My Ongoing Saga/Troubles With Spyderco Warranty and Reapairs

J

jtallant

Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
113
To help all those who read this and to save research time, here's the background threads:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=476130

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=479688




So fast forward to the past week after giving plenty of wait time. I have called and left messages. Called and spoke to the lady in charge of warranty and reapairs as she promised to call back. Sal even replied to my posts here. And nothing!!! No return call, no update on the knife I sent in, no info on the replacement that was supposed to be sent out a month ago, nothing!!! Sorry Sal, I really am that I have to do this to get someone's attention. But please, please make this right as I'm positive this is not normal customer service. Or at least I hope its not.
 
Patience, good sir.

According to D3/SE in the second link you posted, Spyderco was and probably still is very busy. Give it some more time, and you'll get a reply.
 
The problem with the era of instant communication electronically is that it has generated an expectation that all types of follow-up should be just as instantatenous. A couple of emails and a few postings in forums shouldn't automatically move someone to the front of the line. Customers for W&R should be dealt with in the order received, and a critical inspection and repair takes time.

As the old saying goes: "Patience is a virtue"
 
I know where you're at man. I have sent in several knives to them to be tightened up, and get new washers etc. And y'know what? Inspite of the fact that I crawled the walls waiting for my knives, they took care of me. A month to two months seems like a long time when you are waiting on your treasured knife to come back to you. But you're not the only one out there being taken care of. How long have you waited for your knife? Did they give you a timeframe on repairing it?

It might be a job that takes an hour, might take a day. They still have work ahead of you, and behind you. Squeaky hinge gets the grease, sure, but they are treating all of their customers equally. Also, they might have different sections of the factory for different things, but maybe someone was sick, or is on vacation, or called out for an emergency, and they had to pull someone off the repair crew, and put them in another section. Being versatile in any industry is a virtue, especially in knife production. Anything could have happened, maybe they are just swamped, who knows. They are people, not automatons.

Bro, I know what you're going through. I hate waiting on a knife being repaired/reprofiled/whatever. Whether its a maker or a production company, you have to realize that they're not machines. They are people like you and me, and they have schedules and other work. Also, the summer is the time for big shows. Maybe Sal is too busy to respond right away. But one of the things I like about Spyderco is their customer service. They have a sub forum on Bladeforums, keep their own forum active, and always respond to the customer. And they are working in the factory.

So, I would wait for Sals inevitable response, and look forward to the good service from them.
 
My Dear Friend,

I understand your concern, but I can assure you that you will be taken care of. IIRC Spyderco Customer Service has undergone a LOT of employee turnover over the past several months which threw them quite a bit behind.

Be patient and I am convinced that your needs will be accommodated.

--------
Hannibal
 
Hi John,

I guess you are just having all kinds of bad luck.

We traced your shipment. It went out on the 3rd but apparently to the wrong address. We're chasing that now. Another piece will go out today.

Regarding your knife: The Rc came in at 59.1, 58.9 and 59.1. Av was 59.0 so hardness was not a problem. We couldn't see the original rolled edge you were speaking of as it was apparently removed in the resharpening. So there I cannot comment. Goniometer testing showed the bevel grind to be at 5 & 6 degrees, Original edge grind was 16 and 16.5 degrees, there was a micro bevel of 35 and 45 degres for an inclusive angle of 80 degrees. Pretty obtuse for cutting. I'm assuming that you put the microbevel on as we do not use micro bevels. It seemed to be put on by a coarser medium that we use for our edges and it was most likely done by hand as the scratch pattern was not perpendicular to the edge.

We resharpened the knife at 16 and 16 degrees (32 degrees inclusive) and I've been carrying and using the model with no problems. I've cut poly, nylon and hemp rope. The cuts were acceptable, but in my opinion not comparable with the same cut made by the serrated version. Any kind of line (rope) is severed far more effectively with teeth.

While I cannot comment on the original problem cutting poly rope, other than it being a plain edge, I think that the subsequent poor performance was the result of the very obtuse cutting angle on the edge. May I suggest a sharpmaker?

