Cold Steel ODA let down, can I send it back?

ERINT

ERINT

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Picked one up for about $50. It arrives and I start looking it over. First thing that stands out is the thing is dull. It wouldn't cut anything I put in front of it. This normally isn't a bit deal for me. I often enjoy sharpening knives. But this knife wasn't just dull, it's grind angle were set so low my Sharpmaker couldn't even reach the edge, it started out taking off the baked on coating.

So I started working down the shoulder of the edge with some files. I'm 4 hours into this and the Spy204 still can't get to the portion of the edge needed to be ground down to bring the edge together.

While trying to get a funtional edge on this knife I found the second more saddening flaw. The handle is on the blade nice, secure, and tilted to the left. I found this early since only one side of the blade was being sharpened when using the 204. I don't know if it is unsafe to chop with or not. It's a fair tilt to the left, but does it put the knife at risk of a fracture? I'd post pictures but my camera is worthless, the replacement was shipped today. :D

I'm thinking of sending the knife to CS for a replacement. I wanted to hear from people that have worked with CSs return center first to check some factors though.

1: I trimmed the top quillion off of the ODA, I just prefer it without it.
2: I havn't changed the original shape of the blade, but I have taken off a fair amount of metal.

So having sharpened, or rather tried to, the knife myself, and having removed the upper guard will they take it back? I don't think this should have even gone out as a Factory 2nd. After all the happy posts I've read over the years from CS fixed blade owners this was a real let down.

If I can, this is going back to CS and I hope they make it right.

Opinions, past experiances, advice. All would be appriciated.Thank you.

Erin.
 
I think it's worth a shot. Taking the top quillion off the guard may be a problem, so I'd really play up the off-center handle aspect. No knife should do that, period. That's a factory defect, no matter what changes have been made. Good luck :thumbup:
 
I bought a UWK & did the same thing! What a POS!!
Just keep it as a shank & stay away from Cold Steel!
Buy SOG or Ontario or Kabar or Kershaw & be contented.
 
Just my two cents, but if you can get Cold Steel to replace a knife that has the top half of the guard ground off and the blade coating chipped from sharpening with a file, you're a pretty good salesman, imho! :D

No harm in trying, though. I would call and tell them your story and see what they say. At the very least they should reprofile the edge for you to make it useable. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
moving-van.jpg
 
In my experience with companies selling things at OBSCENE profit margins, it's easier to have a ridiculously lenient return policy and keep return customers very happy.

For companies on a tighter budget however, this can wreck them if it's taken advantage of.
 
ERINT said:
Picked one up for about $50. It arrives and I start looking it over. First thing that stands out is the thing is dull. It wouldn't cut anything I put in front of it. This normally isn't a bit deal for me. I often enjoy sharpening knives. But this knife wasn't just dull, it's grind angle were set so low my Sharpmaker couldn't even reach the edge, it started out taking off the baked on coating.

So I started working down the shoulder of the edge with some files. I'm 4 hours into this and the Spy204 still can't get to the portion of the edge needed to be ground down to bring the edge together.

While trying to get a funtional edge on this knife I found the second more saddening flaw. The handle is on the blade nice, secure, and tilted to the left. I found this early since only one side of the blade was being sharpened when using the 204. I don't know if it is unsafe to chop with or not. It's a fair tilt to the left, but does it put the knife at risk of a fracture? I'd post pictures but my camera is worthless, the replacement was shipped today. :D

I'm thinking of sending the knife to CS for a replacement. I wanted to hear from people that have worked with CSs return center first to check some factors though.

1: I trimmed the top quillion off of the ODA, I just prefer it without it.
2: I havn't changed the original shape of the blade, but I have taken off a fair amount of metal.
Click to expand...
I would've returned it after the Sharpmaker failed.

Filing on it for "4 fours" and cutting off one of the quillions would void the warrantee on a knife from any company (aftermarket modifications, gross abuse of the knife).

The handle being off profile would be assumed to be additional aftermarket damage.

Defective knives are covered under most companys' warrantees, provided knife is returned before being modified or abused.
 
ERINT said:
Picked one up for about $50. It arrives and I start looking it over. First thing that stands out is the thing is dull. It wouldn't cut anything I put in front of it. This normally isn't a bit deal for me. I often enjoy sharpening knives. But this knife wasn't just dull, it's grind angle were set so low my Sharpmaker couldn't even reach the edge, it started out taking off the baked on coating.

So I started working down the shoulder of the edge with some files. I'm 4 hours into this and the Spy204 still can't get to the portion of the edge needed to be ground down to bring the edge together.

While trying to get a funtional edge on this knife I found the second more saddening flaw. The handle is on the blade nice, secure, and tilted to the left. I found this early since only one side of the blade was being sharpened when using the 204. I don't know if it is unsafe to chop with or not. It's a fair tilt to the left, but does it put the knife at risk of a fracture? I'd post pictures but my camera is worthless, the replacement was shipped today. :D

I'm thinking of sending the knife to CS for a replacement. I wanted to hear from people that have worked with CSs return center first to check some factors though.

1: I trimmed the top quillion off of the ODA, I just prefer it without it.
2: I havn't changed the original shape of the blade, but I have taken off a fair amount of metal.

So having sharpened, or rather tried to, the knife myself, and having removed the upper guard will they take it back? I don't think this should have even gone out as a Factory 2nd. After all the happy posts I've read over the years from CS fixed blade owners this was a real let down.

If I can, this is going back to CS and I hope they make it right.

Opinions, past experiances, advice. All would be appriciated.Thank you.

Erin.
Click to expand...

You're kidding, right?! :eek: :confused:
 
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