Knives finally back from Benchmade

A

Aldebaran

Joined
Sep 18, 2004
Messages
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I sent in my three knives to Benchmade that I referred to in this thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=383362&highlight=aldebaran

Cost to send, about $25 US. Time to return, about 1 1/2 month. They came in new boxes in bubble wrap and packed in a larger box.

The Ritter Grip is back to new condition with a new clip installed in addition to them replacing the omega spring that broke.

The Mini Ambush, same.

The Pinnacle however... The statement of repair on the sheet said "Adjustment best we can do". Its actual condition is exactly the same as sent off except they tightened the pivot screw so that the play was dampened out. In other words, it is still faulty and not fixed.

So I stand on my original complaint. I spent good money on three knives, and had to spend more to ship them off, only to get one back unrepaired. This is not what any reasonable person would call a lifetime guarantee. I got it back with a note saying that it was all they could do. The note also said the fault was "Caused By Manufacturing". So why was it not repaired or replaced as stated in the warranty?

Three out of three Benchmade knives have failed within months of new, and one not fixed under warranty. Do I not have a valid complaint?

I will be calling them to see what they have to say.

P.S. I have noticed that the back stop pin has been replaced in a possible attempt to take up some clearance, but it has clearly not fixed the problem.
 
Well, the 750 is no longer made (as we all know).

It's not like they could pull spare parts out of thin air (not being harsh - just pointing it out).

And, a bigger pin is about the easiest way to tighten it up.

Got me ... you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess.
 
You have a valid complaint, but also understand that your experience is not the norm at all.

In other words, I think you have the right to be pissed off, but understand that BM has a reputation for making good, long-lasting knives because in general, their knives are very good and trouble-free. You're were just unlucky to have 3 of 3 BMs fail or break.

As for your Pinnacle, it sucks that it wasn't fixed and again you have the right to be pissed, but also understand that it is hard for any company to fix long discontinued knives. Eventually, spare parts dry up. I do think they should have offered you a refund or replacement, though. Maybe you should specifically ask for one? (not saying it is your fault for not asking in the first place)
 
You shouldn't be annoyed. Benchmade did the best they could with a knife that has been out of production for many years. They sent it back to you to see if the adjustment is OK, while admitting it didn't make your knife "good as new." If the knife still functions, then how was Benchmade to know you'd prefer a replacement knife to their adjustments? Some people want their old knives for a variety of reasons, even when less than perfect. Now you need to talk to them, tell them the fix is not OK and you want a replacement. Is that part of their warranty?
 
Any warranty work is a sign of poor quality control, IMHO, unless your ran over the knife with the truck or something like that. It is a PITA.

Benchmade should have said, the old knife parts are not available but here is a a $25 gift certificate for the purchase of XXX model as a replacement if you are interested. That would be great customer service.

This is exactly the type of problem affecting the American car industry. They blame everything on health care or pension costs but really if you look at customer satisfaction surveys they just don't make the "Best" list.
 
That is bad luck. If you're still not happy, just ask for a replacement. Maybe a 635 is pretty close?
 
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