Sorry for your poor experience. Let us know how the replacement performs?

sal
 
Kudos on the CS. What a great company Sal. Thanks for an excellent product and a company that stands behind it.
 
i absolutly love spyderco, not just for the knives, but for the CS also. i dnt think i will ever aquire all the spyderco i want.
 
Sal and company, nice job!

I love when the facts get in the way of a good story! Seems like the blade was plenty hard but "sharpened" dull. Excellent root cause analysis...with data and all!

I've dealt with the good folks in Spyderco W&R a few times and can only report excellent results! Keep up the good work.
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi John,

I guess you are just having all kinds of bad luck.

We traced your shipment. It went out on the 3rd but apparently to the wrong address. We're chasing that now. Another piece will go out today.

Regarding your knife: The Rc came in at 59.1, 58.9 and 59.1. Av was 59.0 so hardness was not a problem. We couldn't see the original rolled edge you were speaking of as it was apparently removed in the resharpening. So there I cannot comment. Goniometer testing showed the bevel grind to be at 5 & 6 degrees, Original edge grind was 16 and 16.5 degrees, there was a micro bevel of 35 and 45 degres for an inclusive angle of 80 degrees. Pretty obtuse for cutting. I'm assuming that you put the microbevel on as we do not use micro bevels. It seemed to be put on by a coarser medium that we use for our edges and it was most likely done by hand as the scratch pattern was not perpendicular to the edge.

We resharpened the knife at 16 and 16 degrees (32 degrees inclusive) and I've been carrying and using the model with no problems. I've cut poly, nylon and hemp rope. The cuts were acceptable, but in my opinion not comparable with the same cut made by the serrated version. Any kind of line (rope) is severed far more effectively with teeth.

While I cannot comment on the original problem cutting poly rope, other than it being a plain edge, I think that the subsequent poor performance was the result of the very obtuse cutting angle on the edge. May I suggest a sharpmaker?

Sorry for your poor experience. Let us know how the replacement performs?

sal
Click to expand...



Yes, as i said I resharpened it myself. I didn't do that until I was told it was ok to do so. And yes I did put that micro bevel on myself as it has shown good performance for me with other knives I've had but this was the 1st knife I owned of a hardness like this, so maybe my technique needs to change. Any suggestions, besides buying a new sharpener? The benchstone used was an 800grit Arkansas stone.

What address was the knife sent to? Should have been to the return address on original package.

As to al the other replies here. I never expected instant results with this matter. But when I call and actually talk to someone and leave a number and they promise to call back that same day and I give them a week and several messages and never get a call back, I just didn't know what to do.

I will be going on my honeymoon thru that part of the country and plan a stop at the outlet store, and hope to meet in person some of the folks who I've talked with. It's not everyday the prez of any company goes the extra distance like Sal has.
 
jtallant said:
I will be going on my honeymoon thru that part of the country and plan a stop at the outlet store, and hope to meet in person some of the folks who I've talked with.
Click to expand...

Wow, that sounds like a great trip.

I don't what I'd be more excited about, the actual honeymoon or the trip to the Spyderco outlet ;)

Have fun.
 
Ludwig said:
Wow, that sounds like a great trip.

I don't what I'd be more excited about, the actual honeymoon or the trip to the Spyderco outlet ;)

Have fun.
Click to expand...



Actually more like the whole state.

Short list:
Marraige at Grand Canyon Rim
Day 1-2 Durango Dur/Silv R&R, Mesa Verde, misc. sightseeing
Day 3 Durango to Manitou Springs via Cottonwood Pass
Day 4 Pikes Peak Highway&Cog R&R
------Stop at Spyderco
------Camp at Golden Gate Canyon SP
Day 5 Drive thru RMNP then Kremling & Bond to Moab
Day 6 Moab to Phoenix
 
jtallant said:
Actually more like the whole state.

