My replacement MTECH Trail Master knock-off just arrived (now with pics)

[Blackie Scantling]

And it is a replay of the first, warped blade and grind angle and edge not in line with the ricasso or twisted. The guard is also not on straight but at least it's not loose like the first one.

Both the imperfections are not as severe as the first but noticeable. I asked them to go through their inventory and find me a knife with a straight and true blade and I guess this is the best they could find.

Should I:
a. Send it back and ask for a refund
b. Cut the Kraton handle off, heat and straighten the blade and guard, replace handle with mesquite
d. Accept it for what it is, a $20.00 knock-off of a $200.00 knife. Take the time and effort to fix it to make money to buy a real Trail Master

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[El Bandit0]

Send it back, get your refund, and put the money towards a real Trailmaster. If you know where to look they are easy to find under $200.

 

[FTR-14c]

Don't sweat the small stuff... just beat it with a big stick and get your twenty dollars worth of enjoyment out of it.

 

[spydercobenchmadekai]

Don't heat it. You will ruin what little of a heat treat it might have. Use it hard and forget about it or send it back and buy a BK9. Actually, no matter what you do, you need a BK9...

 

[benchwarmer380]

Refund and then go for a Becker or an Esee.

Of topic. What's that folder in the picture?

 

[Blackie Scantling]

Well thats the last time I buy a knife made by child slave labor.

Except for maybe a Kershaw

 

[Lee D]

Well thats the last time I buy a knife made by child slave labor.

Except for maybe a Kershaw

ohhhhh snap! lol

 

[o4tg]

Use it an abuse it until you can replace it with the real thing.

 

[Blackie Scantling]

Refund and then go for a Becker or an Esee.

Of topic. What's that folder in the picture?

It's a modded Kershaw Tension. I re profiled, acid washed it and cut some crude serrations. 8cr13mov steel which is equivalent to AUS8, it's built like a tank and used hard. Made exclusively for Cabela, they ran a promo on them for $18.00. I should have bought ten of them.

 

[Franciscomv]

A refund would be my choice as long as they pay for postage, otherwise I'd just keep the knife. In fact, the hassle of mailing it would not be worth the $20.-

If you really want a Trailmaster, save up and get a Trailmaster. There are other good big knives from reputable companies that cost a lot less, like the Becker BK-9 or Machax. Ontario and Ka-Bar have some options in their line-up as well, Condor and Svord, too.

 

[theAntihero]

Hmm, i didnt know Mtech made that knife.

Its a $20 knife, you could probably regrind it if that bugged you but if a 20 dollar knife works.....its probably fine

 

[Blackie Scantling]

Actually this knife came pretty dang sharp, is well balanced and agile. I went out and attacked some cedar below the cabin and when on the end of the handle with a lanyard it is a natural chopper. With snap cuts are effortless like it's self powered.

Tomorrow I'm going to strip the black paint off, sand the tool marks underneath and lengthen the choil.

 

[ninjarabbi]

It doesn't look too bad to me. I'd just use it and save up for the real thing. At least with the grind you can fix it yourself without too much effort.

 

[2 shot]

Well thats the last time I buy a knife made by child slave labor.

Except for maybe a Kershaw

I wasn't aware that Kershaw used child slave labor, please enlighten me.

 

[benchwarmer380]

It's a modded Kershaw Tension. I re profiled, acid washed it and cut some crude serrations. 8cr13mov steel which is equivalent to AUS8, it's built like a tank and used hard. Made exclusively for Cabela, they ran a promo on them for $18.00. I should have bought ten of them.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Blackie Scantling]

It doesn't look too bad to me. I'd just use it and save up for the real thing. At least with the grind you can fix it yourself without too much effort.

I plan on getting a 1" x 30" belt sander anyway. I can hopefully then shift the grind more towards center and in doing so create the re curve I want.

 

[RDog]

Use it! For the $20 you spent why not see what it can do? Seems like a good way of testing the overall feel of such a large knife, better to find out its not for you after $20 than $200 right? maybe it will do everything you need, who knows. I'd suspect that using it as a "knife" it may be fine, use it as a splitting wedge or prybar may have different results. If you test it out with honest use you will have something to share with us.

 

[Aleous]

Buy a real Trail Master. I just bought an sk5 for $115 online. Though everyone seems to be marking them up lately, especially the new 01 version wherever it pops up. But anyway nothing like the real thing, you won't regret buying the genuine article!

 

[Blackie Scantling]

Use it! For the $20 you spent why not see what it can do? Seems like a good way of testing the overall feel of such a large knife, better to find out its not for you after $20 than $200 right? maybe it will do everything you need, who knows. I'd suspect that using it as a "knife" it may be fine, use it as a splitting wedge or prybar may have different results. If you test it out with honest use you will have something to share with us.

Shoot, if there's one thing this knife will do and thats pry steel, chop, split wood and pulverize cinder blocks. Just check out all the MTECH MT 151 torture tests and reviews on You Tube. They not only hold there own but out preform some more expensive, better respected brutes.

Here's something else it will do:

I was trying unsuccessfully to take the bow out. There isn't anything in line or straight on this knife, like it was put together by some little kid, which I'm sure it was, but they are tuff.

 

[brownshoe]

You had your chance to get your money back the first time. The second time, you got what you knew you would. You should keep it. You have no "cause" to return it. Per modding it, why invest that amount of time in a blade worth $10 or less?