TECSHARE has it right, this thread sucks. I also think several of you do not understand what a trust system is and how it works.

Go back and read this post right here, where I first stumbled across the guy's work. I complimented it, as I did at the start of this thread.

I then expressed confusion about his pricing structure, to which he replied right here that he actually charges $3k/hr, but $18/hr is the special price for us. Imagine a $3k/hour artisan saying "fuck it, I'll do it for $18/hour, and just try a LOT LESS HARD".

This was obviously taking the piss (Special price on a hand-tailored suit, sir? Just for you...). Obviously. If anyone reading this believes that a man whose time is worth THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS AN HOUR is going to pick up a chisel for $18/hr, stop reading RIGHT NOW and kill yourself.

At this point, I suspected that if the guy was going to be so blatantly full of shit about how much money he makes, he's probably bullshitting about how much his wood costs, how long his pieces take to make, everything. A cursory examination of the circumstantial evidence (loans for tools, brand-new account but familiar with BFL, making drug paraphernalia on his lathe, etc) combined with the fact that his designs REALLY ARE ACTUALLY QUITE NICE (seriously) but the shapes he cuts out are ACTUALLY EMBARRASSINGLY POOR  (for a "master artisan"), combined with the fact that several laser engravers have chimed in to say that they believe the pieces are laser engraved, combined with the fact that the only surfaces not etched are the flat inner and outer edges that can't be lasered, lead me to the most obvious conclusion: that he's in fact a mediocre woodworker and a decent graphic designer, pretending that his laser-cut designs (literally the exact same as pressing "print" in photoshop) are somehow hand-carved.

Any master craftsman would have a portfolio of high-end work to show potential clients. Any craftsman who has been working for more than a few years is a fucking idiot if they don't have a portfolio of their high-end work, including process pictures. My threads are littered with them. But the best this guy can produce is this:



THE FUCKING WOOD CHIPS ARE NOT EVEN THE SAME COLOUR AS THE BLANK.

Christ, you people. I'm done.

Just so we are clear, you did NOT receive any photos of the piece being carved? Just sketches?

You could have made a video in the time you spent here flapping your gums about how proof isn't necessary and trying to get people promise to neg-rate me.

Nothing to see here but a scammer grasping at straws. Shame, because his laser etchings are really quite nice. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the video.

PROTIP FOR FORUM ENTREPRENEURS: this is a den of scams and your feet WILL be held to the flames if you smell funny. Don't try to misrepresent yourself and your business dealings!

It's right here: https://www.sansleaf.com/


In fairness, that -5 is completely due to my single negative trust rating. Default Trust is broken, kids, and this is one more reason why.

The hand-carved detail is "astonishing", but not as astonishing as the massive discrepancy in width between the two verticals.



Amazing that someone who can carve as well as a laser cutter is unable to use a saw properly.

The problem is that he has gone out of his way to hide his use of a machine, while at the same time letting people think it's done completely by hand.

He exclusively uses the word "carve" to describe his process, as you can see here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=868931.0;all

Here's a buyer saying "The hand-carved detail is astonishing": https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=868954.msg9777724#msg9777724

WC's response? "Thanks". Not "Oh, it was actually done with a laser, not carved."

The point is NOT how he makes the pieces, but how he represents them as being made.

If he was selling "beautiful hand-lacquered and polished laser-cut wooden bitcoin pieces", this thread would not exist.

Imperfect analogy. Do you link the maille by hand, or do you just load the design into a machine that links it for you?

Seriously, look at the white lines. Did he even draw the outline with a pencil before he started cutting, or did he freehand the whole thing?



If I cut a piece of wood that poorly, my dignity and self-respect would prevent me from showing it to people.

If he shows a video of him carving fine-serif text like this, with hand tools, start to finish, I'll eat my hat. Heck, I'll commission a piece myself.

I don't think he will produce a video of himself hand-carving a piece. If he does produce a video, I believe it will be a video of him fussing with his tools in order to give the appearance of hand-carving without actually doing so.

Unfortunately, WC has declined to produce a video for anyone but his clients, so I guess you have to pay a thousand dollars to find out for certain how they're made.

Michael Adair's trust

Maybe you're not in the position to be suggesting who is in Default Trust and who isn't?

The history of Bitcoin is one of endless scams, misrepresentations, frauds, fly-by-night businesses, and all-around shadiness. It is the duty of us all to share our suspicions when they arise.

FWIW, "a rube" is a type of person. There is nobody named "rube" here (at least, I hope not).

Please note how WC completely avoided commenting on the embarrassingly poor cut job he did on that photo I shared. Or maybe it's actually a perfect BTC and I'm just seeing it as a piece of shit because I'm jealous, and I wish I had a laser too?


I like it too. Some of the rounds in particular look amazing.

In fact, I started this scam accusation thread because I suspected you were scamming people. It's everyone's duty to out scams when they smell them. You're smoking your socks if you think this is because of jealousy.

Look again at the last picture I posted:


$50 piece of wood, cut like shit on a jigsaw, laser engraved. Sold to a rube for $1,200 because he thought it was carved by hand.

This issue is settled for me. Others may wish to post evidence for either side if they so choose.

You did this shit job on PURPOSE?


Well, I guess you know now. I suppose this will be the first of several personal attacks.


You make $10 million a year and your wife is pissed because you wanted to spend $10k on tools for your profession? Sounds legit.


Waiting with bated breath. Hopefully next time you'll show us pictures of a work in process, not some brand-new tools laying around in a shop and an image of an "in-progress" piece so dark you can't tell if there's anything carved into it.

One last illustrative photo before we wait for WC's response (he's online now).

Symmetry is fine, I'd expect a carver to draw the outline with a pencil before beginning.

How about these impossibly fine details... I wonder what sort of chisels you'd use for those tiny serifs?!

Things worth considering at this point:

Some forum members have paid well over ten thousand dollars for some of these pieces. Given that they purchased the pieces under the impression that they were hand-carved, this appears to be a clear-cut case of fraud.

As a non-American, I'm not quite sure, but does this count as a "felony"? (We don't classify crimes this way in Canada)

I wonder does WC have import permits for the exotic woods he uses?

Scam Warning: WoodCollector

If you've bought a piece, or are considering buying one, please read here first.

I don't think you can etch the inside edges with a laser, so that's probably why they're not etched.

This. And because I am an actual artisan, and it upsets me to see people claiming to be artisans -- and charging artisan prices -- when they're amateurs producing sub-par work.

He's a great *artist* and *designer*, sure... as long as those designs are his. That's where his skill ends.

Maybe!

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=930649.0