This is how my "new" Blade-Tech Pro Hunter arrived from stellarrigs.com. The edge was ragged and the blade had some kind of gritty substance stuck to it. The handles had black grime all over them, much more so than the
camera was able to detect. It looked like a garage mechanic abused & returned it without caring one bit about a refund. It was a joke.
Edward Kaye, the owner of stellarrigs.com, told me that this scenario was "impossible" since he inspects every knife before shipping. He would not allow me to return the knife for a new one. (Also, at $99, this knife was
the cheapest anywhere and he'd lose his shirt on all the extra shipping, he said.) We talked a long time and eventually, grudgingly, he offered me a refund, saying he'd eat the shipping and that that would be the last of our business dealings.
I opted to keep the knife. The damage seemed reparable and I didn't want to risk any problems with the refund. For what I paid -- and as long as this was the only damage -- I felt this deal was OK for such a great knife. The
G10 cleaned up fairly well and there only appears to be a small amount rust spotting. I'll eventually be able to sharpen out the edge.
In the end what bugs me is that I was, by inference, being accused of dishonesty. I must have been trying to swap out my beat up Pro Hunter for a second new one, right? I think he believed he had sent me a new knife,
but he simply would not entertain the possibility that he'd made a mistake. He missed this one, pure and simple. You could tell this knife was crapped-up from across the room. Imagine holding a knife like the one I'm describing -- looking at it in your hand -- while someone on the phone tells you it couldn't possibly look that way!
I imagine this happens here and there, a bad knife shipping out by mistake. And I can understand owners being wary of unscrupulous buyers. Handling returns must be a b***h. And really, how can all these vendors possibly stay on top of all the quality control issues? And when a knife looks as bad as mine did, how many vendors would even agree to a refund, let alone re-ship another knife? What can you do when a vendor tells you the used knife in your hand was new when they sent it?
Any similar experiences?
I'll be taking video when I open knives from now on.
swedgie
camera was able to detect. It looked like a garage mechanic abused & returned it without caring one bit about a refund. It was a joke.
Edward Kaye, the owner of stellarrigs.com, told me that this scenario was "impossible" since he inspects every knife before shipping. He would not allow me to return the knife for a new one. (Also, at $99, this knife was
the cheapest anywhere and he'd lose his shirt on all the extra shipping, he said.) We talked a long time and eventually, grudgingly, he offered me a refund, saying he'd eat the shipping and that that would be the last of our business dealings.
I opted to keep the knife. The damage seemed reparable and I didn't want to risk any problems with the refund. For what I paid -- and as long as this was the only damage -- I felt this deal was OK for such a great knife. The
G10 cleaned up fairly well and there only appears to be a small amount rust spotting. I'll eventually be able to sharpen out the edge.
In the end what bugs me is that I was, by inference, being accused of dishonesty. I must have been trying to swap out my beat up Pro Hunter for a second new one, right? I think he believed he had sent me a new knife,
but he simply would not entertain the possibility that he'd made a mistake. He missed this one, pure and simple. You could tell this knife was crapped-up from across the room. Imagine holding a knife like the one I'm describing -- looking at it in your hand -- while someone on the phone tells you it couldn't possibly look that way!
I imagine this happens here and there, a bad knife shipping out by mistake. And I can understand owners being wary of unscrupulous buyers. Handling returns must be a b***h. And really, how can all these vendors possibly stay on top of all the quality control issues? And when a knife looks as bad as mine did, how many vendors would even agree to a refund, let alone re-ship another knife? What can you do when a vendor tells you the used knife in your hand was new when they sent it?
Any similar experiences?
I'll be taking video when I open knives from now on.
swedgie
