HEST Warranty

[teacher]

~~ whatever the warranty is, i'm sure ESEE won't be screwing us.

ESEE screwing us?? Not a chance in hell of that happening.

No other folders I currently own have a no questions asked warranty. ~~ Yours will be on par with it no doubt.

No reason it should be a no questions asked warranty with a folder. The fact that there's a no questions policy with the fixed blades is still pretty huge when you look at the industry as a whole.

Whatever it is I'm sure it will be very fair.

Having a lifetime no questions warranty on a tool with moving mechanical parts such as a folding knife is not expected from any knife company. Most do not even carry such a guarantee with fixed blades.

They’d probably offer a NQA warranty on the HEST folder if they were selling it for $600.

Fixed blades and folders are a completely different animal. There are really only a few things that can go wrong with a fixed blade and a lot of things that can go wrong with a folder. You can always cover something unconditionally, it’s just how much of an additional margin you have to include in there to offset the ones you really do have to replace. Eventually it becomes cost prohibitive for the customers that you were marketing the product to in the first place.

I don't post here but do read esee forum a lot and own quite a few esee's. I don't understand all the fuss about warranty. I think all the "bitching" regarding warranty that is done here exists because esee was too nice to begin with. We don't expect any other knife company to ask their buyers to chime in regarding their warranty and we take them as they are, period. As many others have stated before, warranty will be good and it will be fair. I don't understand why people all of a sudden expect its their right to think they can manipulate what company should do for them. Warranty will be as esee decides and it will be up to us buyers to decide whether we like it or not after that. If we don't like it nobody is forcing us to buy their product. But than again, its a freaking warranty, as if I ever read what other knife makers warrant before I purchase their product.I admit I didn't sign for hest LE just because I don't fancy limited runs and because I wouldn't use it and I would keep it the box but I know I'll buy regular one and know I will forget to read the warranty and won't loose sleep over it. I am not attacking anyone if it sounds like that, just stating my opinion.

I'm not a "contracts" type of guy and neither is this company. We do business the old-fashioned way of shaking hands and taking someone at their word.

Jeff, you & my father would have got along great. I had the privilege of growing up in a time if someone looked you in the eye & shook your hand, that was all that was needed. In my youth (50's & 60's), I watched him buy farm machinery, trucks, tools, etc on nothing but a handshake and a promise to pay. You had your word & your handshake, & that was your bond. Only someone who grew up in that era could understand what I am talking about.
Be safe.

+1 ..... to all of the above. :thumbup:

Warranty has not been determined yet. We are waiting on the prototypes to get here before we finish out the warranty. It will not be a no questions asked warranty.

Sort of like the old Rush song line "if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice"

It will definitely NOT be a NO QUESTIONS ASKED warranty, but we have not decided what the full stated warranty will be. Again, waiting on prototypes to tear up since this is our first go round with a folder project.

I am still waiting on finished prototypes from Gianni. Once I get them I plan on beating the holy shit out of them and do destructive testing. We have not forgotten about the warranty. I promise. It will be good.

If we made ratchets, box wrenches, open end wrenches, sockets. etc. we would back them with a no questions asked warranty and put a lot more profit margin in them. Craftsman runs at over a 100 percent profit margin on their tools (and there is no telling how much their multi-million dollar gross sales are). Last numbers I checked last Friday on ESEE we were at a 24% gross profit margin, once we take out costs of doing business (non-product costs) we are right at 6 percent net profit amd this usually fluctuates between 3 and 8 over the month. Not complaining at all. We're making money but we want to hold the consumer costs down so we would rather run at 30 percent gross margins, continue to live in our double-wide mobile homes, drive beat up Toyota pickup trucks and just be happy. The way I look at this folder project is if someone is not happy with the warranty that we come up with, then simply don't buy it. I can assure you that our warranty will be good and we have never, ever turned down a customer that had a legitimate complaint whether it was covered by the warranty or not. We simply prefer to do business by being honest and taking care of customers. A piece of paper doesn't mean that much to us.

After re-reading your post a couple of times I think I understand that you are saying that since we can build non-moving parts fixed blades for a 30 percent margin and warranty them without question then we should be able to do the same thing with a folder? If that's your point then I can tell you it ain't gonna happen.

As a side note, even when we do a folder made by Rowen, it will NOT have a no questions asked warranty

I understand your concerns and respect you for that. With that said, we build customers for life and if you can't trust us on our word then I can assure you the piece of paper is worthless also. We have gone, and continually go, above and beyond when taking care of the end user. Always will. But if our company or product is only valued at what's written on a piece of paper then our customers would be better off buying from another company because that's all we would be...just another company. Our company is about the customer and about a philosophy more so than selling knives. The very reason we would not offer a no-questions-asked warranty is we can't pick and choose who buys our knives. For example, we just had a guy make a spear out of an ESEE-3 and threw it 47 times (literally) before he snapped the knife in two. Now he wants a replacement, which we will do. What I'm saying is this: if there was some way to weed out the real knife users from those who simply abuse because they know we will replace it, then we would indeed offer a no-questions asked warranty on the folder as well as a warranty against losing it. But we just can't do it. I'm not a "contracts" type of guy and neither is this company. We do business the old-fashioned way of shaking hands and taking someone at their word. If someone doesn't like that then it's best not to buy/deal with us. But there will be a written warranty on the HEST folder.

