Artisan Cutlery QC?

[Grayman1984]

I recently picked up a Centauri in S35VN from another individual, and after receiving it, noticed a very pronounced grind line on the show scale side of the blade as well as an inconsistency in the grind on that same side. Best way I can describe it is when looking at it in the light, the reflection of the light looks wavy near the edge instead of following the curve of the edge like it should. Has anyone else experienced this in their Artisan knives? I’m thinking I probably wound up with a Friday afternoon knife, but I’m not sure they would cover it under their warranty since I’m not the original owner.

 

[Mr opinionated]

Sadly. Without receipt of purchase It will probably not be under warranty. There is a chance you can have a professional knife sharpener fix it for a fee. Here is the info I dug up from Artisan Cutlery website on a Google search.

The Artisan Cutlery/CJRB warranty covers any defect in materials, manufacturing, or assembly for as long as the original purchaser owns the knife. Defective products can be replaced for a new version of the purchased model or returned for a refund (With proof of purchase).
Warranty - ArtisanCutlery

Edit: I removed Artisan Cutlery's e mail since I checked and seen they were not on Blade Forums registry or knife manufacturers forum list. My apologies.

 

[steelhead seeker]

How bad is it? Is it something a sharpening or 2 would remove?

 

[Dadpool]

I previously owned a Mini Proponent with unsafe lockup; it was so early that it was trivial to gently press the spine with my finger and snap the blade shut while it was "locked" open. It didn't break in like I thought it would, so I figured I'd take it apart and see if deburring the interface or gently bending the lockbar would fix it. (What I should have done was return it right then, before disassembly.)

I found the logo pivot hard to remove without damaging it; I hate the pivot design, but that one's on me. The standoff screws were covered in some kind of hardened gunk (didn't look like Loctite), and even after cleaning that off it was impossible to reassemble the knife. So I got in touch with Artisan to see if they could help.

I wouldn't have been surprised if they said "Sorry, you disassembled it and our warranty no longer covers it," but they asked for photos of the issue, which I was happy to provide. After that, despite reaching out a couple more times over the next two weeks, I never heard from them again.

I currently own one Artisan knife, and I've owned a few others (including CJRB-branded models), and all of those have been good to excellent on the QC front. But my experience with their customer service soured me on the brand, and I no longer buy their knives.

 

[evltcat]

I purchased an Artisan Classic Folding knife from Drop to check out their knives.
These are my opinions about the Classing Folding knife, YMMV.
First this is a heavy blade, weighing in at 5.875 oz.
The blade centering is way, way off, lightly touching the right liner.
The lockup is good @40%.
The G10 scales are too rough and it will be a pocket shredder.
The handle swell goes toward the back of the blade instead of the front, and it just feels "Wrong" in my hand.
The flipping action is completely mediocre at best and in all honesty, I'll never carry this blade.

I just tossed it into the donation bin and gave it away.

 

[Grayman1984]

How bad is it? Is it something a sharpening or 2 would remove?

I don’t believe a few sharpenings would remedy this, no.

If I don’t hear back from them, which I have yet to, or they tell me I’m just SOL, I’ll probably just acid etch and stonewash the blade myself so I don’t have to look at it anymore. I really like this knife, the action is smooth and it slices like a dream. I’d hate to get rid of it over something like this.

 

[Arathol]

I don’t believe a few sharpenings would remedy this, no.

If I don’t hear back from them, which I have yet to, or they tell me I’m just SOL, I’ll probably just acid etch and stonewash the blade myself so I don’t have to look at it anymore. I really like this knife, the action is smooth and it slices like a dream. I’d hate to get rid of it over something like this.

Can you post a picture?
I have a few Artisan knives, including two Proponents, and none have shown any QC issues.
If you like the knife, why would you get rid of it just because of something minor like the way the light reflects off the blade when you hold it in the light just right......???

 

[Grayman1984]

Can’t capture the “wavy” reflection with my crappy iPhone 6 camera but this grind line is even more glaring in person. And simply put, I expect better out of a $200 knife.

 

[sgt1372]

I own 5 cheaper D2 Artians and didn't notice any problem w/QC.

However, obviously, the more you pay for a knife, the more you can/should reasonably expect. If you bought an AC knife "new" from a dealer, I would send it back to them for an exchange and, if they refuse, send it to AC for repair or replacement instead.

Good luck!

 

[Arathol]

Can’t capture the “wavy” reflection with my crappy iPhone 6 camera but this grind line is even more glaring in person. And simply put, I expect better out of a $200 knife.

$200.....thats the problem with these things.....For $60-$70 Artisan makes some really good knives. However, they aren't $200 knives no matter how you dress them up......

 

[Grayman1984]

$200.....thats the problem with these things.....For $60-$70 Artisan makes some really good knives. However, they aren't $200 knives no matter how you dress them up......

I would argue the Centauri is an exception to that. The action is great, machining on the titanium and carbon fiber handles are extremely well done, it’s just that one side of the blade on my particular knife. The lock side of the blade is perfect. I think I just happened to get one that slipped past quality control. That happens from time to time, even with the best American made brands.

