WHY are folks having to basically Re manufacture there knife purchases?

[Shoki]

That's a neat knife Blais!

I actually like Svord's Peasant Knife a lot better, and it's only $20.

 

[Czechmate]

The svord is nifty too; who makes the first one?

 

[skyhorse]

I myself believe sometimes peoples expectations may be more often than not the problem.I'm pretty amazed about all the options of new blade steels,locking mechanisms and innovative designs that are constantly improving.

 

[Dr Rez]

I essentially stopped carrying folding knives for the above reasons. I was never happy with the lockup, blade wiggle and all that stuff going wrong. Now I could have bought a Chris Reeves but not everyone wants to carry around an expensive knife. Fixed blades make my knife ocd sleep much easier.

 

[isko]

I had the same question/observation when I started to buy knives. It occurred to me the other day that this situation is very similar to guitars, where a $500-$1000+ guitar will still need to be "set up" when new, meaning the string heights, frets, truss rod and nut will all need to be tweaked. This is just the norm in some industries, I guess due to cost and user preference. I don't mind a tight pivot too much, but when a multi blade knife rubs so much that the blades scratch each other I feel like it's unacceptable.

 

[VelocityMfg]

P.S. This example, lacking even a locking mechanism or complex blade geometry and utilizing ridiculously over-sized hardware, does not appear to require anywhere near the same level of quality control as something from Spyderco that costs a fraction of your $200 price tag.

Hey,

This Example as you put it isn't an example its an ongoing model we manufacture in our shop called the LEVERAGE Friction Folder. Your Correct it doesn't feature a Built in Locking mechanism , But be assured it does have a locking mechanism,, its called your THUMB. As far as ridiculously over sized hardware , yep built that way, in fact its built like a M113. As far as Complex Blade Geometry, your correct we tend to go for Blade designs that work all day everyday. Sorry if we missed the TACTICOOL aspect but we operate in the real world of Blade design. Where form follows function.

As far as the Spyderco comment goes,,, SAL makes some great knives to be sure, but I doubt you would be able to afford a spyderco knife made completely by hand using no machinery other than a belt grinder. Let alone getting one with a 600 grit hand rubbed satin finished blade. The knife you so politely tried to pick apart in your post is actually a photo from another forum, so you must have felt the need to do a search of our products in Lew of having a civil discussion, deciding it was best to denigrate one of our Models instead. That model in the picture was our Prototype we were showing and priced as such. but don't be alarmed, we are a company that realistically prices our products and that model structure has changed price wise for the better !

I can certainly see there are passionate folks on here, that is good. All I was wondering is if the industry had taken a turn for the worst or No. I appreciate the replies of some folks who can have civil discourse . I'm not one to publicly decry any specific company , I was just asking in general to try and add some perspective into talk going on among our shop. Looks like I have some valid points now to bring to that discussion. Thanks


Regards,

Lisa Tabor
Velocity Knives

 

[Shoki]

Hey,

This Example as you put it isn't an example its an ongoing model we manufacture in our shop called the LEVERAGE Friction Folder. Your Correct it doesn't feature a Built in Locking mechanism , But be assured it does have a locking mechanism,, its called your THUMB. Thanks for the patronization, I'll be sure to include some of my own. As far as ridiculously over sized hardware , yep built that way, in fact its built like a M113. I'm not sure if you realize this but your knife doesn't look anything like a M113. It lacks tracks, guns, an engine, and does not appear to have the capacity to carry personnel. As far as Complex Blade Geometry, your correct we tend to go for Blade designs that work all day everyday.My comment about complex geometry had everything to do with difficulty in manufacturing and nothing to do with whether or not it works. Sorry if we missed the TACTICOOL aspect but we operate in the real world of Blade design. Where form follows function. I didn't say anything about it being tacticool and wouldn't, since I find 'tactical' knives to be no more useful to everyday folks than other types.

