What to think?

[Jesse B.]

What should one think when you return a new knife for repair and the knife you receive is in worse shape than the one you sent out?

I won't identify the maker (yet), but the knife is a handmade fixed blade by a pretty well-known Japanese knifemaker; (cost nearly $400 so it's by far my most expensive knife.) Here's the story (this all happened before the earthquake/tsunami in Japan):
The first knife I received was great, except for some odd discoloration of the G-10 handle. I sent pics asking for advice to the maker's representative, who suggested I mail it back to Japan for repair. He explained the handle slabs were probably burnt during the making of the knife. Mailed it back and was told I would receive a completely new knife, which seemed like a pleasant surprise... until I got the knife back--with a scratched blade. Posting a pic would identify the maker, but the blade is "significantly" scratched on one side. A 1" section of the 4" blade has a bunch of scratches on it.

Some of you are no doubt thinking: "Scratches? Who gives a crap?" Well I didn't buy a $400 knife to cut boxes open; I bought it for its aesthetic and collector's value. Due to the nature and style of the steel, these scratches are permanent.

This happened months ago, but I'm wondering what would you do or think in this situation? My father suggested it was probably an apprentice screwing up and that I shouldn't be so disappointed. But shouldn't a handmade knife of all things be expected to arrive in perfect or near-perfect condition?

 

[cnas122]

If you're not happy, I would let the maker know. If he is a standup maker, fixing it shouldn't be a problem. Maybe I'm misunderstanding one of your statements, but you say "this happened months ago." If you received the 2nd knife with scratches months ago, why have you waited so long to send it back? If the scratches were that obvious and bothered you so much, why did you let so much time pass? Like I said...maybe I am misunderstanding your time reference. Also, it doesnt' matter if it's an apprentice's mistake. It's the maker's mark and he should be the one exercising quality control. That's like saying a master chef is allowed to serve horrible food because someone else in the kitchen made the dish.

 

[Jesse B.]

If you received the 2nd knife with scratches months ago, why have you waited so long to send it back? If the scratches were that obvious and bothered you so much, why did you let so much time pass?

I suppose I assumed, foolishly, they wouldn't replace the second knife due to scratches on the blade--which could have been caused by the user. Then the huge earthquake happened and I wanted to be courteous.

 

[Praxis]

Probably would have been best to contact the maker right away when you found the scratches. Now that months have passed, you may find the maker less receptive to a return/exchange/etc. Couldn't hurt to try at least.

Only once have I had a similar issue with a custom maker. I ended up selling the knife rather than sending it back a second time. Of course, I made sure to note the imperfections in my sales post.

 

[braillediver]

I always immediately inspect the knife and try to respond to the Seller within 24 hours of receipt of the knife to let them know it arrived safely and meets my expectations.

You could ask again but the time delay might be problematic.

 

[alex]

By waiting months to bring this up I think you made a big mistake. You needed to bring it up immediately upon receipt in spite of the tsunami. You also could have said to the maker that due to the tsunami problems you were willing to wait until he was ready to fix it or replace it. By bringing it up to him now since it has been so long the maker would more than likely assume that you or someone had tried to sharpen it and scratched it themselves.

If the scratches are not too deep just try to polish them out yourself using fine grit sandpaper like 400, 600, 800 etc, and always going in one direction lengthwise along the blade. Keep the paper wet with WD40 while you sand. You might be surprised at how well it will turn out, especially if you go slow and carefully. An hour or two of careful sanding through finer and finer grades should bring it right up to like new condition. Another option would be to take it or send it to a local knifemaker in your area and pay him to polish it up for you. I bet they would be able to do it very quickly and at very reasonable cost.