Sad to say that Randy Harris, of Mel Harris & Co., died suddenly in
the Phillipines from complications following a motorcycle accident.
We don’t know exactly when it was, but around a week or ten days ago,
we gather. I never asked his age, but he was young - mid 50s…I
know that likely most people here on Orchid never heard of him, but I
also know that there are some here who have. We weren’t what you’d
call drinking buddies, but we’ve been good friends for so long I
don’t remember where or how we met in the first place. My own
personal loss is all that I really have in mind, but it’s a fact that
you all might be interested in part 2 of this posting, below:
First, let me paint a picture. Collectively we, our network, so to
speak, represent the core of jewelry manufacture in San Francisco.
There are lots of people who make jewelry, but we in our building are
the go-to people for stores and anybody who needs and wants jewelry
made up. We have casters, model makers, setters, engravers, lasers
and if we can’t do it we know who can. I know all of those people…
For instance, I made the model for Charles Schwab’s corporate pins,
and participated in their manufacture, some 20 years ago. You could
say that we, collectively, are the commercial side of things.
So. There was Gabe Sider - Sierra Pacific Casting, who was (I guess)
comparable to Race Car Jewelry. Contract casting with an emphasis on
long runs. Lately GAbe decided to retire, and good for him. The
Casting House opened up an office for a time, but they had internal
problems and had trouble competing, too. The person they had the
most trouble competing with was Randy Harris, of Mel Harris & Co. -
Mel was Randy’s father. Randy was the guy who cast anything for
anybody who just happened to knock on the door - designers, wax
workers, students, stores, amateurs. We do our own gold and silver
casting, but he did our platinum, as needed.
Now that Randy is gone, San Francisco doesn’t have a casting shop in
that sense, anymore. Well, there’s George, but let’s just say that
to know George is to love him, plus he’s into his 80s. Lots of
people have centrifuges and do their own work - but there is no
longer any place where people who DON’T cast can go - not like it
was. In other words, Randy’s passing has left a huge void in a
business sense, in addition to the person loss we all feel. Jo-Ann
and I quickly discussed changing course and stepping into that role,
but we really don’t want to.
A couple of us were talking the other day about how business has
changed, market forces have taken a lot of the punch out of our
building, and what not. So of course there are realities to be dealt
with - metals prices…
And of course someone still needs to be the right person for the
time and place, and the thing I’m talking about would require
financing to metals and what not… I’m not offerering anybody
anything - well, I’d be happy to make introductions… Just to
put the word out that San Francisco in general all of a sudden has a
need that maybe someone out there could fill to their own
advantage…
We’ll miss you, Randy…