slkdyk wrote:Hi
Just checking in to see how things are going with getting setup to market your product.
sd
I believe that this is just another "home company tryout" that failed.
Guy had big plans but blew it. Doesn't have a web shop and doesn't know what that takes. Tried to outsource production at high price and great demands but that backfired. Seriously, take a look what this guy asked and think why it is so hard for him to find a manufacturer. If you see other products that have a name before product itself exists be ware.
If you think that I'm just bashing him it is because I have an inferior 3D printed rivaling product in mind.
I think you're just trying to goad me with your comments, but I can't blame anyone for getting impatient. Think how I feel. I have over $100K invested in this project, not counting my personal time (I've done almost everything myself, including the web design, drawings & specifications and patent application), and it has been frustrating to say the least.
I can't explain why it has been so difficult to find competent manufacturers. The retainers look simple and like they would be a snap to produce, yet if you saw some of the pre-production samples that manufacturers have sent to me, you would shake your head in disbelief. Some of them don't even look anything like the drawings, and even when they do, the finish and dimensions are just completely unacceptable. I don't know how they even have the nerve to send such shoddy goods. The drawings and specifications are very specific and not open to interpretation.
After several go-arounds that I did not expect, I now have all manufacturers telling me that they will deliver in 4-6 weeks and promising that I will not be disappointed with their products. I will believe it when I see it. In the meantime, if you think you can make something similar with a 3D printer, knock yourself out. Inferior or not, you'll find my lawyers knocking on your door the instant my patent is approved, which should be any day now. I applied for the patent almost 3 1/2 years ago. It is a very exhaustive application that the USPTO is taking very seriously. That's why it has taken so long. Given the unexpected difficulties I've had in finding competent manufacturers, I am thinking now that it probably wasn't even necessary to apply for a patent. I seriously doubt anyone will be able to cost-effectively compete with me, even with an inferior product.
TetherSpout wrote:
I can't explain why it has been so difficult to find competent manufacturers. The retainers look simple and like they would be a snap to produce, yet if you saw some of the pre-production samples that manufacturers have sent to me, you would shake your head in disbelief. Some of them don't even look anything like the drawings, and even when they do, the finish and dimensions are just completely unacceptable. I don't know how they even have the nerve to send such shoddy goods. The drawings and specifications are very specific and not open to interpretation.
Most odd. Did the manufacturers know what the items were going to be used for? If so, perhaps they did not want to be associated with such a product. But then it would have been easier and cheaper for them to simply refuse, rather than wasting time producing substandard samples. As I say, most odd. Perhaps they were simply incompetent.
Anyway, considering the considerable amount of time and money that you have invested in the project, I hope everything works out well in the end. That can only start to happen once everything is up and running (the website etc.) and the product is completely available and at a price people can afford and consider to be value for money. I await the final result with interest.
Most manufacturers don't even want to know what something will be used for and go out of their way to stay ignorant. They are concerned that if they know too much, someone might sue them for disclosure.
I hate to say it, but American manufacturers are simply not very bright or far-sighted. They are only interested in making quick easy profits from prototype development and automatically assume that Chinese and other eastern competitors will under-price them on actual mass-production work, so they don’t even bother trying to compete. Out of the more than 1400 American businesses that I sent RFQs to, less than 5% responded, and most of those were non-competitive. In fact, many didn’t even have the necessary expertise or equipment and were just looking for suckers to fund their business development plans. “Incompetent” doesn’t even cover it.
The irony is that when it comes to production work that involves heavily automated processes with little labor, the Chinese and others don’t even have an edge. In fact, they are at a very strong disadvantage because of language, communication and high transportation costs. But the Chinese and other Asians are smarter at business and make up for these disadvantages by absorbing the tooling and setup costs. They virtually guarantee a steady stream of repeat orders while Americans have to constantly look for new customers. Look on any website and you’ll find American manufacturers touting their prototype and product development skills. I don’t need those services. I already know what I want. I just need somebody to make the bloody things without ripping me off. American manufacturers look for inventors and small specialized businesses with deep pockets that require small-scale custom work. Chinese, Indonesian and Indian businesses look for any customer that promises a steady stream of repeat work and will aggressively bid to get that work. American businesses don't even try.
I have been watching to see when these products would be available. Since it has been quite a while I spent some time on my lathe and came up with these in the mean time. They are a bit difficult to get assembled once inserted but act just as Tetherspouts describe. I will try to post pics so please bear with me if it doesnt work.
sd
Sorry I could not answer the phone, I was tied up at the moment.
Nice job. The spout looks rather long and the retainer looks like it could have a better shape without the sharp edge, but you have the right idea.
I'm still waiting for inventory, but I expect it will only be a few more weeks, at most, before I have my website up and running. You may want to buy my precision sized retainers because they are a little more complex when it comes to shape and give you more options.
The spout is 2" long, it is 1/4"dia for the shaft and 3/8"dia for the head. The retainer is 1/2"dia OD wit a 17/64" hole and tapered on one side, since it is thin it goes in easily. My estimations for the max dia was right on. The edge is not as sharp as it appears. I think an oval shape might work better. It holds like you mentioned. It can take a pretty good tug without coming out. For me the retainer is rather close to the opening and the spout can come out of it when pushed in. I will keep looking for your device when available.
sd
Sorry I could not answer the phone, I was tied up at the moment.
[quote="slkdyk"]I have been watching to see when these products would be available. Since it has been quite a while I spent some time on my lathe and came up with these in the mean time. They are a bit difficult to get assembled once inserted but act just as Tetherspouts describe. I will try to post pics so please bear with me if it doesnt work.
sd
Looks real good to me. Maybe you and tether should get together!
I just made an oval retainer that is about .52" by .7" and am wearing it as I type. It was only .020" wider than the one in the pic but didnt go in as easy. Once in it is comfortable and feels like it holds much better. I can pull pretty hard and no slipping out. I need to reproduce this shape in SS. So the prototype is on its test run for the next few hours.
sd
Sorry I could not answer the phone, I was tied up at the moment.
If the retainer is properly sized (there will be detailed instructions on my website) there shouldn't be any possibility of it coming out, even if the retainer is of a minimalist round style. Oval retainers only make it more comfortable to apply really strong tension and are actually not more secure (they just feel that way). Once your penis becomes inured to wearing it, you'll be amazed by how much tension you can apply and all the things you can do. If it isn't already, your penis will become a slave to your every sexual desire and whim or fancy, regardless of what state it is in.
I just got word that the balance of my stainless steel retainer shipment will arrive tomorrow. Allowing time for laser etching and other last minute details, I should be in business within two weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Update... another snafu. Only a small part of the shipment arrived as promised. The rest is still held up in transit and won't arrive until Sept 24th. So, add another week and don't hold your breath.
TetherSpout wrote:
Update... another snafu. Only a small part of the shipment arrived as promised. The rest is still held up in transit and won't arrive until Sept 24th. So, add another week and don't hold your breath.
TetherSpout
Just checking in.... any word on the shipment yet?
Got my equipment about a year ago...tried to insert ,but not going to happen...put it away....then got the urge ...I bought some smaller plugs...a nice tappered 8mm for me a beginner. got my peehole streched a little bit, then got the 10mm in with small amount of bleeding...so a week later, got everything set up , got that 10mm going in back and forth, so I put the spout in and bam it went in easy, then tried the retainer ring...oh boy...but I lubed it up and really pushed it...I wasn't sure if it had gotten in, but took my thumb off and it was gone...Yeah it got in....then the work to align the two...took a couple minutes but did it...wish I had the longer spout at that pint ...tried the magnetic ball...cool...just make sure your skin doesn't get caught between the spout and the ball,,,ouch..so the removal was a little work , but I just kept working it and used my tappered plug to push the spout down..cool how the retainer starts to show and it slowly pushes past the constriction. Can't wait to try it again.
Just to update everyone, tetherproducts.com has been in business for well over a year now and in the above photos sklightsz is using one of the tetherspouts that he obtained from the website. In the first photo the spout is simply capped (every spout comes with a cap). In the 2nd photo sklightsz has a ring attached to emulate a PA piercing. The 3rd photo shows the spout capped by a small ball magnet and in the 4th photo it appears that he is tugging on the spout by a thin string.
These are the first photos I've seen of anyone else using a tetherspout and I think they look great, especially because the spout looks like it barely fits his urethral orifice, which in my mind makes it look extra sensuous. Thank you sklightsz. I hope you get as much pleasure from your tetherspout as I get from mine and that you'll post more photos.
