I wonder why Kershaw won't answer my question

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Folderguy

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Good morning, folks.

A few days ago I started a thread on the Kershaw Offset, as I was considering buying one at an authorized (I believe) Kershaw brick and morter dealer.

I had/have a few concerns about the MIM blade. There were some interesting answers in the thread, and Thomas W, a Kershaw rep who posts on BF, provided information in a thread from about 5 years ago that was linked in my thread (sorry, I'm on a Blackberry right now and providing links is really tough). The info that I read in the thread and statements by Thomas W. led me to believe there would be other models using MIM blades in the future. Not getting adequate answers to my questions, I decided to email Kershaw about it. Next day, no email response, so I called them. The receptionist asked me if I'd emailed them about the topic and I told her yes, she puts me through to Thoomas W., whp she said could answer my questions. He doesn't pick up. Probably very busy, that's understandable. So I leave a detailed message for him, asking about the blade steel and mentioning I can't find more info on it on their website, and I'd like to know if the steel is strong/tough, or if maybe it could break unexpectedly in a difficult situation, etc. So far, I've not heard back from him either by email or by phone. I own at least 7 Kershaw/Kai/ZT knives and like them all.

What's up with the non-response from Kershaw? I'd lilke to buy the knife,.. Really cool design, but at more than $200, I want to be sure I'll be happy in the long run...
 
Sounds like you asked a knife company if their knife is any good.

I don't mean any offense with that, but that is how it reads. Perhaps you would find better answers by looking for long term reviews of owners, maybe by coming right out with a post in general or knife review/testing and asking for owner experiences with the knife.

I don't own one so I can't help there, but people are probably busy over there, and if you were them would responding to a voicemail asking if their knife is worth buying be your immediate priority if you have maybe production issues with new models to take care of and whatnot? That said I have never had a disappointing interaction with Kershaw's customer service, those guys are awesome. Try calling back, its often easier to deal with a quick phone call than it is to call somebody back after a voicemail.
 
That's right, I was asking if the knife's blade was strong enough to deal with some prying, not that I intended on using it for that, but sometimes things come up, and I'd just like to have some reassurance or at least a simple answer on that. In the thread from some years ago, Tim Galyean, then with Kershaw, said they'd get a pic of the blade being bent in a press. However, no pic was ever posted. That wasn't very reassuring.

Your idea to call him back is a good one. I'll do that.
 
So if you want to buy a new car, you're going to call Ford's regional sales manager and insist that he talk to you personally about the car, and complain about Ford on the internet if he doesn't get back to you right away?

You know, you could try posting a thread here on Bladeforums asking other members about their experiences with the Offset, rather than complaining about a company when an executive doesn't get back to you immediately with an answer to a fairly simple question. You could also try sending Thomas W a PM and giving him a chance to respond before complaining about him publicly.
 
Folderguy said:
That's right, I was asking if the knife's blade was strong enough to deal with some prying, not that I intended on using it for that, but sometimes things come up, and I'd just like to have some reassurance or at least a simple answer on that. In the thread from some years ago, Tim Galyean, then with Kershaw, said they'd get a pic of the blade being bent in a press. However, no pic was ever posted. That wasn't very reassuring.

Your idea to call him back is a good one. I'll do that.
Click to expand...

Prying? No wonder he didn't call you back. Save yourself the money and buy a prybar
 
moonwilson said:
So if you want to buy a new car, you're going to call Ford's regional sales manager and insist that he talk to you personally about the car, and complain about Ford on the internet if he doesn't get back to you right away?

You know, you could try posting a thread here on Bladeforums asking other members about their experiences with the Offset, rather than complaining about a company when an executive doesn't get back to you immediately with an answer to a fairly simple question. You could also try sending Thomas W a PM and giving him a chance to respond before complaining about him publicly.
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Actually, I did start a thread asking BF members about the knife first.

If you search for threads I started, you'll easily find it.

I didn't know Thomas was an executive. My apologies.

Truth be told, I'm a bit irked with Kershaw right now.

So far, I've contacted them four times without a response. I hope they revamp their customer service department.

I'm glad eveybody else has only had positive experiences.

And since they've not seen fit to answer so far, I'll just bide my time. Not planning on purchasing their Offset, at least not for now.
 
glockman99 said:
No kidding...Use the right tool for the job.:).
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LIGHT prying, as in an emergency.

That knife was marketed as a tough knife, if memory serves.

The blade on it is rather thick. I liked the knife, and was planning on buying it. Not any more.
 
Folderguy said:
LIGHT prying, as in an emergency.

That knife was marketed as a tough knife, if memory serves.

The blade on it is rather thick. I liked the knife, and was planning on buying it. Not any more.
Click to expand...

I don't think that they would really tell you it's ok for light prying, because if they did, and you damaged or snapped the knife, that would be on their head, not yours. What is your definition of light prying? Like prying a cell phone battery cover off, or prying stuck drawers open? Prying can potentially damage a knife, and if you've bought enough knives and read some of the paperwork they provide, most if not all say a knife is not a screwdriver nor a prybar, in different words than that. So to answer your question, i'm sure it can pry lightly, but i wouldnt look to kershaw to give you the go ahead exclusively.
 
