Question about scale/bolster fit

[Gmountain]

Okay, I just received my Ironwood 111 knife, and I have a question about how much gap, if any , is normal and customary between the bolster and scale. There is a very tiny gap, maybe les than a fingernail, between the bolster and ironwood. I don't know if this is normal, or expected, or out of whack, since this is my first Buck. What do you guys think. It's pretty small, but on the other hand, it wasn't the cheapest knife I ever bought.

BTW, I already cut myself with it. It really is a beautiful knife.

 

[chickentrax]

My personal opinion is that there shouldn't be any gap... :grumpy:

That said, all my knives have some gap...especially the ones I fit the scales on...

Stag will expand & shrink seasonally, if not during humid/rainy weather, or dry spells...same with horn, or so I'm told...

Wood I don't know about...but I would expect it to expand when humid, possibly not so with "stabilized" wood...

I've never had any experience with Ironwood...

...$.02...

 

[panmann]

I have had some custom 110's made both from the old SD site and the new site. I too have seen this same gap as you described. Not happy, but too busy to send back and have looked at. I didn't have that gap with any knives made in SD. That's one of the reason's I stopped buying customs from the shop and switched to Yellowhorse or Prater customs, as well as some smaller designers. I use these, what I call unacceptable Bucks with the gap as my EDC. Kinda expenseive for an EDC, but that;s just me.....

 

[300Bucks]

To busy to send back.

Don't want to pirate thread to warranty discussion, but this is along the lines discussed. In 7 or 8 years of Buck 300 collecting I have never sent anything in for warranty work as I want them 'neked'. But my nephew went fishing in Alaska earlier this year and on his last day traded a local a sixpack for a beat up 110 - for his uncle who collected "buck knives". It was a slab side with worn loose blade and marks on bolsters where they used it as hammer on several occasion. I took the time to wrap and box it up and included a letter asking for repair as best as possible. Which, since it was abused, I would pay for. Mailed it on Friday on the next thursday it returned with new blade, cleaned and polished and buffed out as much as was humanly possible - no cost. I have read and read you guys talk about the service but when I finally used it was all true and more. Now I have a EDC huntin knife and my nephew feels good. You might give one of those lesser cost "gappers" a go with warranty dept and see if they measure up.