THIS HAS TO STOP! 

Well said. Hand made is completely different than machine made. Loyalty seems to be rare these days. We need more loyalty in this community. Good stuff Erica!👊

In some ways, this situation is just a microcosm of the real problem, and that is an overall lack of kindness and cooperation. First of all, the person bought a used knife, complained to the original purchaser and was offered a refund, but refused it (for whatever reason). Then, the person who bought a second-hand knife, approaches the maker and tries to get the knife fixed, then ultimately demands a replacement. I don't know of any manufacturer who would have done as much as Kyle actually did to try to satisfy this person. Many would say, I didn't sell it to you, so all bets are off. Period. The other thing is that these are handmade knives. They will often have blemishes of one kind or another, just a byproduct of the process. If you want pristine perfection, you're likely to be disappointed. Having said that, there are tolerances, and some irregularities are just not acceptable. Gobs of epoxy, not acceptable. Scratches, or pitting, not acceptable. Each knife needs to be evaluated individually. There are some makers whose knives tend to have a more "rustic" appearance. You can discern that from photos on their websites. What would concern me is if I got a knife that looked nothing like the examples on the web. That, to me, is a red flag. It's a shame that too many are seemingly more interested in making an issue out of something and airing their grievances in public. Like I said, kindness and cooperation. They go a long way.

Good analogy Erica with the car. Buy second hand, it's not the makers fault (don't pretend you are the original owner).

This channel rocks! I could talk about knives all day... In my Memorial day video, me and my wife are wearing Winkler belt knives on are battle belts. I've spoken to Daniel Winkler twice and he is a humble, generous man who really cares about his customers. He even made me and my wifes sheaths for free because we didn't have matching ones, after he found out we met in Afghanistan. He really is the most humble famous knife maker I can think of. I have also used his Axes for urban breaching and have never had a deformity of any sort. Awesome video to just listen to! Glad I subbed this channel.

It's a shame that this had to be said, but thanks for stepping up. Folks like you are what make this community all that it is. 🙏 Take care and Cheers!

I don't expect perfection from handmade knives (or used knives). I expect a sliding scale of near perfection from production knives and mass-produced shop made knives.

I bought a Rat II D2 and when I unboxed, it was dull. I spoke with the company and they said sharpen it. Thankfully the local farm market had a sharpener, he did great.

I feel you loyalty so underappreciated nowadays its essential to have you have great values don't ever change 🤙

Good video Erica. Wish kindness and understanding were the top priorities in everyone's day-to-day life.

I've purchased some great knives on the secondary market, mostly as advertised, but a few had hidden issues. But I wouldn't go after the manufacturer of a knife I purchased on the secondary market. Buyer beware.

There are a lot of people out there who don't make anything but have a big following because they post pictures or videos of stuff that other people made. Which is cool, nothing wrong with that. Problem starts when they use their audience as a weapon against small makers who don't have a large following. I've had this happen countless times over the years. They threaten to badmouth you to their audience if you don't give them what they want. Cut these exchanges at the root as soon as you see them and never waste your time with these type of people. Nothing good ever comes from entertaining them.

This makes me think of my great grandfather He was a blacksmith in rural WVA and made knives along with everything else ppl needed Aesthetics were never an issue for his customers who wanted a product that would function not a showpiece If people want a showpiece there are plenty of makers who do only that God bless you for your loyalty No wonder you love dogs so much lol Love you more every day

I buy handmade items because I appreciate the character imparted by flaws.

100% true. I am a stickler for perfection so I avoid handmade knives. Just not my jam anymore.

Sounds like the guy was trying to get a new knife at a used knife price. We have become a nation of narcissists who want to claim victimhood. Anytime you buy something that is used you are buying it as is without a warranty. I prefer to handle any tool, including knives, before purchasing them. That way I know what the quality is, how well it fits my hand, etc. Bottom line, if you're not happy with a knife don't buy it. There's plenty of others to choose from.

He doesn’t deserve to be harassed, he makes amazing knives!!!! Sorry that happened, glad you have his back and support the people in the community who deserve it and actually make solid cutting tools!!! Knives are literally for cutting and using, if it does that then there’s no need to send it back.

This is my take on Kyle's situation and how I responded to his video. "It seems to me that you owe Allen nothing. He bought the knife on a private sale, so it was second hand. Presumeabley he inspected the knife at the time of his purchase from the original buyer. Imagine buying a second hand car and being disatisfied with the vehicle and taking it back to Ford for repairs and wanting the work to be done free of charge. I think Ford would tell where to go! If this guy, Allen, had a problem with the knife, his beef is with the person he bought it from and not you. I think your good intention in trying to rectify the problem was a mistake on your part. On reflection you should have told Allen to take it back to the person he bought it from."

You are the most loyal person I know!!!! Your friends absolutely do know they can count on you and you’ll have their back!!! 🥰🥰🥰

I saw videos of kyle he seems to me a very kind and honest guy with lots of talent , i always have your back erica let love rule

For someone so young your outlook on life and the world is admiral and long may you fight the good fight - I would like to think you are not the minority but without wishing to degrade the youth of today I fear that this is the case You are a credit to both yourself and your family

You're such an sweetheart Erica keep it up thank you for bringing me back to the old school life you're the best

Just checked on scrawny lumberjack vid. Nice guy, and definitely an honest businessman. I then went to see who the Rustic guy is, to find out he deleted his Instagram page. Looks like karma came around quickly.

