Tell Us About Your Fiddleback Customer Service Experience

ncrockclimb

ncrockclimb

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Nov 20, 2014
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Last year I acquired a Woodsman from a member here. He was not the original owner, and we think that at least two other people had owned (and used) the knife before he got it. Although in good shape, the knife had a few dings and scratched. Also, there was a very slight gap between one of the scales and the blade. I am pretty sure that the knife had been heavily abused before I got it.

While at Blade, I was talking with Andy and mentioned my Woodsman. I told him about the issue with the scale, and Andy told me to send the knife back to him so that he could fix it. When I explained that the knife was VERY used and that I was not the first owner, Andy told me that he didn't care, and again told me to send the knife so that he could fix it for me.

Last month I finally got around to sending the knife back to Fiddleback. I included a note telling them to do whatever was required to fix the issue and to contact me for my CC info. A few weeks later I got back the knife. Of course, it was fixed but they had not called me for payment. When I contacted them and offered to pay, Phillip would not take my money.

There are a lot of companies out there that make nice knives. Fiddleback not only makes a fantastic and tough knife, but stands behind it NO MATTER WHAT. I was at least the third owner of a knife that had been beat on hard, and they did not hesitate to repair it free of charge. I was already a loyal customer, but this made me like the company and its employees even more.

(btw, Allen / WA Surls Knives is just as good. I actually damaged one of his knives taking it out of the box, and he repaired if free of charge AND covered the shipping.)

I am sure I am not the only person that has experienced Fiddleback's awesome customer service. Let's make this thread an ongoing conversation where we talk about Fiddleback's awesome customer service.
 
I was carrying a SAK when I went to visit the shop. When Allen saw it he asked to check it out. When I gave it to him he said "How dare you carry another knife into this shop" and broke it.
 
I really did go visit the shop but the entire Fiddleback crew couldn't have been nicer. Phillip not only showed me every station of the shop but answered any question I asked. It was great to see the knives that were in process and to check out completed ones that I hadn't yet been able to. I even got to pet Ivy. 😊
 
I agree. There have been some recent threads about service issues with other makers. That is never going to be an issue here, nor should it be, as the product is designed based on utility and function. As much as we care for the blades due to artistic elements, they can take almost anything reasonably expected of a knife in the field.
 
Andy sent me stuff from his secret santa collection.

I'm confused. A bit scared.
 
But seriously...

I've got lots of stories on this subject to choose from. But my favorite is this: when I was entirely new to this, I saw a knife from a sale about a month previous that had gone unclaimed. I emailed Phillip, and he responded that while it was still in the shop, he didn't want to sell it to me because the scales looked to have an imperfection that he feared would slowly deteriorate over time. He could have easily just made the sale, especially since it might have been years before I saw any issue with the knife.

Seems simple. But to me it was a big deal.
It was a perfect example of insisting on quality in your product, integrity in your actions, and commitment to developing a long term loyal customer. I was deeply disappointed I didn't get the knife, and completely sold on the Forge.
 
I was told if I send 20 dollars and a self addressed and post paid envelope to Fiddleback Forge, in 6 to 8 weeks I'd get a autographed photo.:thumbup:

I got a picture of Phillip with a dog's print on it. . .;)
 
Onedog said:
Is it because you saw his secret santa gifts? [emoji23]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I just looked through that thread to see what you are talking about. All I can say is wow. Just wow.

All kidding aside, I recently had a customer service issue with another maker. The knife was defective, and their response to the issue was very different from what I have come to expect from Andy / Allen / Phillip. It is easy for us to take how Fiddleback / WAS run their businesses for granted, but the reality is that they far superior to a lot of the other folks out there.

Now, how do I get an autographed picture of my own?!?! I feel incomplete knowing that these pictures are out there and that I don't have one!
 
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Back when Ken was still working with the forge, I got my second fiddleback from Kirkwood. It was a 1/8 Scandi Hiking buddy in dyed burl. Kirkwood had never used it before, but maybe from storage, a large void was found in the knife when I received it. Kirkwood was great about making things right, but I loved the knife and wanted to keep it. I contacted Andy and Ken and both of them helped me out. They told me to send it right in and fixed it up to look perfect with some super glue. They told me if they couldn't get it right they'd replace it for me. They were so awesome to talk to on the phone about it, and made me feel confident in my support of their business.
 
Last Friday a Priority Mail box arrived in my mailbox from Andy Roy. It was a prototype Chief that turned out to have a longer handle than it should have. So Andy just sent it to me, knowing that it would fit my large hands. It's a terrific model, and the scales are from the current block of light ironwood that's showing up on some recent knives. From photos of the Chief it's hard to detect the subtle lines that make such a simple design another example of Andy's artistic talent. Despite lacking the usual curves, the handle is very comfortable and secure in all grips. And the blade has quickly made it my go-to utility knife around the house. I encourage any of you who are curious about his new models -- utility blades in three sizes -- to check them out. Thanks, Andy.
 
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