Kershaw -VS- Spyderco Customer Service

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Dec 21, 2011
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Here is an example of an email Kershaw sent me.

Good Morning, Please send your knife in for replacement as we do not carry the parts to repair this model. See below:

Thank you so much for your inquiry into the warranty of your knife. All of
our knives carry a limited lifetime warranty.

If you need to send the knife in for warranty service we need you to
do the following:

1. Please enclose with the knife, inside the box, a copy of the "warranty shipping instructions and form"from our website with your personal information attached. This is necessary to help provide accurate info in the processing of your order.

2 .We suggest sending the knife back to us via U.P.S or Federal
Express. This automatically provides you a tracking number so you may
verify the knife's arrival at our facility.

3.Please address the box ATTN: Warranty Department and send it to
the address listed below. Our website also asks that you please allow 4 weeks for our processes and shipping before inquiring into the status of your knife.

Thank you again for your inquiry.
Thank You,
Warranty DeptKAI USA, Kershaw Knives,
Shun Knives & Zero Tolerance WARRANTY DEPT.
18600 SW Teton Ave
Tualatin, OR 97062

OUTSTANDING!!!!! And par for the course when it comes to Kershaw.
___________________________________________________________________________________


I recently made the mistake of buying 2 Spyderco knives (tenacious and resilience) the pivot screw stripped on the tenacious and this is the email I got from Spyderco:

Please send in your knife for warranty evaluation, without looking at the knife we can't determine if it’s a warranty issue or if your knife can be repaired.

When you send your knife in please include a check, cash, or money order for $5 S&H fee, a note stating the problem you are having with your knife, along with your name, return address (no P.O. Box please unless you are Military or outside the US ) and phone number you can be reached at. If your knife is covered under warranty your $5 will be returned. Here is a link to our warranty page http://spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/index.php?item=10

If your knife is determined not to be covered by warranty and can be repaired there could be a $20 repair fee.

Unless there is a problem we do not notify you upon arrival or departure of your knife. We are currently at about a 2-3 week turn around. Spyderco cannot be responsible for items that do not arrive to us. When mailing your package you should send it in a box (knives have a way of working out of bubble mailers).

SpydercoAttn Repair
820 Spyderco WayGolden CO 80403

--Thank you and have a great day, Charlynn
Spyderco Customer Service/Warranty/Repair
________________________________________

I don’t know about you but, I think I know which company has the better customer service department.

$5 fee????

Possible $20 repair fee?

For a $29.00 knife!!!! I'll just run out and buy a new Kershaw instead.

First and probably last time dealing with Spyderco products of any kind.

Thank you Kershaw for the awesome customer service you provide.

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Thanks for sharing your experience. :thumbup: Kershaw's customer service really is first-grade.

I really like quite a few Spyderco knives, but I hope I won't have to rely on their warranty department any time soon. I had issues with a couple of Spydercos (lots of blade play on two different brand new knives that couldn't be adjusted), the consensus on the Spyderco forum was that sending them in would be a waste of time because blade play is considered "within specifications" (One was an ATS-55 Endura and the other was an Orange Manix 2). I've since had folks recommend I buy new, thicker washers to put in the Manix 2, but now apparently I'll void the warranty if I try to fix the blade play myself. :rolleyes: Not looking to bash Spyderco, I just wasn't impressed with that attitude.

I've had to deal with Kershaw's warranty department a few times (asking for replacement torsion bars) and they've been top notch every time. They sent the parts I needed right away at their own expense and did what it took to get my knives back into top shape. :thumbup: Great service, all around.
 
So you received the spyderco with stripped screws?
 
The correct one! If you go to the Spyderco forum you will see my post on the subject and you will see,
I am not alone. This is a problem with the Tenacious.
 
I guess you didn't heat the pivot first to break the bond of loctite.
 
My Tenacious and Persistence has all hex screws and no torx screws of any kind. Are the new models shipping with torx screws now?

I don't have any experience with Spyderco customer service, but I do with Kershaw's. I got a ZT 0350 and when I removed the two screws on the clip to adjust it for tip up instead of tip down, I noticed that one of the screws had bad threads about halfway down. I was able to back the screw out to remove the clip, but I couldn't sink it in more than halfway in any of the holes. I called Kershaw and they asked for my address and sent me a new clip and all new screws. I received it in a week and was able to adjust my new 0350 with the clip in the tip up position. Great customer service from Kershaw. I am a customer for life.
 
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while both are good. i've actually had better experiences with spyderco. more times than i could count they've gone above and beyond to keep me satisfied.
 
I will add that both companies have an excellent reputation in the area of customer service and they both treat their customers right. I haven't had a bad experience with either one.
 
After I emailed Spyderco and asked to purchase clip screws, they sent me some free screws. Kershaw told me to send a knife in for new clip screws and clip. Score one for Spyderco. I don't doubt that Kershaw has good service, but nothing beats free replacement parts showing up in your mailbox.
 
Including money for a return shipping fee is normal and perfectly fine to me. It would be nice if company's could do everything for free but thats not realistic. I'm not sure how Kershaw is able to provide the excellent warranty service that they do with sending out free parts and paying for shipping and all but thumbs up to them. They are a first rate company. And Spyderco is right up there with them. You'll be missing out by not trying anymore Spyderco knives.
 
After I emailed Spyderco and asked to purchase clip screws, they sent me some free screws. Kershaw told me to send a knife in for new clip screws and clip. Score one for Spyderco. I don't doubt that Kershaw has good service, but nothing beats free replacement parts showing up in your mailbox.

Kershaw does that all the time. Ask for a clip then send you a clip and screws in the mail, no questions. Done it a few times, and it works everytime
 
I had a guy sell me a D'Allara on the forums one time and when I took it out of the box one of the barrel bolts was missing. Contacted Spyderco about it and they sent me one free of charge. I own about 70+ Spyderco knives and have never had another problem to speak of. I just got into Kershaw and have never had to deal with their CS but I'm sure it is great. Names like Spyderco and Kershaw don't get where they did for poor service.
 
After I emailed Spyderco and asked to purchase clip screws, they sent me some free screws. Kershaw told me to send a knife in for new clip screws and clip. Score one for Spyderco. I don't doubt that Kershaw has good service, but nothing beats free replacement parts showing up in your mailbox.

That' interesting. I've probably replaced a dozen clips on Kershaws and they've always shipped me the clip and screws. If you run in to that situation again, I'd just ask them to ship you the parts.
 
This may just be me, but I would say both have outstanding CS, and I wouldn't hesitate in contacting either. Sure everyone will have their own individual experiences, but like Liveitloud said, neither company got to where they are by having poor CS.
 
Spyderco is a much smaller company compared to KAI, so it's harder for them to absorb costs. But I have no doubt that Spyderco stands behind its products. I have a few Spydies, but haven't had any problems - knock on wood.
 
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