Feeling deflated and disappointed.

rwhitebbq said:
Re: expectations... been there, done that. The first unit (of whatever) is close, and the second is farther off the mark. Or the first time, the mechanic forgets to tighten a bolt, and the second time he forgets the oil plug :-)

Re: re-centering it. I'm not going to argue the philosophical on this one, since I've fixed plenty of new stuff before. Pragmatically speaking, though, if I try and don't succeed - or worse yet - mark a fastener head, it's mine... not centered, and now damaged.

Finally, as I said up top, the blade spine is parallel to the scales - all the way until the last inch where the sides are ground down to the point. So either the grinds are asymmetrical, or there's some minor warp or bend in the last 3/4". So adjusting it so the tip is centered will mean the middle of the blade will not be.

Thanks for all the inputs, and I'm glad I'm not the only crazy one here.
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Ok sorry for my last post I should have checked for a follow up. Yeah from what you are describing it sounds like a wonky grind or a warped blade possibly from heat treat. There are way to try and straighten it but its far from an optimal solution and I wouldnt recommend it. My suggestion is to return it. I have OCD (diagnosed but in control) and it sucks especially when it has an effect on hobbies. And as someone who knows exactly what you are going through I can say it will most likely bug you. I wish I could tell you what I did to lower my expectations. It wasnt one single thing. but I used to let hairline scratches drive me mad even if they could only be seen with a jewelers loupe in direct sunlight at unique angles. Things dont bother me like that anymore. Only if there is a true serious defect. And yeah I consider off center blades defective if they cant be corrected.
 
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I have found that if you are OCD and need a centered knife - when you order it, tell them you want a centered knife. If they're worth dealing with, they'll check it for you before they ship.

If whomever you're buying from won't do it - find another dealer.
 
rwhitebbq said:
First off... yes, I'm a newbie to the forum, though lurking unregistered for quite some time. I have plenty of very good, good, and not-so-good knives, and maybe, depending on opinions, one great one. Secondly, I'm not trolling or looking for a holy war!

I received my first "***awesome***" knife today, and opened it with anticipation of angels singing, trumpets blaring, and world harmony.

NOOOOOO! It's not centered! The spine is well centered on the scales, and yet, from the beginning of the grind down to the point, it diverts away from the lock side.
I realize every company, no matter how great, has an escape. And I know I'm un-diagnosed OCD, but every time I look at it, I'm just sad.

So I checked every other locking folder I have to calibrate my own expectations. Of the 6 BMs, every one is dead nuts on. The Buck 110 from my childhood is a little loose, but dead center, as is the Squire. Heck, even the cheap-@ss S&W auto is centered.

But not this icon of modern marvels.

Regardless of how anal I might be, this one has to go back in the box... along with the nice cloth and stickers and all.

Haven't decided whether to roll the dice again, or just go buy myself a couple of BMs or ZTs and lick my wounds.

Thanks for listening.
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Sounds more like a dodgy blade than centering.
 
First welcome to BF we're glad you're here. I commend you for your non maker/dealer bashing post under the circumstances. And you are right, sometimes things just slip through the cracks and you just happened to receive one of those escapee's. I would return it, if it is what I believe it is they are a great company. I own two of their knives both are perfect one I purchased used and the other was new. They should give you a hassle free solution to your dilemma. Even if they do replace it (which is what I would ask for) I would be aggravated at waiting for the new knife to arrive when all the waiting should have been over the first time around. That's the problem with internet stores you can't inspect a particular knife before you purchase it. I am lucky there is a massive knife store in Sevierville, TN about a hour from my house and anytime I make a purchase for over $150 I go there and check out the knife first hand and yes they usually have it in stock unless it's a custom maker. Anyway best of luck to you I hope you get this resolved quickly.
 
If it is who I also believe it is ("cloth, stickers, and all"), they are ABSOLUTELY first-rate to deal with!

They will probably send you a whole new knife. Cloth, stickers, and all.
 
Thanks for the offers to help. I already have an RMA from the dealer as of an hour ago.

This was about being bummed, not pissed at the dealer or the maker or the world. Too much of that already.

Take care.
 
Pretty refreshing to see a new member with a handful of posts coming up with a well thought out and rational thread without the mindless rage that results in an eventually locked 67 page thread.

First, I've never seen a production company that gets it right every single time. To those that say well if a $100 knife can be centered then why can't a $500 knife? Well every PM2 made ain't centered nor has perfect action, neither is every Benchmade and so on so leave that argument at home. It's the nature of production knives. Some of us get the good ones, some of us get the bad ones. A few get it right way more than they get it wrong. It's literally the luck of the draw. Why else do we hand pick between 4 of the exact same model in the knife store before making our purchase?

It's your hard earned money, and you have to be pleased with your purchase so don't feel bad about contacting the dealer. I've been criticized before on other forums for requesting dealers check certain aspects of a relatively expensive item. The criticism from the whiny bleeding hearts is that "well the dealer is gonna get stuck with an imperfect item and what are they gonna do with it, it's going to hurt their feelings, etc" Piss on that. They can hash that out with the manufacturer. Most dealers in high end products know they're dealing with enthusiasts and most are more than happy to accommodate you. The ones that don't probably don't last long.
 
To close this out...

I received a full refund (minus return shipping, of course) within 1 day of their receipt of the return (which occurred end of day on a Friday.)

Great service from a well known dealer!
 
Spot on post. If your not happy or satisfied send it back. Once you get to that level of knife, it's not only the fit and finish, it's the way it makes you feel. If you spend that much, you better have the warm and fuzzies about it.
 
Welcome rwhitebbq, great thread and refreshing for a change, people need to remember is only a knife and I'm sure the one you're talking about's name means "work" in Zulu or something or other. :)
 
aquaman67 said:
I have found that if you are OCD and need a centered knife - when you order it, tell them you want a centered knife. If they're worth dealing with, they'll check it for you before they ship.

If whomever you're buying from won't do it - find another dealer.
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Could not agree with this more!
 
As others have said, welcome to bladeforums, from one newbie to another. I know very well how it can be an extremely tough and intimidating audience around here, and you've taken a very balanced, calm, and mature approach to the entire enterprise. So kudos on that, first and foremost.

Next, centering varies wildly from brand to brand, and even knife to knife. In my opinion, centering has become less of a "make-it-or-break-it" issue over the few (~5 years) I've collected production folder knives. More often than not, roughly a quarter-turn of a single screw fixes most problems that people wail about here on higher-end knives. My first "high-end" (relative to my budget of course) knife was a Mcusta that was delivered after a very long wait, and wasn't precisely centered. A couple of tweaks with a flathead screwdriver fixed it within ten minutes of me receiving it. I feel that centering is a relatively correctable issue that is given far too much concern, particularly when buying knives second hand.
 
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