Spyderco quality

H

huugh

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Hi,
I want to share my recent experience with the Spyderco.
I bought the new Spyderco CF Walker (http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=450).
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Well, my joy was quickly overcame by the poor quality of the knife:

12.jpg


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lock.jpg


lock2.jpg


Note the lopsided blade and also the lock which ends up anywhere between 50-90 % engagement.

OK, nobody is perfect and things like that happen, I proceed to contact Spyderco warranty, only to find out, that I may send it to them, but it is "limited production (sprint run) and there were only 1200 made" and according to the pictures, it is all in "QC specifications".

17.jpg

It is ironic how the "Attention to small finishing details" looks like, isn't it?


However, this event provided me an opportunity to have direct comparison between the Spyderco and Benchmade - about three or four years back, I bought the Benchmade Opportunist. Unfortunately, it had some issues - the blade had uneven grinds (but it was not lopsided like the Walker), and one scale was of different thickness than the other. See pics, but also note, that in the case of Benchmade, both these things were less evident, e.g. the blade grind was at least centered, unlike Spyderco Walker, and while the scale didn't look exactly good, it wasn't a functional issue, unlike Spyderco Walker's lock.
opportunist.jpg

opportunist1.jpg


What was Benchmade's approach? They did not tell me it was "within tolerances". Instead, they offered me a replacement and also refunded me shipping costs!
Needless to say, the replacement was flawless.


So there you have it, Benchmade vs Spyderco? No longer an issue for me.
Next time you consider buying Spyderco, bear in mind they have "tolerances", so in fact you might end up with an expensive paperweight.
 
You can get a bad knife from anyone. I have a few benchmades, and one spyderco. While I prefer benchmade overall, the sypderco is definitely a quality knife.

Sorry you had a bad experience, call them back and throw a fit.


-Freq
 
No offense Huugh, but I think you're being a bit picky. I don't see anything particularly wrong with that knife, certainly nothing that would cause me to send it back, much less complain about in a public forum. The Walker lock is not designed for ultra-consistent lockup, in terms of where it engages the tang. As long as it locks up with little to no blade-play, where's the problem?

If you're looking for super-tight, aerospace-level tolerances, Chris Reeve is probably the manufacturer for you.
 
I feel for you. That offset grind would drive me crazy and I too have not had the greatest experience with Spyderco's warranty dept.
 
moonwilson said:
No offense Huugh, but I think you're being a bit picky. I don't see anything particularly wrong with that knife, certainly nothing that would cause me to send it back, much less complain about in a public forum. The Walker lock is not designed for ultra-consistent lockup, in terms of where it engages the tang. As long as it locks up with little to no blade-play, where's the problem?

If you're looking for super-tight, aerospace-level tolerances, Chris Reeve is probably the manufacturer for you.
Click to expand...

I disagree about the engagement. My friend has one of those and if it engages to far I can easily disengage it with with my hand on the spine.
 
While I do love Spyderco, I have noticed a definite difference in the fit and finish of their Seki City products vs. those made in Golden. I've purchased 4 Spydies so far (1 from the Golden, 3 from Seki) and returned/sold all three from Seki immediately after opening the boxes. I've never noticed anything wrong with the blades, but there are always issues with the handle scales or locks that drive me nuts.
 
Who did you buy it from, sent it back?

If this is what it takes for you to write-off Spyderco for good what happens if you eventually get a lemon from everybody, stop buying knives alltogether?

Since Spyderco (in the link you provided) is still showing it as available they should be able to replace it if returned, right?
 
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Even though it has no impact on the knife's function, that off-grind would bug the hell out of me given what you probably paid for it. That kind of defect in a model that touts such high zoot materials ought to have been caught by QC. I could live with that defect in a $30 knife but not on this one. You definitely ought to start first with the company purchased from if you haven't done so already.
 
I recently bought a Spyderco Spyderfly and was a little surprised at the finishing on the tang pins and the amount of play in the handles--the Spyderflys are made in Golden, CO. That CF Walker looks really bad though!
 
Ehhhhh, take it with a grain of salt. I've got a whole drawer of Spydies, and none of them exhibit any flaws. You think you've got a bad one, tough break, send it back if you like (or just realize that it's a tool and still works just fine).
 
Since Spyderco already said they won't do anything, return it now so you can get your money back. Their warranty isn't that great. I wouldn't be satisfied with that knife either, not for around $120. If you do decide to send it in later they won't be able to fix it or replace it either. IMO the best Spydercos come from Taiwan....
 
That blade must have slipped through Q/A. The grind is hideous on that knife.
 
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It's not just a tool, at this price and with the letter about "brother-in-law envy", it's a "collectible." That off center grind is an embarrassment. No knife knut would be envious of a blade with that problem. Never seen one so bad in anything other than a <$35 blade.

It should not take the president of the company to get that type of error (or any error for that matter) rectified.
 
"If this is what it takes for you to write-off Spyderco for good what happens if you eventually get a lemon from everybody, stop buying knives alltogether?'

Seeing two posts like this in the last few weeks where the knife (and pricey ones too) was considered within spec and not a warranty issue is enough for ME to write off Spyderco based on CS alone.
 
I would wait for Sal to comment. If your that dissatisfied with the knife I am sure there is something they can do for you. Mistakes happen and sometimes less than stellar examples of a companys product does slip through. Everyones idea of "flawed" is open for discussion. The fact remains your not happy with it and should get a replacement or a refund or something of that nature.
 
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