Unfortunately stores hardly ever send anything back to the manufacturer, or distributor. They usually just stick it back on the shelf and hope the next guy doesn't care. Then if they send it back to the distributor, it's another level of apathy that will probably just send the defective knife to another dealer.
I am somewhat appalled at what some people will accept as normal and not defective. Even customers can be blunt fools with incredibly low standards. How can you pay money for something and not expect it to look like it was made right? If you think your loose blade is a problem, you and I might be a minority. So you can imagine how much a seller might care about a defect, and therefore just throw it back into the mix and the manufacturer never knows how many crummy knives are out there.
So it's better to send it back to the manufacturer so they know, but of course that is a pain in the neck if the other option is to return it to a store and have it instantly fixed. I don't know what Buck's warranty turnaround is like, but other manufacturers are always slower than mailing things back to internet dealers.
The real solution is for the manufacturer to do better with their quality control checks and not let so much junk get out the door. I bought a 505 and the handle was bent enough that the blade rested flat against one side of the handle. I have a 501 that is slightly bent, but it was the best one the store had.
