Thoughts on Blems

Bizchrz · Jan 23, 2015

Sorry if this topic has been beat to death, I'm new here, but what is everyone's opinion on buying blems?

TBL · Jan 23, 2015

Great alternative if you cant afford the knife you are looking for at full price. Also 90% of the time its something minor like a scratch in the coating. You will also not be as hesitant about beating on them

Bob W · Jan 23, 2015

If it's for a user, why not. It's going to be 'blemished' in a few minutes anyway.

collim1 · Jan 23, 2015

I've gotten some great deals on firearms buying blems. My stuff gets used anyway, minor cosmetic dings are worth the discount in my opinion.

Mike-The-Knife · Jan 23, 2015

Nothing wrong with blems or factory seconds at all , as long as they are just cosmetic . I have bougth two factory seconds from Survive Knives . Both are just cosmetic issues , on one a actually can't even find it . It might be under the handle .

My knives are users and will end up with plenty of "cosmetic" issues in time lol , so I'm all for saving some cash up front .

eschwebach · Jan 23, 2015

I own a Kershaw Blur blem and the only thing wrong with it was a slight discoloration in the stone wash on the blade. Everything else was perfect. It's a great way to purchase a new knife at a very reasonable price.

AreBeeBee · Jan 23, 2015

I figure any knife I buy will soon have a "blem" or three once it gets to my hands. ("Every knife a user," sez I.) So if the blemish is cosmetic only, it's just an opportunity to get something good for less.

If you like 'em pristine for all time, however — well, you'll have a different take on the matter.

Bizchrz · Jan 23, 2015

Thanks for your input. I am looking at buying a blem of a rare color knife. Price is more then double it's original but I've been looking for one for a while. Probably not gonna be an edc but one I will carry lightly.

@LeathermanGX · Jan 23, 2015

I always thought it would be a great discount way to get custom work done. Custom scales and stone washing would erase any blemish.

Noswad0208 · Jan 23, 2015

I've got no problem with them as long as they don't put some stupid crap all over the knife that says "blemish" or something. (Ahem, Kershaw..)

grownstar · Jan 23, 2015

Noswad0208 said:
I've got no problem with them as long as they don't put some stupid crap all over the knife that says "blemish" or something. (Ahem, Kershaw..)

What do you mean? All Kershaw does it put 4 X's on the blade. They're seconds and need to be marked as such at the factory.

Noswad0208 · Jan 23, 2015

grownstar said:
What do you mean? All Kershaw does it put 4 X's on the blade. They're seconds and need to be marked as such at the factory.

When I was looking at Leeks I almost bought a blem, but the 4 X's were almost all the way to the center of the blade. That bothers me enough to not buy one. Would one X near the handle not be just as good?

grownstar · Jan 23, 2015

Noswad0208 said:
When I was looking at Leeks I almost bought a blem, but the 4 X's were almost all the way to the center of the blade. That bothers me enough to not buy one. Would one X near the handle not be just as good?

Yeah, I can see your point man.

I've got a Blur blem and thankfully the X's don't bug me.

Noswad0208 · Jan 23, 2015

grownstar said:
Yeah, I can see your point man.

I've got a Blur blem and thankfully the X's don't bug me.

I actually don't mind how it looks on that one for some reason, might be the different finishes. I think the Leek blem was either a blackwash or a plain one and the X's stood out like crazy.

B34NS · Jan 23, 2015

Mike-The-Knife said:
Nothing wrong with blems or factory seconds at all , as long as they are just cosmetic . I have bougth two factory seconds from Survive Knives . Both are just cosmetic issues , on one a actually can't even find it . It might be under the handle .

My knives are users and will end up with plenty of "cosmetic" issues in time lol , so I'm all for saving some cash up front .

Same here, have a "second" and can't see where the alleged blems are compared to the first 4.1 I got, but I'm not complaining.

The only time I'd be a little more hesitant is if the warranty is any different than a producer's prime product warranty, but with Survive! he honors them all the same.

vanslem6 · Jan 23, 2015

Aren't the blemished Kershaws sold without warranty? If true, I think that may be something to take into consideration.

TheGearGuy · Jan 23, 2015

As long as it's cosmetic, it's just a head start. All knives get "blemished" with use. If it was a good deal you've got more money to buy the next one.

grownstar · Jan 23, 2015

vanslem6 said:
Aren't the blemished Kershaws sold without warranty? If true, I think that may be something to take into consideration.

This is true. They don't have warranty.

So I agree that's something the buyer needs to think about.

ToddM · Jan 23, 2015

No company is going to sell a knife that they feel is anything but 100% safe and functional for liability reasons. Usually they are only cosmetic issues, and many times hard to spot even if you look.

Warranty can be a concern, but usually with knives we don't use warranty. Be careful though because companies have started to get very sneaky about how they word products that are refurbished to try and hide that they have less warranty so it pays to do your homework.

For example Cabelas was selling pre-owned Leica HD-B binoculars for about 20% off, in optics that's a great deal. They supposedly just had damaged packaging in shipment. In the Cabelas product description they say "Leica's 18 month warranty still applies" That statement could easily mislead the buyer into thinking it has the normal full manufacturers warranty. However, a new pair carries a 5 year warranty! In fact when you read the documentation, it's not really 18 months. It's only 18 months from the date listed on the card of the repair, and 1 year from owner registration of the product, so in reality it's only 12 months, 1/5 of the standard warranty.

stonproject · Jan 23, 2015

Bizchrz said:
Sorry if this topic has been beat to death, I'm new here, but what is everyone's opinion on buying blems?

Sure nothing wrong with a blem... However....

I certainly dont mind buying a blade or firearrm with blemishes, but if youre buying a zero tolerance as a blem , I wouldnt. For one I dont like how they grind a bunch of XXX into the blade to signify its a blem, also, THEY HAVE NO WARRANTY!!! I would seriously not buy one of these for less than 75% off the retail price. Id rather just spend the extra cash and get the knife new with a lifetime warranty, and no ugly xxx on the blade.