 

[fishface5]

You could tell the original owner you weren't satisfied & return it to them. Or you could try to do some sanding and polishing to improve the look, although you'd need to do both sides

 

[DMG]

I recently picked up a Centauri in S35VN from another individual, and after receiving it, noticed a very pronounced grind line on the show scale side of the blade as well as an inconsistency in the grind on that same side. Best way I can describe it is when looking at it in the light, the reflection of the light looks wavy near the edge instead of following the curve of the edge like it should. Has anyone else experienced this in their Artisan knives? I’m thinking I probably wound up with a Friday afternoon knife, but I’m not sure they would cover it under their warranty since I’m not the original owner.

I would reach out to Artisan. If they want to sell knives in that price range it is in their best interest to stand behind their products even if you bought it second hand and they don’t have to.

 

[Chronovore]

Artisan QC isn't great in my experience. Sometimes, they are very nice knives. Sometimes, they have issues.

I got an early Taiga and an early Feldspar that showed up dry as a bone and caked with white residue. One of them was stuck shut! Sure, this was easy enough to fix. I just took them apart, cleaned them thoroughly , and applied some quality lube. They came back and were actually quite nice after that but I think the average consumer would have returned them. The packaging looked good. I don't know exactly what happened but it happened to two of them, ordered around the same time.

I got an Arroyo that had an uneven grind and a wet-noodle detent. I sent that one back. The replacement is okay.

Then there is the issue of their AR-RPM9 steel. It's effectively a PM version of 9Cr18Mov so it should outperform 9Cr18Mov. In early testing, it didn't. Outpost 76 tested a few different examples. It didn't even come close to Civivi's 9Cr18Mov. It was closer to Real Steel's 9Cr18Mov but was more difficult to sharpen. So we don't know whether the steel itself is a fail or if Artisan just hasn't figured out the heat treatment for it.

 

[Grayman1984]

Artisan QC isn't great in my experience. Sometimes, they are very nice knives. Sometimes, they have issues.

I got an early Taiga and an early Feldspar that showed up dry as a bone and caked with white residue. One of them was stuck shut! Sure, this was easy enough to fix. I just took them apart, cleaned them thoroughly , and applied some quality lube. They came back and were actually quite nice after that but I think the average consumer would have returned them. The packaging looked good. I don't know exactly what happened but it happened to two of them, ordered around the same time.

I got an Arroyo that had an uneven grind and a wet-noodle detent. I sent that one back. The replacement is okay.

Then there is the issue of their AR-RPM9 steel. It's effectively a PM version of 9Cr18Mov so it should outperform 9Cr18Mov. In early testing, it didn't. Outpost 76 tested a few different examples. It didn't even come close to Civivi's 9Cr18Mov. It was closer to Real Steel's 9Cr18Mov but was more difficult to sharpen. So we don't know whether the steel itself is a fail or if Artisan just hasn't figured out the heat treatment for it.

Thanks, did you have any trouble getting in touch with customer service?

 

[mwhich50]

I stay at entry level priced ($70 or less) knives. I'm afraid to drop too much money for a knife with this company.
My Waistlines are VERY poorly designed/inconsistent. The blades lengths are even noticeably different! Sticky flipper deployment, late lockup with the lock bar sticking in the tang, plastic looking/feeling carbon fiber.

My Proponent, mini-Proponent, and Archeo are fine. I don't regret buying them (on sale).

I haven't had any problems with Civivi, and I have had one minor problem with one Bestech.

 

[Chronovore]

Thanks, did you have any trouble getting in touch with customer service?

For the return and replacement on that Arroyo, I only dealt with the dealer.

Regarding the steel tests, some of the tested knives were mine. So I did reach out to Artisan via their official Instagram page. I also sent them the following video plus a link to the thread I started on AR-RPM9 here. I got a same-day response. It was politely dismissive.

I responded with some more specific questions and did not get a reply. At this point, I think I'm all set on Artisan.

 

[Grayman1984]

For the return and replacement on that Arroyo, I only dealt with the dealer.

Regarding the steel tests, some of the tested knives were mine. So I did reach out to Artisan via their official Instagram page. I also sent them the following video plus a link to the thread I started on AR-RPM9 here. I got a same-day response. It was politely dismissive.

I responded with some more specific questions and did not get a reply. At this point, I think I'm all set on Artisan.

Yeah if I don’t receive a reply by early next week I don’t think I’ll be giving Artisan anymore of my time or money.

 

[Pomsbz]

For the return and replacement on that Arroyo, I only dealt with the dealer.

Regarding the steel tests, some of the tested knives were mine. So I did reach out to Artisan via their official Instagram page. I also sent them the following video plus a link to the thread I started on AR-RPM9 here. I got a same-day response. It was politely dismissive.

I responded with some more specific questions and did not get a reply. At this point, I think I'm all set on Artisan.

That CRJB is really nice looking, shame about the steel problems but you can get them in 12C27 at least.

 

[jill jackson]

I bought a a cheaper model (large Shark)and the linerlock was unsafe. Would unlock with just hand pressure. It went back and I'd never buy anything they make again.