I talked to him on the phone a few weeks ago, maybe 3, and he didn't say a thing except he was busier than ever and had 3 guys working for him. All in all a pleasant conversation - he called me to ask if I wanted a 6" Von Karman cone with the aluminum tip as he apparently has finished the mold for them. I said I wasn't ready, but in about 6-12 months.

Warren

After the recent spat of slams and burns on the TRA Forum, I probably would have turned off my phone as well. People tend to forget just how small a market the rocketry world really is. I have to believe that his business has been struggling along with the rest of the global economies and that probably finding a front like Rockets Magazine or Wildman for his products was a smart business move. Apparently, trying to do everything on his own hasn't been that sucessful. On a personal note, he has made good on all orders and problems I've ever had.

I've gone through Wildman for all my PR stuff. Excellent customer service there. No direct experience with Curtis.

Ken

Regarding shutting off the phone - he answered it perhaps every tenth time you called him... when it went into voice mail, the greeting always said the voice mail was FULL and messages weren't being accepted.

I didn't see any of the stuff on TRA that Joe referred to, but I am not surprised. Curtis has made a lot of promises he hasn't been able to keep, which is a shame - I love his stuff.

JW

I had an order for some stuff that was about 6 months out on that I finally sent an email back on and canceled.... I think Jeremiah had the same problem.....
I talked to one of the resellers for his glass nose cones and he told me he planned on producing them this year. Curtis had stiffed him on a few grand in parts and some of the ones he did get were unsellable. I can't remember who it was though..... I remember that he changes his living location twice a year if that helps anyone. I think you - John - sent me to him. I got the last 5 conical glass cones (Curtis's) and some body tubes. Ring a bell?

There's lots and lots of bashing going on but I have had good luck with both Curtis and his dealers.

I usually order from a dealer like Performance Hobbies or Wildman but recently I ordered directly because his dealers have been out of parts. Also, the 4" couplers I received from Performance Hobbies did not fit my existing PR tubes (I think Ken was fed up and changed his source).

Anyway, I ordered a nosecone, sent a PayPal, and the cone was shipped the next day. I was so happy, I ordered something else the next week and it was shipped within a week - plus a small chunk of extra tube he threw in as a gift. I'm even going to order those couplers I need in the next day or two. I hope they are shipped as promptly. But, I never spend more than I can afford to have tied up in possible shipping delays as I have heard all the stories.

I wish he needed a business partner - he's great at products but has to fix the service reputation.

I posted a note about the phone being turned off on the Composite Rocketry group and almost immediately got an email from Curtis. PF is alive and well and still very much in business.

W

I posted a note about the phone being turned off on the Composite Rocketry group and almost immediately got an email from Curtis.

W

I wish he'd "almost immediately" ship me the nosecone he's owed me for over a year.

I wish he needed a business partner - he's great at products but has to fix the service reputation.

Theres your new job Ed.

That's who it was, KEN @ PH. Great guy! He is the one that was planning on building his own nose cones at one point. I have spoken to him on the phone several times and he always returns his emails.

I'm glad you have done good with Curtis, Ed. Too bad the rest of us can't say the same thing. With any company having a bad reputation, there is one or two lucky fellas that get their stuff. I have that with a Harley parts dealer on ebay. I got the stuff I ordered a couple of times, but the other guys didn't or they got something that wasn't what they paid for. I don't order from him anymore, I don't want to law of averages to catch up to me.... So it goes with Curtis, he gets an FDR stamp IMO 🙄