My Desk

Earlier I was looking over my desk and decided too share some of the "stuff" on my desk. Of course I have the common items such as pens, pencils, notepads and even though I was in advanced math classes throughout my school years I still keep a handy dandy calculator in easy reach. I have a phone on my desk so I can talk to our wonderful customers who decide to call in to chat with us. I have a bag of sour patch jelly beans next to my Tootsie Roll bank. The Tootsie Rolls were a hot commodity with my co-workers and didn't last very long which is OK because now I have a bank where I am always accepting donations. I also have allergy medicine within arms reach since the Colorado allergens seem to get the best of me. Well there you have it an inside glimpes of the stuff on my desk.

Have a great weekend
Dale

Buildin' Stuff

Hi,

I’ve decided to take on a few new projects at home.  The projects I’m looking at are mainly carpentry related.  I think it all started many years ago when I was about 10.  My grandpa used to build bird houses and I would go to his place and he would help me make them.  I also enjoy working with my hands.  I was a mechanic for a while and still like to turn wrenches in my spare time.  I’m just waiting on a clear title to start on my Nova.  But as far as carpentry, I’m still pretty new to the sport.  I just built a huge shelving system in my garage which is 10 feet wide, 8 feet tall, and 2 feet deep to accommodate big plastic boxes full of all that stuff that used to reside on the garage floor.  After that Shala and I made a “built-in” desk and a nice shelf to go above it.  My current project is a set of baby gates.  One gate for upstairs and one gate downstairs.  My little girl has started walking so it’s on the top of my list.  After that, I plan on making a coat rack and a corner shelf for my office.  I’ve read somewhere that plants are good so I need a shelf to keep one on (and maybe a picture of my little girl).  I have not lost any fingers yet, (although I had a very close call on a tire mounting machine at a Ford dealership I used to work at as a diesel tech.  I hope that if I lose one, it’s not an important one.  On the subject, scoot over to YouTube and search “world's safest saw” and check that out.  It’s a table saw with an electric current running through the blade.  If your body contacts it, it grounds out and causes the blade to drop below the table and not cut off any appendages. 

Bye,

Ruben

Plants, Plants & More Plants

I recently bought a plant to live here on my desk at the warehouse. No particular reason, just felt that the spiky little guy would spruce things up a bit. It wasn't until today that I actually looked up the health benefits of having greenery in the workplace. Did you know that computer screens, photocopiers, air conditioning, office furniture and even the paint on the walls emit nasty chemicals that float around the office all day? I didn't. I also didn't know that when you combine those chemicals with a lack of open windows, low humidity from the heating and air system and poor natural light it can make people feel sick even though they don't actually have an illness.


Luckily, plants are great at removing airborne impurities. They also naturally control the humidity, remove carbon dioxide (which makes people feel drowsy and unable to concentrate) and elevate moods. A few of the best air filtering plants are the Spider Plant, Golden Pothos and the Peace Lilly. If you spend your life in your office, go grab a plant and reap the benefits!


Bye for now,
Shala

All the ways to $ave.

Who loves coupons? Of course, everybody does! I watched this show the other day on TLC about people who spend up to 8 hours a day finding deals and clipping coupons.  Many of these people take advantage of so many deals they have extra rooms in their house just to store all the nonperishable items they have collected over the years.  Personally, I'm one to pay for convenience but I love deals offered by sites like Groupon and LivingSocial.  And now, just out today you can get deals like these through Facebook! They are only to be offered in 5 cities to start,but soon they will be offered everywhere.  See this article posted on MSNBC today: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42763765/ns/business-consumer_news/?ocid=twitter. 

Customers are always asking me where they can get coupons for our site...we may not be in your face with coupons, but Old Will does offer lots of ways to save. First, check out our 24 hour special.  Old Will posts a new "Real Deal" on one weighing scale, every weekday at 4pm Mountain Time. The special varies quite a bit... one day it'll be a low priced little gram scale, the next day it might be a big portable scale. Ya' just never know, so check back often.  Second, sign up for our newsletter on our homepage.  No, we don't send ya' junk everyday...every now and then we just like to give ya' a shout about new products we've added or a limited time special you don't want to miss.  Finally, our new promotional event called FREE SCALE FRIDAYS.  See our giveaway page for details. 

