Feedback needed, Is this normal Spyderco quality????? *PICTURES*

[MJF]

is this a joke?

No joke. Half the people here can't even sharpen a knife on their own, and very few of them can put a perfect bevel on one. To assume it's a super simple procedure to put on a perfect bevel and then complain publicly (without reaching out to the offending company first and giving them a chance to fix it btw) about it stinks of a sense of entitlement and takes a dump on someone's work. Do you work in a knife factory? I don't, so I can't even begin to speak with any authority on how simple of a procedure it is to put a perfect looking bevel (and keep in mind, the edge arrived sharp) on every single knife out of the hundreds or thousands that pass through my hands on any given day. Add to that the fact that it's a $30 knife for which there's probably a relatively small profit margin and it shouldn't be any surprise that some are not going to come out aesthetically perfect. These aren't customs. The makers don't have days to get everything just right and they're not making hundreds of dollars off of each knife. That's not to say we shouldn't expect a certain level of craftsmanship, but rather that we should compare that level of craftsmanship to the price we're paying. I wouldn't expect a maker to spend an hour ensuring that my knife's bevel is aesthetically perfect when the maker's only getting around 20 bucks for it and part of that cost goes towards materials.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I know the OP's problem has been resolved, but why did no one else seem to see the above piece of wisdom here? If the grind angle is kept consistently linear then, on a full flat grind, the edge at the "tallest" point of the blade will be thinner than at any point higher on the blade. This means that, visually, the edge bevel, if kept consistent, is going to LOOK wider in the thicker regions. Many companies do their flat grinds at an angle so that distal taper is achieved, but this is not always the case. Just because a grind LOOKS uneven doesn't mean that the angle is inconsistent. What I find much more common and frustrating is when a knife keeps a uniform LOOKING edge bevel when in fact it's changing along the entire length of the edge just to keep things looking pretty. This leads to tips with very obtuse bevels, and that DOES affect performance. I'd rather have a wonky looking bevel with a consistent angle than one that looked nice but changed angle along its length.

Just some food for thought.

I'm just gonna' leave this here again, since it seems that it got overlooked before. The above details a possible alternative explanation. It may not be the case, either, but it might.

 

[monger4142]

You should be able expect an even grind and a very sharp edge.

Looking at the quality and specs, I'd call this knife a poor value @ $40.

you're just flat guessing the profit margin on this knife and they're making more on it than you think.

its a Chinese 8cr13mov knife, for 30-40 it should be well finished and ground.

why make things up and defend a knife company for no good reason? what you should be doing is expecting more for your dollar.

 

[Spinerazor]

Just an update, i bought a Boker Plus Trance today with a perfect even bevel and perfect micorbevel, it came razor smooth hair shaving sharp, sharper than the Spyderco out of the box, this is a $30 knife here in canada, if Boker can get it right Spyderco should always too, i'm still going to buy more Spyderco knives, i'm getting para 2 monday, that knife i will return if it is not perfect but i'm crossing my fingers and hoping my Tenacious was an isolated incident. cheers all!

 

[allyourblood]

if Boker can get it right Spyderco should always too

But see, there's your problem: you say "always too" as if Böker's entire QC can be summed up in your single knife purchase. It can't and it shouldn't.

I'll go you one better: I have never received a Spyderco with uneven grinds. Ever. Even on my Tenacious. We're talking dozens of knives. So now what? Your one Böker doesn't represent their entire line, nor do my dozens of Spyderco knives mean much to you, since you received one that wasn't to your satisfaction. Knives aren't ever absolutely perfect; we all just have our own perception of how a new production knife should look and perform.

Congrats on your new knife. I'm glad it met your expectations.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

I have a number of knives in the $30-$50 range.

None of them are Spyderco, but that's simply a matter of budget and opportunity. I'll have Spydies soon enough.

