Too bad to hear that issue with the griptilianI want to know how it ends
I recently got a mini grip from a friend in trade. Had the same centring and clip issues. I used to have a couple other mini grips. Same clip issues, maybe centring. I don't think this is unique at all.
Quote from: gunga on October 16, 2014, 01:03:51 AMI recently got a mini grip from a friend in trade. Had the same centring and clip issues. I used to have a couple other mini grips. Same clip issues, maybe centring. I don't think this is unique at all.It would seem the clip not touching is just because of the scale shape and (in my opinion) poor design. The centering also seems to be very common, but still unacceptable. Benchmades prices go up and quality control goes down. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but most knife and tool companies are having these issues. They rather produce less superior products and charge more to maximize profits and screw you on both ends of the spectrum then make a fair amount of profit and produce a superior product. Pisses me off.
Quote from: captain spaulding on October 16, 2014, 01:49:18 AMQuote from: gunga on October 16, 2014, 01:03:51 AMI recently got a mini grip from a friend in trade. Had the same centring and clip issues. I used to have a couple other mini grips. Same clip issues, maybe centring. I don't think this is unique at all.It would seem the clip not touching is just because of the scale shape and (in my opinion) poor design. The centering also seems to be very common, but still unacceptable. Benchmades prices go up and quality control goes down. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but most knife and tool companies are having these issues. They rather produce less superior products and charge more to maximize profits and screw you on both ends of the spectrum then make a fair amount of profit and produce a superior product. Pisses me off.I wouldn't be surprised in this day and age, that many manufacturers are having to take any shortcuts they can just to make any profit at all. Steel prices are always a dynamic factor, as are energy prices for powering machines and for heat treatment. Inflation matching wage increases, rents, tooling, logistics, litigation ... the list of year on year cost increases for manufacturers goes on and on. I bet the dealers have better margins than the makers do. Doesn't help the user much, I know - but I can see both sides of the fence, and it's not easy for either party right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying sloppiness is acceptable, but I expect we'll see this trend continue with larger manufacturers for a while yet
Quote from: 50ft-trad on October 16, 2014, 09:01:36 AMQuote from: captain spaulding on October 16, 2014, 01:49:18 AMQuote from: gunga on October 16, 2014, 01:03:51 AMI recently got a mini grip from a friend in trade. Had the same centring and clip issues. I used to have a couple other mini grips. Same clip issues, maybe centring. I don't think this is unique at all.It would seem the clip not touching is just because of the scale shape and (in my opinion) poor design. The centering also seems to be very common, but still unacceptable. Benchmades prices go up and quality control goes down. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but most knife and tool companies are having these issues. They rather produce less superior products and charge more to maximize profits and screw you on both ends of the spectrum then make a fair amount of profit and produce a superior product. Pisses me off.I wouldn't be surprised in this day and age, that many manufacturers are having to take any shortcuts they can just to make any profit at all. Steel prices are always a dynamic factor, as are energy prices for powering machines and for heat treatment. Inflation matching wage increases, rents, tooling, logistics, litigation ... the list of year on year cost increases for manufacturers goes on and on. I bet the dealers have better margins than the makers do. Doesn't help the user much, I know - but I can see both sides of the fence, and it's not easy for either party right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying sloppiness is acceptable, but I expect we'll see this trend continue with larger manufacturers for a while yetI would respectfully disagree, but it is just my opinion and I really have no way to know either way. What really gets me is the MAP pricing going into effect. Benchmade knives cost rose 33% to the customer. That's a huge increase. Now the pricing is one thing and if quality stayed the same then it is what it is, but introducing MAP pricing and letting quality control go to crap is a whole other problem. I just personally don't see how they could be struggling to make profit. Without knowing what they make the knives for and what they sell them to the dealers for it is hard to say how much profit they realistically make, but with a hugely successful knife company you would think they would know how to run a profitable business. I could be completely wrong. I don't know.
People buy them, so they sell them..Maybe the extra cost covers the extra amount neded for refunds/repais etc. due to the low quality.. There are huge threads on BF about that, by the way.I have never owned or wanted to own a Benchmade, so I am talking in general here.
Quote from: captain spaulding on October 16, 2014, 10:18:45 AMQuote from: 50ft-trad on October 16, 2014, 09:01:36 AMQuote from: captain spaulding on October 16, 2014, 01:49:18 AMQuote from: gunga on October 16, 2014, 01:03:51 AMI recently got a mini grip from a friend in trade. Had the same centring and clip issues. I used to have a couple other mini grips. Same clip issues, maybe centring. I don't think this is unique at all.It would seem the clip not touching is just because of the scale shape and (in my opinion) poor design. The centering also seems to be very common, but still unacceptable. Benchmades prices go up and quality control goes down. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but most knife and tool companies are having these issues. They rather produce less superior products and charge more to maximize profits and screw you on both ends of the spectrum then make a fair amount of profit and produce a superior product. Pisses me off.I wouldn't be surprised in this day and age, that many manufacturers are having to take any shortcuts they can just to make any profit at all. Steel prices are always a dynamic factor, as are energy prices for powering machines and for heat treatment. Inflation matching wage increases, rents, tooling, logistics, litigation ... the list of year on year cost increases for manufacturers goes on and on. I bet the dealers have better margins than the makers do. Doesn't help the user much, I know - but I can see both sides of the fence, and it's not easy for either party right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying sloppiness is acceptable, but I expect we'll see this trend continue with larger manufacturers for a while yetI would respectfully disagree, but it is just my opinion and I really have no way to know either way. What really gets me is the MAP pricing going into effect. Benchmade knives cost rose 33% to the customer. That's a huge increase. Now the pricing is one thing and if quality stayed the same then it is what it is, but introducing MAP pricing and letting quality control go to crap is a whole other problem. I just personally don't see how they could be struggling to make profit. Without knowing what they make the knives for and what they sell them to the dealers for it is hard to say how much profit they realistically make, but with a hugely successful knife company you would think they would know how to run a profitable business. I could be completely wrong. I don't know. I don't know too much about knife economics, but judging from the recent MAP enforcement, I'd say the (certain) dealers seem to have strong influence over the BM.
