Warranty confusion

T

topspeclt

Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
368
I have a Ka-bar 1271 and a Fallkniven A1 and I was just recently comparing the warranty of both knives. It seems that the Ka-bar has a limited lifetime warranty whilst the superior three times more expensive Fallkniven only offer a 2 year warranty!

Why?
 
Lawyers :p

update: after comparing warranties, they're essentially the same.
yes one says "limited lifetime" (for original purchaser) and the other says "two years",
but how can you not notice a manufacturers defect in 2 years time?
I think Fallkniven is imported, so that plays a part ... Lawyers :p
 
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When it comes to factory knives, price has nothing to do with the warranty.

Most companies pick a single policy for all their knives, regardless of price.

Buck, for example, has the same warranty (lifetime) on their $30 110 folding hunter as on their $400 customs.

It gets even more complicated as some will warranty nearly any type of damage or blemish, even if it's your fault.

Others only cover manufacturing "defects" that they are the sole judge of...
 
just10minreader said:
Lawyers :p

update: after comparing warranties, they're essentially the same.
yes one says "limited lifetime" (for original purchaser) and the other says "two years",
but how can you not notice a manufacturers defect in 2 years time?
I think Fallkniven is imported, so that plays a part ... Lawyers :p
Click to expand...

One may use the knife 'lightly' for 2 years and 'heavy' in the third only to discover that the blade fractures or the handle comes off etc. That would be a bummer.

Tony_A said:
When it comes to factory knives, price has nothing to do with the warranty.

Most companies pick a single policy for all their knives, regardless of price.

Buck, for example, has the same warranty (lifetime) on their $30 110 folding hunter as on their $400 customs.

It gets even more complicated as some will warranty nearly any type of damage or blemish, even if it's your fault.

Others only cover manufacturing "defects" that they are the sole judge of...
Click to expand...

Almost all knives I have offer a lifetime warranty including Kershaw, Boker, Kabar, Leatherman, Victorinox etc. etc. I got used to it that knife manufacturers stand behind their product. Let's take Boker for example, they offer cheap chinese made offerings to German made ones ALL with lifetime warranty.

However, one of the most expensive knifes I bought -Fallkniven- DOESN'T have lifetime warranty and it stands out like a sore thumb. All their knives are PREMIUM production knives so why they don't offer lifetime is still really strange to me...:confused:

I still don't see why.

(I suspect it's because Fallkniven is small family business and they wouldn't be able to sustain a lifetime warranty).
 
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topspeclt said:
One may use the knife 'lightly' for 2 years and 'heavy' in the third only to discover that the blade fractures or the handle comes off etc. That would be a bummer.
Click to expand...
Yes it would, and I've been there (we all have),
thats why you're supposed to do a test drive ASAP :) Its like checking your receipt at the grocery store (saves you money).

topspeclt said:
However, one of the most expensive knifes I bought -Fallkniven- DOESN'T have lifetime warranty and it stands out like a sore thumb. All their knifes are PREMIUM production knifes so why they don't offer lifetime is still really strange to me...:confused:

I still don't see why.

(I suspect it's because Fallkniven is small family business and they wouldn't be able to sustain a lifetime warranty).
Click to expand...
Could be as simple as it was their lawyers recommendation, or there is some Swedish law outlawing lifetime warranties :D ... you can always contact the company and ask :)
 
topspeclt said:
One may use the knife 'lightly' for 2 years and 'heavy' in the third only to discover that the blade fractures or the handle comes off etc. That would be a bummer.



Almost all knives I have offer a lifetime warranty including Kershaw, Boker, Kabar, Leatherman, Victorinox etc. etc. I got used to it that knife manufacturers stand behind their product. Let's take Boker for example, they offer cheap chinese made offerings to German made ones ALL with lifetime warranty.

However, one of the most expensive knifes I bought -Fallkniven- DOESN'T have lifetime warranty and it stands out like a sore thumb. All their knifes are PREMIUM production knifes so why they don't offer lifetime is still really strange to me...:confused:

I still don't see why.

(I suspect it's because Fallkniven is small family business and they wouldn't be able to sustain a lifetime warranty).
Click to expand...

FYI, Leatherman does not have a lifetime warranty. It's long (25 years), but I plan to live longer than that.;)

I found the following on Boker's site and bolded and underlined the parts I found to be pertinent:

"To help you better understand whether your product is covered under warranty, the following items are normally not covered under warranty, although exceptions do exist:

-Blade rusting, particularly on carbon steel blades.
-Blade breakage, especially after more than a year of ownership.
-Handle scales cracking or breaking."

"BOKER CERAMIC KNIVES
Our ceramic knives are very keen cutting instruments but are not intended for chopping or cutting hard items such as bone, staples, or frozen products and are not to be used for whittling. Also, care must be taken while cutting items such as fibrous vegetables and cheeses.

Please exercise caution when using ceramic bladed knives.

Due to their extreme hardness, which is why they do not need to be sharpened as often as a steel blade, they are brittle. Therefore, blade breakage or chipping is not covered under warranty."

I found the following on KaBar's site and bolded and underlined the parts I found to be pertinent:

"Repair Referral Service
Although KA-BAR does not offer repair services, the company is able to refer
customers to a reputable independent repairman. These repairmen are not
employed by KA-BAR. Each repairman determines his own fees and KA-BAR does not warranty any modifications made to KA-BAR products by these
repairmen or any other outside service providers."

"LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTYKA-BAR Knives, Inc. (the “Company”) warrants, to the original purchaser of the knifeonly, that this knife will be free from defects in material and craftsmanship under normal use and maintenance for the lifetime of the original purchaser. This Limited Warrantydoes not apply to any failure of, defect in, or damage to the knife caused by normal wear and tear or by improper use, including throwing the knife, using the blades as a canopener, chisel, pry bar, screwdriver, digging tool, or for any heavy work for which the knife was not designed. If the knife fails to satisfy this Limited Warranty, the Company will repair or replace theknife or substitute a knife of comparable value, at the Company’s option, and such repair,replacement or substitution shall constitute the sole remedy for any failure of the knife to satisfy this Limited Warranty or any implied warranty (ies) of the Company. In order to have a Limited Warranty claim evaluated by the Company, you must return the knife, at your own expense and risk, to KA-BAR Knives, Inc., at 1125 East State Street, Olean,NY 14760, attention Customer Service Department. Please include with the returned knife a brief written description of any claimed defect(s) in or failure(s) of the knife. Anyr eturned knife determined by the Company to not be eligible for repair, replacement orsubstitution under the terms of the Limited Warranty will be returned to the Owner.THE COMPANY MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION WHATSOEVER OF OR WITH RESPECT TO THE KNIFE OTHER THAN THEFOREGOING LIMITED WARRANTY, AND ALL SUCH OTHER EXPRESSWARRANTIES ARE HEREBY EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OFMERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THIS LIMITED WARRANTY. THE COMPANY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,AND ALL SUCH DAMAGES ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED.Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, or exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusion may not apply to you.This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state."

So much for using the knife "heavy", like you stated.

Regards,
3G
 
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3Guardsmen said:
FYI, Leatherman does not have a lifetime warranty. It's long (25 years), but I plan to live longer than that.;)

I found the following on Boker's site and bolded and underlined the parts I found to be pertinent:

"To help you better understand whether your product is covered under warranty, the following items are normally not covered under warranty, although exceptions do exist:

-Blade rusting, particularly on carbon steel blades.
-Blade breakage, especially after more than a year of ownership.
-Handle scales cracking or breaking."

"BOKER CERAMIC KNIVES
Our ceramic knives are very keen cutting instruments but are not intended for chopping or cutting hard items such as bone, staples, or frozen products and are not to be used for whittling. Also, care must be taken while cutting items such as fibrous vegetables and cheeses.

Please exercise caution when using ceramic bladed knives.

Due to their extreme hardness, which is why they do not need to be sharpened as often as a steel blade, they are brittle. Therefore, blade breakage or chipping is not covered under warranty."

I found the following on KaBar's site and bolded and underlined the parts I found to be pertinent:

"Repair Referral Service
Although KA-BAR does not offer repair services, the company is able to refer
customers to a reputable independent repairman. These repairmen are not
employed by KA-BAR. Each repairman determines his own fees and KA-BAR does not warranty any modifications made to KA-BAR products by these
repairmen or any other outside service providers."

"LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTYKA-BAR Knives, Inc. (the “Company”) warrants, to the original purchaser of the knifeonly, that this knife will be free from defects in material and craftsmanship under normal use and maintenance for the lifetime of the original purchaser. This Limited Warrantydoes not apply to any failure of, defect in, or damage to the knife caused by normal wear and tear or by improper use, including throwing the knife, using the blades as a canopener, chisel, pry bar, screwdriver, digging tool, or for any heavy work for which the knife was not designed. If the knife fails to satisfy this Limited Warranty, the Company will repair or replace theknife or substitute a knife of comparable value, at the Company’s option, and such repair,replacement or substitution shall constitute the sole remedy for any failure of the knife to satisfy this Limited Warranty or any implied warranty (ies) of the Company. In order to have a Limited Warranty claim evaluated by the Company, you must return the knife, at your own expense and risk, to KA-BAR Knives, Inc., at 1125 East State Street, Olean,NY 14760, attention Customer Service Department. Please include with the returned knife a brief written description of any claimed defect(s) in or failure(s) of the knife. Anyr eturned knife determined by the Company to not be eligible for repair, replacement orsubstitution under the terms of the Limited Warranty will be returned to the Owner.THE COMPANY MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION WHATSOEVER OF OR WITH RESPECT TO THE KNIFE OTHER THAN THEFOREGOING LIMITED WARRANTY, AND ALL SUCH OTHER EXPRESSWARRANTIES ARE HEREBY EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OFMERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THIS LIMITED WARRANTY. THE COMPANY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,AND ALL SUCH DAMAGES ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED.Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, or exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusion may not apply to you.This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state."

So much for using the knife "heavy", like you stated.

Regards,
3G
Click to expand...

Thankd for the detailed insight. You are indeed correct about the Leatherman Warranty.

But isn't there a difference between what they actually write in small print and the services they actually offer? If these companies enforced the warranties to the letter then these knife manufacturers wouldn't have the reputation they have today.

My experience is no-quibble replacement but other people's experience may differ.

I mean how many people have been refered by Kabar to a reputable independent repairman?
 
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topspeclt said:
But isn't there a difference between what they actually write in small print and the services they actually offer? If these companies enforced the warranties to the letter then these knife manufacturers wouldn't have the reputation they have today.
Click to expand...


I would respectfully submit that reputation is earned by producing high quality products that seldom require the need to honor the warranty.

Kevin
 
Not to de-rail this thread, but if warranty is that much of an issue, why not spend a little bit more and buy a RAT?
 
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