Just to follow-up on my last post, if there was a way we could only sell knives to people who know how to use them then we would gladly do it and offer all types of amazing warranties and guarantees against about anything you can think of. Of course that would take away more than 2/3rds of our sales but we wouldn't care. I have politely encouraged many people on the phone, by email and at trade shows to buy another company's knives after we chat for a while. Our background and experience comes from using tools so we make tools to use. We're not about selling just another knife because we are begging for profits. I'm quite happy in my double-wide and my red Toyota

+1 ...... to every word of this also. :thumbup:

Rather than repeat what has been said I just quoted what I agree with.

IN MY OPINION, for anyone to expect; or ask for... a "NO QUESTIONS ASKED WARRANTY" on this folding knife is way past ridiculous. It makes no sense at all.

The "No Questions Asked Warranty" on the fixed blades is above and beyond as it is. :thumbup:

Some individuals can, and will; break anything by simply not using or having.. simple common sense. All one has to do is read or hear about things like were mentioned above, the guy who made the spear out of the ESEE 3; to realize some people are "clueless" when common sense is involved or called for.

I'll just stop there before I get on a roll and say something "unkind"......

Thanks ESEE for the great products, the great company, and the great customer service...... All, from what I can tell; based on fairness to the end user. :thumbup:

The End.........

 

[Moosez45]

Here's my take, and I'm not buying a HEST folder so I have no dog in this fight, but, I do have an opinion, here it is:

Based on the ESEE products I own, meeting Jeff and Mike and talking with them, and what's been discussed here in their forum,

Jeff and Mike are honorable men, who stand by their word. The only way you will break this knife, is to do something STUPID. If you break it under normal use, I would say they will take a look at it. If you break it in some spectacular fashion, say, saving a kid from a burning car, they will more than likely send you a new knife, and ask for the story to be posted on their website.

ESEE makes some of the toughest damn gear in the world, that under normal cirumstances, will last you a long time. Their warrantee is there to backup their product, not define it. People doing stupid shit with their gear is what gets it torn up, not ESEE's warrantee. Please don't impune Jeff and Mike's honor or reputation based on the warrantee of a new knife design. You will get a fair shake, I offer you a No Questions Asked Warrantee on that.

Gettin' off my box, sorry for the rant.

Moose

 

[JUST1MOR]

Guys, I mean really, how can you not love a man who gives you a "N.Q.A." warranty on something that is meant to be used in some extreme circumstances, AND , can quote one of the greatest rock trio's of all time ???
And yes, I am a Rush fan (27 concerts in all).
Be safe.

 

[R.A.T.]

Appreciate the posts. Mike and I are what we are. As far as I know we have never screwed anyone out of anything, and never would. We do our best to help folks out when we can. Like I said, it's not like we're getting rich in this game. Mike lives in a little POS house in the middle of nowhere and I live in a double wide trailer in the middle of nowhere (Pelton can testify to that because he's shacked up here before ). The most expensive thing we own is a 2009 Ford truck we bought to travel to far away shows (like Reno and Vegas). We really don't expect or want much out of life except to be treated the same as we treat folks. That's probably the same reason neither he nor I can keep a woman or ever be married. Our customers come before everything, including ourselves in most cases. Now, those reading this can either believe that or not. Doesn't really matter if they don't because we are going to keep rockin' on the way we've been doing for years now. There will be a written warranty on the HEST but anyone who thinks the piece of paper is worth more than our words needs to buy knives somewhere else.

 

[y0ukn0wwh0]

Aw man, ya mean to tell me that I cant take my FOLDING knife and boton it through a tree?!? I was also planning on running over it with a steam roller just to see if it is worth all the hype.. Look, those of us who have Any RAT/ESEE knive know they will stand behind what they sell. A folder is a different animal than a fixed blade is, I'm sure Jeff and Company will look out for the consumers as well as themselves (They arent stupid.) reputations are won and lost on the basis of quality products and the support behind those products... Good Evening to all! God Bless!
:: Stepping off of platform ::
YKW

 

[draftpick]

I respect doing things your own way. That is a lot of people's dream. You own the company and can do as you want. You can't make everyone happy, and I'm sure you guys have a great following. But don't be neive in thinking me or most anyone will take your word over a piece of paper with words (warranty) on it. I don't see you personally delevering every knife sold with a hand shake telling us "I will take care of you". If you don't think words mean anything, I'm sure you have taken out loans or signed contracts for ESEE. Did the bank take your word with no loan paper? Doubt it. A written warranty is a contract, that ESEE will do XXX. Im sure the ESEE fanboys won't care. But they are the same idiots you criticize for making a spear out of a knife and destroying it. The non-idiots that you want buying your knives read the fine print!

 

[sdg]

All this Rush talk is reminding me of the movie "I love you, Man". As long as you guys don't start licking each others basses, I think we'll be OK.


