My experience with ESEE Knives Customer Service.

For the people bashing me on returning because it looks off, yeah I did. One because if I am spending 150 dollars for a knife I want it perfect looking. I was going to get my dog's named engraved on the knife because she doesn't have much time left here. That's why I want it having no issues. I wasn't aware of Bladeshow and I should have left a message, I am also in the wrong here. To the people who are saying I should not have called them for this I simply just wanted to know if it was an issue, some people are talking about my previous thread which shows people telling me it isn't an issue, regardless I was sending it back.It's also good to talk to the people who actually make the knife, not some people who just know a lot about knives. I had some people tell me on Instagram that it could cause uneven sharpening, I heard so many different things anyway so it wasn't even worth asking due to it confusing me even more. Am I old enough to have a knife some of you ask? Yeah, I am.
 
craytab said:
Simply amazing. Do people not get vacations? Does life not happen? A three day wait is nothing. Small company that runs survival training after one of the biggest knife shows of the year. The "I want it now" culture kids are developing these days is going to lead to lots pf disappointment, especially in the various hobbies like knife use and collecting. It might be better you didn't get a hold of him as he would have told you exactly what he thought of your issue and if it was not an actual warranty problem that might have been very pleasant for you. If you have an issue with a brand knew item it should always go back to the dealer, not the manufacturer.
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I didn't want it to go back to the dealer, wanted to ask if it was a problem. My previous thread shows me asking if it's an issue and people said no, regardless I was going to send it back to the distributor. My dog who doesn't have much time left on this earth name was going to be engraved, so I want the knife perfect. I was simply curious if it was a problem to the knife's performance. It's better to ask the people who make the knives rather than people who know a lot about knives.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
It is an emergency! My 95 year old grandmother does have pneumonia... while caring for my infant with asthma... who's making an ice sculpture for the Pope... who's coming for a visit. Those robes are heavy, he'll die in this heat! That's what I tell the landlord anyway, cuz screw them. I'm nice to the technician.

The lady cutting me off probably would have annoyed me, but knowing how small the company is, I wouldn't have expected an immediate response. ESEEs are overpriced though, in my opinion, so I understand the OPs displeasure with the grind. It's a $150 slab of 1095 and a couple pieces of micarta. They could at least get the grind right.
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Thanks!
 
Oh heck. Nevermind. I should just keep my mouth shut. I will say that working in a service field, people are quick to resort to Internet destruction of hard earned reputations these days.

PS you ac guys, I gotta stay on your good side. Georgia without ac sucks!
 
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jeffetcs said:
I didn't want it to go back to the dealer, wanted to ask if it was a problem. My previous thread shows me asking if it's an issue and people said no, regardless I was going to send it back to the distributor. My dog who doesn't have much time left on this earth name was going to be engraved, so I want the knife perfect. I was simply curious if it was a problem to the knife's performance. It's better to ask the people who make the knives rather than people who know a lot about knives.
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What is the imperfection that you are speaking of? Reading the thread someone posted that you thought the edge was off. I personally have been continually disappointed by factory knife edges and prefer to put my own edge on anyways. If the grind was off that is one thing, but the edge is something that dulls and is reworked again and again.

If you want a perfect knife to commemorate your dog does the dog care if you buy it while it is still alive? It seems absurd to me to want perfection on a object meant to be used. Glaring defects are one thing, but it is a contradiction to desire absolute perfection in something that is subject to wear.
 
jeffetcs said:
I had some people tell me on Instagram that it could cause uneven sharpening,
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How about this, take in the information given and think about it and come to your own conclusion.
Here, I'll do the thinking for you and show you how this works and why it isn't an issue.

If sharpening a knife is the removal of material to get a crisper apex, how would Extra material be any kind of an issue?

In an uneven bevel, one side has more material removed than the other. So if you remove material from the shorter side at a factory angle, eventually it will even out.
Doing this will center your apex, give you even bevels, and have a picture perfect knife for you to never use.

Personally, I use a photo of my pets that have passed for memories of times past. I find it to be more heartwarming and genuine to the dog...

The other pennies worth from my two cents?
Calm down, think of others, take your time and spend it with your loved ones. Don't worry about the knives or other materialistic crap, it will be here long after your loved ones (pets included) won't be.
Lastly, ask others for information then think about it and make up your own mind. Don't rely on others, none of them owe you a thing.
 
One thought, and I hesitate to bring it up. I am a veterinarian. As such, I see people commemorate and grieve for pets in all sorts of ways; tatoos, services, ashes on a mantel, pictures, and some really bizarre things.

Do as you wish, but as you go through this, you will realize later you have a knife meant to be used that you actually want to use, but you can not because you would feel bad if something happened to damage it or mess up the engraving, or if you lost it.

Enjoy your memories, don't drag baggage out every time you pull out a knife. Part of healthy grieving is letting go, and "stuff" only complicates the process whether that is grieving a pet or a person or even a phase in your life.

Just a thought from someone that has been there and seen a lot of other go there too.
 
jeffetcs said:
It's also good to talk to the people who actually make the knife, not some people who just know a lot about knives.
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ESEE doesn't make the knife. Rowan does. ESEE markets, and sells them, and are involved with design.
 
