disappointment with mail-ordered knives

Joined
Dec 24, 2001
Messages
73
Most of us don't live anywhere near a bricks-and-mortar retail store where we can handle full product lines from lots of manufacturers. As a result, we wind up ordering knives from catalogs, online or actualm, without having ever seen the knife in person. How many of you have been disappointed when you received the knife because it just wasn't what you expected - it looked or felt different, bigger or smaller than you expected, etc.? What do you do in that situation, send it back? Is there any way around this problem?
 
Buy from one of the best vendors. I have loved 99% of what I ordered from www.tripleaughtdesign.com but when I got something I didn't like I just packed it up, sent it back and they credited my account. Also, the better vendors will actually talk to you. You want a custom tactical? Put in a call to http://www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com/ and you'll get advice.

The same can be said of Phil at 2thehilt and MANY others.

Avoid disappointment... buy from the pros.
 
The only knife that I wasa disappointed with was a Klotzli knife that I got a few years back. The knife was OK, but not what I was looking for. I just sent it back and traded it for a Spyderco Military that I liked very much. It is a bit of a hassle, but if you don't have a good knife store handy then you have to live with it.
 
I've mentioned this on the forums before. I am regularly dissapointed with my online and catalog purchases. This is one of the diffuculties with knife collecting and why I look forward to going to knife shows when possible. It is so very nice to be able to preview / handle a knife before purchasing it.
 
Originally posted by averageguy
I've mentioned this on the forums before. I am regularly dissapointed with my online and catalog purchases. (snip)

What do you buy online? I am satisified with most of my online buys. then again, I do sell and trade them... but not because I am dissatisfied. Shoot, I wish I had about 10 of them back right now.

And I have never bought one at a knife show....
 
I still believe as much as possible handling the knife first because of (mostly personal reasons):
1. you never know how it actully sleeps in your palm
2. weight of blade vs handle ratio, you can't get it from statistics
3. even if the online store gives good support, living in such a crap country, I would be lucky if my order reach me, not to mention shipping it back and forth.
 
howdy, people! i buy all prod stuff from Brian at DiscountKnives.com. very reliable, no problems. wouldn't buy a prod knife at a knife show, tho. those custom makers have pay for their table, room, parking, etc., even tho it's a biz write-off for them, unless it's on the last day, and they gine a huge discount!

like someone here said--just my two cents, and worth every penny! john
 
I buy almost everything online these days, and a lot of it lately, too! I also buy from forumites on the Exchange forums. Disappointment never seems to enter into it, although some knives have impressed me more than others.

(I just got a Ka-Bar Thorn, the Dozier folding dagger collaboration, from A.G.Russell. I really didn't realize how small it was, and I definitely didn't realize how well made it is. A.G. is known to stand behind all his products. You don't like it, he'll buy it back. He's not getting this little gem back!)

Listen to fracmeister: Avoid disappointment... buy from the pros. Find a really reliable dealer or two or three, and make a point of calling them instead of zapping your order in off their webpage. At least e-mail them with any questions you've got. Think about it; this is a tough business, and most of them are in it because they love knives, too, or they'd never have gotten started, let alone survived.
 
cutlery stores are few, if any that truly exist beyond the "Mall store" kind. My only options are on-line or on-line. I have had only one knife be of the kind that should not have been shipped as it was in seriously poor condition. As stated, you must stay with the Known dealers, who have HONEST (strange word, huh?) Reputations.

I have to admit though, the nicest knives I do own were the ones I bought at the small knife show in MA. I had the opportunity to handle the knives, check several of each model and then pick the nicest one. But waiting for a show to come is not an option.

I also put enormous TRUST in the members of BF, and the Dealers who Deal through and on BF to engage in Fair-trades and to ship what they say they will. So far, it has worked PERFECTLY 99% of the time.....Wolf;)
 
I would agree with Esav Benjamin on the importance of placing your order by phone instead of online. If you don't have a chance to hold the knife in your hands (which I mostly don't), the next best thing is discussing it with somebody knowledgeable. You might call with one knife in mind and then wind up ordering something else entirely. Plus, I don't know about you, but I like hearing a live human being at the other end. It makes things feel more personal.
 
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