Quality questions of recent Dozier purchase

bladeprince

bladeprince

Joined
Jun 12, 2006
Messages
956
Sorry, but this is a bit long.

I've drooled over those beautiful little Doziers ever since I found out about them. Well, last week I took the plunge. I got lucky and found a new Dozier Arkansas Traveler, another Dozier that I can't remember the model, and a Gene Ingram #20 that had just been posted to Ebay from the same seller about an hour before. As I was trying to decide which to purchase, the one Dozier was purchased. That did it. I bought the other Dozier (there were larger ones but I wanted a small, concealable knife) AND the Ingram. I figured I'd see which I liked the best and then sell the other.

They both arrived and now I'm confused. I have never had a custom knife before but I expected them to be near perfect considering the price and the reputation. The Ingram is simply beautiful. Polished to perfection with a smooth, razor sharp S30V blade. I couldn't be happier.

The Dozier, however, came in quite different condition. The blade was not sharp at all and felt "saw-like". I've spent over an hour working on it and it will probably take another half-hour to get rid of the rough bevel and edge.

The handle is smooth on the sides but the top and bottom look like they have just finished with their initial shaping. The tang and the micarta are rough to the touch. I would think that they would come polished smooth and shiny like the Ingram. Is this the way the Doziers are made? I don't thinks it's a fake. The steel is definitely hard and the knife and sheath have all the proper markings. Maybe one got shipped out before it was completed? Can someone that is familiar with Doziers tell me anything?

I tried to take some pic's but can't get what I talking about to show up. I also thought about calling Dozier but since I didn't buy it directly from them, I don't know what they would say.

Thank you for any information
 
Bob would probably say he can fix the edge for you and check it over if it is indeed one of his. Personally, I think based on the info that you provided that you need to withhold judgement on Dozier and realize that because you didn't get the knife from him personally or perhaps not even a reputable known dealer that perhaps you did not purchase a new knife but instead you got a used one which is what it sounds like. I've bought as well as handled a lot of Bob's knives and all come from him ready to go, with super quality and great sharpeness.

Based on your description it sure sounds to me like you got a used knife.

STR
 
A used knife or worse, a fake. All the Doziers I own or handled have been really slick, nothing rough about them. Get in touch with Bob. If Nakano doesn't see this thread first :)
 
STR, to be clear, I was surely not judging Dozier knives in any way. All I've ever head about them has been nothing but positive. That's why I was confused and asked for input.

I also bought another Dozier from Ebay and expect it any day now (different seller). I'm very curious as to what the fit and finish will be like.

Thank you
 
I bought 2 knives directly from Bob and 1 from the net. All 3 were incredible knives. Very well made and cut like a knife should. There is another on order and I expect it will be the best Dozier yet, as Bob gets better with age.
 
bladeprince said:
The Dozier, however, came in quite different condition. The blade was not sharp at all and felt "saw-like". I've spent over an hour working on it and it will probably take another half-hour to get rid of the rough bevel and edge.
Click to expand...

Both Dozier's I have used (new) had a very rough finished edge, it is the main reason why the edge retention is so high. One of the Dozier's I had was very sharp on a push cut even with the rough finish but the other was not and a section of the edge was damaged due to contact off of an improperly made sheath.

The handle is smooth on the sides but the top and bottom look like they have just finished with their initial shaping. The tang and the micarta are rough to the touch.
Click to expand...

Neither of the ones I had were like that, however Dozier is small shop production so it isn't unreasonable for there to be knives less than perfect. This happens even with true single customs. Contant the maker/shop and ask them for a comment.

-Cliff
 
I am awaiting my 8th. Bob Dozier knife and EVERY ONE of them came screaming sharp and superbly finished. He is one of my most favorite knife makers since he does such a great job and he is also affordable which you can't say about a lot of other custom knife makers.

Sounds to me like you got either a fake or a knife that was abused and used in a way that Bob does not recommend a knife to be used as.

FWIW
Ciao 4now
Ron :eek: :eek:
 
I,also own a number of Dozier and am considered to be quite picky.All I own are perfect or close to it.I'm not sure but can D2 be polished to a mirror finish?
 
The seller is being quite cooperative and says the knife is not a "fake". I sent him a fairly strong email and was surprised to find that he didn't become defensive, but actually supportive. He has sent an email to Dozier about this knife and seems to have a relationship with them. I was also surprised to find that he agrees that the knives have become more "rough" over the last few years. He attibutes this to their attempt at trying to fill the high demand and the need to possibly "slow down a little". We shall see what happens.
 
I have two Doziers, and the edges of the micarta were left smoothed but unpolished, which I assume is normal because they're both that way. If your micarta edges are like this - not rough at all, but not as polished as the sides of the scales - then it is probably normal for his off-the-shelf knives. I believe I once read that this will actually help grip retention when the knife is bloody or wet and it is probably done that way on purpose. I'm sure if you ordered one direct and asked for the full polish you could get it.

