Bends, the fact that you still missed your initial shipping date is still the only misdeed we know for sure, and it's a bit suspect of your intentions. Also, you're explaining away stuff like you're dumb (you know you could weigh the box when you got it and approximate the weight for a small knife with packing material or weighed the knife and replaced that much material in the box, just because it wasn't your favorite knife doesn't mean you didn't steal it, and just because it's stolen doesn't mean you couldn't trade it, or that you wouldn't ever consider keeping it). It's not that far fetched that you took a knife out of the box and replaced it with packing material out of malice because of this thread or for whatever reason; and the fact that it was the smallest and lightest knife of the 3 makes the selection apt for such a ploy.
Just from reading the posts here, I think you're just smart enough to cover the simple bases you would need to to pull this off. For those of you that don't know, a Bone trapper ways approximately 4oz, and an average standard size corrugated cardboard box weighs approximately 6oz. So 2/3 of a cardboard box (could be achieved by replacing paper with cardboard, or even more creative means of cutting the product) is what it would take. Now I don't know the facts or if Bends is a thief or if Calemerson has a bad memory, but I can say with a modest degree of certainty that the accusation against Bends isn't as far fetched as he would have you believe (certainly not as unlikely as a second shooter on the grassy knoll). The only thing both parties admit and agree on is that Bends missed his agreed on ship date by a couple weeks, which is both suspect given the additional transpiration and evidence of somebody that at the very least is a poor trader, despite his excuses of moving. What upstanding party enters into obligations they aren't certain they can fulfill? If I have an upcoming trip or move that puts me out of town for 2 weeks, I would either arrange shipping or hold off on making a trade agreement.
As for why you would return the other 2 knives, take the smallest and back out of the trade, people have second thoughts on exchanges all the time, and in the agreed on trade the best you do is break even - if you keep one of the OP's knives and all of yours, you clearly come out ahead. Plus, the recent developments has caused the thread to do a 180, the topic is no longer the guy who was 2 weeks late on shipping, it's what was in the box. I have never witnessed someone who clearly had poor behavior reverse public opinion so completely.
Again, I don't know if Bends is a smarter than average scammer, or if OP is old and forgetful, but the likelihood of option A is about equal to someone that followed through on their shipping obligations having the other party ditch out for a few weeks, start a thread bringing it to the attention of the whole forum, and then have the other party reveal that the agreed on knives weren't in the box. It's just as likely that the trapper was in the box and it was lost on Bends' end when he unpacked the knives. Sadly, I don't think we'll ever know, and Calemerson didn't have enough foresight to have videotaped the unpackaging of the material to add credence to his claim of additional packing material. Option A is a strange course of action... this whole thread is strange. It's also an indictment on the process of using the trade forum. Too many variables to have confidence, and you forfeit the protection that PayPal would afford in a direct purchase. The more complicated a deal gets, the more objects exchanging hands, the more trust you have to put in the other party, the more likely there will be a problem in the final result. Even without any punishment, I wouldn't think that knowing for a fact that you're dishonest, or a liar, or a cheat is worth a stag handled trapper.
Cal Emerson, if it turns out that you didn't include the trapper in the package please do the right thing and report it here. Bends, you still screwed up not shipping your knives out on time in the first place.
