The bad part is when they have antique cars in those shows and they are the ones we drove in high school. Marda, ROTFL! That does set you back, doesn't it? I was at the grocery store today selling raffles for our little library's capital campaign & some old geezer pulled into the parking lot driving an incredibly shiny Model T. He was on his way to a car show in a little town about 10 miles from here. He drew quite a crowd.

Counterfeiting NXRs? Seems unlikely to me because there just is not enough money in it to make it worthwhile for criminals. I mean, the NXR is already pretty much a knock-off and the margins are so thin as it is. Also, Hyxion Metal Works is the only source for Duro and Duro is the only importer, so who could even find a place to sell a counterfeit? As several of us discovered a couple of years ago, Duro gets the stoves FOB Shenzen, China, which means that everything is Duro's risk from that point on. (See the link below). Hyxion's factory practices seem pretty good, for the most part. At least no worse than the 6% to 8% defect rates of the major manufactuters of gas stoves sold in this country. But, every manufacturer is going to have some lemons escape its quality control. Every brand of stove has to be shipped from factories to get to customers, and so every brand of stove will inevitably have some units that get damaged in shipping. It seems to me that the very thin margins on the NXR will be a pretty strong incentive for Duro trying to to quickly and cheaply patch up and re-sell any damaged goods or returns. Combine that with servicers who may not know what they are doing and there being no money to fund training programs --- and that's a recipe that readily explains what happened to bmorpanic, Janemadcap, and that poor guy who posted at Consumer Reports about a getting lemon of a 48" NXR. As I've said before, poor warranty support can be and has been a risk that has to be consdered by anybody shopping for a stove from a small volume brand. I certainly understand Gr8day's "never buying an appliance online." For me, it isn't the fear of getting a counterfeit -- well, maybe from unknown sellers who might pop up on craigslist or eBay and maybe put fake Viking badges on NXRs --- but what I really fear is finding myself as one of the unfortunate 8% who get a defective product and face seeming insuperable difficulties getting a refund or a repair. For me, the Costco full-refund satisfaction guarantee was enough to overcome my paranoia about large online purchases -- hey, I could have taken it back if I just didn't like the stove after six months, never mind warranty issues, Otherwise, even with major brand appliances, I want a local face and somebody who will feel accountable to me in ways that a distant online vendor will not. Here is a link that might be useful: Random NXR info from 2012

Dear Sheainli, I was actually hoping this thread, as well as the other recent one regarding my experience with M. Texiera, would have been exhausted and off the rotation by now. Then, lo and behold! I see you just joined the GW community today and, in your first act of sharing comments with this group, you have chosen to tell us on both of these threads about your wonderful experience with Texiera. What a coincidence! Forgive me if I sound a bit wary of the timing and circumstances of your introductory comments to this forum. OTOH, I do not wish to adopt the style of Roger Teixiera and unfairly accuse anyone of dirty motives in posting here. Therefore, in the event you are truly a new member to this community who has unwittingly jumped into the fray, and who intends to stay around and share your remodel experience with us all the way through, then please let me be among the first to welcome you here. Really. At the same time, Sheanli, I think your post does open the door for me to make some final, hopefully closing comments on this entire debacle. As I've tried to say, in numerous times and in numerous ways, I've never doubted the rave reviews of M. Texiera which have dominated these boards for years. Indeed, had it not been for so many satisfied M. Texiera customers who have posted about those experiences here, I might never have ever wound up at that company looking to buy soapstone in the first place. A business does not get a glowing reputation in a forum community such as this because it's a lousy place to do business! I get that and I don't begrudge anyone their wonderful experience with M. Texiera. I only wish that same story could have been mine. But, sadly, it's NOT my story! Instead, I entered the doors of M. Teixiera with a consumer anticipation and excitement that was beyond measure. And, I was greeted by Michelle, Leo and other employees with professionalism and warmth. However, after only after my asking some pretty basic questions on the specifics,Roger Texiera ordered the quote and contract to me to be dismissed. Further, he withdrew the contract offer on the basis of an untruth which, despite my refutations, he refused to discuss. From what I've seen of some of the comments to this thread, not everyone would have been upset by Roger Teixiera's behavior. However, my truth is, (which is the bottom point of this thread after all) by the time my last futile effort to do business with M. Teixiera was rejected, I felt erased. And, no, I don't like the feeling of erasure. Not one bit. For once and for all, let me also make it clear that I did not initiate this thread in order to "get" M. Texiera or to try to take down that business! Let's be real. I'm a single, older female consumer who had one bad experience with the company. How is it even conceivable that someone like me has the means to cause harm to a mega-business in the North American soapstone industry that more likely than not has a profit statement that runs in the millions? I don't. OTOH, and despite all the wonderful experiences so many have had with M. Teixiera, I just can't make the same claim. Thus, when members of the community have solicited member opinions of the company, I've tried to offer my minority viewpoint in a non-dramatic way. In fact, for a long time, I would just state simply online that my experience at the quote state was not good and, occasionally, I would offer alternative vendors as a suggestion. Even less frequently, I would share details of my negative experience with selected members in private, offline. Nevertheless, every single time I would attempt to exercise my right to say that my experience with the company had not been a good one, Roger Texiera would come onto these boards to attack my character and to suggest he was the world's greatest business person with the most wonderful of customer skills. After his last attempt at that (which appears in the thread you chose to resurrect with complimentary comments off the back pages of the Forum today) I had finally had it. For me it was high time to accede to Roger's demand that I publicly tell all the specifics of my issue with his company and to counter his accusations against me of a nefarious plot to do harm. I say all that to say that this thread is about my story! And I'd like to tell it without having my character assaulted and diminished as one who is "ignorant", "a PITA" or "not worth it." Frankly, I'd also prefer not to see this thread become a platform for all those who are anxious to say they had a good experience with Teixiera. That's the majority story after all and there have been plenty of threads in which to do that in the past; surely there will be more opportunities to crow about the company in the days ahead. Bottom line: if you're happy with the experience you've had with M. Texiera, good for you! The past few days of spilling the beans about my bad experience will not change that. AFAIK, Roger Teixiera is still the soapstone king. Finally, I did want to come back here just to thank those of you who really do "get" why I wrote this thread in the first place. To see and read all your comments of support has been truly uplifting. Yes, it's been cathartic to get this matter off my chest for once and for all. But, even better, it's been a blessing to finally be heard, respected and encouraged on this matter by a community I've grown to love dearly. A feeling of erasure has been replaced by a feeling of affirmation and support. And, in the process, I'm reminded that "I get by with a little help from my friends." :-) Thank you GW friends!

I wouldn't pay $80 for those shoes, much less $800, but I pretty much knew that before I opened the thread. I wear a size 12. I think I wore a size 10 by the time I was 10. It was a constant struggle to find shoes that didn't have significant heels or look like they belonged on an 80 year old woman with foot problems or a man's shoe. In fact, I was told more than once just to wear men's shoes (not that they fit a foot that was on the narrow side). I'm sure that has something to do with why I could never wear Birkenstocks, Converse, Vans or others. But I will also never buy Jimmy Choos -- not that they are even made in my size. To date, my shoe extravagance has been Tieks. But I had to look. ;-) ETA: for gender equality and shoe aversion accuracy