Kershaw Fatback Stinks!

12Bravo

12Bravo

Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
1,113
Ordered one of these and it came in the mail today.So far the knife is great, love any knife with a straight handle.

The only problem is the FRN handles stinks to high heaven, literally smells. The smell reminds me of chlorine, it is very strong and nauseating. It is airing out in the garage now, I hope the smell dissipates in a couple of days. I've had cheap rubber parts from Harbor Freight but this smell reminds me of a swimming pool that was over treated.

Anybody else have this issue with affordable china made knives?
 
With a name like Fatback, you'd think it'd smell more like pork than anything. :confused::D I have never experienced this with a Chinese Kershaw with FRN scales, myself, though it's been a couple years since I bought one.
 
Wiped the scales down with cleaning wipe gave a night in the garage and no change. Smell is very strong and can smell it immediately once the knife leaves my pocket. I have a tom on knives from super expensive to super inexpensive and have never had this issue before. Weird.

Looking to get some different handles on this thing.
 
Chances are there is something in or on that plastic that is never going away and is a chemical you don't want to absorb into your skin. Return/exchange/warranty it. I had this happen with a high end toothbrush once and the manufacturer admitted that something seriously wrong happened during production.
 
I have a snazzy pair of wingtip dress shoes, and hounds tooth pattern contrast fabric.

Lovely lining..


Smells like they were smuggled in the hold of a oil tanker, while in the ass of an evil Decepticon robot........after months and months to air out, they smell every bit as bad.

I'm pretty sure they are a sign of the end of the world.....



Sucks to have something nice that you can't use because the very smell is a poisonous fume.....
 
I had a wallet that came from China that smelled like petroleum.
I don't know what the hell it was but it went right in the trash.
 
This is exactly the kind of thing that can happen when producing things in countries with loose OSHA/EPA type laws like China. The compounds used to make plastics and paints often have some incredibly toxic effects, but they are supposed to either have a chemical reaction to stabilize or be washed away.

Anything purely chemical that smells that bad is the kind of thing that damages chromosomes.
 
Can you disassemble the knife? My guess is it's release agent on the FRN scales (inside where you can't get to it) or maybe ever grease or locking compound. If you can disassemble and clean it completely and the smell persists, it has to be a component in the FRN. You say you're smelling chlorine, by that I assume you mean a bleach hypochlorite smell?

Have contacted KAI yet? There can't be that many Fatbacks in the wild yet and this might be of interest to them.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
Knives....that smell like pork?

I think I'm stealing that. :)
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:D


On a more serious note, I think RX may be right. The scales could well be "outgassing" some chemical that they shouldn't be. I can't tell you whether it's harmful or not, but I wouldn't mess with it. I'd send it to Kai USA to have a look at. :thumbup:
 
I have a Svord Peasant that came with a mighty funk, something chemical-y. It's like the scales got dipped in something and it never got aired out.
 
I'd return it. If not, then disassembly followed by careful cleaning with dish detergent, then towel dry, then rinse in solvent alcohol. If it still stunk after that, vacuum degassing would be the next thing to try. Kai needs to know about this, so return it as is so they can evaluate it fairly.
 
G. Scott H. said:
:D


On a more serious note, I think RX may be right. The scales could well be "outgassing" some chemical that they shouldn't be. I can't tell you whether it's harmful or not, but I wouldn't mess with it. I'd send it to Kai USA to have a look at. :thumbup:
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I wish they had knives that smell like bacon.
For Christmas I did get a bacon scented pillow though ( but it just smelled like liquid hickory smoke , and made me dream of axes )
 
Hickory n steel said:
I wish they had knives that smell like bacon.
For Christmas I did get a bacon scented pillow though ( but it just smelled like liquid hickory smoke , and made me dream of axes )
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I have GOT to learn not to read post with coffee in my mouth. That is one of the funniest post I've ever read here!!!! (I'm still laughing!)
 
This is exactly the kind of thing that can happen when producing things in countries with loose OSHA/EPA type laws like China. The compounds used to make plastics and paints often have some incredibly toxic effects, but they are supposed to either have a chemical reaction to stabilize or be washed away.

Anything purely chemical that smells that bad is the kind of thing that damages chromosomes.
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Agreed. I have stop carrying, still smells like chlorine, possibly bleach like someone else mentioned. Just doesn't smell healthy and don't want to overexpose myself.

Where did you buy it, if I may ask? Not too many places have in stock.....
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I bought it at Knifecenter.

I'd return it. If not, then disassembly followed by careful cleaning with dish detergent, then towel dry, then rinse in solvent alcohol. If it still stunk after that, vacuum degassing would be the next thing to try. Kai needs to know about this, so return it as is so they can evaluate it fairly.
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Out gassing had crossed my mind, but if memory serves right when the old celluloid handles out gassed it was usually colorless and odorless. I will be emailing KAI, they will probably tell me to return for examination.

I will keep you guys posted.
 
Check under the scales. It's likely their new manufacturer is washing after assembly instead of before to save time. I had a cheapie years,ago that leaked oil that smelled like hell from under the grips. No amount of washing got rid of it until I disassembled it. Corner cutting to the max.
 
Just got mine. I like the knife, but it definitely stinks. I don't think it's safe. It's going back.
Nice to lose $8 round trip shipping on a $25 knife! Thanks Kershaw!
 
Sent it back for warranty to Kershaw. We will see what the come up with.

Just got mine. I like the knife, but it definitely stinks. I don't think it's safe. It's going back.
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Thanks for confirming diamdave, glad to hear I am not crazy. Seems like it may be a new choice in material.
 
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