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Need advice when dealing with a challenging buyer.

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Earsmalloy

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My apologize if this isn’t the right place to ask this question. I did look at the other discussion topics and I did not really see where this would fit into.



I am a new maker and was blessed to have received multiple orders for a basic hunting knife from a local hunt club. I used O1 tool steel (because I have a large supply of it that was donated to me) and homemade Micarta to make these knives. They all came in a Kydex sheath. I electro-etched my logo on one side and their logo on the other side. When I sold these knives I said more than a few times that the knives need to be cleaned and oiled every time they are taken out and should be oiled when in storage, because they would rust if not taken care of.

That was two months ago and I just received one back that was stained badly, rusted, and had deep etch lines in it. I was told the individual said he dried off the knife and oiled it before he put it back into the wet sheath. So I reground it and got most of the stuff off. There is still some of the etch lines which aren’t too bad.

The bigger problem I have is now there is shadows of the logos on both sides, how do I take care of this without grinding away even more of the blade? I took off quite a bit of metal to get most of the etch lines out of it. Should I try to line up the logos as close as I can and re-etch?

Any advice would be VERY helpful.


Thank you

Mark
 
I wouldn't worry about the etch. He bought it as a user, not a showpiece.
 
Customer service is number one. You need to be very clear that these are tools and tools need maintenance in order to perform properly and last. As an apprentice plumber I was the tool cleaner and oiler every Friday morning. I'm a hunter also and guilty of cleaning a knife and putting it in a wet and bloody sheath and forgetting about it until the next deer was down. MY FAULT. I tell my friends and customers that certain steels will react differently but all need maintenance. Some will neglect their responsibility and blame you for using "bad" steel. Personally, I like using 1095 and L6 but due to many not understanding knife maintenance I will start using more A2 to avoid the headaches.
 
I don't know of any knifemaker with a warranty that covers rust. In fact many (if not most) have wording which specifically denies such coverage.
 
^^^ I agree with that. If he doesn't like the qualities of 01 steel, refer him to a similiar style stainless knife and offer to etch the hunt club logo on it for him. Then upgrade your membership and sell the used 01 steel knife here in BF.
 
O1 is a great all around steel IMO, all of my customs are made with it. :thumbsup: If someone does not take care of their knives (or any other tool) THEY are the ones with the problem. :rolleyes: Do your best to clean it up and don't worry about the fine work. Include maintenance directions (again) with the knife when you return it. If this kind of buyer really bothers you, perhaps you don't belong in retail; there are a lot of PITA people out there. :mad: Good luck, you seem to have a strong sense of customer service. :thumbsup:
 
Unfortunately, I can't help with your question -- I'm not a knifemaker and I have NOTHING in common with your customer!

However, I would suggest asking the mods to move this thread to the Custom & Handmade Knives Forum. Those guys will be the most knowledgeable.
 
Not a knife maker, so can't help fix the logo
But in future if someone brought you such a knife problem I think you should go over the properties of the O1 steel with them again, then maybe offer to fix it as best you can, but warn them that doesn't mean good as new, and the logos may be affected.
That to me is all you can do and more than you are required.
 
Unless you have a policy, written or expressed in person, to redo a knife to new condition for free, I would suggest not re-etching. To me, as a customer, you've gone above and beyond what would be expected already. Some makers charge for what you've done already.
 
I have to agree, I don't think you should have to warrant rust,,,, as everybody knows steel rust.. I think you went above and beyond...
 
So, is the customer actually angry, or just realized he pulled a boneheaded move and wants you to help him clean it up? In the first post, I was not sure which was the case. I have pulled boneheaded moves and asked someone to help me fix it without being upset about the damage other than at myself. And even stainless rusts if neglected. One of my boneheaded moves involved a stainless .45, leather holster and nearly 48 hours in driving rain. They helped me clean it up, but the gun still has staining on it. Not the maker's fault.
 
Earsmalloy said:
My apologize if this isn’t the right place to ask this question. I did look at the other discussion topics and I did not really see where this would fit into.



I am a new maker and was blessed to have received multiple orders for a basic hunting knife from a local hunt club. I used O1 tool steel (because I have a large supply of it that was donated to me) and homemade Micarta to make these knives. They all came in a Kydex sheath. I electro-etched my logo on one side and their logo on the other side. When I sold these knives I said more than a few times that the knives need to be cleaned and oiled every time they are taken out and should be oiled when in storage, because they would rust if not taken care of.

That was two months ago and I just received one back that was stained badly, rusted, and had deep etch lines in it. I was told the individual said he dried off the knife and oiled it before he put it back into the wet sheath. So I reground it and got most of the stuff off. There is still some of the etch lines which aren’t too bad.