As far as the Spyderco comment goes,,, SAL makes some great knives to be sure, but I doubt you would be able to afford a spyderco knife made completely by hand using no machinery other than a belt grinder. Let alone getting one with a 600 grit hand rubbed satin finished blade. The knife you so politely tried to pick apart in your post is actually a photo from another forum, so you must have felt the need to do a search of our products in Lew of having a civil discussion, deciding it was best to denigrate one of our Models instead. That model in the picture was our Prototype we were showing and priced as such. but don't be alarmed, we are a company that realistically prices our products and that model structure has changed price wise for the better !Sounds like a sales pitch.

I can certainly see there are passionate folks on here, that is good. All I was wondering is if the industry had taken a turn for the worst or No. All you had to do was actually read some threads and reviews here instead of calling into question the integrity of respected makers. I appreciate the replies of some folks who can have civil discourse . I'm not one to publicly decry any specific company , I was just asking in general to try and add some perspective into talk going on among our shop. Looks like I have some valid points now to bring to that discussion. Thanks Perhaps you should focus more on your own end-costs, quality control, and production than on what you assume other companies are doing wrong.


Regards,

Lisa Tabor
Velocity Knives

My replies in bold.

 

[VelocityMfg]

My replies in bold.

Hey ,


Thanks for responding, and at the probability of this evolving into a Posting of Words of Wit and subtle inflections, I find it best to bow out.

I have learned something interesting that it seems new folks on this Forum are encouraged more just to sit back and shut up and not ask questions than to actually try and be engaged in the community.


Regards,

Lisa Tabor
Velocity Knives

 

[Shoki]

Hey ,


Thanks for responding, and at the probability of this evolving into a Posting of Words of Wit and subtle inflections, I find it best to bow out.

I have learned something interesting that it seems new folks on this Forum are encouraged more just to sit back and shut up and not ask questions than to actually try and be engaged in the community.


Regards,

Lisa Tabor
Velocity Knives

Great news! New members are certainly encouraged to ask questions and engage themselves. As for relatively unknown manufacturers popping up and criticizing major companies without an established reputation of their own... well, just look up how well Bushmonkey fared when he first showed up.

 

[VelocityMfg]

Great news! New members are certainly encouraged to ask questions and engage themselves. As for relatively unknown manufacturers popping up and criticizing major companies without an established reputation of their own... well, just look up how well Bushmonkey fared when he first showed up.

Hey,

Guess I would have to ask WHAT MAJOR Knife COMPANY I criticized?


Regards,

Lisa

 

[Shoki]

Hey,

Guess I would have to ask WHAT MAJOR Knife COMPANY I criticized?


Regards,

Lisa

I think that question is best answered by you since you decided to be so vague in your first post. In fact, your decision to be vague makes your whole argument look like nothing but hype for your own company. Making broad statements about the lack of quality and finish of knives on the market, mentioning your own business, etc. sounds like a shill rather than an invitation to a discussion. Why don't you go ahead and tell us which knives you were talking about in your original post?

 

[Oofa]

My Question is , is this acceptable and why would folks put up with such shoddy workmanship in a product reported to be at the top of its class?

I hear you........It seems that shoddy workmanship is becoming the standard when it comes to anything and everything. People just expect less and less from manufacturers and get giddy and feel fortunate when they receive a knife (or anything) that has zero problems when they should expect zero problems and feel unfortunate when they get shoddy workmanship. Instead you hear a lot of "I can live with blade play and a non-centered blade" when we should be hearing, "any blade play and an non-centered blade is unacceptable". Total and blind allegiance to a brand is high among knife fanatics so they tend to not want to "hurt any feelings" of company owners that frequent the forums.

