hi folks,
I've been collecting knives for about the last year, so I'm still new at this.
A couple of months ago I put a beautiful custom knife on layaway with a reputable online knife shop. The knife shop purchased the knife directly from the custom maker at a knife show this past fall. Last week I paid off the knife, and had it sent to me.
I'm hesitant to name the maker, because I don't want this to turn into a complaint or bashing thread... However I will say that he has been making knives for 30 years, has an excellent reputation, and, while not as well-known as some other makers, is extremely skilled. He also resides in a country outside of the United States, which adds to my problem:
When I received the knife, I noticed a few small imperfections:
1. There is a dis-colored spot on one of the anodize liners (a different anodizing color) that looks like it's original to the knife.
2. On one of the custom engraved bolsters, there is a very small but deep scratch (less than a millimeter). Because the scratch is blackened like the relief on the engraving, it leads me to believe that it occurred at the makers shop.
3. The titanium pocket clip has a rough area that shows tool marks which apparently were not polished out when the knife was completed.
Then there are a couple of larger concerns:
1. The blade folds on an IKBS ball bearing system. While it fires and locks up like a dream, when folded the blade is loose and will rattle in the handle. This is the first knife that I have owned which uses the IKBS system is it normal for the blade to rattle back-and-forth against the liners when the knife is folded?
2. The edge of the blade was covered with burrs from the tip to the ricasso. I stropped it thoroughly on a leather belt, which removed most of the burrs, but the blade is still not sharp enough even to cut paper. It appears as though the final stage of blade sharpening was never completed at the makers shop.
So here's my conundrum: since I did not purchase the knife directly from the custom maker, do I have the right to reach out to him? It seems clear to me that none of the problems with the knife happened at the retail shop which sold it to me They only took it out to take pictures to post on their website. It seems very clear that I am the first owner.
I could live with the first three items, since I don't expect a knife to be flawless, even from a custom maker However, the last two items are real problems for me. While the knife was expensive, I did not buy it for display only. I carry my knives every day, and need them to work as they should.
It would be expensive for me to ship it to the maker, since he is overseas But I am hesitant to have it sharpened by someone local, lest they screw it up.
So, what would you do?
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions you may be able to provide. Although I am new to this community, I have been impressed with the way that folks help each other out from the top knife makers in the world down to the newest collectors.
I've been collecting knives for about the last year, so I'm still new at this.
A couple of months ago I put a beautiful custom knife on layaway with a reputable online knife shop. The knife shop purchased the knife directly from the custom maker at a knife show this past fall. Last week I paid off the knife, and had it sent to me.
I'm hesitant to name the maker, because I don't want this to turn into a complaint or bashing thread... However I will say that he has been making knives for 30 years, has an excellent reputation, and, while not as well-known as some other makers, is extremely skilled. He also resides in a country outside of the United States, which adds to my problem:
When I received the knife, I noticed a few small imperfections:
1. There is a dis-colored spot on one of the anodize liners (a different anodizing color) that looks like it's original to the knife.
2. On one of the custom engraved bolsters, there is a very small but deep scratch (less than a millimeter). Because the scratch is blackened like the relief on the engraving, it leads me to believe that it occurred at the makers shop.
3. The titanium pocket clip has a rough area that shows tool marks which apparently were not polished out when the knife was completed.
Then there are a couple of larger concerns:
1. The blade folds on an IKBS ball bearing system. While it fires and locks up like a dream, when folded the blade is loose and will rattle in the handle. This is the first knife that I have owned which uses the IKBS system is it normal for the blade to rattle back-and-forth against the liners when the knife is folded?
2. The edge of the blade was covered with burrs from the tip to the ricasso. I stropped it thoroughly on a leather belt, which removed most of the burrs, but the blade is still not sharp enough even to cut paper. It appears as though the final stage of blade sharpening was never completed at the makers shop.
So here's my conundrum: since I did not purchase the knife directly from the custom maker, do I have the right to reach out to him? It seems clear to me that none of the problems with the knife happened at the retail shop which sold it to me They only took it out to take pictures to post on their website. It seems very clear that I am the first owner.
I could live with the first three items, since I don't expect a knife to be flawless, even from a custom maker However, the last two items are real problems for me. While the knife was expensive, I did not buy it for display only. I carry my knives every day, and need them to work as they should.
It would be expensive for me to ship it to the maker, since he is overseas But I am hesitant to have it sharpened by someone local, lest they screw it up.
So, what would you do?
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions you may be able to provide. Although I am new to this community, I have been impressed with the way that folks help each other out from the top knife makers in the world down to the newest collectors.