Most knife companies will NEVER EVER tell you that light prying is ok. Because where "light" ends? How can then possibly deny knife replacement if you break it? After they said it is ok to pry.

Of course some companies have different strategy, but most have to work like this.
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
I don't think that they would really tell you it's ok for light prying, because if they did, and you damaged or snapped the knife, that would be on their head, not yours. What is your definition of light prying? Like prying a cell phone battery cover off, or prying stuck drawers open? Prying can potentially damage a knife, and if you've bought enough knives and read some of the paperwork they provide, most if not all say a knife is not a screwdriver nor a prybar, in different words than that. So to answer your question, i'm sure it can pry lightly, but i wouldnt look to kershaw to give you the go ahead exclusively.
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That's a perfectly reasonable answer. Why couldn't they just tell me that? I was concerned with how good the blade using metal induction molding was, and told them that was my main question. It's a pertinent question, and one they dealt with when hyping the blade. I guess the knife buying public wasn't convinced, and that may be the reason that Offset was one of the few, or perhaps only, knife made with it. It's discontinued, and there isn't a word about MIM on their otherwise excellent website.
 
I'd never even think of prying with a folding knife, even if it was a old beater strider, Heck I wouldn't even want to pry with my beater Sanrenmu 710, Prying is clearly abuse of a knife. Order a pocket widgey bar and keep it on your keys, it looks cool and it will come in handy.
 
The MIM process uses powdered steel, so I would guess that the 440C in the offset is a little tougher than cast 440C. That said, as we have seen with S30V and other PM steel types, it's not a whole new league of toughness, more of a small step up.
Regardless of steel type, if you want to pry you need thick steel. The Offset isn't especially thick, and I would not recommend it for that purpose specifically.

On the other hand, if you are careful and know the limits of your knife you can pry with a SAK. The Offset should pry much better than a SAK.
 
Light prying is pretty much a common job for a knife. What gets me about the admonition against any prying is that knife users want contradictory things from their knives. On the one had, it's commonly desired by knife nuts to have a knife that "you could trust with your life". Except, oddly enough, if your life depended on prying anything apart. Especially since "prying" is not usually quantified. Certainly there's a spectrum of durability one can expect from knives regarding that kind of treatment. One wouldn't expect a ceramic kitchen knife to do prying very well, yet be perfectly confident that a heavy Busse chopper wouldn't flinch under such usage.

Regarding the op, on the one hand, it seems excessive to expect someone at the manufacturer to return a phone call from a virtually anonymous person.

On the other, it's reasonable to ask for more than anecdotes from knifenuts, or Kershaw fans regarding the durability of MIM blades. It would be nice for manufacturers exploiting novel methods and materials to explain the benefits of such things.
 
Prying with any knife is ill-advised, :rolleyes:



...but prying with a folder is asking for trouble. :eek: :thumbdn: :eek:









Big Mike
 
Try this:

product_thumb.php


Folders and prying are not a good combo...:thumbdn:

Unless your talking about a Extrema Ratio RAO, but that is more like a pocket full of dead weight in the meantime.
 
Don't the customer service departments have live humans we can talk to? I confess that in all my years I've had to use Customer Service or send in a knife only twice so I'm not expecienced that much.

Regardless what the question may be, all consumers deserve some sort of answer, even if it's loaded with legal disclaimers. For some reason, we seem to give more and more leeway to lapses in advertised services as if it's no big deal. If a company offers email support then answer the emails in a reasonable time, whatever that is. If a company offers call in support, then someone should be there to answer the phone. INstead though, I see time and time again where "we" will reply to apost withj something like "Don't use the email support becuase it is an abyss" or someting to that effect.

Regardless of whether everyone feels the OP is expecting too much, what is so out of line about wanting to speak to a customer service representative to ask a question? And even if it was sent to Thomas W's extension, ( a mistake in the first place by the receptionist or whomever transferred the and serve the prospective or current customer? Even if it's calling down to support and asking them to return a call?
 
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shecky said:
Regarding the op, on the one hand, it seems excessive to expect someone at the manufacturer to return a phone call from a virtually anonymous person.

On the other, it's reasonable to ask for more than anecdotes from knifenuts, or Kershaw fans regarding the durability of MIM blades. It would be nice for manufacturers exploiting novel methods and materials to explain the benefits of such things.
Click to expand...

If Thomas W doesn't want to answer my voice mail, that's his option. The receotionist at Kershaw told me he was the one to answer my question and put me through to him. However, their CS doe need to be improved. Don't forget that I emailed them first, to no avail. Then followed it up with a call. Then left a message. Haven't heard back from them at all. Oh, I forgot to mention that I did leave my handle on BF. It's not as if I gave them no reason to respond.

Now, here's what I think. MIM has a bad rap in the firearms industry. It likely transferred to knife blades. Their Offset didn't sell, maybe the scales on some of them were outlandish. The one on the knife I was considering were G10, looked great. But that MIM steel was a perhaps cheap way to make a buck, and it didn't pan out. Heck, if they made a knife with the blade contours of the Offset blade and made it in a decent steel, something in the AUS8 range, I'd buy it, not at $200, but at a reasonable price point.
 
Just buy a ZT 030X from eBay and use that. Less than $180 and I believe Ankerson showed a video of it doing some light prying on wood.
 
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