Dear Christina:
I think your post shows frustration arising from quality control problems with the Pikuni. I have not perhaps reviewed all the posts, but at least one of those is responding in a strident tone. I hope I can avoid that, and especially not contribute to any unnecessary stridency. I too was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Pikuni, although I did not want to create any undue rush. It is a great knife and sheath, one of my favorites,, although there are some problems with the blade on mine.
I am not sure how any warranty concerns regarding quality control problems on the Pikuni related to disassembly. Are people removing the handle slabs? Perhaps this comment is aimed mainly at your folders? In any event I take issue with the assertion that voiding the warranty upon disassembly is an industry standard. I only have one knife which states such a policy on the warranty. I do not recall if I knew this prior to purchase. In any event that is the only knife that fell apart, or if you will, disassembled itself. How would some tattletale loctite have revealed that the knife disassembled itself. This occurred after carrying the knife for a couple of months for tasks no more strenuous than opening an envelope or a package. The manufacturer promptly repaired the knife, but despite asking in my return cover letter, I was never informed as to why it fell apart. I thus wonder if it will happen again. I really do not want to deal with the issue and have not purchased another of this manufacturers knives.
Some of the knives I most prefer, came with the appropriate tool to perform the disassembly oneself. I much prefer this, although I have had no need to disassemble it, I rest easy knowing I could if the need arose. I purchased two more of this manufacturers folders, for a total of three more if you count a fixed blade.
I do not have a problem with REKAT charging the customer if the customers disassembly caused the problem, lost a spring, or just needed professional reassembly. I do not see why this would require voiding the warranty. I doubt that many customers would object to a reasonable charge to defray non-warranty returns. I am not sure that it would even be legally defensible to void a warranty because someone took off a handle and carefully replaced it, yet returned the knife because the blade had an improper heat treatment, or some similar scenario***. It certainly would not be good public relations. I would respectfully suggest that it would be a better policy to request a self -addressed address label and some dollars, to eliminate burdensome costs, than threaten voiding someones warranty. This way both REKAT and its loyal customers can be happy. After all, as a customer I do not want excess costs passed on to me, yet I would still like to rest secure with my warranty. [***Please note, the prior sentence was just speculation, and was not the result of exhaustive legal research!]
I have never had the urge to disassemble my green handled SIFU, #59. I do look forward to ordering another one, preferably with the combination of a green handle and D2 blade with black Ti coating, when they become available, without any undo rush. If this exact combination is not available, I imagine you will have one close enough. The Carnivore Cub in D2 sounds interesting too, since I do not have a smaller REKAT. Are they going to come with revised warranty language?
Speaking of D2 enhanced steel, my Pikuni came very sharp. The D2steel so far seems excellent, not that I have had any complaints about the steel in my current REKAT.
Thank you for your attention.
Donald.
