A Question About Knife Blade Warping

J

JBOZ

Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Messages
18
I would like some advice on a new 10" Bowie knife I've bought recently online. When it arrived I noticed a slight warping of the blade (please see picture below). I know, it's buyer beware when you buy something without actually checking it first in person, but I've really had good luck with 2 other knives I've bought online from the same knife manufacturer.

I contacted the online shop I bought it from and they told me that minor warping sometimes occurs with long blades and are within normal manufacturing parameters. The good news is that if I didn't like it, I could send it back and exchange it for a different knife.

Now, I've looked carefully at my Cold Steel Trailblazer (9.5"), Gerber Bowie (9.5"), Ontario Gambler (9.5") and they are all straight as arrows. To me, a knife blade should be near perfectly straight as any kind of warping would impinge on balance and cutting accuracy. Perhaps if this was a beater knife to be used outdoors one could argue that minor imperfections are irrelevant, but I specifically bought this knife as a collectors piece and not in using it for hunting or bush-crafting.

Now, I have to decide whether to keep the knife or to send it back. My question for you good people is what do you think? Is this knife within normal acceptable manufacturing parameters or is this knife of unacceptable quality?



I've purposely withheld the name of the manufacturer (it was made in the USA) or the online shop to focus on the knife, and not on any people involved.

Thank you for reading and your comments will be very much appreciated. To the mods, if this post belongs in another section, my apologies.
 
Last edited:
I'm more of a folder guy and don't know a lot about long fixed blades, but since this is intended as a collector piece and assuming that the cost of the knife is high enough that additional shipping cost is irrelevant and since it's obviously a big enough issue for you to post here..........I'd say send it back and exchange it for another knife.
 
They offered to replace it. Send it back, there's no need to keep it if you're not happy with it. Believe me, it's the only thing you're going to see every time you look at this knife.
 
If you can see a warp in the blade IMO its defective, although it can be normal with some steels. For a collectors piece I would have it exchanged.



Welcome to bf, mind me asking how you came up with your user name?
 
Yup, replace it for sure. I've for a folder which blade is not straight and everytime the petty little me in my head keeps bringing my eyes to the imperfection. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a perfectionist but a warped blade is beyond my level of tolerance.

You'll feel better if you get a better piece, get what you payed for :)
 
Thanks for the comments so far. I used elements of my real name for my user name. When you hit 40+, it helps to keep these simple and memory friendly - while still keeping it fairly anonymous for privacy reasons.
 
That might have happened during heat treatment and slipped by the company's QC. In actual use, well people once cut stuff with sharp rocks and bone fragments, so it'll probly cut okay (although depending how you sharpen, it might introduce a little weirdness). But if it bugs you, if it makes you think, "Gee, what else might they have screwed up here?", or if you're depending on the resale value, I'd send it back. That's why reputable businesses stand behind their products, to maintain customer satisfaction.

Parker
 
This may sound like a dumb question but, are you sure it's warped? From that picture it just looks like that's where the tip starts. I do see a curve but that could be from the angle of the picture showing the side of the knife. Maybe it's just my eyes playing tricks on me though.
 
JBOZ said:
Thanks for the comments so far. I used elements of my real name for my user name. When you hit 40+, it helps to keep these simple and memory friendly - while still keeping it fairly anonymous for privacy reasons.
Click to expand...

LOL...its just funny because J. Bosman AKA Boz. parts of my real name too :)
 
Whatever you paid it was too much.
You know you'll never be happy with that blade.
What "they" say is within their tolerances is obviously unacceptable to you...and me.
Let them replace it and hope the replacement is better.
I have a couple of Cold Steel machetes I've abused for 3 or 4 years, cost me probably $25 for both of 'em, and they look better than that!
Good luck...life is hard enough, you deserve to be happy.

CP
 
The picture shows about 4-5 inches of the tip end and used the straight edge of the ruler as a comparison. I tried to get the angle perfectly from top down, so I had to play with the camera's auto focus and macro settings. This is the best shot of how the knife looks if you were to put it up to soft light and look straight at it. It's possible that the grind may be off a bit, but when I run a finger over the flat of the blade, I can feel a slight wave/dip in the metal more like a warping than a high/low grind spot.