The bigger problem I have is now there is shadows of the logos on both sides, how do I take care of this without grinding away even more of the blade? I took off quite a bit of metal to get most of the etch lines out of it. Should I try to line up the logos as close as I can and re-etch?

Any advice would be VERY helpful.

Thank you

Mark
Click to expand...

Unless I misread something, you're dealing with a bunch of boneheads that are going to expect you to baby them like their wives washing their tighty whities. How long before the next member of the hunt club mistreats his knife so bad that it needs to be, "Reground to get most of the stuff off" in a matter of two months? I own O1 tool steel, and they lied to you about how this guy took care of his knife. Are you really going to go down this road of fixing their knives for them every two months as they send you back rusted pieces of steel (imagine the 'edges' these guys keep :rolleyes:), and having to re-etch everything for their little hunting club logos? Not very considerate of your business and valuable time for making new knives, even though their initial purchase might have seemed like a blessing. You have great tolerance, sir.

Yes, makers worth their salt own up to warranties and craftsmanship guarantees -- they don't tend to the lobotomized.
 
What i want to know is if the logos that are etched are your logos and they are still slightly visible then why would you want to remove them completely? I get that it may not look as good as new but its still your makers mark and i cant begin to understand why you would want them completely removed. The only time ive ever seen anyone try to completely remove logos is when they import knives from pakistan or china and want to sell them as their own original works. Im not saying you are doing that but i still dont understand why you want them removed.
 
Not a knifemaker, but have been in business for a loooooooong time.
I would have charged that customer for my time.
There is no reason whatsoever you were in any way responsible for the rust.
 
PURPLEDC said:
What i want to know is if the logos that are etched are your logos and they are still slightly visible then why would you want to remove them completely? I get that it may not look as good as new but its still your makers mark and i cant begin to understand why you would want them completely removed. The only time ive ever seen anyone try to completely remove logos is when they import knives from pakistan or china and want to sell them as their own original works. Im not saying you are doing that but i still dont understand why you want them removed.
Click to expand...
Hello Purpledc
The reason I was hoping to completely remove the logos was to re-etch the logos on fresh steel and not have to try to line up the stencil creating a double image. I want the logos visible. I hope that answers your question.
Thanks
 
Wow,
First I want to thank all of you for your input. I highly value what has been said.
I don't know if the individual was angry or not, because another member brought it back to me. I got the impression that the guy was surprised that it came out looking the way it did. This ends up being the member who has in the past bought other custom blades so I would have thought him above all the others would have known better.
Anyways, what I realized as I read all of your replies is this, not only should I explain that the steel is high carbon and needs a bit more care than a SS knife. I also need to have a written document that I include with every knife explaining the proper care that needs to be taken and also what I will and won't cover.
Once again I want to thank everyone for their time and input to my question. Some very good points were brought up.
 
LastRodeo said:
^^^ I agree with that. If he doesn't like the qualities of 01 steel, refer him to a similiar style stainless knife and offer to etch the hunt club logo on it for him. Then upgrade your membership and sell the used 01 steel knife here in BF.
Click to expand...
Hello LastRodeo
This is a great suggestion! Cheers
 
Earsmalloy said:
Wow,
First I want to thank all of you for your input. I highly value what has been said.
I don't know if the individual was angry or not, because another member brought it back to me. I got the impression that the guy was surprised that it came out looking the way it did. This ends up being the member who has in the past bought other custom blades so I would have thought him above all the others would have known better.
Anyways, what I realized as I read all of your replies is this, not only should I explain that the steel is high carbon and needs a bit more care than a SS knife. I also need to have a written document that I include with every knife explaining the proper care that needs to be taken and also what I will and won't cover.
Once again I want to thank everyone for their time and input to my question. Some very good points were brought up.
Click to expand...

Its nice to be nice but you cant make it a habit restoring knives you sell especially basic hunting camp knives . They are made to be used as tools. Could you imagine bringing your shovel back to Ace Hardware for rust removal . I make knives and I found O1 to rust easier than 1095 , It helps to finish to a higher grit but not by much . Just include a little note with each knife and be done with it . I can understand your fear of damaging your rep but how people store and use your knives is on them . Good luck with your knife making !
 
Last point........you DO NOT want to be known as the knifemaker who guarantees his blades against rust.
This would set a nasty precedent!!
Joe
 
Rust is not a defect in workmanship, and is not covered by any warranty.

I wouldn't have reground the knife; your setting a dangerous precedent that will likely come back to bite you.

Knives that are not properly taken care of can and will rust. Preventative maintenance is the only solution.
 
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