 

[Ankerson]

I hear you........It seems that shoddy workmanship is becoming the standard when it comes to anything and everything. People just expect less and less from manufacturers and get giddy and feel fortunate when they receive a knife (or anything) that has zero problems when they should expect zero problems and feel unfortunate when they get shoddy workmanship. Instead you hear a lot of "I can live with blade play and a non-centered blade" when we should be hearing, "any blade play and an non-centered blade is unacceptable". Total and blind allegiance to a brand is high among knife fanatics so they tend to not want to "hurt any feelings" of company owners that frequent the forums.

There hasn't been any blind allegiance to any manufacturer in this thread....

It's been a more overall general info type thread with no name dropping.

 

[severedthumbs]

Who is Velocity Manufacturing?

 

[flip888]

On any product I buy, mass produced or custom, I want it to be exactly what I thought it was when I ordered it. If a blade has uneven grinding, or an instrument has tool marks or something, Ill return it in exchange for another. If the new 1 is screwed up too Ill get my money back. Something being mass produced is not an excuse for it to be inferior, unfinished, or damaged when it leaves the factory. If something is inferior, unfinished or damaged when I receive it, then that company doesnt deserve my money and I dont want their garbage product. Period.

 

[duro]

I'll try to keep this short.

My brand new Bradley Alias developed blade play. I send it into benchmade, they replaced one of the titanium slabs. The knife then develops even worse blade play then what I initially sent it in for. Only after about 15 opening and closings. Now the lock bar moves to the closed position when you wiggle the blade up and down.

I call into benchmade, they provide me with instructions to note the repair supervisors name, and information. They tell me to note all of this in the package with the knife. I send it back to them a second time.

Weeks later again, I get the knife back. Their note says that they cleaned it, and that this was the cause of the lock bar moving, and severe blade play. They include a lengthy letter about the need to clean the knife. This is a brand new knife that I just received back from them?????????? There is no debris, the knife is brand new!!! lock face is clean!!!

Well, guess what, the lock bar still moves towards the closed position, and there is still severe blade play.

Seriously Benchmade, WHAT THE ****? I am contemplating just demanding a refund and being done with them for good.

 

[severedthumbs]

I'll try to keep this short.

My brand new Bradley Alias.......

Well there's your problem right there.


That surely sucks and I would get a refund on that crap. I've never been impressed with Benchmade either. They seem to cut to many corners.

 

[duro]

Yeah, I Just can't understand it. Their repair department is obviously in shambles at the moment. I simply can't understand how a knife manufacturer of this scale could have this knife in their hands twice now and let the problem slip by. It's so freaking obvious that this knife isn't right, you would have to be an idiot to let this slip by.

 

[Mahoney]

How many of us post when we buy a knife and it's made the way it should be? How many post when there's a problem? No manufacturer is immune to problems, and without knowing how many knives of a given type are sold, it's impossible to know if we are seeing posts about problems with every knife, 10 % of those knives, 1%, or less. I don't really think knives are made more poorly now than they used to be, in fact I think some are much better than knives made 40 years ago, but I do think we are more effective communicating any problems we may have with a product to the rest of the world

I will say that I see fewer mechanically inclined repair technicians in customer service these days, and a lot more customer service departments that specialize in apology rather than in effective problem resolution, but my dealings with customer service departments in the knife industry have generally been good

I have had problems with knives from a few manufacturers, occasionally it's a QC issue, but sometimes it's an issue with my expectations about the knife not being met...for example a sprint run knife that came in last year with an extremely thick grind behind the cutting edge, so much so that it needed an immediate re-grind to have what I consider a sharp usable edge...I was not happy, but who's problem was that? Although the blade was differently ground than the previous sprint run of the same model that I had bought, the manufacturer neither promised prefect consistency of blade shape on a hand made product, nor did the manufacturer specify a particular edge thickness in their advertising.

 

[Oofa]

There hasn't been any blind allegiance to any manufacturer in this thread....

It's been a more overall general info type thread with no name dropping.

I never said anything about this thread. I was talking about knife fans in general. A good question was asked by the o.p. and I don't get why there is a problem with it. Who cares why the question was asked or who in the world VelocityMfg is. It was a good question.