S30V Ritter Griptilian chipped

[cutter17]

Esav,
"In building for hard use, the manufacturer should over-build, but the user should under-utilize. Don't push a tool to the very edge of its capability and it won't fail."


A BIG :thumbup: for that. Some of the times people see the Heavy Duty moniker and proceed to treat as fixed blade. But common sense has to be taken when using ANY knife.

 

[C_Claycomb]

I was just informed of this thread and would like to reiterate that Aeromedix and Benchmade stand behind Doug’s RSK-Mk1 knives with a lifetime warranty.

We certainly find it odd that apparently this knife reportedly failed in the same manner as an earlier one and not under use we’d normally consider abuse. In any case, we would prefer to have had the knife back in its original damaged condition and either replaced it or refunded the customer’s money, since we cannot analyze a failure otherwise. They are rare enough that we are always curious to get to the bottom of it.

The RSK Mk1 is a production knife, so occasionally things slip through even Benchmade’s generally superior quality process, but this is extremely odd. Clearly, Doug wouldn’t be putting his name on a knife that wasn’t up to the job he designed it for and clearly if we had many failures such as this, we’d not still be selling them. While designed as a slicer in accordance with Doug’s philosophy, it isn’t a sharpened pry bar, I know he, as well as many of our customers, certainly work them very hard and Doug has often explained how he abuses and tests them just to find out what they will take.

If any customer ever has a problem with one of Doug’s knives that we have sold, we hope you will contact us and allow Aeromedix and Benchmade to provide the first class customer service upon which Doug, Brent Blue and Les deAsis have built their businesses.

Eric

Well, I guess one can't say fairer than that. I know you must have had better things to be doing than answering internet threads. Thank you.

While my friend wasn’t interested in trying for a refund, or in being sent a replacement in which he would no longer have confidence, it was I that posted about the problem without sparing a moment to think how it might look, or considering that it mattered that Aeromedix and Benchmade hadn’t been approached after the second blade chipped. I realise now that without being aware of it, I allowed myself to be influenced by less than satisfactory past experiences with UK based customer service and by the hassles encountered with previous trans-Atlantic knife returns (not Benchmade). Pressing my friend to engage in a transatlantic customer service discussion, involving an unverifiable failure mode of something used for a difficult to define period of time, never occurred to me as an option.

I am not sorry for having started this thread though. I have learned a lot more than if I had followed the only alternative route, quietly re-grinding the blade and sending it back to my friend. At the very least Eric has shown me that I needed an attitude adjustment where customer service is concerned.

Cheers all.

Chris

 

[Pahtoocara]

That chip is disconcerting, so hopefully BM follows through on their promises.

I've used my CS XL Voyager pretty hard and even battoned with it without any damage. It has a very thin hollow ground edge too.

Holy cow! Are you saying CS might make a good knife?

 

[Twindog]

Aeromedix is an excellent company in my experience, and I like the design of the Ritter RSK. I've one ordered in M4. I also have great respect for Benchmade. I also like S30V. No sour grapes here.

However, this damage doesn't surprise me. The edge of this blade has a microchip in front of the chunk that broke out. For whatever reason, many people, including me, had trouble with the edge microchipping in the S30V model, at least early on. Yes, I know most people did not.

This knife may have been one of the few to have a chippy blade. And cutting/chopping up small branches, while not abuse, can hit cross grains or knots that can build up a lot of lateral pressure, especially in wide blades.

 

[steveg30]

Send it to benchmade they will fix it up . I bet they will put a new blade in it . Even with a chip it could still save your life . Good luck.

 

[BOD]

I am seldom on this forum but when I saw the OP I thought WOW I've seen a a failure like this before.

As I read on I realised that I was present at the first failure in Borneo. It's been a while but I can testify that he was not misusing the knife. In fact he is a careful user and uses it in a similar way to me.

Ih fact on that occassion I was using an Al Mar Airweight which is a much lighter knife without mishap as the small back up knife to my parang.

That the replacement from Ritter failed too suggests a production problem. As I recall Ritters sent No2 swiftly and service was fine.

Not misuse but some problem elsewhere.

 

[belayed]

s30v? I think I'll skip it. That includes the maker

 

[nevermind35]

I think the only problems people ever experienced with s30v was in the beginning when it was first introduced. For the first year or so a few people were experiencing microchipping however like any other blade steel, it takes a while of real world use to determine what works and what does not. They have since changed the hardness and now I NEVER hear anything about chipping in s30v.

On the other hand if you're partner is gung ho about not wanting another s30v ritter grip I would highly recommend the CPM M4 Ritter that is now on preorder. CPM M4 is a very tough carbon steel that can take a ton of use and abuse and not even blink. The insane edge holding and ability to take such a steep edge does not hurt in the least either. There are different thoughts about what a woodscrafting knife should be. Should it be super easy to take an edge so that you can get it hair poppin sharp before you go in the outdoors and then strop it up when you get home? Or should you spend triple the time to sharpen it but then it stays sharp for 3 full outings instead of just one? Two very different thoughts that I have seen expressed here from many different people, however I myself usually choose the latter for a folder. What if the worst does happen and your hike turns into a survival situation. It will be good to know that your folder will stay nice and sharp through all tasks that you may have ahead of you.

Good god that was a lot of typing!

By the way send the knife to benchmade and they'll give you a brand spankin new blade for 20 greenbacks.:thumbup: