What to do when you are not quite happy with a knife you just bought?

Woodrow F Call

Woodrow F Call

Joined
Jan 3, 2013
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I know stuff happens and not every knife is perfect. This one is new. I would like a little input on how to handle it.

Price: Between $75 and $100
Mostly minor issues:

1. Blades have a couple of minor scratches that could be buffed out. One looks like a power tool got away from someone. :o
2. One half of the back side is nice and smooth, the other half you can feel the springs and liners.
3. The tangs rub the liners and are scratching.
4. One of the blades is off center enough that it has a slight rub on the liners and leaving a scratch.

I planned on using this knife, so most of my concerns really don't bother me. I do wish that the blade didn't rub though. I know the seller will take the knife back and probably exchange it, but the seller didn't make the knife and I plan on using it anyways.

I could call the manufacturer and maybe send it back to them. I guess it would be good to let them know.

Or I could just use it.

Am I asking too much?
 
If it bugs you that much and the knife is still new and currently in production, I suggest returning it back to the seller for an exchange. I don't think you'll be happy with it otherwise.

Woodrow F Call said:
3. The tangs rub the liners and are scratching.
Click to expand...

I don't consider this a defect at all. It happens with every knife in my experience. I think that it is unavoidable when you have a peened knife and you are trying to minimize blade play.

- Christian
 
Good question...

I'm sitting here with just such a problem. Very respected maker, knife is as new but from a run about 3 years old. Not cheap, but not what I expected either. The bolsters are cock-eyed. Frankly they piss me off. They're just not square in any way. The pinching falls of in one direction on one side, and in the other it's opposite. The edge grinds and polish can't even keep the same line. It's like the guy who built this didn't have a straight edge.

I hate sending things back...
 
If it doesn't make you happy, return it undamaged, unused, and in exact condition. Maybe even pay shipping costs. I too don't like returning stuff, but ultimately decided that it's a cost of doing business. If you sell online to save the cost of a brick and mortar, then your return costs may be higher than a store where the customer can handle the goods before the sale. However, as the person returning the item, you absolutely have to be beyond reproach in your reasons and the fact that you didn't merely change your mind. If you don't like it on day one, you will hate it on day 100.
 
I agree. If it's a new knife and your not happy with it contact the supplier or the mfg. and return it.
 
swonut said:
If it doesn't make you happy, return it undamaged, unused, and in exact condition. Maybe even pay shipping costs. I too don't like returning stuff, but ultimately decided that it's a cost of doing business. If you sell online to save the cost of a brick and mortar, then your return costs may be higher than a store where the customer can handle the goods before the sale. However, as the person returning the item, you absolutely have to be beyond reproach in your reasons and the fact that you didn't merely change your mind. If you don't like it on day one, you will hate it on day 100.
Click to expand...

No mind changing. Love the pattern and layout. I would like to exchange or have it fixed.
 
These questions come up frequently. You have to decide for yourself what you can and cannot live with. Even consensus opinion may not cover it for the individual. The way I see it is once a person is concerned enough to ask the question he has already answered it.

Furthermore, the few makers we have left need to know when their QC is not what it should be. If we accept these errors then they will become the norm.
 
Thanks. I think the QC part needs to be corrected.

I contacted the vendor and received a prompt reply about sending it to the manufacturer. The vendor will contact the manufacturer to let them know it's coming.

I was really looking forward to toting it around, but in the end, I'll be happier if it's right.
 
I recently sent a knife back to Mfg. for a slight , yet annoying defect. It came back corrected and I couldn't be happier. The wait for the knife to be returned was a few weeks...a very small price for me to pay for having a knife that I now will ENJOY for years to come...
 
I'm not going to lie, I don't expect too terribly much from a sub 100$ knife, and I for one don't have the eye for F&F that others possess, anyhow. If I get a lemon (by lemon I mean minor F&F issues) it's usually put through its paces as a beater. I don't care to go through the trouble of trying to get it repaired by the manufacturer. If it bothers you, and you feel if it's truly defective, I'd recommend trying to get the company to make it right. I'd do the same if it was truly defective, and unusable. We're all different, and likewise have different expectations.
 
It's always disappointing when you receive a knife that hasn't been put together properly. Nobody likes to return a knife, and for me it isn't always an option. Threads like this are very common here, and I don't think that can just be put down to the fact we're a particularly picky bunch, many of the knives that are referenced in these threads simply shouldn't have left the factory, and if they did, the dealer shouldn't have shipped them. Annoying as it is Woodrow, I think you should return this knife, otherwise it's going to be a constant niggle.
 
Looks like it's going to the factory. I guess it will have to wait for some pocket time. I was looking forward to using it. :o
 
If it bothers me enough, off it goes back to the mfg. if they still exist of course. I've had terrific CS from Case and Canal Street, though CSC took a bit longer than Case. The last one I sent back to Case for a blade rubbing a liner (Peanut) was turned around in less than a month :thumbup: Now it's one of my favorite 'nuts (jigged yeller Delrin).
 
For something short fast and sweet ~~~ I donate it to someone and buy me another Knife to make me forget about it.!**
 
ptradeco said:
Furthermore, the few makers we have left need to know when their QC is not what it should be. If we accept these errors then they will become the norm.
Click to expand...

In all reality, this is the best reason to return a knife that is less than acceptable to us. What is acceptable is different from person to person. While a "perfect" knife should not be expected for a $25 knife, if a manufacturer can not release a quality knife for a median ($40 to $75) price range, then they should not offer such knives. I would rather pay a few bucks more for a better quality controlled product on the first round, than to have to go to the trouble of returning something that should not have left the factory in the first place.

We can't just shrug it off and hope for something better the next time. If we do this, then the factories will think what they are releasing is good enough and try to lower their standards even more. "Round and round we go, and where we stop nobody knows". Just my opinion.

Blessings,

Omar
 
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