New year, new WK&T

Hello Wachtman Nation!  Alec here, thought I'd give you a brief rundown of what we learned this year and what we plan on doing better in the next. This is my first year trying to run a company and admittedly I wasn't perfect, but I'm learning. You only fail when you give up.

#1 Lead time: 

Yes, I know this has been a problem for some people and I'm not at all happy about it myself. Part of the extended lead time has been due to COVIDs effect on shipping channels but there was a lot that I and the rest of the team could've done better. 

Next year we plan to reduce lead time on standard models by:

• Keeping a stock of pre cut and treated blanks on hand
• ordering material in advance rather than using our old "batch que" format

#2 Communication:

Since this was largely a one man operation for the vast majority of the year, communication in some areas was lacking. For that I apologize and will try and do better in the coming year, when you have to wear a hundred hats, it's hard not to let one fall.

We plan on improving our customer service communication by:

• Centralizing communication: From now on, all non custom orders will need to be purchased through the website. This will ensure that we can notify you of any new developments or supply hiccups as quickly as possible.
• FAQ page: There were a few recurring questions that we got asked this year that we've put into an FAQ. We hope that this will reduce the need to wait for a direct answer from me or a WKT representative.

#3 Fit and finish

Part of WKT's ethos is a continued and relentless pursuit of excellence. I feel that there were some ways we could have done better in the final product department.

Here are a few things we're doing in 2021 to bring you a better blade:

•  Standardization of processes: Since we're now waterjetting our blades, we can standardize parts and create processes based around a specific blade including jigs and fixtures.
• Updated finishing procedures: We will be adding new processes to ensure that your blade finish is as uniform as possible including oil baths, forced air treatments and precision grade etch times.

We also have plans to implement new editions of some of our most popular EDC models.... More on that later!

Hope you all have a fantastic new year!

-Alec Wachtman