Warranty Question

[Will York]

"Prying" can mean anything from removing a staple to trying to open a jammed car door. I don't really think you've spent 40 years using knives without prying. You just haven't quite pushed one past the point of no return. Good for you.

 

[dsmegst]

Will,

I think it's reasonable to see some folks take a defensive attitude towards their favorite brand. And this being the Spyderco forum, it's par for the course.

I am surprised that the VG-10 blade broke rather than bend. When I first read your post, I thought you were referring to the S30V version. Perhaps being full flat ground, it was too thin to take much lateral force. It sucks that one of your high-dollar knives got ruined. It's a hard lesson learned and I hope others learn from it, so thanks for sharing your experience. I rather read about it than having to go through it myself.

I hope the responses here didn't sour how you feel about Spydies and the folks that love 'em. Sometimes, we feel like we belong to a family.

 

[The Mastiff]

I don't really think you've spent 40 years using knives without prying.

You would be wrong there Will.

I'm a regular Hank Hill when it comes to tools, and their use. They even have to have their own spot.

Yes, I have extra pry bars in the car, BOB, upstairs, etc. I even have a small one on my keychain. ( MOD D9 alloy)

My knives are meant for cutting, slicing, and just maybe stabbing. To think of messing up a beautiful, atom slicing edge by twisting, or prying makes me think evil thoughts.

Nope, I just don't see me doing it. Joe/Raleigh

 

[Will York]

Will,

I think it's reasonable to see some folks take a defensive attitude towards their favorite brand. And this being the Spyderco forum, it's par for the course.

I am surprised that the VG-10 blade broke rather than bend. When I first read your post, I thought you were referring to the S30V version. Perhaps being full flat ground, it was too thin to take much lateral force. It sucks that one of your high-dollar knives got ruined. It's a hard lesson learned and I hope others learn from it, so thanks for sharing your experience. I rather read about it than having to go through it myself.

I hope the responses here didn't sour how you feel about Spydies and the folks that love 'em. Sometimes, we feel like we belong to a family.

I do get that, thanks.

If my posts helped clarify for some of you what to expect on this kind of repair issue, that was my only intent.

Will

 

[brownshoe]

Don't know the context about the statement that it is too costly to repair knives, but other firms do not find it too expensive. In comparison, Benchmade two years ago replaced the ATS34 blade in a Spike (out of production for at least 8 years) for $25. Blade replacement was what Mr. York was requesting.

 

[Will York]

Don't know the context about the statement that it is too costly to repair knives, but other firms do not find it too expensive. In comparison, Benchmade two years ago replaced the ATS34 blade in a Spike (out of production for at least 8 years) for $25. Blade replacement was what Mr. York was requesting.

Bingo. Thank you, sir.

 

[JNewell]

This has become an exercise in rhetoric, in the worst sort of sense. I am not playing fan-boy. It's just that I walk around with two feet on the ground and both eyes open. It is fair, reasonable and commercially customary, in the case of a discontinued item, to replace it with an equivalent new product or cash of equal value. If you manage to get better, you are ahead and that's great - but to expect that, from anyone, is unrealistic and unfair.

 

[Will York]

This has become an exercise in rhetoric, in the worst sort of sense. I am not playing fan-boy. It's just that I walk around with two feet on the ground and both eyes open. It is fair, reasonable and commercially customary, in the case of a discontinued item, to replace it with an equivalent new product or cash of equal value. If you manage to get better, you are ahead and that's great - but to expect that, from anyone, is unrealistic and unfair.

I think you must still be missing the fact that Spyderco DID NOT OFFER TO REPLACE THE KNIFE WITH A NEW PRODUCT OR CASH OF EQUAL VALUE. The reference to the warranty replacement policy, if you will read the email again, begins with the word "If". I had already been told the warranty replacement would only be offered if I sent in the knife and it was determined that the blade or the steel was defective in some way. As I said, I don't believe that was the case. And only "IF" it were the case would the warranty apply. After being told this is the policy in so many words, spending additional money to send the knife in and wait to be told the blade and steel were of acceptable quality would be a waste of money, IMO.

 

[Josh K]

I think you must still be missing the fact that Spyderco DID NOT OFFER TO REPLACE THE KNIFE WITH A NEW PRODUCT OR CASH OF EQUAL VALUE. The reference to the warranty replacement policy, if you will read the email again, begins with the word "If". I had already been told the warranty replacement would only be offered if I sent in the knife and it was determined that the blade or the steel was defective in some way. As I said, I don't believe that was the case. And only "IF" it were the case would the warranty apply. After being told this is the policy in so many words, spending additional money to send the knife in and wait to be told the blade and steel were of acceptable quality would be a waste of money, IMO.

