Nice knife with missing logo on blade

B

bakly

Joined
Apr 9, 2021
Messages
6
Hello. I just picked up a very nice knife. Noticed after a while that the M390 stamp was on the one side (correct), while the company's/maker's logo was not on the other side (mistake). I confirmed with the maker that it was an error and they offered to exchange a new one for the one I have - said it was up to me though. I kind of like the clean look and there is nothing wrong with the knife. Just curious if blade forums peeps would send it back for a 'correct' one or keep the variant? Does it affect value at all? I am having trouble deciding hah. It's really not a big deal - just curious as to what most people would do.

I don't really want to name the knife maker. I don't know how that affects his company positively or negatively... It's a high end production knife. I'm fairly new to that level of collecting and cost.
 
It would be an issue if you ever wanted to sell it. People might worry that the mistake was evidence of a counterfeit and not want to buy it. Also, you wouldn't want to get a reputation as someone who was trying to sell a counterfeit. Potential buyers might not believe that the maker confirmed the knife as genuine.
 
I would keep it. You may have a one of a kind knife. It may or may not increase in value down the road, but misprints/mis-stamps/errors always seem to be collectible whether they be coins, stamps, or any other collectible item.

Was your conversation with the maker via email? If so, keep it for proof of authenticity should you ever decide to sell it.
 
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Thanks for the insights guys! Yeah it was via email. I guess I'm leaning towards keeping as it doesn't bother me personally and I haven't gotten into selling knives anyway.
 
It did come with a case and some of the typical swag like a patch and a logo'd up microfiber cloth :) hah
 
Ajack60 said:
Some makers include a build card, or a thank you note. Some makers have identifiable boxes/packing.
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Which really does nothing to authenticate anything, unfortunately. Having a box doesn't mean it contained the knife in question.

A build card would be beneficial if it indicated a serial number, but it doesn't sound like this knife is serialized.

Best bet is to hang on to the email correspondence, as I mentioned earlier.
 
bakly said:
I confirmed with the maker that it was an error and they offered to exchange a new one for the one I have - said it was up to me though.
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I'd contact them again and see if they would provide you with a written letter on company letterhead that confirms the knife in question is indeed the real deal.
Then put that letter along with the original box into a box or envelope and keep them together.
Since it is a higher end knife, I believe I'd also as that the letter be notarized - but - I wouldn't let that be a deal breaker.

(Chalk this up to me just watching too many episodes of Pawn Stars)
 
If you're a true collector, then the knife should probably be 100% factory/maker correct, as killgar has already stated. I suspect that not having the logo on the blade would have a fairly serious negative effect on the knife's value as a collectible item if you wanted to sell it. As for me, I'm a user, pure and simple. If an issue doesn't affect a knife's function, then it isn't any kind of problem AFAIC.
 
Thanks all. You’ve echo’ed my internal arguments pretty much exactly hah. I’m more of a user than a collector but I do take good care of my stuff. I think I’ll contact the maker again and if he’s ok with me taking pics and making videos about the knife with a ‘flaw’ on it I’ll just keep it and if he’d rather me not do that I’ll return it. Can’t make up my dang mind 😂
 
I have a Smith & Wesson 66-8 with a "Performance Center" stamp. I didn't think much of it at first until I realized that S&W never made a PC version of the Combat Magnum. So I contacted S&W and gave them the serial and they emailed me telling it was a mistamp at the factory - they never did, in fact, make a PC 66 Combat Mag. They offered to swap the frame out if I sent it in. I declined. It's cool to have the one-off.
 
I would exchange, while the offer is still good. Flaws will make your knife less valuable.
Personally, I wouldn't purchase a knife on the secondary market that I had to wonder whether was real.
There are too many correct knives out there.
If you want to make it a long-term user, or money isn't an issue for you, than just keep it.
I don't think it would be fair to (resell) make your problem, someone else's.
 
I contacted both the maker and the shop I bought it from. They said they'd exchange it with no fuss and since its gonna be that easy I'll just take it back there. Like I need an excuse to go back the the knife shop hah :)
Thanks again for all the insight.
 
mwhich50 said:
I would exchange, while the offer is still good. Flaws will make your knife less valuable.
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A couple people have said this, and I do not agree.

As I mentioned in my first post, many collectors of things-worth-collecting deliberately seek out errors and anomalies. Ask any coin collector what his most valuable coin is, and they will probably tell you it is a coin that has been mis-struck. Same with stamps. I think the fact that a mis-struck nickel (for example) is now worth far more (thousands more) than the $0.05 denomination it was intended to have, illustrates this.
 
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shane45-1911 said:
A couple people have said this, and I do not agree.

As I mentioned in my first post, many collectors of things-worth-collecting deliberately seek out errors and anomalies. Ask any coin collector what his most valuable coin is, and they will probably tell you it is a coin that has been mis-struck. Same with stamps. I think that the fact that a mis-struck nickel (for example) is now worth far more (thousands more) than the $0.05 denomination it was intended to have, illustrates this.
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You are correct that collectables bearing "mistakes" are valuable and highly sought after, but only with documentation from a reputable appraiser to prove that they are genuine.

All manner of collectables are counterfeited, including "mistakes", which are considered more valuable. But if someone posted a misprinted stamp for sale on ebay without documentation, no true collector would buy it because that's exactly the sort of item that gets counterfeited.

Unless the OP has proof from a reputable source that his knife is genuine, all he has is a knife with the logo in the wrong place. I don't imagine that anyone on this forum would buy a misprinted knife and just take the word of the seller that it's genuine, much less pay a premium for it.

Imagine if a new member, with no established reputation here, posted a "Sebenza" for sale, at twice the price of a new one, with "Idaho" misspelled, but had no proof it was genuine. Considering how frequently the Sebenza is counterfeited, and how wary people are of counterfeits, who in their right mind would buy it?
 
killgar said:
Unless the OP has proof from a reputable source that his knife is genuine, all he has is a knife with the logo in the wrong place. I don't imagine that anyone on this forum would buy a misprinted knife and just take the word of the seller that it's genuine, much less pay a premium for it.
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The OP has already indicated he has email correspondence from the maker to confirm that his knife is genuine and a mistake. :)
 
shane45-1911 said:
The OP has already indicated he has email correspondence from the maker to confirm that his knife is genuine and a mistake. :)
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Of course in order to make a sale it would be necessary to verify the authenticity of the email. :)

If someone were going to create a fake knife, I have to imagine they would be sophisticated enough to fake an email to go with it (or a fake certificate of authenticity, which is why reputable, established appraisal services get paid so much for what they do, because they can be contacted and their appraisals verified.)

Walk into any auction house, antique/collectable shop, or pawn shop with an email as your proof of authenticity, and it's a safe bet they would laugh you out the door.

If some is looking to sell a misprinted knife (or anything else), and get a premium price for it, they should be prepared to provide substantial proof of it's authenticity. That is, if they want it to sell.

Just to be clear, by no means am I suggesting that the OP is a dishonest person or questioning his character. I'm merely speaking in general terms regarding misprinted knives and the viability of emails as proof of authenticity.

The OP indicated that he intended to take it back, so none of this would apply to him.
 
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I would keep it and use it as the cool “one-off, no logo blade,” it is. :) It’s not actually a “flawed” knife. If it had a crack in the blade...ya, send it back.

What knife are we talking about here?
 
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