Entertaining.)) All customer calls do come to me. I cannot always answer the phone (I have other tasks to complete ) so I depend on technology (voice mail) to help. I do return a call to every message left. The only calls I do not answer are calls made in rapid succession from a known area code from which telemarketers use (I have three from Las Vegas in quick succession on last Friday) or from a call that comes up "No caller ID" (I never answer these.) and I have a pile of these within the last week or so.
Leaving a simple message to return your call would alleviate all of your problem here. One call, one message. Simple. But after reviewing all of your temper tantrum here because I was not immediately available for you over a 'blemish' I cannot help but wonder if my company isn't better off without you as a customer.
I wish you good luck in your use of a knife in the outdoors.
Mike Perrin
 
MikePerrin said:
Entertaining.)) All customer calls do come to me. I cannot always answer the phone (I have other tasks to complete ) so I depend on technology (voice mail) to help. I do return a call to every message left. The only calls I do not answer are calls made in rapid succession from a known area code from which telemarketers use (I have three from Las Vegas in quick succession on last Friday) or from a call that comes up "No caller ID" (I never answer these.) and I have a pile of these within the last week or so.
Leaving a simple message to return your call would alleviate all of your problem here. One call, one message. Simple. But after reviewing all of your temper tantrum here because I was not immediately available for you over a 'blemish' I cannot help but wonder if my company isn't better off without you as a customer.
I wish you good luck in your use of a knife in the outdoors.
Mike Perrin
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There you go honestly the best response and the one deserved here.
 
MikePerrin said:
Entertaining.)) All customer calls do come to me. I cannot always answer the phone (I have other tasks to complete ) so I depend on technology (voice mail) to help. I do return a call to every message left. The only calls I do not answer are calls made in rapid succession from a known area code from which telemarketers use (I have three from Las Vegas in quick succession on last Friday) or from a call that comes up "No caller ID" (I never answer these.) and I have a pile of these within the last week or so.
Leaving a simple message to return your call would alleviate all of your problem here. One call, one message. Simple. But after reviewing all of your temper tantrum here because I was not immediately available for you over a 'blemish' I cannot help but wonder if my company isn't better off without you as a customer.
I wish you good luck in your use of a knife in the outdoors.
Mike Perrin
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Yup. Well said.
 
I am still amazed how ESEE can keep selling quality knives with great sheaths, and still maintain such a competitive price point. They must keep the overhead costs way down. Not having extra employees to sit around answering phone calls is just one way to facilitate this. I've found cosmetic flaws on $450.00 production knives, and $25k new cars, it's just not worth the effort to rescind the deal, over small things.
 
I see nothing wrong if someone wants perfection in a brand new knife. Afterall is not a cheapo the OP was buying.

If you choose to spend $150 on it, make sure you add a note to the seller/dealer explaining that you expect a blem free specimen, even grind, etc. That should save you any future trouble.

That beeing said, and without seeing pics of the issue, I cant really blame Esee for anything under this circumstances. If the knife passed their QC, it qualifies as a tool thats good to go.
And, as already mentioned, a little patience goes a long way if you want to get in touch with them.
 
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palonej said:
Why wouldn't the dude leave a message???
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Why didn't the girl answering phones offer to take a message?

If the OP's story is true, ESEE made several customer service blunders during this debacle.

First, the girl answering the phone should have set the expectation of leaving a message when giving out Mike's number. All of this could have been avoided by simply stating "You'd have to talk to Mike for that. Here's his number. He isn't real good about answering his phone, but if you leave a voicemail he'll get right back to you."

Secondly, when the OP called the girl back the next day the proper response was "Sorry about that. Mike isn't real good about answering his phone, but he's usually really good about responding to voicemails. Did you leave a voicemail? Let me take your name and number and I'll get it to Mike and make sure that he gets back to you." Super simple. Mike openly admits that he's ignoring some of the calls that come in. If we know this about him, the girl answering the phones should as well. Knowing this it shouldn't be too surprising to her, or Mike, that somebody that's trying to get ahold of him might be calling her to find out how. This should be anticipated and a proper response should be prepared. "There's nothing I can do" is not a proper response.

Thirdly, Mike needs to properly train his employees. I've called manufacturers as large as KAI and as small as Hess (two employees) and others that fall everywhere in between. All of these calls have been answered by somebody that can answer a simple question. The fact that ESEE's number rings a desk of somebody that isn't equipped to answer a simple question, and instead must refer calls to somebody that openly admits that he ignores calls, tells me all I need to know about how much they value their customers.

There have been several times over the last couple of years that I've considered buying an ESEE. Each time one of their knives makes it on my list a thread like this pops up before I get around to buying it. I'm happy for ESEE that they're at a point where they feel that they can be selective in who they sell knives to. I'm OK with the fact that I don't fall into the market that they're targeting. At the same time, I thank the OP for bringing these issues up to remind me of that fact. I'd also like to thank Mike for being so honest so that I can make an informed decision. There are plenty of companies out there that do business in a way that I'm comfortable with. There's no reason for me to go to a company that doesn't value me as a customer.
 
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