You are in effect determining the warranty for yourself. It you won't send it in so they can look at it, then there really isn't a point to complaining about it.

Did you expect them to offer to replace it? You keep bringing this issue up. If cost isn't an issue, why not simply buy a new one? If you admit to in your view abusing it beyond the warranty then why are you now complaining about the warranty?

 

[Will York]

You are in effect determining the warranty for yourself. It you won't send it in so they can look at it, then there really isn't a point to complaining about it.

Did you expect them to offer to replace it? You keep bringing this issue up. If cost isn't an issue, why not simply buy a new one? If you admit to in your view abusing it beyond the warranty then why are you now complaining about the warranty?

My God, man! I'm not the one bringing up the issue of replacing it under the warranty. Newell is the one who misinterpreted the original email, thinking it said they were replacing it. I am merely trying to point that fact out.

Here it is, gentlemen, plain and simple:

I broke the tip off the knife. I do not expect a warranty replacement. I asked Spyderco to replace the blade, at my expense. They said they would not and could not do that. There were only two things they said they could do:

1) Replace the knife if the steel or blade grind was defective; or

2) Regrind what was left of the knife into some kind of useable shape.

That's IT.

The first is not an option. The blade and steel are normal, as far as I can tell, and as you'll see if you read the end of her email, she understood my not wanting to bother with sending the knife in just to have them tell me that.

The second is not an option in this case, at least for me. There is not enough blade left to regrind into anything I'd want to carry.

Now you know what I know. That's all I posted to say.

My only mistake was subscribing to this thread, in case there was some additional information I might provide, but since I've restated the facts several times already with nothing new of value coming to the surface, I'm cancelling my subscription and you can go on with whatever discussion you find of value--or not. Makes no difference to me. If anyone needs anything more from me, feel free to send an email.

 

[The Mastiff]

Brownshoe stated:

Don't know the context about the statement that it is too costly to repair knives, but other firms do not find it too expensive. In comparison, Benchmade two years ago replaced the ATS34 blade in a Spike (out of production for at least 8 years) for $25. Blade replacement was what Mr. York was requesting.

To be honest, I don't feel you can pay for the cost of the steel, grinding, heat treat, finish work and fitting for $25 now, even for a blade as small as a Native.

Even doing it at home for no labor cost I don't think it's possible when you take the cost of consumables, electricity, etc. into consideration.

I'd bet you can't find a independent knifemaker willing to do it for double that price. Why would you expect Spyderco to do it knowing they would lose money doing it? The cost has to be recouped somewhere.

That's the Sears Craftsman "lifetime replacement warranty" business model. You are in effect paying for a replacement when buying one , whether you ever will need replacement or not.

I choose not to buy or do business with companies that do that. Some people like to buy extra "extended warranties" with their appliances, some don't.

I prefer to buy my knives without extended warranties built in the cost. The regular warranty has been just fine in my dealings with Spyderco since 1991-92.

I recognize some aren't satisfied. You've made your dissatisfaction known here for years now, over and over again.

 

[brownshoe]

Comparing a factory repair to "a independent knifemaker willing to do it for double that price" is like apples and oranges. IIRC, I believe Case's charge for blade replacements is also about $35 or less. Scale replacements I believe are about the same.

If your business model is to offer repair services, then when you run 2000 knives, you have a percentage over that for key parts, such as blades, liners etc. The cost for the part is then minimized due to the economy of production. You do have to pay overhead for storage. It is true, when you run out of parts, repairs can no longer be done. That's one of the advantages of the Case model of production, they repeat blade styles over the years and can generate new parts.

If you do not run your repairs as a income supporting activity, but as part of overhead, then the financials change even more. That's how Buck can do so many repairs for free. You might not like it, but I sure do

 

[The Mastiff]

That's not the best model around for folders that sell for $50 to $100. It's a money loser at $50 per hour shop time, not including steel, transport, heat treat, belts, electricity, etc.

I guess the bottom line for me is that if I don't like a company I would take my business somewhere else. No one company, like knives themselves works for everybody.

Another thing I wouldn't do is hang around year after year waiting for threads like this to pop up so I could pounce on them in grudge mode to repay an old perceived slight to my sense of fairness or trade practices . Joe/Raleigh