Among the brands I do have, which include Kershaw, Buck, Benchmade (NRA Outdoors), Case, and a few others, the only ones I have with uneven grinds or bevels are actually marked with a "factory blemish" code, and I bought them with that imperfection because a) I got 60% off, and b) the blem was either insignificant/unimportant, or it was something I could fix.

As for the rest, the quality of all the knives I have in that range has established a quality expectation that exceeds what the OP depicted.

My "$30 quality" expectation is that grinds and bevels will be even, the blade will be uniformly sharp, there will be no nicks or drags, the pivot will be smooth, the spring will have good snap, the lock will engage positively without allowing any blade play, and the scales and bolsters will not present "ledges" or gaps in the fit.

I have enough "$30" knives meeting that standard such that I would either return or repair something that didn't measure up.

Sure enough, I see marginal quality in some pieces, but I don't buy them.

If I buy one online and it arrives with some kind of flaw -- beyond minor cosmetics -- and if it's something I can't easily remedy, then I return it. I've only had to do that two or three times, and never for a problem with the grind or bevel.

And, yes, some of my "$30" knives are made in China.

I can understand that there will be people who are not bothered by QC lapses, and I'm sure they're comfortable with their choices.

Me? I sort of have this opinion that "QC" is supposed to assure quality, and that accepting a substandard product reinforces the idea that the quality in "QC" doesn't have to be particularly tight, because, hey -- it's no big deal, right?

If I run a factory that makes knives, and I've got knives hitting the streets that have quality standards issues, I don't want to find out about it when people stop buying my product. I want to know about it while I can still correct my production.

Quality is my front line PR. It's my public's first impression. It's what generates repeat business.

Lack of quality says I don't care, and the customer is not as important as my making my quotas.

If this is *my* business, I damn well *do* care, and I want precise and timely feedback from my customers.

And, since that's how I would run *my* business, I expect that the people making the knives I buy have that same attitude and want that same feedback. And so I don't just shrug off quality failures.

I figure that if I help them maintain quality, the improved product will keep other customers happy and keep the manufacturer in business, and they will still be there when I want to buy my next knife.

But that's just me. I could be wrong.

 

[goodeyesniper]

Lack of quality says I don't care, and the customer is not as important as my making my quotas.

If this is *my* business, I damn well *do* care, and I want precise and timely feedback from my customers.

And, since that's how I would run *my* business, I expect that the people making the knives I buy have that same attitude and want that same feedback. And so I don't just shrug off quality failures.

I figure that if I help them maintain quality, the improved product will keep other customers happy and keep the manufacturer in business, and they will still be there when I want to buy my next knife.

But that's just me. I could be wrong.

I don't know how long you've been around, but Spyderco *IS* that company, and would almost certainly be more than happy to fix this very small *problem*. ANY company putting out as much product as Spyderco does, by as many factories as it uses, is going to have some lemons. It's how they react to these lemons that set them apart. (I do not think this uneven grind is necessarily a lemon, btw) It's us users on a forum who are having a problem with the level of insanity some people have with this "issue".

If you really can't stand it, send it back, but it's really not a big deal in the slightest.

Spyderco has an outstanding track record for quality control. On top of that, they are regarded as consistently putting out some of the best factory edges in their price range, and even far beyond. When a company has a track record for crap edges like Queen and Benchmade, is when I have a problem. I'm okay with rebevelling the odd knife that doesn't come as perfect as usual, but when you go into a purchase knowing you will have to rebevel because they ALWAYS give crappy edges, that's bad. Unless it's something like an Opinel, where you paid $7, and are working with super thin, carbon steel.

 

[MrPocketsOfSteel]

Yeah, thats not a great grind. But you might just use it as is, because it seems to be more cosmetic than anything, or you might even out the grind if you have the skilz. I would only be really bothered if its actually dull. And even then, I would just fix it myself.

You can always send it to Spyderco, and I bet you'll be happy with the result. I have a black Tenacious as well, and it has a proper grind.

I like how you roll on the all black theme.:thumbup: