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konmtu

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Got this Modus Cigar tool on Amazon. Awesome tool! It has a forked end for nubbing (no spinning!) and a draw tool on the other end. Nice heavyweight wood and metal construction. The $39 will pay for itself when nubbing the tastier ones that I just can't quit.





Edited for noobishness.

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That looks like pretty much an extact rip off of the Redeemer by Hekthor. I definitely would not buy one as that is supporting someone that is ripping off a fellow BotL.

I would ask that people please not buy from this douche bag who is stealing from Hekthor.

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cgraunke

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Looks to be a blatant rip off of a piece that an ACTUAL BOTL put a lot of time and money in to developing and perfecting over the years. Apparently he had the gall to present that at IPCPR this year.
His Modus LinkedIn profile
I guess with his background in sales/marketing, he likely knows how to take advantage of the little guy. I don't know much of anything about patent law, but I know the Redeemer is patent 'pending'. I also know Hekthor likely doesn't have the time or money needed to fight it.
Plight of the independent artist I guess.
There's no way I would ever purchase from this guy. Please make sure your friends on other cigar forums know to support who I'm sure is the original designer. In my opinion, without innovators like Hekthor, guys like this wouldn't have ideas to copy.

(edited to note "my opinion")
 
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memphsdad

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Let's not beat up the OP for sharing an accessory that he found useful. The redeemer costs 2x the price (for those that were unaware/missed the BOTL Group buy) and last I could tell was not readily available at this point in time.
 

cgraunke

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Not beating up on @konmtu

I think our fellow BOTL should know some background to make an informed decision. Everyone is free to support who I feel is an opportunist looking to make a quick buck. I just know that there are a number of people here who find value in innovation and quality, and would rather support that. Myself included.

(edited to note "my opinion")
 
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memphsdad

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Not beating up on @konmtu

I think our fellow BOTL should know some background to make an informed decision. Everyone is free to support the opportunist looking to make a quick buck. I just know that there are a number of people here who find value in innovation and quality, and would rather support that. Myself included.
You know I'm on your side here buddy, I have 2 redeemers on order and already gifted a 3rd one to a friend.
 
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Yeah, definitely not breathing up on @knomtu. It just pisses me off when a slime ball steals from someone like this.

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Isn't that how a free market works?
I get that it's almost an exact design but if it's not violating any patents, I don't see any reason to be in uproar.
Support small businesses if you can afford to but not everyone has that privilege.

I'd rather buy the $10 amazon computer cable than pay $40 bucks for the Apple version.

Edit: spelling error.
 
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Isn't that how a free market works?
I get that it's almost an exact design but if it's not violating any patents, I don't see any reason to be in uproar.

I'd rather buy the $10 amazon computer cable than pay $40 bucks for the Apple version.
No one said whether or not it is or it's not violating patents. And the up roar is that some one is stealing almost a complete design from a BOTL. So think of it as a brotherhood where you help and support those brothers.

If the guy came up with his own design instead of blatantly stealing an idea, then no one would care.

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StogieNinja

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@cgraunke, you know I got love for you brother, but can you say for sure one ripped off the other? Those are pretty strong accusations you and Jim have thrown out.

Nubbers and draw tools have been around for a really long time, and a number of people have made them. Hekthor certainly didn't invent either concept, nor is his the only product on the market, and there's some differences (price, material, thickness of the poker) between the two designs. Also, Jack (the maker of the Modus draw tool) is a little guy as well as an actual BOTL too, and is a member on a handful of other forums I'm part of, he's not some major corporation moving in to crush Hekthor.

Until someone can provide confirmation, I'm going to move forward assuming these are two BOTLs who both executed on a similar concept.
 
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cgraunke

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With as litigious a society we live in, certain things should not be said in public forum for fear of unjust vindictive retaliation. Let's just say there's more to it than just what I've said, more that's happened, and that I stand by my feelings on the matter.
I guess they can be viewed as just that, my feelings.
Like mentioned before, some don't care and will buy whatever is cheapest, others care about supporting innovators and artists who actually bring new ideas and advancement to our lives. I just wanted to make sure people know that there are more than one option and are informed as possible so they can make their own choice.
 
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Hi guys,

I’m Jack, the originator of the Modus Cigar Tool. I assure you I did not copy Hekthor’s Redeemer, nor is Modus some big corporation set on screwing “the little guy”. I’m just a little guy myself, a one-man operation.

Anyway, I don’t think the Redeemer had been announced when I designed the Modus. If it had, I certainly was not aware of it. I think it’s just a sensible format, so no surprise that more than one product designer would come up with similar ideas.

The design work on the Modus was done back in mid-2015, but I didn’t pursue plans to produce it commercially until late in the year when I was forced to resign from my job rather than relocate. It was originally inspired by a cigar shaped tool used for breaking up special teas that come in hard-packed cakes. I bought one of those thinking I would adapt it as a draw tool. Loved the format and threaded cover protecting the sharp skewer. But, just doing a conversion would have had shortcomings, so I designed what I thought would be a perfect cigar tool. The “tea needle” had the threaded metal ferrule at its center. I moved it up to more closely resemble the placement of the band on a cigar. As I did that I realized that the top was a perfect place to add a nubber. And the notches in the draw tool skewer are something many of us have used on homemade draw tools for many, many years.

I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from guys who have bought a Modus. But it’s not perfect… yet. I’ve had several requests to add a cigar punch, making it a 3-way tool and I already have plans to add that on future versions. But that’ll be quite a while coming.

As for “ripping off” someone else’s design, that’s simply not true. And I really don’t want to get into a full discussion of patent law. I will say, though, that the Modus is also “patent pending”, independent of Hekthor’s Redeemer. I met with Hekthor at the IPCPR show to discuss the situation. Yes, we are both “the little guys.” And no, I have no desire to see either one of us destroyed in a lawsuit that would likely really only serve to enrich our respective IP attorneys (no offense to any attorneys present, but you guys know these matters can be rather expensive for your clients). We parted, I thought amicably, with a handshake agreement to co-exist. If there is to be more to the story, I think that is best left to Hekthor and me to sort out. In the meantime we both have great products on the market. If you don’t buy mine, buy his. They are terrific accessories that most any cigar smoker should be pleased to own.

BTW, you’ll notice my registration date here is from back in January though this is my first post. I never could get the necessary confirmation email to complete it, though. So after several attempts to get a resend I eventually gave up. I finally sent an email after seeing this thread and was rewarded with a completed registration and an explanation of why the confirmation emails kept getting rejected (my particular provider blocks them). I originally registered just for my personal enjoyment of cigars, not to promote Modus. I’ve been smoking cigars for over 30 years and post on several other cigar forums. But, I did want to answer about the Modus.
 
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bwhite220

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I've been using a cigar tool for years now that a different BOTL made on a different forum back in 2012. It's great but it only has one "skewer". I'd love for it to have 2 like both of these designs do. Looks like it's time for a change...

And Jack, glad you posted here. Good to hear your side of the situation.
 

Cigary43

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To say that I'm not shocked is an understatement....I've been on cigar forums since they were first introduced years ago...been on most of them. It's been stated time and time again how generous cigar people are...how understanding...how polite...how better than the average person they are and so on. I've seen on other Forums the 'lynch mob' mentality of those who swear they are true BOTL...but yet when they feel they have been wronged or that they are standing up for another BOTL where they don't even know any of the backstory they grab a rope and head out looking for heads to hang. I used to be proud of being a cigar hobbyist....I used to herf and hang out with those who would get together and say they are of a different creed and culture...yet here we are once again with those who are so bent on hanging somebody that all they care about is finding the nearest tree.

Doesn't matter that one or a few people would try to talk sense esp. when tensions are so high that those who want to bring frontier justice to a f'n cigar forum will ignite their personal petty bullshit just so they can feel they big....so they can puff out their chests in one collective huge "I'm better than you" moment. So tired of this nonsense anymore....so tired of those who don't have real lives to lead so they invent ways to project their dissatisfaction of their own lives with some New Age Don Quixote speeches. Doesn't matter if I ever post on another cigar thread...or Forum....while I love the hobby I'm not so keen on the people who aren't gentleman and instead are the worst kind of cowards who would rather tilt at windmills that doesn't even matter just to hear their own vitriol and try to gain 15 seconds of a moment in time where they are no better than a crying infant. I won't miss this particular brand of horse shit....to those who are decent BOTL...and didn't involve yourselves in this then you need to look in the mirrors each and every day and decide if you are worthy of being a person who does the right thing or just follows the crowd so you don't look bad.
 
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