TTFN,
Allison

The Poor Life Of The Male Anglerfish

The anglerfish, otherwise known as Melanocetus Johnsoni, is the most disgusting looking creature that cruises the depths from 200 meters to 1000 meters below the surface of the ocean. The male anglerfish has possibly the worst existence in the world. In the world of the anglerfish the female is the one with the lure. The male anglerfish does not carry a lure, and it will remain smaller than one tenth the size of the female. There are 15-30 available males per female. So once the male quickly matures into an adult it is constantly on the hunt for the elusive and rare female. So not only is the male looking for the rare female but since becoming an adult the male anglerfish’s digestive system has shut down meaning it must find a female or starve to death. Once a female anglerfish has been spotted by the male, the male will swim up and bite the female. The male with its hooked teeth will latch on to the belly of the female. After a while the skin of the male will start to fuse with skin of the female until the two become one. The male anglerfish is now just riding shotgun in the life of the female, basically a parasite with only the reproductive organs remaining. A female anglerfish can have up to 6 males stored in her body at a time. The female can call on those males at a time of her choosing to reproduce and that is the cycle of life for the male anglerfish. The male anglerfish obviously has received the crap end of the stick of life.

T Rev

I need to ship stuff!

Hi Everybody,

Every day I talk to many, many different customers who need a scale for many, many different weighing applications.  But oddly, I hear the same few questions from just about everybody. 

1.  Do you have one with a bigger platform?  

2.  Do you have one with a higher capacity?  

3.  Do you have one with a better resolution?  

4.  Do you have one with a lower price?

I hear those questions from everyone, but today I want to help with the concerns of our friends in various shipping departments.  Now, we have lots and lots of different scales, but we don’t always have that perfect scale that our customers may be imagining.  But we do have some tips that can help you to find the right scale out of the many we carry.  And most of the time, we do find that perfect scale.

1.  As far as scales go, the larger the platform, higher the capacity, better the resolution, the higher the price.  Just find the least amount that will work for the application to get the best deal.  When looking for a shipping scale, even if you ship the occasional monster package, a monster platform is not always necessary.  Just today, I weighed a box measuring 24”x18”x22” (LxWxH) that weighed an ounce over 57 pounds.  I did this on a scale with a 9”x9” platform!

As for the rest:

2.  UPS only allows packages up to 150 pounds before you have to go freight.

3.  For shipping UPS packages, a scale with a 0.2 pound resolution is the highest accuracy you need.  The same goes for Priority Mail.  First Class Mail Packages (not small letters) need nothing more than 0.1 ounce.

4.  This is Old Will Knott Scales!  We have scales in ANY price range.  We have a hand scale for weighing letters for $4.90 shipped!  Scales that cover First Class Mail Packages and small UPS and Priority packages from 0.1 ounce all the way up to 15 pounds for $34.50 (we use this one in our own warehouse).  And even a 150 pound beast with a 14”x14” platform (also used in our own warehouse) for $131.90.

You can check out the whole line of shipping scales if you CLICK THIS LINK!

If you run a mailing store, or ship internationally, the above info may not apply to you.  To learn more about UPS and USPS policies, check out their websites below:

United Parcel Service

United States Postal Service

Bye,

Ruben (Rub)

Will It Ever End?

