Mail in only warranties

Maximumbob54

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It was inevitable that I would eventually have a small parts failure on a knife since all things eventually break. Looked up the warranty and you have to mail the knife in for them to rebuild. Ugh. To get a new small part. Ugh.

So I looked around only to find this seems like a fairly common issue having to mail in the knife to have any parts replaced. I even found a post that said some knives may look the same to the end user but when mailed in the craftsman will be able to see exactly the model it is and if any rolling changes have been made that might effect parts swap. Which I begrudgingly have to agree with.

Having lost a few packages in the mail going one way or the other over the years I'm always terrified yet another will fall off the map.
 
It's probably worth an email or phonecall to the company directly.. many manufacturers seem to be softening their stance on this lately and will ship out parts to customers in spite of hardline warranty stances that are generally worded to cover their asses. Sounds like maybe Spyderco CQI you're talking about? I spend a lot of time over on the Spyderco forum and there have been a number of anecdotal accounts, especially in the past year or so, of the warranty dept sending out parts after being emailed picture evidence of the issue. Depends on the knife and the part, and obviously, they have the final say, but.. worth a shot reaching out to ask, imo
 
Sounds like maybe Spyderco CQI you're talking about?
That was the Spyderco reasoning. Constant Quality Improvement? It was something about slight alterations to how small parts engage each other that the user might not be able to recognize but would be obvious to Spyderco.

And again in this case I guess I get it. Still makes me wish they would just stamp the blade something obvious. Like how S&W handguns have for a long time now had the dash numbers to indicate the rolling changes made. Or how Case has the yearly pattern stamps.
 
Some people can't be trusted with tools, they wrecked it for everyone.

Some people can't even accurately state what kind of knife they have, they wrecked it for everyone

Some people get Ali Express clones and want genuine hardware for them, they wrecked it for everyone.
 
That was the Spyderco reasoning. Constant Quality Improvement? It was something about slight alterations to how small parts engage each other that the user might not be able to recognize but would be obvious to Spyderco.

And again in this case I guess I get it. Still makes me wish they would just stamp the blade something obvious. Like how S&W handguns have for a long time now had the dash numbers to indicate the rolling changes made. Or how Case has the yearly pattern stamps.
Right, yes.. CQI. There are valid opinions on either side of the argument. I think because of some of the pushback recently, along with other companies moving towards being quite agreeable with providing parts, Spyderco has been willing to entertain the parts requests on a case-by-case basis.. I've even seen Mike & Kristi advise people on the Spyderco Forum to email the warranty dept photos of their knives to get a part sent out. That's why, without knowing the particulars of your situation, I advised reaching out to the company directly.. I think it's a good practice in general because I've found many companies, even those with notoriously strict warranties,* are willing to help you out if you reach out and ask nicely. It seems like you have, so again, not knowing the particulars of your situation, maybe they aren't able to help you out in this case. For what it's worth, I've had to send a knife in for Spyderco's warranty services before.. it was returned to me about two weeks later in great condition.. no big deal. Hope it works out for you if that's the way you have to go!


*I've had good luck with Hogue in this regard.
 
It was inevitable that I would eventually have a small parts failure on a knife since all things eventually break. Looked up the warranty and you have to mail the knife in for them to rebuild. Ugh. To get a new small part. Ugh.

So I looked around only to find this seems like a fairly common issue having to mail in the knife to have any parts replaced. I even found a post that said some knives may look the same to the end user but when mailed in the craftsman will be able to see exactly the model it is and if any rolling changes have been made that might effect parts swap. Which I begrudgingly have to agree with.

Having lost a few packages in the mail going one way or the other over the years I'm always terrified yet another will fall off the map.
If it's a valuable knife I would insure it , make sure it was trackable, and require a proof of delivery.

If you post up the exact brand though you'll get way better advice on what to do though.
 
Some people can't be trusted with tools, they wrecked it for everyone.

Some people can't even accurately state what kind of knife they have, they wrecked it for everyone

Some people get Ali Express clones and want genuine hardware for them, they wrecked it for everyone.

Skill issue can't be accounted for, but proper education on how to maintain the product goes a long way.

The other two can be solved by serialization, be it code or symbols, most companies do it already.

