Is this what a NIB BM Skirmish looks like?

eodtoad

eodtoad

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I bought this as NIB and need some opinions. There is black missing from the high corner of the blade, the clip has marks on it (is that normal for this finish), there is a scratch next to the second hole from the left on the handle, and there is a mark on the upper edge of the lock bar. Could a new knife come like this and should I protest? This is the first knife I've bought here.


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That could be new, but it looks carried to me, not heavily as the handles don't show it, but still. I've had knives I know for a fact were new (bought them myself from a dealer) that had minor marks on them, but nothing like this.

eodtoad said:
I paid a member here a pretty penny for this LE Skirmish.
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Have you brought this to the attention of the member you purchased the knife from? If so what did they say?





Possible move to Feedback area?
 
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This to me is a toss up. It does look "used", but I've had plenty of BM's come to me with scratched clips similar to that. The edge looks "NIB" to me, and the rest of the handles.

I dont know.:confused:

Granted, I have never owned, or even handled a Skirmish.
 
It could very well be new and not carried. They have been discontinued for a handfull of years and could have gotten bumped around in the box. One of the best ways to tell if carried is look for dust and lint down between the scales. That being said, the marks should have been disclosed in the sale before you got it. Also, a sort of unspoken rule is that a sale isn't final here until both parties are happy. If you don't like it, tell him and get your money back. Or he might be willing to refund some money since there were flaws. Talk to him and try to work something out.

It can also be good to search the 'good, bad, and ugly' forum to see if anyone has made a complaint in the past. Also post there if things aren't resolved to your liking.
 
I'm in communication with the seller right now. I am going to keep the knife, that is a fact. I paid 370.00, a flawless price for a knife with four flaws. I have told the seller this and that I would like a partial refund. Awaiting reply.
 
supercoup said:
This to me is a toss up. It does look "used", but I've had plenty of BM's come to me with scratched clips similar to that. The edge looks "NIB" to me, and the rest of the handles.

I dont know.:confused:

Granted, I have never owned, or even handled a Skirmish.
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There are two scratches in the anodizing and a place where the finish is worn off on the high part of the blade.
 
Considering this is a knife you cannot buy new from a dealer or the manufacturer, it is a rare knife. Only you can decide if it is worth whatever price you paid for it. Myself, it is not all that bad and I would be happy with it. I have a Limited Edition Cutlery Shoppe Skirmish, that although carried numerous times, and used as well, does not look any better or worse than yours does. Mine is like #35 of 200 made, and I am sure I could get a pretty penny for it if I desired to sell it.

Looks like a mighty nice knife to me though. Probably if you showed that to other folks, they would not even notice the minor little flaws that you do.
 
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Personally, I would have kept this out of the public forum and contacted the seller first. If communication between you and the seller was not, or cannot be resolved in a gentlemanly fashion, then the next step would be to contact a MOD for further guidance. I'm not a fan of airing one's dirty laundry in public when a simple PM or phone call could have probably solved the issue. There is no way anyone here can state that the knife is new or used simply by looking at the pictures. Another member's reputation is being smeared without anyone here knowing if you even spoke with the seller; poor form if you ask me.
 
cbxer55 said:
Considering this is aknife you cannot buy new from a dealer or the manufacturer, it is a rare knife. Only you can decide if it is worth whatever price you paid for it. Myself, it is not all that bad and I would be happy with it. I have a Limited Edition Cutlery Shoppe Skirmish, that although carried numerous times, and used as well, does not look any better or worse than yours does. Mine is like #35 of 200 made, and I am sure I could get a pretty penny for it if I desired to sell it.

Looks like a mighty nice knife to me though. Probably if you showed that to other folks, they would not even notice the minor little flaws that you do.
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Yeah it's a beauty. It's listed as gold anodized but is actually green with gold wholes. I love it, I was just expecting perfection for that price. Maybe that's too much to ask.
 
I think that the expectation of "flawlessness" is inappropriate regarding production knives.
 
The clip looks parkerized to me, and yes, they do come with scuffs - mostly due to the toss up that happens in the box. However, the finish on these clips is way more durable than the painted ones (that look pretty when new, but the paint chips pretty soon). These have been discontinued for a while now, and it is very much possible the storage at the dealer/seller may have caused some of the blemishes you see (dealers move around inventory in their warehouses, so it is possible some tossing around happened). I have had NIB BMs' from dealers come to me with similar scuff marks - from what I know, only Gold Class knives generally have a better all around flawless fit and finish. Production category can and does come with similar scuffs. I am sure you are checking with the seller for these things as well.
 
If it has handling marks on it, I'd call it as new in box with minor blemishes. That knife is incorrectly described in my opinion.
 
I haven't mentioned the seller's name, and I was wanting some one else's opinion about the condition. I not smearing anything, just showing and stating facts... I get the clip, but the two scratches on the anodizing and the bald spot on the blade is just not NIB, period.
 
choombak said:
The clip looks parkerized to me, and yes, they do come with scuffs - mostly due to the toss up that happens in the box. However, the finish on these clips is way more durable than the painted ones (that look pretty when new, but the paint chips pretty soon). These have been discontinued for a while now, and it is very much possible the storage at the dealer/seller may have caused some of the blemishes you see (dealers move around inventory in their warehouses, so it is possible some tossing around happened). I have had NIB BMs' from dealers come to me with similar scuff marks - from what I know, only Gold Class knives generally have a better all around flawless fit and finish. Production category can and does come with similar scuffs. I am sure you are checking with the seller for these things as well.
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I understand that the clips are parkerized now, but I paid for what this knife is worth without a bald spot on the blade and two scratches on the anodizing. That just isn't NIB condition to me. And yes, I contacted the seller at the same time I posted for other opinions about Skirmishes.
 
markksr said:
I think that the expectation of "flawlessness" is inappropriate regarding production knives.
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I agree. Too many that think new means perfect. I had a buyer ask to return a NIB Benchmade because the clip had a scuff. I took it back and refunded. When I received the knife I took a tissue to the scuff and it wiped off. People have unrealistic expectations sometimes. I try to research buyers now and if I see intheir posts they tend to look for perfection I move on to the next buyer. It is a knife, not a piece of art.
 
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