Has anyone been keeping up with the NFL labor dispute? Now, I wouldn’t say I have been keeping up with all the new developments and such but I have been checking the internet periodically for updates as I wait impatiently for the dispute to finally end so I can be assured my beloved New York Giants will have a chance to be Super Bowl champs in 2011. I just don’t get it. The NFL is a billion dollar business and the owners as well as the players can’t agree on anything it seems. One day you hear the players didn’t want to meet with the owners and then the very next day you hear the owners were the ones who didn’t want to meet with the players. There are so many fingers being pointed in the opposite direction that there isn’t any chance of a resolution. I think it is time for the players and the owners to look in the mirror and realize that they have to give a little to get a little. Unfortunately, we are talking about billionaires and millionaires here so I don’t know if it will happen and if it does will it be too late for this season? I am hoping the labor dispute gets resolved sooner rather than later.

Disgruntled NFL Fan,

Dale

Soap's No Joke

Soap making is a serious process that requires exact amounts of each ingredient for smooth going. That's the very reason the majority of soap makers use scales to weigh each of their ingredients, even the water, to make sure the right amounts of each ingredient go into their soap mixture. Today, I had the pleasure of talking to a long time soap maker, and long time customer, whose scale finally went kaput after years of use. After I got her all fixed up with a new scale, I told her that I have been interested in making soap for a long time but never got around to it. Turns out, she's not only a member but the Vice President of a very well recognized soap guild and directed me to their website: soapguild.org.

Their site is full of information for beginner, intermediate and veteran soap makers. I quickly found articles on types of soap, how soap is made, and even a list of soap making ingredients. This site has all the info I need to get started making my own soap...Now, I wonder where I could possibly find a scale? :)

Aaaaadios!

Shala

Introducing Bobo, Loyal Friend and Fierce Protector.

Hi All,

Meet Bobo, our friendly warehouse mascot.   Bobo is an adorable Schnoodle, whom according to Trevor should not still be alive but, I digress...He is the proud dog of Will and Doreen Knott.  Bobo can be seen trotting around our warehouse occasionally playing with his toys, but mostly sleeping in his comfy bed under Doreen's desk.  A fierce and courageous protector, Bobo recently climbed the staircase to our upstairs offices all by himself, yay for Bobo! Think you're going to sneak in our warehouse without anyone knowing? Not if it's up to Bobo!  He might look like he's sleeping but believe me, he's ready for you.  Freshly groomed, or dirty and smelly, Bobo is always on top of his game...and I enjoy having him around.

Later gators,

Allison

We just keep getting bigger, and bigger!

Even if you frequent Old Will Knott Scales a lot, you still might not notice that we are constantly adding new scales to our site. Our hope is that when you do stop by, we have the scale that you need. Over the last year we've added many new scales...

First up is the Citizen CZ-1202 NTEP precision jewelry scale. With the cz1202 you can weigh gold, gems, metals, and jewels with 100th gram precision. Also you receive $200 off until April 29,2011 4pm Mountain Time. How cool is that.

Next is the Citizen MP3000 table top digital scale. A huge 3000 gram capacity, 0.1 gram resolution, and four different weighing modes (grams, ounces, troy ounces, pennyweights).

Another great scale that we've added is the A&D FX-3000i table top high precision scale. This is a beast of a table top scale with a 3200 gram capacity and 0.01 gram resolution. The are 14 different weighing modes. I say again, 14 different weighing alligator modes, that is a massive amount of weighing modes. There are weigh to many features to list here so you'll have to check it out on our site. Just reading through FX3000i's features is fun.

The last scale I'm gonna tell ya about is the My Weigh Verifly. My Weigh redesigned their digital luggage scale and came out with this beauty. Weighing in at less than half a pound and only 5.5" x 2" makes the Verifly the perfect luggage scale to take on the road with you. No more overweight bag fees from those money hungry airlines.

Those were only a few of the scales we've added lately and there are many more. The only way you can see them is by stopping by Old Will Knott Scales and taking a look. Any questions, comments , or concerns, don't hesitate to give us a shout.

To Infinity and Beyond,

Trevor

Who likes free stuff?