Short list:
Marraige at Grand Canyon Rim
Day 1-2 Durango Dur/Silv R&R, Mesa Verde, misc. sightseeing
Day 3 Durango to Manitou Springs via Cottonwood Pass
Day 4 Pikes Peak Highway&Cog R&R
------Stop at Spyderco
------Camp at Golden Gate Canyon SP
Day 5 Drive thru RMNP then Kremling & Bond to Moab
Day 6 Moab to Phoenix
Click to expand...

You need more days.
IMG_1708.jpg
 
Hi JTallant,

Glad to be of service.

Sharpening is a difficult task freehand. The angle control is more important than the stone and the angle control really needs to be within a couple of degrees each stroke.

I would suggest that you get some more input. Maybe the DVD for the Sharpmaker is available. There is a fair amount of education included. Then it's practice, practice practice. There are a few here that are exceptional at freehand sharpening and could probably offer good advice.

If you are near Golden, the drive to the top of Mt Evans (14,000), the highest paved road inthe USA, is a nice excperience.

Drink lotsa water while in Colorado (altitude)

sal
 
Actually, the best plan might be for y'all to get married at the Grand Canyon rim, your wife to take the tour and get some pix for you, and you can spend days 1-5 at the Spyderco store and meet her in Phoenix on day 6. :D
 
*Review* My New $50 Endura Butter Knife (Extremely Dissapointed 1st Time Owner)
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This is how you began the first thread. There were quite a bit of histrionics on your part throughout the threads which ended in this thread with you complaining even more about the knife being late despite the fact that Sal and Spyderco bent over backwards to help you resolve a problem of your own making.

To be honest, I'm not sure I'd be able to apologize enough if I were you.


If I was Sal I'd bill you for Shipping, sharpening, and testing and repairs, and return your old knife to you.

You sure won't ever hear me claim to have the class, and true human decency that Sal shows on a daily basis here.

Congratulations and enjoy your honeymoon. Joe
 
The Mastiff said:
This is how you began the first thread. There were quite a bit of histrionics on your part throughout the threads which ended in this thread with you complaining even more about the knife being late despite the fact that Sal and Spyderco bent over backwards to help you resolve a problem of your own making.

To be honest, I'm not sure I'd be able to apologize enough if I were you.


If I was Sal I'd bill you for Shipping, sharpening, and testing and repairs, and return your old knife to you.

You sure won't ever hear me claim to have the class, and true human decency that Sal shows on a daily basis here.

Congratulations and enjoy your honeymoon. Joe
Click to expand...

As I admitt I am to blame for the 2nd round of failed tests. Due to improper sharpening. I will say this: the way I sharpen knives has never been a problem with any knife I have ever owned or even sharpened for others. But do to the fact I resharpened it to begin with we'll never know why the edge failed so miserably and rolled in the 1st place. Perhaps I got a returned/restocked item from KnifeCenter.com and they didn't know it was sharpened. Maybe my fault for taking flawed advice to go ahead and sharpen the blade. Should have sent it in as is with the rolled edge.

I do appologize if some of the words and phrases I chose were harsh even though they were only ment to get attention for a "shock" value. I understand if it was in bad taste. But I make no appologies for my very high expectations of (pehaps too much) and ultimate dissapointment in the knife I recieved. And know a thing or two about buisness, and If it wasn't for customers giving unbiased oppinions of products, how can a company improve? I know many companies who failed due to the fact they only listened to satisfied customers and catered only to them, and didn't address complaints of dissatisfied ones.

I for one am a more loyal customer to Spyderco now that they followed thru with testing and found one of the reasons in failed performance. Cause one thing I did not want was for them to wash this over with gifts or offers of free merchandise as some companies in all sectors of industry have made into policy. Cause it make me highly aware that they truely are after constant improvement of their products. As their mission statement mentions.
 
jtallant said:
Cause one thing I did not want was for them to wash this over with gifts or offers of free merchandise as some companies in all sectors of industry have made into policy.
Click to expand...

If you had spent much time reading this forum, you would have known that that's not how Sal (and Spyderco) deals with issues. Now you have had it demonstrated firsthand. There is no need for your posts to have "shock value" to get what is already some of the best customer service found in the knife industry.

David
 
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