Here is another picture of looking down with the sharp of the blade pointed up:



I've decided to heed everyone's advice and send it back. I have to admit what most disappoints me is that this came from American knife company, which is why I've decided not to bag it. With the closing of Camillus and the China-fication of Schrade and Cold Steel, I wouldn't want to contribute anymore added to the list. If it was made in the far east, you bet your first wife I would name and shame them. As for now, I will write to the company, send then the photos, and demand that they tighten their quality control standards. Call me old fashioned, but I grew up in a time where "Made in the USA" actually meant top quality.

As a matter of fact, I'm exchanging this one for two knives from the same company. Call me a glutton for punishment, but the two other knives I own from them are actually very well made. I'll chuck this experience up to bad luck and move on.
 
Last edited:
JBOZ said:
The picture shows about 4-5 inches of the tip end and used the straight edge of the ruler as a comparison. I tried to get the angle perfectly from top down, so I had to play with the camera's auto focus and macro settings. This is the best shot of how the knife looks if you were to put it up to soft light and look straight at it. It's possible that the grind may be off a bit, but when I run a finger over the flat of the blade, I can feel a slight wave/dip in the metal more like a warping than a high/low grind spot.

Here is another picture of looking down with the sharp of the blade pointed up:



I've decided to head everyone's advice and send it back. I have to admit what most disappoints me is that this came from American knife company, which is why I've decided not to bag it. With the closing of Camillus and the China-fication of Schrade and Cold Steel, I wouldn't want to contribute anymore added to the list. If it was made in the far east, you bet your first wife I would name and shame them. As for now, I will write to the company, send then the photos, and demand that they tighten their quality control standards. Call me old fashioned, but I grew up in a time where "Made in the USA" actually meant top quality.

As a matter of fact, I'm exchanging this one for two knives from the same company. Call me a glutton for punishment, but the two other knives I own from them are actually very well made. I'll chuck this experience up to bad luck and move on.
Click to expand...

You can buy junk that was made in the USA, same as you can buy great imported stuff. If a company let one knife slip out that was warped or bent, and takes care of it with no issues, then it isnt a big deal. If that US company is producing junk on a regular basis, then you are doing a disservice to us by not telling us who made it or how they treated the problem.
 
Tripton said:
You can buy junk that was made in the USA, same as you can buy great imported stuff. If a company let one knife slip out that was warped or bent, and takes care of it with no issues, then it isnt a big deal. If that US company is producing junk on a regular basis, then you are doing a disservice to us by not telling us who made it or how they treated the problem.
Click to expand...

Yeah, really, you're not going to hurt anyone's feelings if you tell us the manufacturer and how they handled the issue.
 
This knife is from Bark River, from their 10" custom bowie range. I didn't need to contact Mike Stewart as Derrick from Knives Ship Free handled it as a return.

What Derrick said to me in an email when I wrote to him about the blade warping was:

"I don't think the warranty will help on this knife. Mike does not consider the minor warping of the blade a defect. On a blade that size, he would simply say that it is how it works."

(This is why I wanted the opinion of other knife enthusiasts)

He then said that returning the knife for in-store credit was perfectly acceptable.

In exchange, since I'm so very impressed with my SS Bravo 1 with hard rock maple handle, I decided on a Bravo II with African blackwood handle and a Mountain Man with spalted maple handle (on closeout at the moment).

In the end, I still think Bark River knives are excellent quality knives irregardless of my experience with this one, and will continue to purchase them as needed (or more likely wanted). I'm also happy that Derrick agreed I could return the knife and everything was taken care of within a reasonable amount of time. I will buy from Knives Ship Free again.

My last point is I don't personally think that minor blade warping is acceptable in any knife (call me a perfectionist, if you must) and the knife should have been sold as either a factory second or at least have had its imperfections listed in the item description. This is what I believe, and I'm satisfied that I'm not alone in that opinion.

Thanks for everyone's help.
 
Last edited:
You did the right thing in sending it back.

No knife should ever be sold with a warped blade IMO.
 
A blade with that much warp is defective simple as that, glad you got a exchange but not even a factory second should have that much warp.

Bravo 2 is a sweet knife, enjoy it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top