vinnie

Vinnie,
Sorry for carrying on but I just have to say....

Saying "more ridiculous" implys you believe that the original topic of conversation is ridiculous, and the following examples are more ridiculous.

I don't know why this topic of pricing always comes up. If the tool is priced too high for the supply and demand than Small Shop either won't sell enough or they will lower their profit margin and offer it at a lower price. Simple business 2+2=4 IMHO.

Alasdair - I know everyone is probably thinking this so I will just ask the question. Is this tool patented this time around? In other words can we expect that other versions of this might start to appear, as happened with the H&F? Just curious on that score. Nice work btw, it looks like an excellently made tool.

Cheers,
Jim

Personally, I think the tool is a neat idea, but not one that I need (now) or would pay $100+ for (now). Having said that, there was a time in my life where a $100 airbrush and compressor were not needed and I wouldn't have bought. Today, an airbrush and compressor are two things I find hard to live without (as seen when I did a build review of an Abrams tank while living in a hotel room without them).

Even the Hold & Fold seemed expensive when they first came out. Never thought I'd need one since the old 6" steel ruler and razor blade worked just fine for the simpler On The Mark, early Eduard or Verlinden photo etch sets.

Then when I started to use photo etch for 1/72 scale armor, I picked up a 4" Hold & Fold (the one with the purple head and black base). It made life easier, worked better than the blade/ruler and I use it whenever I need to build using PE.

The Nutter may become an invaluable tool to modelers in the future. Only time will tell.

I said it before and it is expensive, especially to kids starting out on the steep scratchbuilding learning curve. Maybe it's the kind of tool we get for birthday or Christmas presents. Whether or not people decide to buy or not to buy, I wish Alasdair every success as he's obviously put a lot into the design and development of the tool and deserves to make a packet!

Vinnie

Hi guys.

Jim (Starkweather)

Hi Jim. long tome no talk anyway first thanks for the comments on the tool, Im glad you like it

On the protection OH YES BIG TIIME !!! all the paper work is signed off before public viewing etc etc, and all is fine with that "this time".

I am not going to be burned a second time (well not me in fact but Pete Forrest). As we all know , his fault for leaving the "concept" open.
The "new" tools (Bug, 5 Speed etc) are however protected under design law and the NUTTER is doubly protect by both design and patant law.

Thus, the "working" concept as well as the design for the NUTTER tool, the materials and all design details are protected. The Tip designs are also protected in there own right as a separate product.

The foil itself is protected by the maunfactor, who belive you, is a little bit bigger than me I have an agrement with them on supply of this spec for a contracted time scale.

In the USA. the Hold & Fold factory (Kalama) will produce the tool there.
Also this helps to establish even tighter copy protection for us in the USA.
Even proir to production, all you need is the agreement to produce and US courts rapidly turn on the copyist as a US company suffers.
(Slightly less active if you do not have a US partner it is reported , ummm catch 22 LOL, but no , I am happy they will )

Hope that clears that up Jim, but thanks for the warning

Open

Many many thanks guys, I see nobody rejecting the product for what it does, and I thank you for that. The objections are on price and the special foil it seems..

I cannot do anything about the foil as it is part of the system, however we are working to get the US factory rolling with local production. This "may" help on the price in the USA as set costs are lower. However this will be decided by them..

I also know the EU Euro and the Pound are stronger than the US Doller which does drive up you prices in the USA when buying EU made products at EU prices !!
Another reason that some time in the future we get production rolling in the USA.

Thanks guys and I hope my "openess" is not taken as a sympahy call. We are happy to let people know anything as long as it does not give too much away .

Alasdair