It all sounds like excuses to me. I don't mind supplying all the pictures receipts and whatnot information I'm asked, but don't make me send you a knife overseas to have a spring replaced, a trip that would take months and most likely more than the knife initially cost. As long as its not a part that is integral to the knife's safety, or blades, or lock bars etc, I don't see an issue in sending people parts that are easily replaced and prone to breaking/wearing out (springs, washers etc). Heck I'd gladly pay for spare screws and washers for a knife I carry and use a lot. Anything with moving parts is prone to wear and tear, screws back out, tolerances go out of whack... A while ago I sent a picture of my old BM710 with washers so worn the blade was rubbing on the liner and pivot screw that barely stayed in place, and all they asked in return was my address. A few weeks later they sent me a whole kit of screws washers parkerized clip (original was painted and chipped af) and spare omega springs, even though mine were perfectly fine. A friend of mine had trouble with his UTX-85 where the spring broke, he gave me the knife to fix and I contacted Microtech on his behalf, couple of emails later they sent over two springs (I only asked for one). This is how you do customer support. Telling me to send a knife from bumf**k balkans to the US just so you can "service" a body screw that got loose and fell off, wasting both mine and your time is how you lose customers.
 
Skill issue can't be accounted for, but proper education on how to maintain the product goes a long way.

The other two can be solved by serialization, be it code or symbols, most companies do it already.

It all sounds like excuses to me. I don't mind supplying all the pictures receipts and whatnot information I'm asked, but don't make me send you a knife overseas to have a spring replaced, a trip that would take months and most likely more than the knife initially cost. As long as its not a part that is integral to the knife's safety, or blades, or lock bars etc, I don't see an issue in sending people parts that are easily replaced and prone to breaking/wearing out (springs, washers etc). Heck I'd gladly pay for spare screws and washers for a knife I carry and use a lot. Anything with moving parts is prone to wear and tear, screws back out, tolerances go out of whack... A while ago I sent a picture of my old BM710 with washers so worn the blade was rubbing on the liner and pivot screw that barely stayed in place, and all they asked in return was my address. A few weeks later they sent me a whole kit of screws washers parkerized clip (original was painted and chipped af) and spare omega springs, even though mine were perfectly fine. A friend of mine had trouble with his UTX-85 where the spring broke, he gave me the knife to fix and I contacted Microtech on his behalf, couple of emails later they sent over two springs (I only asked for one). This is how you do customer support. Telling me to send a knife from bumf**k balkans to the US just so you can "service" a body screw that got loose and fell off, wasting both mine and your time is how you lose customers.
Lots of people send parts out. Spyderco as an example has sent me stuff no problem and so has KAI.

Since the OP has neglected to provide details it's hard to give them complete advice.
 
That's new to me, they straight up refused to send me a body screw, even offered to pay for everything. Luckily I found a company that can make 'em and make them look exactly the same for much cheaper. Granted this was nearly a decade ago, still left a sour taste, luckily I've never had any other issues.
 
If you post up the exact brand though you'll get way better advice on what to do though.

Not listing the brand because this wasn't meant to be yet another brand bashing thread.

I was more looking to see different opinions on having to do a mail in warranty as the only option. Or even a storefront that will sell you small parts the way CRK does.
 
Not listing the brand because this wasn't meant to be yet another brand bashing thread.

I was more looking to see different opinions on having to do a mail in warranty as the only option. Or even a storefront that will sell you small parts the way CRK does.
Personally, I find it strange that you start a thread about the deficiency of a brand yet won’t name them. Internal parts, I understand why they won’t send them out. I really don’t understand the hesitancy to send knives in for repair, most of us have plenty of edc’s, so being down 1 knife for a month or 2 really isn’t a big deal.

I’ll be mailing a knife to crk soon. They’ll send you a few parts but try to get internals from them. Fat chance. You won’t get a bushing or washers through the mail.

Instead of being cheap, I’ll purchase the appropriate amount of insurance. Insurance isn’t fool proof but when I see people balking at an additional $10 in insurance for a $500 knife, I chuckle.
 
Getting clip or scale screws makes sense, but I think that the lawsuit-happy environment has caused companies to be leery. For all the folks who might disassemble and reassemble a knife correctly, there could be the one who did not, and them blames the company. Just a thought.
 
Personally, I find it strange that you start a thread about the deficiency of a brand yet won’t name them. Internal parts, I understand why they won’t send them out. I really don’t understand the hesitancy to send knives in for repair, most of us have plenty of edc’s, so being down 1 knife for a month or 2 really isn’t a big deal.

I’ll be mailing a knife to crk soon. They’ll send you a few parts but try to get internals from them. Fat chance. You won’t get a bushing or washers through the mail.

Instead of being cheap, I’ll purchase the appropriate amount of insurance. Insurance isn’t fool proof but when I see people balking at an additional $10 in insurance for a $500 knife, I chuckle.
Again, I wasn't trying to have it devolve into another brand bashing thread. And maybe it's just been my luck but I've had too many packages disappear. And yes, I usually do insurance if the price is right for it. The worst one was I ordered a limited run custom knife and DHL told me it was misdelivered. And no, you can't build a knife from parts on CRK's website but at least if you lose a screw or other simple part you at least can get that which is more than most.
 
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