This has been one of the most perplexing threads I have ever followed on this board. I have no doubt the poor experiences suffered by some are genuine. But for reasons I certainly can't explain, mine have been the opposite. I've had about 3-4 jobs done my Mike Orlen--stock bending, honing chokes etc. Each time, even the first, he answered my emails almost immediately, completed the work within a week or so, and billed me via email with a scanned invoice. The latest was a month or so ago, same experience.

I have no relationship with him, have never met him, and have talked only briefly on the phone (he always answered). So I can't for the life of me figure I'm some sort of favored client. So I am chalking this whole thing up as one of life's great mysteries. But I felt I had to jump in as my experiences have been good ones--why I've been seemingly favored I have no idea.