Why do Fallkniven knives chip so easily?

[Thomas Linton]

True...I guess "abusive" was a bad word and I should have used something like "potential accelerated wear" and specified "a tendency for cosmetic finishes to get really beat up and Fallkniven has such nice cosmetic finishes that I prefer a less expensive knife for tasks that can be pretty hard on the cosmetics". Sorry about that!

Good point about the scratches. The laminated model has tested tougher, but it scratches more than the original all-VG10 model I have. Not that I baton a lot - mostly just when demonstrating.

 

[Noddy]

there's a minimal vertical play in the pivothole.
This is normal on a japanese folder, as the hole is larger than the pivotpin.

That's a bit of a generalization, Mikael ... there is no movement in the TK4s, U2s or U4s I have, or, for instance in any of the Japanese Spyderco lockbacks I have.

None. Not a bit.

Anyway. Its not the flaw that's the issue. Knives have flaws. It is Fallkniven's response to the flaw that is the problem.

 

[Mikael W]

That's a bit of a generalization, Mikael ... there is no movement in the TK4s, U2s or U4s I have, or, for instance in any of the Japanese Spyderco lockbacks I have.

None. Not a bit.

Anyway. Its not the flaw that's the issue. Knives have flaws. It is Fallkniven's response to the flaw that is the problem.

As long as we are talking about the pivothole and the pivotpin, I understand perfectly what You say.
All my Japanese folders, have this pivothole play, but none in the backlock or linerlock.
Obviously there's a difference in our respective experiences with the Japanese folders.

I have dissasembled my U4 and have had a check.
I'm sure of that the pivothole is a little bit larger, than the diameter of the pivotpin.
The lock is perfectly solid and tight.

Anyway. Its not the flaw that's the issue. Knives have flaws. It is Fallkniven's response to the flaw that is the problem.

As I understand Your issue with Fällkniven, You were asked to send the TK3 to Fällkniven HQ in Sweden.
You choosed not to, instead You returned the knife to Your Dealer and got Your money back, right?

As I see it, the Dealer should have received the knife back and given You a new knife in return.
He should then have shipped it to his Distributor.
The Distributor should have shipped it back to Fällkniven under warranty.
Then Fällkniven could have inspected the knife.
If it had a flaw, send it back to the maker in Japan for a replacement and send it back to the Distributor.

The easy way out for the Dealer is to say, You have to talk to the Fällkniven HQ Yourself.
Here's where Your story gives You a consumer trouble!



Regards
Mikael

 

[Cielmerlion]

My F1 vg10 chips like nothing ive ever had before, and I've only been using it in the kitchen. I'm extremely disappointed in mine.

 

[rexromic]

Used mine F1 in 3G hard and no chips edge looks just fine and keep on cutting.

 

[Mikael W]

My F1 vg10 chips like nothing ive ever had before, and I've only been using it in the kitchen. I'm extremely disappointed in mine.

Factory edges Sucks!
Sharpen it 3 to 5 times and it should be OK!



Regards
Mikael

 

[Mikael W]

Used mine F1 in 3G hard and no chips edge looks just fine and keep on cutting.

The same for my new F1 3G!



Used it yesterday,to clear the driveway from 1.5" Maple tree branches.

Regards
Mikael

 

[mtangent]

That's a bit of a generalization, Mikael ... there is no movement in the TK4s, U2s or U4s I have, or, for instance in any of the Japanese Spyderco lockbacks I have.

None. Not a bit.

Anyway. Its not the flaw that's the issue. Knives have flaws. It is Fallkniven's response to the flaw that is the problem.

My U2 & TK4 have some play. I can't work out why, but it is minimal & not noticeable in use. I only notice when playing with the knife. I have other Japanese folders with no play.

 

[steff27]

This simply isn't true. Take Esee as an example. Much less expensive than Fallkniven. Has a forever, transferable, unconditional warranty. Here in the USA I guess we place more value on a company's business philosophy and word. Many of our knife companies have the best warranties in the buisness. And it is worth something.

An Esee 4 costs about the same as an F1 here. And I guess the laminated stainless blade is more expensive in production than the carbon steel blade (both have their pros and cons no doubt, I'm only talking about production cost). The probability of encountering a production flaw after two years of use, is just too low for me to care. And I've had other products fail after the warranty expired, contacted the manufacturer and had them cover repair cost.

All in all, track record, both in product quality and customer service is much more important to me than whatever is advertised.

 

[craytab]

An Esee 4 costs about the same as an F1 here. And I guess the laminated stainless blade is more expensive in production than the carbon steel blade (both have their pros and cons no doubt, I'm only talking about production cost). The probability of encountering a production flaw after two years of use, is just too low for me to care. And I've had other products fail after the warranty expired, contacted the manufacturer and had them cover repair cost.

The Esee is $60-$80 less expensive here. The S1 involves at least 3 countries to get to me. Esee is made here by our own work force. And it goes without saying, the Esee has the far and away better warranty. Oh, and not a bad reputation itself.

All in all, track record, both in product quality and customer service is much more important to me than whatever is advertised.

The warranty is not advertising. It is a real tangible thing that carries value, forever in fact. Why someone wouldn't want the best warranty possible is beyond me. Must be a Euro thing...

 

[steff27]

Why someone wouldn't want the best warranty possible is beyond me. Must be a Euro thing...

Because advertised warranty is only one of multiple factors when deciding which product to buy. Take another product as an example: AFAIK Glocks only have a one year warranty, as is usual here. They are popular in the US nonetheless. Probably because people are satisfied with the overall experience.