Hi Everybody,

Old Will has a giant warehouse here in Colorado with about 64 different bathroom scales to choose from.  Out of all these scales, Will chose the My Weigh Elite, which is one of our best-selling bathroom scales, to keep in his bathroom in his own home.  That’s enough to show me that it is one great scale and for $29.90, it’s a steal!  And tomorrow he’s giving one away!  We announced it on 4/12/2011 and so far only 2 people have entered to win.  So I’d say if you have a spare minute or 2, you should scoot on over to our Facebook page.  So with only 2 other people entered, your chances are pretty darn good to snag up one great scale at the low, low, price of $0.00 + $0.00 for shipping.  That means FREE!!  All you have to do is make us laugh.  Tell us a joke or an amusing story on our wall, (let’s try and keep it kid friendly).  You can read a little more at our Weekly Giveaway Rules page.  And don’t worry if you don’t win, because we sell them too, and we’re giving out scales weekly or until Will comes to his senses.  

Bye Everybody,

Ruben

Hey, Good Lookin!

There are quite a few mechanic shops here around the warehouse and from my desk I have a great view of one particular garage. Usually, I'll see a few daily drivers and a work truck or two come in each day for service, nothing special. Last week, the familiar scene of mini vans and compact cars was interrupted by one of the most beautiful things on four wheels I'd seen in a while. Royal blue paint, shiny wheels, dark windows...Well, you can see for yourself:

I can't imagine how much time, money and love was put into this car but from the looks of it, I'd guess quite a bit. I hope it doesn't need to come back for a while. If it does, I hope I'm here to see it.

-Shala

PS. Enter our weekly giveaway to win a brand new scale. http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/weekly-giveaway-rules.aspx

Save the Music ♪♫

Anyone who knows me really well knows that I LOVE music.  I listen to it, play it, and even attempt to create/write it from time to time.  I’ve played the piano since I was 5yrs old, the violin since high school, and most recently took up learning the acoustic guitar.  There is an entire room in my basement dedicated to my one woman band where I often produce tunes with the assistance of software like Mixcraft and Garageband.  In times of despair or intense frugality, I am known to give my songs out as gifts which I’m not sure my friends and family entirely appreciate, but haters will be haters :).   I’ve also been known to spend way too much time and money on purchasing my music. So, just yesterday I heard about the most amazing thing on one of our local radio stations and am ashamed that I did not know about it earlier, it’s called RECORD STORE DAY.  April 16th, 2011 marks the fourth annual event, which is designed to support and raise awareness of locally owned retailers at a time when they’re struggling to survive in competition with the big-box chain stores, online sales and digital downloading.  I think this is such an awesome cause, plus for music buffs like me it’s an opportunity to choose from hundreds of special limited-edition items created specifically for this event!  This year’s items are to include vinyl releases from AC/DC, Death Cab for Cutie, Derek & the Dominos, Lady Gaga, R.E.M. and the likes of Bruce Springsteen, to name just a few. Cool, huh?!  To find your participating store visit http://www.recordstoreday.com/Venues, and for a complete list of what cool stuff is going to be available visit http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases. 

Ciao,

Allison

We've been busy!

The past month has been pretty hectic over here at Old Will Knott Scales. We’ve ramped up our social marketing effort, adding many fans to both Facebook and Twitter. If you haven’t  seen our Facebook or Twitter page you have to get there fast. Become our fan on Facebook or follow us on twitter to see what you’ve been missing. Last week we also started our Free Scale Friday promotion. Every Friday Old Will will give away a scale on our Facebook page. Last week’s winner Melissa D won a My Weigh 7001DX multi-purpose digital scale. Who knows what scale we’ll give away this coming Friday? The only way you’ll know is if you check out our Facebook and Twitter (@oldwillknott) Page. We’re always thinking of new ways to make our customers happy. If you think of a promotion or something else we can do, let us know and we’ll take a look at it, heck we may even name the promotion after you?

We also still have an awesome deal on the My Weigh GemPro 50 jewelry and diamond pocket scale. This scale has a 50 carat capacity and a 0.01 carat resolution. The price is gonna blow you away! The GemPro 50 was $119.90 and now it’s $49.90.