As far as the edge, mine were both toothy but definitely very very sharp. Again, I would think this is normal for these knives. They are fantastic users. I have one of Ingram's knives and there is a different level of slickness and finishing on that knife, but I think that simply demonstrates the differences in "philosophy" between these two fine makers. I don't think one is better than the other, just different.

Too bad you can't get some good pics up, that would help a lot.
 
Bob's hunting knives are users. He makes it publically known that these are not highly polished up pocket or belt jewelry items but bare bones work horse knives so don't expect anything more than a good everyday working knife and an everyday working finish for one of his 'mass' produced models.

Believe me I have seen them, so if you want a higher polished finish he can certainly do that on one but they are top dollar.

STR
 
bladeprince said:
The seller is being quite cooperative and says the knife is not a "fake". I sent him a fairly strong email and was surprised to find that he didn't become defensive, but actually supportive. He has sent an email to Dozier about this knife and seems to have a relationship with them. I was also surprised to find that he agrees that the knives have become more "rough" over the last few years. He attibutes this to their attempt at trying to fill the high demand and the need to possibly "slow down a little". We shall see what happens.
Click to expand...


I' d like to see a pic of this knife. Can you provide the link to E- Bay? Or is it not permitted on this forum?

N.
 
I've been playing with a little Dozier K-2 (on loan) for the past several months, the first knife I've ever used with D2 steel. It came with a very aggressive edge. I found that it responded best to a medium (red) DMT diamond hone, producing a hair shaving edge with a little more patience sharpening than other stainless steels such as VG-10 or ATS-34. I tried putting on a fine edge with the DMT (green) ultra fine hone, but the ability to shave hair then disappeared. A few strokes with the red restored the shaving edge. I don’t know why this is, maybe something to do with the large carbides. Dick Person of Teslin, a long-time Yukon guide-outfitter, says he always sharpened his D2 blades with the coarsest hone he had, finding that it would then cut through muscle and cartilage like a chainsaw. That concurs with my experience. I plan to write a more complete review when I've had a little more time with this blade.
 
Nakano 2 said:
I' d like to see a pic of this knife. Can you provide the link to E- Bay? Or is it not permitted on this forum? N.
Click to expand...

Here is the link (yes, I paid a premium so I wouldn't have to wait for it).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=170047478325&rd=1&rd=1

I understand more know about the Dozier line compared to some others (Ingram knives, for example). These 2 knives are my first experience with custom world and I guess I expected them to be finished in a similar manner. The Ingram knife is almost like "jewel". The Dozier, as mentioned my other posters, looks more like a "workhorse". My understanding now is that it is supposed to.

Yes, the micarta and exposed tang are not polished but not excessively rough. I understanding now that is the way it is supposed to be. As it is, it would in fact increase grip somewhat. For a really good grip, I’d like to see some shallow vertical grooves in the handle.

The blade surely was not sharp, however, even though it may look that way in the pictures. I had to put a lot of time on the Sharpmaker to get it sharp. I will follow the recommendation of using only the rough stone to keep the “saw effect“ of the blade. Now, even this little 3" blade feels like it could easily take off my finger with one good slice.

It seems that all this confusion is just part of my education into the realm of custom knives. I appreciate all the comments and patience with my lack of knowledge. I now know much more then before I opened this thread. Please add anything else that you feel is pertinent to this topic.

Thank you all VERY much
 
Another thing to consider is that D2 is less corrosion resistant than S30V, and the edge could have corroded during shipping or storage. Especially if it was exposed to high humidity and there were a lot of temperature swings.

I agree with the other posters that say D2 responds better to coarser stones.
 
I agree that D2 blades are often used with a coarse edge. OTOH, I love mine mirror polished.
Greg
 
bladeprince, I own a few doziers and I love them. Due to the blade material they can require lots of time to sharpen if they get really dull so I generally keep mine touched up at the end of the day if they have been used extensively. You might want to check with the dozier shop though as lack of sharpness out of the box is not a complaint I have ever heard about from Doziers. As to the seller, I have only had one transaction with him but I searched GBU prior and found only positive remarks. My experience with him was also excellent and I would doubt that you were purposely sold a used or defective knife. Again , it may be worthwhile to send your knife to Bob just to be sure. Bob's shop also has outstanding customer service and don't worry about where you bought the knife. If it is a Dozier they will make it right and judging by my experiences and those of others I have read, they may make it right even if it isn't.
 
"The handle is smooth on the sides but the top and bottom look like they have just finished with their initial shaping. The tang and the micarta are rough to the touch. I would think that they would come polished smooth and shiny like the Ingram. Is this the way the Doziers are made?"

My only experience with a Dozier is a Modified Personal that was a "Dozier Arkansas Knife". It's not marked Arkansas Made, the blades were jobbed out I believe, the finishing and final sharpening were done in the Dozier shop.

I bought this from A. G. Russell. It arrived very sharp but the finish on the top and bottom are exactly as you described. I was a bit surprised. I never did inquire about this and it has become one of my favorite small carry fixed blades. I'd be curious to know what you find out, as you pursue this.
 
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