HDS Company Question

[TheEDCer]

Hey guys,
I have a question and mean no disrespect as I have had great respect for Henry and his lights. The light has a lifetime warranty which is great, but isn't HDS just a one man show? If Henry decides to retire what happens to HDS?

 

[scalpel_ninja]

 

[Kestrel]

I think that a somewhat-recent post from Hogo (in a now-closed thread) was along the lines of absolutely zero continuity of operations planning at all. One interpretation could be that having zero plan, is the actual purposeful intent. I honestly can't think of a better way to avoid any and all future liabilities.

And from what I've read of deliveries, what other indications would there be for this actually being the current status ?

 

[bigburly912]

There are plans for warranty work but no plans for continuity work is the way I took the post.

 

[Hogokansatsukan]

When Henry keels over, there will be no new lights unless he can somehow design them from the grave in the same way L. Ron Hubbard wrote books from the grave. Don't count on it. The new light (unless he buys the farm before it is finished) will be available until I kick the bucket. I'm younger but just finished a 120 hour shift on the ambulance and am averaging 100 hours a week on the boo boo bus... and I'm over twice the age of those other whippersnappers on the meat wagon. I live on caffeine and adrenaline.
We do have another person who works on repairs as well as Henry, but Henry is the chief surgeon.
Henry is just stubborn enough to outlive all of you just for spite, and is one of the healthiest people I know... but then, most of the people I know I'm taking to the hospital with lights and sirens going.

 

[Kestrel]

I confess to being skeptical;
With Henry's hands-on approach re: bespoke design details instead of making any efforts to avoid obsolescence, how could that theme be continued re: the demands on your time ? The original query was about the possibility of Henry's retirement, and my follow-up query in that how would we even know ?

 

[turbodog]

Given various production delays... might slip by w/o noticing.

 

[jon_slider]

The light has a lifetime warranty

Mr. Obvious sez:

That means Henry's Lifetime..

 

[TheEDCer]

Hahahaha Hugo!

Thanks for the info, I did not mean anything negative by it, just a curious question.

 

[jon_slider]

just a curious question.

Im glad you asked ;-)

I dont expect to need any warranty work
and I sure hope not, since repairs can take years... lol

from my perspective, if a new HDS does not fail shortly after delivery,
I assume it is a "stable platform", for the long run.

Ive had HDS and Novatac lights that are over 10 years old, and they still work fine. I have never had a need for warranty service, and no reason to expect to need warranty service in the future.

 

[turbodog]

Mr. Obvious sez:

That means Henry's Lifetime..

Technically it's as long as the company legally exists as the company sold the light on paper, not Henry. His will should include plans to liquidate company assets then bankrupt the company probably to deter claims against it.

 

[TheEDCer]

Im glad you asked ;-)

I dont expect to need any warranty work
and I sure hope not, since repairs can take years... lol

from my perspective, if a new HDS does not fail shortly after delivery,
I assume it is a "stable platform", for the long run.

Ive had HDS and Novatac lights that are over 10 years old, and they still work fine. I have never had a need for warranty service, and no reason to expect to need warranty service in the future.

That is a good point. Part of my reasoning, for the question is because browsing these forums, I have seen more than expected number of people that have had to have lights sent in for repair. It got me wondering. I'm sure the numbers of lights that need repair are very small in the grand scheme of things as you only hear from the few people who complain and not the hundreds who have never had issues.

 

[thermal guy]

Given various production delays... might slip by w/o noticing.

😂😂 omg! Now that's funny that is.

 

[JohnSmith]

These are my favorite lights but I buy them expecting that some day this company will cease to exist and I'll be on my own. I prefer clickies because I can replace the switch boot myself if needed.

I also dropped $500 on a rotary because it's a great light but I had to accept the possibility someday I'll have a blown out switch boot, have no one to fix it, and will have to risk opening it up myself and screwing it up.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Hope the company has a long-term strategy for their property. I'm sure someone would buy them out and continue the production, maybe an outfit with more manpower and resources who could grow the brand. I remember when Larry Seecamp aged out he sold the company to a machine shop who expanded production. I think they're lousy guns but the company seems to be doing OK.

I've been here for almost 20 years and I got my first HDS in the spring. Great light. Wish I'd done it sooner.

 

[aznsx]

I think they're lousy guns but the company seems to be doing OK.

Are you referring to the original design / production, or the ones built since it changed hands? I don't have either, but am curious.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Are you referring to the original design / production, or the ones built since it changed hands? I don't have either, but am curious.

That could be its own thread, but the two I had were Larry-era and the internal finish quality was abysmal. Their website used to have a page that basically said "here's why machining and casting flaws means you're getting a quality gun compared to mass produced trash." I haven't kept up in recent years but the first batches from the new company had some pretty serious visible issues. Then the gun itself is an outdated design that's working at the edge of its capability. Locked-breech pocket pistols like the P32 and LCP are much simpler and more pleasant to shoot for me.

I think the last straw was the owner community's defensive attitude. If you ask them "Why should I buy one?" you're told "Get it for the jewel-like Rolex quality." Tell them "I bought one and the rifling is wobbly and the slide falls off after 20 rounds" you get "Most self-defense cases are solved after six rounds at close range, what does it matter? It's a pocket pistol not a fancy watch."

 

[aznsx]

It would seem that in the realm of custom, or limited production, limited availability, limited etc., sourced by operations with very limited staff - potentially limited support life is just the risk one needs to be prepared to assume in their risk / reward assumptions. That seems unavoidable. Although I do not know, I imagine much the same might apply with the S. Alabama outfit as with the Tucson outfit (only speculation), and likely several other operations as well. I don't have a problem with that in some situations, but I'm realistic enough to recognize the 'risk' involved. I'm sure in some situations, the 'reward' justifies that. I don't own lights from either of the two I refer to (yet), but it's not really because of that risk, but rather my limited resources.

 

[aznsx]

@ABTOMAT : I agree that where many things are concerned, it seems that when people buy / own expensive &/or exclusive things, they're often quite defensive of them!

 

[Kestrel]

That's been the fundamental problem with this subforum since the beginning.