Hasta la vista,

Trevor

Stunt Double Needed

Happy Friday Everyone,

It looks like we may be heading to the mountains this weekend to get in some snowboarding before the mountain is closed for warmer weather.  Dale and I both have one pass left and Trevor has his season pass, so it looks like there is nothing stopping us from a Sunday trip.  The last time I went with Dale, we decided to go to the terrain park first (even though we are not very experienced and should have stayed away).  Well, I went first.  Hit a jump, landed on a rail, fell on my face, and got up just in time to see Dale slide down one of the larger rails, jump off, pick up more speed, hit a huge jump and go flying through the air and land perfectly.  He then slid off into the distance until he was out of sight.  This is when I finally get up and to my surprise, I see Dale again.  Only this time he’s way up the hill getting up and brushing snow off himself.  It turns out, there was another guy with the exact same jacket as Dale, the same pants, same hat, and everything.  I felt a little better about my skills after learning the truth about Dale’s secret stunt double.  I may have to find my own stunt double to make me look better too.


Hope to see you on the mountain,
Ruben

Choices, We All Have Them

I had the choice between watching a movie after work with my co-workers Trevor and Ruben or going fishing solo. Although they are good company I chose to go fishing. If you know me my choice will ALWAYS be fishing until it's time to watch the new Transformers movie. Yes I was an 80's baby and growing up in the 80's I enjoyed everything Transformers including the action figures. Hey now, don't be so quick to judge because I am sure everyone had their favorite action figures growing up. OK, so enough about my love for all things Transformers and on to my fishing adventure. I ended up catching 3 fish and 2 fish managed to shake off before I could get them on shore. One fish was a whopping 3lbs. I know what you're thinking, "How does he know how much the fish weighed?" Well let me tell you. I used my handy dandy Weston Sportsman’s 20# Pull Type Spring scale.  So all in all I think I made the right choice by choosing fishing over watching a movie.

Until next time,

Dale

"Hab A Dice Day"

Today is a wonderful day. Yes, it is cloudy, cold and rainy but today marks the first day in over a month that I am able to breathe through BOTH of my nostrils. My poor nose was completely stopped up and I secretly thought it would end up falling off before I could smell again. I’m sure many, if not all of you, can imagine what I sounded like when I tried to talk, if not, squeeze your nose closed and say “macaroni”. As the web developer for Old Will Knott, not being able to breathe through my nose isn't a huge problem since I don’t have to talk much, but there were a few times I was asked to cover the phone for Ruben or Dale. So if you called in over the past few weeks and were asked to please "sbell your nabe" or provide your "order dumber" you were one of the lucky few that got to talk to me and I hope you really did "hab a dice day". Hopefully, no one else here at the warehouse will catch anything new to pass around.

Shala

Old Will Ain't So Old

Hi Folks!

Thank gosh you don’t have to dust a blog,  because I know it’s been forever since our last post.  Old Will might be pretty old, but he knows the value in getting personal with our customers.  So here we are, cracking our knuckles (especially Shala and Myself.  I know I know, I won’t be able to get my rings on one day, blah blah blah) and bloggin’ it up.  In our efforts to let you, our fans and followers, get to know us better we’ve started a major social media outreach.  Insert whatever miscellaneous and probably insignificant gimmick or special to get you to LIKE US ON FACEBOOK or FOLLOW US ON TWITTER here;).  But seriously, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter pretty please – we did ask nicely.   This outreach includes, as you may have already guessed, updating our blog DAILY (excluding weekends of course).  We’re going to show you around our offices, introduce you to our friendly warehouse mascot Bobo, and give you a glimpse into the, dare I say, unique minds behind the face of Old Will.  I’m Allison, and despite what the other folks here may tell you, I’m the funny one*.  So, welcome to Scale Tales (formerly known as Old Will Knott’s Blog) !


Until we meet again,
Allison

* Funny One (funay one)

adj. fun·ni·er, fun·ni·est

1. causing amusement or laughter; humorous; comical

2. the best looking

3. the smartest