You had nothing to "fear" about the maker's reputation by posting that picture. Fiddleback makes some nice knives, and the problem there isn;t necessarily quality control. It could be that the pin was never sanded flush, but that is highly doubtful, since that entire process is getting the scale ready for finish, and a proud pin just doesn't fit into that scenario.
African Blackwood is a relatively dense hardwood, but not as dense as say Ebony or Desert Ironwood. Humidity, and lack thereof, will change all knives. Dallas has very high humidity in the summer, so that knife scale is going to swell back up here come May or June or sometime. However, in my experience, it may not expand enough to come flush with the pin. Either send it back to KSF (I would not) or fix it yourself (this I would do).
Take a fine double-cut file and bring that stainless pin down to flush. Sand, starting at about 120 grit up through about 320, finish with shellac, wax, and be proud. But wait until summer, so you can see how much it recovers.
As I said earlier, I have some Bark River knives, made up there in their humid territory, where occasionally a pin is a tad proud, or there is a hint of a "lip" between scale and spine. Mostly, they don;t bother me a bit. Again, it depends on what part of the year the knife was made. Whatever moisture level is existent in the wood at the time it is sanded flush with the pins and knife blank is the moisture level needed for that knife to remain in its best form. Also, when a aknifemaker buys exotic (or any) wood, does he let it acclimate to his shop for a sufficient period of time? Maybe yes, maybe no. Is it properly dried before it is even purchased by the maker? Maybe yes, maybe no.
Fiddleback Knives has exploded in the last couple of years, pumping out knives like maybe never before. Bark River (and maybe others) saw promise in Andy, and now he's making them as fast as he can. When this happens, sometimes his stock of exotics comes in, maybe it's "dry", maybe it isn't, maybe he lets it acclimate for several months, but maybe not. Probably not with his current demand. So, these little things are going to happen on occasion. You have a nice knife there. Keep it...I would say.
I would love to own one of the Fiddleback knives, but they're almost out of my price range right now. If I ever get one, and it has a little flaw (depending on what it is, of course), I'll just accept it or fix it myself. This knife-owning stuff is quite personal, don't you think? (
D))
