Components of a Self-Advancing Knee Ascender (SAKA)

HAAS are not hard to build by design, if money is a issue, built it if its time and materials your worried about, that is why I decided to make them to help those guys out. if you just like the idea of making your own stuff that is cool too. But if you make a lot of something you can make them better and use less resource, and all that...and that is why I started haas tree gear. I will say that the support that I gained by people actually buying them allowed me to create the Haas Velox... which is pretty cool. if I say so.
and I guess if you have even more time and money you could build these your self as well, but that goes for everything... I mean there are more home made airplanes flying in this country than store bought. not that the Velox is a airplane, its a slightly more complicated HAAS. but you can build anything. its not a question of if, ,, because its possible, the question should be is it worth it, and the answer to that is very dependent on the situation of the individual.


truth be told, i made the haas out of rope fully knowing guys who were in a position where it made more sense to build one could still benefit from the design. I knew they would build them, and if they were in a situation where the only way they could benefit from it was to build it themselves, I hoped they would build one, because it may be the piece of kit that helped to change their situation, after all it changed mine.. But the reality is I would starve to death building haas and selling them for "30 bucks" if I sold them for what you can "make" them for, my hourly rate would be well below min wage. and the reality is you cannot make one for 30 bucks either. but if you have resources that you don't have to buy and you don't have to account for time, you may get close to a 30 dollar additional expense.

anyway I am very thankful that people did buy them. I am thank full that I was blessed with some flexibility in my schedule which I was able to use to teach/learn, participate on isa boards, and work at as many comps as I can. and I am grateful for the trust of the industry which I was able to turn into something that my hope is beneficial to our industry.
here is a link to the velox
once again thank you for your trust.

Michael

 
Looks great Michael. Thanks for sharing so much with all of us. I completely agree with your make it/buy it comments. Some stuff I make just because I want to, but I never make anything to save money. My time to make something is usually far more expensive than just buying it.
 
Looks like an improvement. I think the webbing for a foot loop is much more comfortable, being able to replace the bungee without sending it back for a 50 buck hit is an improvement, looks like you're doing some sewing now too.
Innovation and improvements are great, so is competition between products and the choices it offers the consumer.
NOW............
sending letters to MY customers warning them of lawsuits if they buy the SAKA...........THAT IS BULLSHIT!
Sue me, threaten me and compete with product improvements but warning buyers that you will sue them is wrong.
 
yoyoman said:
Looks like an improvement. I think the webbing for a foot loop is much more comfortable, being able to replace the bungee without sending it back for a 50 buck hit is an improvement, looks like you're doing some sewing now too.
Innovation and improvements are great, so is competition between products and the choices it offers the consumer.
NOW............
sending letters to MY customers warning them of lawsuits if they buy the SAKA...........THAT IS BULLSHIT!
Sue me, threaten me and compete with product improvements but warning buyers that you will sue them is wrong.
Click to expand...
I CALL bullshit on that. If he hasn't sued you yet why the hell would he go after anyone else?
 
macswan said:
I CALL bullshit on that. If he hasn't sued you yet why the hell would he go after anyone else?
Click to expand...
Bullshit on my bullshit? Sounding like a farm or at least a huge septic tank here.
Just to be clear, I did not say he has sued them......letters were sent to them by a law firm, I only suspect he knows something about that.
You can ask the source if you like.
 
Seems the haas and saka are mutually beneficial. I Am Sure that More HAAS have been sold because of the Saka. Quite different designs really.
The Saka was definitly inspired by the haas and now the design of the HAAS has improved with a bit of influence from the Saka too. I am thankful for both of you guys doing what you do. Keep on rockin.
 
treebing said:
....The Saka was definitly inspired by the haas....
Click to expand...

Yes it was. I have used many different knee ascender setups and it was always a challenge to get enough bungee into the system for best function without things getting complicated or cumbersome. Michael solved this nicely by putting the bungee in a semi-flexible tube that is also the support strap. I thought this was a stroke of genius and it certainly does work well.

I don't know either Richard or Michael other than what I read on here. I'm not surprised there appears to friction over this, I do hope things can be worked out
 
The SAKA is under the same patent protection rights. I have legal advice affirming my right to operate and will continue to do so.
The last "letters" were sent to my customers, same people you all buy gear from, *threating* those that sell the SAKA. Trying to scare retailers to buy only the haas product is underhanded and low.
I have every right to make and sell the SAKA and have spent a great deal of my own resources developing and building this concept and yes, like most product development and inovation, it does benefit from prior work but in it's own unique way.
 
Were the letters threatening? Or were they informational? Like, this is a thing that's happening. You should probably be aware. Were people just shocked to get letters from a lawyer?

I know Michael fairly well. And he is not underhanded or low. Mearly playing the game at hand.
 
macswan said:
Were the letters threatening? Or were they informational? Like, this is a thing that's happening. You should probably be aware. Were people just shocked to get letters from a lawyer?

I know Michael fairly well. And he is not underhanded or low. Mearly playing the game at hand.
Click to expand...

I don't know Michael as my personal contact has been under this umbrella. I would imagine he is a great person, loving family man and friend to many.
I really wish people would choose product rather than sides.
Yes, my customers were shocked, thus the calls to me. They may discontinue sales until this is resolved.


I won't quote but here is the closest I can come to "threatening".

Michael is not demanding that you cease distribution of the SAKA at this time. HOWERVER we urge you to get advise from a lawyer
.....and to provide you with actual notice of ....damages that could arise regarding your sales of the SAKA.
 
macswan said:
Were the letters threatening? Or were they informational? Like, this is a thing that's happening. You should probably be aware. Were people just shocked to get letters from a lawyer?

I know Michael fairly well. And he is not underhanded or low. Mearly playing the game at hand.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I hope I was not understood to say that..........what he DID, IMO, was underhanded and low.
 
Well, yoyoman, I trust your Lawyer will respond to the cease and desist letter in kind.
Who benefits from "playing the game"? (besides the lawyers)
the consumer? The inventor/manufacturer? the retailer?
I do hope your lawyer has some Rottweiller X Pitbull DNA.

Dave
(btw, the SAKA you made me last February is awesome)
 
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