You've got me intrigued. Did your custom come with tools and lube in a form fit box? I am guessing it must have to pass muster.
No, it didn't. It wasn't supposed to. There were no surprises, or excuses. That is the point. You are comparing apples and oranges, what's your point?
Every other brand of knife I own did not come with the three items that most CRK's come with.
I never expect them to.
I do expect it with the newest CRK offerings, especially if they send a form fitted box with cutouts for said items. If the TiLock does not come with these items, and the folder is not supposed to be user serviceable, I expect to be informed about it, either by a disclaimer included in the box, or, better yet, a disclaimer in the description page of the makers website. CRK tells you up front that the TL is not intended to be a hard use folder. They neglect to say that it is not intended to be user serviceable and does not come with the normal "fixens".
This thread reminds me of the ZT threads concerning the rusty Hinderer designs when they first came out. People made excuses. Very few had enough confidence in the company to call a spade a spade and admit that mistakes can be made. They were too wrapped up in defending their favorite brand. (Speaking of Prima Donnas....)
I'm not bashing CRK, I'm letting people know what the scoop is on the TiLock before some of them get disappointed.
A: CRK does not want the user to disassemble this knife. They want you to send it in to them for service and cleaning.
B: CRK does not include the items that come with all new Sebenzas/Umnumzaans.
C: CRK sends the same box and insert that Sebenzas/Umnumzaans come in, except that the insert holes are empty
D: CRK offers no explanation concerning any of this.
Had I known about any of this I probably still would have ordered the knife. It is totally unique, which is why I wanted it in the first place. But after being surprised and bewildered after the sale, I had to take the time to write the dealer. He had to take the time to explain that the knife does not come with those items. Then he had to take time out of his day to contact CRK to tell them to contact me and explain the rest of the story, it was pretty obvious that the dealer was frustrated with this ongoing problem. By this time I'm getting a bad taste in my mouth.
So now I'm looking at this $475 dollar knife and not really liking the whole transaction so much. The thrill is gone.
My new custom thrills me, I'm going to stop now and go admire its incredibly smooth action. I'm going to marvel at the superb F&F. I'm going to revel in the unique pattern and design. I'm going to enjoy the rare button lock, which works perfectly. I will notice how much nicer this folder is than the TiLock, and be glad that I was involved in a fail.