As for the warranty, I don't really give a shit what it says. Tell me it's got no warranty and I'll still buy it.

I find that there are people (and companies) that are going to stand behind their product and there are people that aren't. Putting it on paper doesn't change anything.

 

[R.A.T.]

If you don't think words mean anything, I'm sure you have taken out loans or signed contracts for ESEE. Did the bank take your word with no loan paper? Doubt it.

And that's where you would be wrong - seriously. When we started this business, Mike and I went to an associate of ours and told him we needed 30k to get the company started (we were willing to sign a piece of paper). I won't say who the guy is because he wouldn't appreciate that and likes to stay anonymous in most things. He said (and I quote) "I don't want to be an investor but I will loan you the money to get started." Anyway, to make a long story short he mailed me a check for 30k without us ever signing anything and told us to pay him back in 90 days at 2 over prime. We did. He called me and said "what's the check for" because he had forgotten he had loaned us the money. Since then we have never borrowed another dime and won't. That's why we still live in the POS houses we do and drive old cars. Now, I realize this is not the every day world but where we come from a man is built on his word, period. We are trying to build our company the same way and we do our best to associate with people who are the same way. In all honesty, if someone tells me they need a piece of paper before they will buy a knife from us, I would rather them go elsewhere and encourage that.

 

[otis williams]

Im sure the ESEE fanboys won't care. But they are the same idiots you criticize for making a spear out of a knife and destroying it. The non-idiots that you want buying your knives read the fine print!

wow. idiot and fanboy because i don't expect jeff and mike to screw us over? they've got a pretty damn good record for going above and beyond. replacing things not covered by warranty even. i don't think i'll ever have reason to use whatever the warranty is, 'cause if i break it, it was probably my fault, and i'm an honest person. if something breaks and is a manufacturer's defect, they'll take care of it.

some of us aren't concerned with what the warranty covers and doesn't cover, because we know how to use tools and don't expect someone else to take care of our mistakes.

 

[R.A.T.]

Some people just need to start their own knife company

 

[gundude73]

im sure the warranty will be fair. and if anything goes awry Jeff will take care of it.

 

[solocanoe]

Some people just need to start their own knife company

so true, man. Give ya lots of credit.

I read some posts and thank goodness I get to choose my customers I want to work with. Actually they get to decide if I'm a fit for them too...which is good all around. Otherwise...it just wouldn't end well.

 

[tatteredmidnight]

I was attracted to ESEE partly because of the warranty as I've said before. To me, the warranty says that they stand behind their products 100%.

There is an active community behind the company as well, one that Jeff regularly participates in. Feedback is readily available and I can't recall ever reading of someone who felt that ESEE had done bad business with them.

Warranties are important but ACTIONS are more important. A warranty is minimum guarantee of service, not a limit on the service you will receive! I can defiantly respect ESEE's decision to limit their liability on their FIRST folder attempt, and even on folders after that. I just think its important to remember that the warranty doesn't define the service you receive, its just the bare minimum guarantee.

If you are unsure of the level of service they will provide just look to their actions in the past. Its your money, so if you are uncomfortable I'm sure Jeff would advise you to spend it somewhere else. I personally have no doubt that ESEE will stand behind their products far beyond what is strictly necessary.

Also i won't be buying this knife as i can carry fixed blades in NJ and don't see a role for a "hard use" folder in my life. I have no stake in this game.

-- Adam

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I have no problem with the folder having a different warranty, what concerns me is that your dealers have sold and are continuing to sell the HEST folder while advertising "the ESEE no questions asked, lifetime warranty to registered owners".

I could see this being a major PITA for you guys down the line.

 

[teacher]

I have no problem with the folder having a different warranty, what concerns me is that your dealers have sold and are continuing to sell the HEST folder while advertising "the ESEE no questions asked, lifetime warranty to registered owners".

I could see this being a major PITA for you guys down the line.

You make a darn good point there.... that could turn into a PITA for someone.

 

[PeteG]

I’m having a hell of a time finding a PDx HEST folder (righthand) to preorder for December. Need one for my son.

 

[partisan1911]

I didn't even know there was a warranty until I started reading through this forum. I just bought the knives because my friend was tired of watching me skin bears and moose with my pocket knife. He recommend these knives and told me whatever I do buy something or he was going to kick my a** next time.

Warranty? If a metal knife breaks on me it was because I was doing something with it that was going to make it break. If my knives ever show up and I break one I will probably buy another one just so R.A.T. can afford to buy a decent truck someday. Fords have horrible warranties

 

[StagLefty]

I live in a double wide trailer in the middle of nowhere

Damn corporate tycoon I've lived in a single wide for 21 yrs. because it makes financial sense in my case. I don't need no steenkin ESEE warranties by the way.

 

[stabman]

But they are the same idiots you criticize for making a spear out of a knife and destroying it.

Non-idiots use their knife to craft a spear.
Or MANY spears.
Just sayin.

 

[TomTheButcher]

Bottom line is, if you dont like it dont buy it. Stop being such babies. Your negativity is just irritating everyone.