i would like to add my name to the ever-growing list of customers fed-up with thebladeshop.com. after searching for a while, and doing comparison shopping across the web, i decided to purchase the amazing microtech combat troodon (i already own an mt ultratech, which i love: precision, heft and craftsmanship personified). i saw a good price at thebladeshop and placed my order, adding expedited (two-day) shipping. my credit card was charged immediately, i saw that my order was marked "processing," and anticipated the knife showing up in two days. next thing i know, the word "backordered" (sound familiar yet...?) shows up. i email them and find that, according to them (three days later):
"Hi,
We are still waiting on those from Microtech, but there is good news - we heard from them directly that they will be shipping more knives out to companies because they have had to put a halt to their gun production. So, this will hopefully arrive soon and we email you when it ships. They do not give dates on each knife. I apologize for the delay, but we do appreciate your business and patience."
so, i am optimistic, and not yet suspicious. then, i find out that the knife i wanted was going to take even longer to get. i contacted microtech and began a very satisfying relationship with meme, their customer service rep. she was willing to work with me directly, and offered to send me the same model with the wharncliff blade for the same price. when i emailed tbs.com to cancel my order, they said they could send me the same knife that mt was offering -- for only $89.00 more!
i wrote them back, pretty heated-up by this time, and said no! they were going to send me that knife at the same price or they could cancel my order. then, like the sales person at the ford dealer leaving the room to "go talk to the manager," the email person said that she spoke with her supervisor and they would send me the knife for the same price.
i said no, again, just cancel my order. next thing i know, the person emails back to say that through some shipping error, the knife has already been sent out! i received my knife today -- over one month after i placed the order.
i would like to say that the knife was worth the wait, and it is a fantastic piece of engineering, but my experience with thebladeshop.com was a royal pain in the ass. on the other hand, mt was very responsive, meme in particular. the only way thebladeshop.com will learn is for folks to stop ordering from them. let the market speak: thebladeshop.com is a jalopy on the information superhighway. the sooner the competition passes or crushes them, the better.