I'm saying "advertised warranty" because some companies will fix their products despite the official warranty being expired, it just gives them more discretion.

 

[craytab]

Because advertised warranty is only one of multiple factors when deciding which product to buy. Take another product as an example: AFAIK Glocks only have a one year warranty, as is usual here. They are popular in the US nonetheless. Probably because people are satisfied with the overall experience.

I'm saying "advertised warranty" because some companies will fix their products despite the official warranty being expired, it just gives them more discretion.

It is hard to compare other things to a knife when talking about warranties. Glocks are great. I carry one every day. But it is made out of components. If something breaks it can easily be replaced. If your knife breaks, well, now you have a broken knife.

It is clear we will not agree on this and that is fine. I put value on an iron clad warranty and you don't.

 

[tek77]

I love the Fallkniven knives but I really cannot afford for it to chip out on me. Do you ever drop them on hard surfaces by accident? What knife are you using?

Want to see a knife that doesn't get damaged when dropped on a hard surface. Including busse.

 

[brownshoe]

"Are you saying they don't offer any repair services at all just because it's not mentioned on their web site? Have you contacted their customer service department, because I would be absolutely shocked if they have no repair service at all."

I guess we have different expectations. In the 21st century, I expect a company to tell me on their website about repair services or in their catalog. Repair services are listed by many companies, not just knife manufacturers, for two reasons. First the firm has pride in the product, cares about their customers and realize during normal use it may need repair or maintenance. Second, repair services are key to getting repeat cumstomers, which is one of the best sources of new sales. For example, SOG is like Fallkniven, they don't make their own knives, but they have a repair service mentioned on their website.

Per "I will continue to buy Fallkniven products because they have consistently in my experience been as advertised." Fallkniven advertises their knives are Swedish, but the cutting edge steel technology and manufacturing expertice is Japanese.

 

[Thomas Linton]

The Esee is $60-$80 less expensive here. The S1 involves at least 3 countries to get to me. Esee is made here by our own work force. And it goes without saying, the Esee has the far and away better warranty. Oh, and not a bad reputation itself.


The warranty is not advertising. It is a real tangible thing that carries value, forever in fact. Why someone wouldn't want the best warranty possible is beyond me. Must be a Euro thing...

The longer advertised warranties of lesser brands is one central point to their advertising. Would you always take a Hyundai over a Honda, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, BMW with their much lesser advertised warranty and much higher quality?

Fallkniven advertises their knives are Swedish, but the cutting edge steel technology and manufacturing expertice is Japanese.

No secret where the knives are manufactured. So if Fallkniven advertised their knives as Swedish, it would be on the basis that they are designed and sold by a Swedish company. However, I cannot find Fallkniven advertising their knives as Swedish, much less "Made in Sweden." I do find "Fallkniven Quality Knives Sweden," and they are in Sweden like GM (whose cars are mostly parts from outside the USA) is in Detroit. Please help with that.

 

[Macchina]

After Noss used his Falkniven and a sledge hammer to turn a concrete slab into little pieces he pounded it through a 2"x1/4" steel bar with said hammer.
At that point the knife was still serviceable and had not experienced catastrophic failure.

But what about wood?

 

[FTR-14c]

But what about wood?

The wood test was before the concrete, right after the apple. It chewed through everything just fine.

Some would say those videos were pointless but it was nice to see how knives from different companies reacted when taken to the point of failure.
It is too bad the Noss videos are no longer available.

 

[craytab]

The longer advertised warranties of lesser brands is one central point to their advertising. Would you always take a Hyundai over a Honda, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, BMW with their much lesser advertised warranty and much higher quality?

Again, comparisons between knife warranties and other way more complex products is like comparing apples to hamburgers. Useless.

I wouldn't say Esee is a lesser brand but let's go with your example. Esee doesn't plaster Its warranty all over like Hyundai. You have to look a little but it is there on its webpage (unlike the hard to find Falk warranty). So if what you claim about the 2 products in question here is true, I guess we should accept the inverse. IE Falk doesn't advertise its crap warranty because it is so high quality it is not needed. Hmm, I don't think that is the way the world works, or at least it shouldn't, and is the reason I don't own a Falk.

No secret where the knives are manufactured.

He never said it was a secret so I don't know why you would say that. I like the fact that with a USA produced knife it is designed, produced, tested, and sold by the same folks. I am not some only USA blade guy but at a certain price point it is nice to not have so many hands in the bucket.

This has gotten totally off topic, and I am sure the hard core Falk folks could keep arguing and so could I, but I won't because it is pointless. I just hope that people reading this thread, who are considering a Fallkniven, also consider the warranty, if they even care about what a warranty means.

 

[Mikael W]

I have had to use a knifewarranty 3 times!
One time with a Fällkniven and one time with a Bark River.
The third was a customknife.
I had my issues solved by all 3 company's and I still own 2 of the knives.

Otherwise I haven't needed any warranty's, but today if I have an issue I just fix it myself!

So warranty's aren't that important to me.
Overhere user errors aren't covered by warranty.
That's usually covered in our home insurances.
There are also extra insurances to buy, when You buy cellphones, cameras and other electronic products.

We have yet to see those insurances in the knifemarket, but I doubt we ever will.

Regards
Mikael

 

[craytab]

We have yet to see those insurances in the knifemarket, but I doubt we ever will.

Gosh I hope there is never any knife insurance needed for anyone. I think we all have just about had it with insurance companies. Thanks Mikael for once again calming things down a bit!