Question about Sebenza Warranty

[brownshoe]

...For some reason though I worry about the longevity of the framelock on a 400 dollar knife. I have read comments that CRK doesn't always warranty the lock bar? I'm not sure what they warranty and obviously can't call them tonight. I'm curious what you guys have experienced with CRK?...

The CRK written warranty is "should this knife fail after purchase by original user due to faulty workmanship and materials such defects will be made good free of cost." They do many repairs that are outside of this warranty limitation. That's really great and makes them exceptional. However, as written, the warranty does not cover normal wear to a lock bar, blade, etc. Personally, if your knife wears out, you shouldn't expect it to be repaired for free.

 

[MatthewSB]

I imagine you're right.

I'm considering an inlaid Sebenza.

The regular Sebenzas feel, in my hand, similar to any other smooth sided Ti folder out there (no offense, I know a lot of people like theirs )

The inlaid Sebenzas feel totally different, absolutely incredible, to me. Are you looking at a 21 or 25?

 

[BoyNamedStacy]

The regular Sebenzas feel, in my hand, similar to any other smooth sided Ti folder out there (no offense, I know a lot of people like theirs )

The inlaid Sebenzas feel totally different, absolutely incredible, to me. Are you looking at a 21 or 25?

I agree, I much prefer the inlay versions myself. Not only esthetically, but ergonomically as well.

 

[unit]

The CRK written warranty is "should this knife fail after purchase by original user due to faulty workmanship and materials such defects will be made good free of cost." They do many repairs that are outside of this warranty limitation. That's really great and makes them exceptional. However, as written, the warranty does not cover normal wear to a lock bar, blade, etc. Personally, if your knife wears out, you shouldn't expect it to be repaired for free.

Yup, under-promise and over-deliver. That is the creed of a highly successful business. Your point is valid though, they certainly have the room to back out of a lot of the services they routinely provide to their customers should their business model evver change.

We can suppose that it won't but there really are not "guarantees" with warranties. Over the years, I have experienced some really fantastic warranties become void because the maker died or otherwise went out of business. It can happen.

That said, CRK has a pretty strong history that many would use for prediction of the future

 

[Peter Hartwig]

Yup, under-promise and over-deliver. That is the creed of a highly successful business. Your point is valid though, they certainly have the room to back out of a lot of the services they routinely provide to their customers should their business model evver change.

We can suppose that it won't but there really are not "guarantees" with warranties. Over the years, I have experienced some really fantastic warranties become void because the maker died or otherwise went out of business. It can happen.

That said, CRK has a pretty strong history that many would use for prediction of the future

I think we will be safe as long as the Reeve family owns the Co. Some where in time that may change, but most likely well past my own time. Hopefully if the Co. is ever sold it will be bought by a like minded individual or group, but there is certainly no guarantee of that.

Just as a side note-Custom makers warranties are only good as long as the maker can do the work.

 

[338375]

Yup, under-promise and over-deliver. That is the creed of a highly successful business. Your point is valid though, they certainly have the room to back out of a lot of the services they routinely provide to their customers should their business model evver change.

We can suppose that it won't but there really are not "guarantees" with warranties. Over the years, I have experienced some really fantastic warranties become void because the maker died or otherwise went out of business. It can happen.

That said, CRK has a pretty strong history that many would use for prediction of the future

There are a couple other companies that operate with the same warranty parameters. It makes sense because it probably helps eliminate blatant attempted abuse of warranty work.

 

[brownshoe]

I think we will be safe as long as the Reeve family owns the Co. Some where in time that may change, but most likely well past my own time. Hopefully if the Co. is ever sold it will be bought by a like minded individual or group, but there is certainly no guarantee of that...

Who is the "Reeve family"? I know his wife works there, but are there others?

Per an article I read on family owned businesses, most family businesses do not last through the third generation.

For CRK, Benchmade, Spyderco, Cold Steel, they are all on their first generation. Spyderco is getting to second generation, but not quite yet. Buck and Randall are on generation 3 or maybe 4.

I love it when people argue about who has the best warranty. If the firm has not yet made it to the second generation, the warranty is really just the work of one man, the owner/founder. No guarantee the warranty will remain the same past the founder. Even with the same owner, things change. Cold Steel and Spyderco have changed their policies over the years.

Right now, Case, Buck, Queen, Boker, etc. have multigenerational businesses that can support their warranties...but we all know what happened to Schrade. With Lone Wolf, Benchmade said they would support the past Lone Wolf warranty and repair when they bought the company, but they don't any longer.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

Who is the "Reeve family"? I know his wife works there, but are there others?

Per an article I read on family owned businesses, most family businesses do not last through the third generation.
.

I was being purposely vague. His wife(Anne) is part of the business and he does have a son who used to go to and help at the shows. I do not know if his son has joined the business or gone his own way. Not to say that if he has gone his own way, he could not return at some point.
I do think Chris and Anne have built a strong enough Co. that it could survive without them, though they would be greatly missed. But I have no idea what their long term plans are, much less a great number of variables that could happen along the way.
This will all most likely be for others rather than myself to worry about. I am roughly the same age as Chris and Anne and they probably live a healthier lifestyle.

 

[unit]

I hit the wrong button. Never mind.