Quote from: comis on October 16, 2014, 12:59:02 PMQuote from: captain spaulding on October 16, 2014, 10:18:45 AMQuote from: 50ft-trad on October 16, 2014, 09:01:36 AMQuote from: captain spaulding on October 16, 2014, 01:49:18 AMQuote from: gunga on October 16, 2014, 01:03:51 AMI recently got a mini grip from a friend in trade. Had the same centring and clip issues. I used to have a couple other mini grips. Same clip issues, maybe centring. I don't think this is unique at all.It would seem the clip not touching is just because of the scale shape and (in my opinion) poor design. The centering also seems to be very common, but still unacceptable. Benchmades prices go up and quality control goes down. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but most knife and tool companies are having these issues. They rather produce less superior products and charge more to maximize profits and screw you on both ends of the spectrum then make a fair amount of profit and produce a superior product. Pisses me off.I wouldn't be surprised in this day and age, that many manufacturers are having to take any shortcuts they can just to make any profit at all. Steel prices are always a dynamic factor, as are energy prices for powering machines and for heat treatment. Inflation matching wage increases, rents, tooling, logistics, litigation ... the list of year on year cost increases for manufacturers goes on and on. I bet the dealers have better margins than the makers do. Doesn't help the user much, I know - but I can see both sides of the fence, and it's not easy for either party right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying sloppiness is acceptable, but I expect we'll see this trend continue with larger manufacturers for a while yetI would respectfully disagree, but it is just my opinion and I really have no way to know either way. What really gets me is the MAP pricing going into effect. Benchmade knives cost rose 33% to the customer. That's a huge increase. Now the pricing is one thing and if quality stayed the same then it is what it is, but introducing MAP pricing and letting quality control go to crap is a whole other problem. I just personally don't see how they could be struggling to make profit. Without knowing what they make the knives for and what they sell them to the dealers for it is hard to say how much profit they realistically make, but with a hugely successful knife company you would think they would know how to run a profitable business. I could be completely wrong. I don't know. I don't know too much about knife economics, but judging from the recent MAP enforcement, I'd say the (certain) dealers seem to have strong influence over the BM. Why do you say that. It's more like Benchmade has influence over the dealers. Benchmade has the upper hand in my opinion.
I got my Griptilian back from warranty service and the centering is perfect now. I'm happy with it now and it will be my main pocket knife for the foreseeable future. Their customer service handled it well and its good to go. This still does not change the fact that I still have the custom with the blade off center and I even had to send it in, in the first place. Benchmades customer service is excellent though.
Quote from: captain spaulding on October 21, 2014, 04:05:56 AMI got my Griptilian back from warranty service and the centering is perfect now. I'm happy with it now and it will be my main pocket knife for the foreseeable future. Their customer service handled it well and its good to go. This still does not change the fact that I still have the custom with the blade off center and I even had to send it in, in the first place. Benchmades customer service is excellent though.Great news Cap'n Does this mean you'll be trusting them with fixing up your custom now?
Quote from: 50ft-trad on October 21, 2014, 05:37:36 AMQuote from: captain spaulding on October 21, 2014, 04:05:56 AMI got my Griptilian back from warranty service and the centering is perfect now. I'm happy with it now and it will be my main pocket knife for the foreseeable future. Their customer service handled it well and its good to go. This still does not change the fact that I still have the custom with the blade off center and I even had to send it in, in the first place. Benchmades customer service is excellent though.Great news Cap'n Does this mean you'll be trusting them with fixing up your custom now?Honestly I have not decided yet. The centering is not as bad as the other one, but it is still off. As a piece I bought to simply enjoy and not planning on carrying it would technically not be a problem, but still bugs me to think about. I do think they sen't another paid shipping label so if it shows up I might send it in. I was really waiting to see how they handled this one which turned out excellent so chances are I might.
Quote from: captain spaulding on October 21, 2014, 05:48:47 AMQuote from: 50ft-trad on October 21, 2014, 05:37:36 AMQuote from: captain spaulding on October 21, 2014, 04:05:56 AMI got my Griptilian back from warranty service and the centering is perfect now. I'm happy with it now and it will be my main pocket knife for the foreseeable future. Their customer service handled it well and its good to go. This still does not change the fact that I still have the custom with the blade off center and I even had to send it in, in the first place. Benchmades customer service is excellent though.Great news Cap'n Does this mean you'll be trusting them with fixing up your custom now?Honestly I have not decided yet. The centering is not as bad as the other one, but it is still off. As a piece I bought to simply enjoy and not planning on carrying it would technically not be a problem, but still bugs me to think about. I do think they sen't another paid shipping label so if it shows up I might send it in. I was really waiting to see how they handled this one which turned out excellent so chances are I might.Glad to see things ended up resolving in a positive way for you!