Fair or not

Should the seller be responsible for full disclosure on the pedigree of a knife/item being sold

  • Total voters
    35
  • Poll closed .
L

longbow

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A couple of weeks ago I purchased a folder off of the forums here and was happy as a pig in poop for doing so. I find out later when I search out a larger model of the knife that it is indeed a factory made knife and not a "handmade" knife by the maker. Kind of pissed it wasn't mentioned in the original sale's thread that it is a factory made knife and not a maker made knife. Now I contact the seller and he feels he didn't misrepresent the knife at all. I don't expect him to take it back etc. but I do feel that on the forums here it is all about honesty in presentation of an item and so forth. The knife was listed as a particular model and I assumed that it was made in his shop but it is not. I think it should have been mentioned in the sales thread it was factory made and not maker made bottom line. Everything presented in the thread would lead me to believe that the maker did indeed make this knife and not otherwise.

I could be way off base here. If I am I apologize but like I said its all about honesty in presentation of an item for sale or trade.
 
To be honest, I'd have to see the thread. If the model was listed correctly, the information is easy to Google. Secondly, I think some knives themselves seem to blur the line between hand made and mass produced.

I don't consider either Hinderer or CRK as mass produced but I wouldn't call them hand made either.

Without the thread, I don't believe there is enough information to make an informed decision.
 
This is just me, but when I am shopping the Exchange, I generally have a good idea of what I am looking for. If something does catch my eye, I research it if I’m not familiar with it. If it’s gone by the time I’m done, so be it.

The knife was listed in the correct forum and doesn’t seem mis-represented to me. I’m not familiar with the maker/brand and might be missing something?
 
If it was the case that there is a "production" and a "custom" version and there was some major price difference, then I could understand a problem. For example spending what seems like a good price of the custom, but finding out that you overpaid for the production. But there are lots of makers who have full custom, semi-production and OEM-contract models. Even sellers who have a couple makers do their knives (ESEE for example) so I would think its a caveat emptor situation. Unless the seller made it seem like there was something special about the knife, or its heritage.
 
Yep that is the thread. I like the knife bottom line as mentioned in the post here. I was looking to get a larger version and checked the makers site and find out the smaller one is made by WE knife company and not the maker. The line that states: "Will come with everything as from maker: pouch, COA, and sticker." I might have assumed to much reading into this. I don't google every purchase I make concerning knives and frankly haven't purchased a handmade folder in quite some time as I have been scarfing up fixed blades with stag handles and blades that are forged along with older fixed blade knives. Anyways this is a poll as to how folks post items and concerning full disclosure as to a knife's pedigree and such. Ok that's it.
 
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I wouldn't think that a folding knife is a handmade piece, if the price is $225 for new, unless it comes from a very new maker or a country where living cost is very cheap.
I got a handcrafted knife at $500 new and thought it was bargain.

I think you should have done little more research or communicated the seller before pulling the trigger.
Just my 2 cents.
 
I educate myself before I buy anything and if not , it's on me.

In this case you should have done the same or asked the seller questions before hand.

I think you were mostly bummed for not getting a custom piece at a fraction of the cost. I get it.


Your poll is a clear YES. But does not directly reflect this situation.
 
I think, as you alluded to, you assumed too much.

In the heat of trying to grab a knife before someone else gets it you overlook things or miss words in an ad, happens all the time and it’s happened to me.

I firmly believe that sellers are responsible for accurately describing the item they are selling, up to and including flaws. As the rules for the Sale forums state “be honest”.

To answer your original question though, No, I don’t think it was his responsibility to inform you in the ad it was made by WE, you should have known or done the research prior to pulling the trigger.

If he hadn’t disclosed an issue with the knife or wrote the ad to make it seem it was a custom then it would be on him. Him saying “comes with everything from the maker” isn’t untrue and isn’t misleading to me. I personally say “from the factory” or “all original accessories” but to each his own.

As others have said, you would have paid a lot Moreno for a custom than $225. At least it’s still a pretty cool knife.

ETA: At current, I’m the only one who voted “no” in the pole but that might be because the question is a little misleading. To clarify, the seller is responsible for disclosing the history of a knife (hard use, disassembly, modification, sharpening, lockup/centering/detent/flipping issues), not it’s production lineage.
 
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I'm just asking as to how folks list items for sale. Yep I was surprised and a bit disappointed in that it is not a maker made knife no doubt, and owned up to that fact. My point is how do folks list items for sale. It seems though that I am in the minority here! No worries though. Debate and points of view is what it is all about. keepem sharp
 
The seller accurately identified the knife as a “Berg Blades Iron Pup.” Nowhere did the seller say or imply the knife was handmade. Consequently, I think the buyer unfortunately assumed too much on his own. Fortunately, WE Knives is known for quality manufacture, and $225 doesn’t seem out of line for that knife.
 
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I am thinking that the assumption was because the seller put the words "from the maker" in the sales thread. I don't get the vibe at all that he was misrepresenting the knife though. I have made incorrect assumptions myself many times. You still have a very nice knife there. looks top notch fit and finish

I have to say I see a trend in the "knife world" with all this "midtech " stuff and semi custom and all that crap. to me its all just smoke and mirrors and its just a way to boost profits and jack up prices for what are basically factory knives. I have encountered two instances through direct contact and conversations with "custom " knife makers where they have stated anything with their logo on it is made by them in their shop with their own hands and then caught them in a lie when they admit that they are getting help from another shop on the production of a particular model or new model . its obvious they are trying to break into the mass production market which is fine but they are also trying to maintain a lie which is kinda scummy to me.
 
I did not vote. Maybe the seller could have used another word besides "maker", but he is technically correct. The COA also adds to the confusion, but there is a COA. At the same time, there is no way to judge intent to mislead on the seller's part.

My experience in recent times with most slick looking new knives at a "reasonable" price is that China is somehow involved - see Massdrop. As others have said above, I usually goog the heck out of anything before buying, and the riddle of inexpensive steel can usually be solved. THAT is power.
 
craytab said:
Of course the seller is responsible for accurately listing an item, in this case the sell indeed did. Buyers need to take personal responsibility for knowing what they are buying. First clue it wasn't a custom is that it was accurately listed in the production knife section.
Click to expand...

This. Lots and lots of this.

The seller’s job is not to educate the buyer about the product. The seller’s job is to give the description of condition, and purchasing info (price, forms of payment, shipping method, etc...).

If the seller misrepresents condition, there’s a big problem. You can bet that I photo and describe any nicks, scratches, etc... people should know about any wear/tear.

As for production info or specs...nope.

The one exception is if in a certain production run the specs change, so if a knife is usually 1095, but this particular one is a rare variant in A2, it should be noted as such.
 
Its understandable that the OP is bummed out, had he expected a custom but the knife was not listed in customs,so the OP doesnt really have anything to hang his hat on in regards to this particular matter.

Yes, a seller should give a full description/disclose all but that has nothing to do with the knife in question.
 
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