Originally posted by brownshoe
Sunsdvall, Why should Kevin respond to all your detailed questions. You're only one potential buyer and he has an 18 month backlog. Your questions and their context are somewhat inflammatory, I think any maker would ignore them to some extent. YOu can answer them yourself. Kevin has in the past posted Navy tests of his hardchrome on his website. Tests from some magazine article. Many sources can give you information about the usefulness of differential tempering. I believe he had a govt. contract, thus you can be sure he meets Mil Spec. Look at any old beat up MD knife at a knife or gun show, and you'll know the handle ain't going to fall off anytime soon. If I was Kevin, I'd probably respond to your questions in a similar or maybe even less polite manner. Not every customer is right... and with an 18 month backlog, any business can pick their clients. By the way, Randall is 24-36 months for orders, but you can buy a Randall any day from one of their distributers (e.g. AG Russell).
Hey Brownshoe,
Why should Mad Dog answer my question? To make a buyer out of me. Why? Because one happy buyer tells all his friends. One unhappy buyer tells EVERYONE.
So, I would say that I, as are you, am a bit more than - just one person - as far as market forces are concerned.
I routinely talk about design issues and material choices with makers. None of them get upset when I address the negatives. Examples like: Talonite is not so tough. 440C doesn't hold an edge as well. S30V is tough to field sharpen. Damascus is expensive. Cordwrap handles are harder to clean, etc. To date, none of them has told me that it's everything is good because no one complained. Which, of course, is a logical fallacy.
I think you are taking the questions in the wrong context. While these obstacles to purchase may or may not have been designed to discredit MDK, they are barriers to new buyers. We don't know any better, and have nothing else to go on - short of buying.
In other words, these are not personal attacks. They are questions about the veracity of the design and engineering that went into the production of the current offerings.
So when you jump into this mode with the "...If I was Kevin, I'd probably respond to your questions in a similar or maybe even less polite manner. Not every customer is right... and with an 18 month backlog, any business can pick their clients... ".
I don't have to be right, I just have to be, not wrong. I am coming from this point of view - "If I don't pay, I can't lose."
Again, it's true, he's doing just fine without me. If that is what he want's to do, it's his preogative. I still have my money, he still has his knife.
My questions to Kevin were posed in a very honest and non-inflammatory way - the way a potential customer would. Kevin recieved it in that light and answered the way he did. I went away, without any better info, but accepted it - and did not buy.
So, why are you so offended?