Do you trust a blem?

RevDevil said:
Question for you:
Do you honestly think that Kershaw of all companies would sell something that was mechanically defective? Come on now, the "blem" is cosmetic in nature, not mechanical. You are talking about a sticky lock, a reality on hundreds of different folders from various companies.

Do I trust a blem? Yes I do, all the way until I see a valid reason not to.



You realize that blems have no warranty right?
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The blem I had, the lockbar traveled all the way across the tang and touched the other scale. That is not cosmetic and is what I would call mechanically defective, or will be in short time. Like I mentioned in my previous post, the place I bought mine from said there were both cosmetic and mechanical flaws and that the Kershaw/ ZT knives with mechanical issues get sold on eBay so most here who buy them probably only get cosmetic defects and have high praise for them. But not all Kershaw blems are great knives, at least not in my one and only experience. I would at least ask questions if buying a knife that carries a blem title.
 
This is from Kershawguy, the only person I know of that sells blems. Could have been the model itself, hard to say. Many long time Kershaw owners/users have repeatedly suggested that the blems are always cosmetic, and not mechanical. I just can't believe that any company in this day and age would willingly charge someone money for something that is unsafe. That puts them into an extremely vulnerable position that would bring any company to it's knees in a hurry. Just my opinion though. I love Kershaw and ZT, but I sure don't love every single model that comes down the road, there are some head scratchers mixed in with the true classics, just the nature of the game I guess. Goes for every knife manufacturer.

Please don't ask what the blemish is on these, because I have multiple knives in each model and it is always something minor, if I get low and one is really bad I will say so. No one has ever complained about a blem that I have sent. You will love the value of these !
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t1mpani said:
Well, blem usually means a cosmetic defect---most manufacturers will not knowingly sell a functionally defective product. Open and close it about two hundred times (can be done in a couple minutes) to let it work itself in a bit and if you're still not satisfied, get a hold of Kershaw and ask their input.
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What he said.
 
So I assume those that keep pointing to a blem only being cosmetic, think a frame lock bar that touches the other scale is just cosmetic? In fact when I was told that the knives that have something physically wrong go to eBay, I was told mine should have been one to go to eBay. I'm just relaying my experience which differs from the average opinion and will leave it alone.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
So I assume those that keep pointing to a blem only being cosmetic, think a frame lock bar that touches the other scale is just cosmetic? In fact when I was told that the knives that have something physically wrong go to eBay, I was told mine should have been one to go to eBay. I'm just relaying my experience which differs from the average opinion and will leave it alone.
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Have you ever had a non-blem production have a lock problem? I have...and so have many others. As to the "go to ebay" thing...who exactly told you that? I doubt very much it was Kershaw.
 
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FlaMtnBkr said:
So I assume those that keep pointing to a blem only being cosmetic, think a frame lock bar that touches the other scale is just cosmetic? In fact when I was told that the knives that have something physically wrong go to eBay, I was told mine should have been one to go to eBay. I'm just relaying my experience which differs from the average opinion and will leave it alone.
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The closest thing we have at this point to being a fact is that blem = cosmetic flaw (anecdotally of course). If you have a defective lockbar on a knife that happens to be a blem, then that is something different altogether. If you have any doubts at all, I urge you to send Thomas either an email or a PM of some sort and ask him for the ultimate clarification. If anyone can specifically answer this for you and erase all your doubts, it is he. Some blems do end up on Ebay just like the regular knives and just like anything else that can be sold for legal tender can. Years back there was people selling "A jar full of Hurricane Katrina Wind", some dolt bought it. Some dealers that live or travel to Oregon buy blems and resell them as such, in each case the blems are cosmetic only to my knowledge.
 
I'm happy with my single Kershaw blem, and I'm planning on buying more. I'm still not sure what exactly the flaw is, it's nothing major whatsoever.
 
I had to look real hard at my JYD blem to find the very small cosmetic defect. I am sure that it will not effect function.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
So I assume those that keep pointing to a blem only being cosmetic, think a frame lock bar that touches the other scale is just cosmetic? In fact when I was told that the knives that have something physically wrong go to eBay, I was told mine should have been one to go to eBay. I'm just relaying my experience which differs from the average opinion and will leave it alone.
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I don't doubt you heard that, it's just that the whole "the bad ones go to eBay" thing sounds a lot like the rumors I hear about Goodyear, Michelin and Firestone selling "lower quality versions" of their tires to Walmart and Sears. One of those things that's heard from a guy who heard it from a guy. The simple fact of the matter is that having crappily-made products with their name on it entering the marketplace and ruining people's opinions of their brands would cost them FAR more money than just tossing the defective products in the junk. Might that decision be made by some fly-by-night maker? Sure. But companies that have been dominant forces in the market and wish to continue to be so? Far fetched.
 
unit said:
Do they carry a warranty?

That is rhetorical.

Some companies warrant their blems, that indicates to me that they believe in them, and I would also. Some companies do not warrant them, and if the maker won't stand behind something, I won't jump in front of it.

Honestly though, I think life is too short to buy a knife that the maker thought was *almost* good enough to call good. Opinions vary.
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Just out of curiosity....which companies?
 
t1mpani said:
I don't doubt you heard that, it's just that the whole "the bad ones go to eBay" thing sounds a lot like the rumors I hear about Goodyear, Michelin and Firestone selling "lower quality versions" of their tires to Walmart and Sears. One of those things that's heard from a guy who heard it from a guy. The simple fact of the matter is that having crappily-made products with their name on it entering the marketplace and ruining people's opinions of their brands would cost them FAR more money than just tossing the defective products in the junk. Might that decision be made by some fly-by-night maker? Sure. But companies that have been dominant forces in the market and wish to continue to be so? Far fetched.
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Great post, +1. Why would Kershaw sell a functionally defective knife? It's more cost effective for them to scrap it rather than to sell it and have people send it in (regardless of the blem).
 
I have a 0300 blem that I use often as a EDC. Other than a very slight cosmetic blem on the blade, it is perfect. I trust it 100%.
 
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