First off love the Kiss t-shirt great band and great shirt! Second there are way to many elitest in the knife community that do not understand not only what goes into hand crafting a knife from scratch to one being machined in a factory. if you really look hard you can find flaws in anything no matter who or what made it there is no such thing as perfection that is an illusion. You can get amazng hand made knives and you can get crappy hand made knives same as if it was mass produced in a factory. Some factory blades are great and others are crap. Some elitest will never be satified with a purchase and there is no making it right with them either the best thing your friend can do is just cut his losses with these people and keep moving foward and try and make the best knives he can. I am sure he has people out there that like what he does so he should focus on those people and let his work speak for itself.

As one of those makers, that went full time last year, I fully agree with you, but I alsy try every day to create the flawless knife! I love thsi community for the great people in it, and like everywhere there are some bad apples.

Anything bought that is handmade will most likely have some type of cosmetic flaw. I think some people set a level of expectation to a level that is virtually impossible to achieve. No matter what, bullying should never be acceptable. I am now going to buy a knife from the Scrawny Lumberjack AKA Kyle, just because of the bullying. #NOBULLYING. Love ya Erica, don't change who you are and thanks for the video. God bless and have a great weekend.

Perfection doesn't exist. In the realm of handmade anything, you pay a premium for the time and efforts of a craftsman, not 'perfection'.

You buy a car and it doesn’t come with gas in the car 😂

I just watched Kyle’s video before commenting. This is simply a reflection of today’s world. People buying knives second hand and expect the original maker to fix problems that were never addressed or were an issue for the original owner. Kyle should not have done anything for the second owner in my opinion. The lesson is make sure the warranty should between the maker and the original owner.

YOU'RE WAAAAAAAY 2 YOUNG TO KNOW KISS, YOUNG LADY !

After being offered a refund by the original seller and refusing, you are sort of accepting the knife in present condition, case closed. Its a used knife, that generally implies a final sale. The maker wouldve been perfectly within his rights to tell the guy to pound sand and not lost a wink of sleep about it. Sounds like instead, he went above and beyond to rectify a situation that he wasnt obligated to fix. This is significantly more than the buyer deserved imo. Btw, I appreciate your content, and unique perspective. Im from RI, and just traveled up to your gorgeous state with my son to check out WMK in person(and obviously drop some $$$) and grab some food. Love it up there!

You are awesome, Erica! Good job!

You gotta expect some blemishes with hand made stuff…….It’s the same in the handmade leather goods community,Sometimes the stitching on the wallet isn’t perfect but the wallet will out live you and that’s ok with me if something has cosmetic things going on. I’m a huge believer in Karma and these bullies will get paid back by the universe👍🏻

After getting ripped off, I along with 3000+ others, by Guy Seiferd of Survive knives on prepaid orders that we were misled into believing, it was the supposed "Holy Grail" in the most perfect knife in production, I have now forgiven many of my Bark River knives for their many minor picadillos and blemishes. Near perfect knives do exist, but they are typically followed and preceded by a reputation worth the price as perfection comes in. In many parlances like custom arts, crafts, firearm builders, taxidermy, etc., their are standard costs, and then their is competition grade cost. Great topic !

I was raised with a similar mindset though I only care about my core family. There is a saying in german: family you have, friends you choose. My friends (the view i call friends) are everything to me and that i am loyal to. But i couldn’t care less about my uncle, cousin and so on. They are people i just don’t want to be around.

Good morning Ms E. Thanks for sharing. 🇺🇲🔪🌲🔥

First off, thanks for all your videos. I enjoy them. Now, I don't go along with popular opinion on some things. I remember reading in a knife magazine article when I was a young lad that a knife should come from the factory sharp. When I got into buying knives later in knife I didn't really have a clear concept of what ''Sharp'' truly is.after getting to a little less than what I'd like in skill level,but not so much that I feel the need to put in more practice at sharpening, I've concluded that sharp means different things to different people, and am happy to get a decent factory edge on a knife. Of course, I'm sure that sentiment was heavily influenced by the fact that I carried a Byrd Crossbill for five years and bought two of them when the first came out, along with one of the original Cara Cara's when (noted by the earlier 440C tang stamp). Back then, they came dull, and while the Cara Cara didn't take nearly as long to put an edge on, the Crosbills took considerably longer. I also remember Sal Glesser saying something on his factory forums alluding to the idea that not all countries consumers expect a sharp edge,as the prefer to put their own edge on the blade.im always happy with a good factory edge,but since sharpening is just part of using a knife, do not consider a poor edge something to complain about. As for a poor plunge grind, repeated sharpening can create a recurve if it isn't corrected by someone, be it the producer or user. Therefore, I just don't understand how it's considered ''cosmetic ''. That said,I lump it into the same category as sharp factory edges,although I consider the plunge grind more important due to the recurve possibility. Even then, I find it unreasonable to expect more from a manufacturer than what they promote. As an example, I received a carving knife of a reputable brand with what my knife collecting experience said was a very uneven grind. When I asked the manufacturer if it was normal, he said it was,''cosmetic ''.I took into consideration the man's reputation and the fact that I was completely new to wood carving and let it go at that, accepting that it met his production standards. Case knives have what many consider poor standards, but if I get a knife that has a slight blade wobbel,I know that it's within their standards. This guy bought a used knife, and even if it has a fully transferable lifetime warranty, it isn't reasonable to expect more than what was originally offered with the knife. If that's the quality standards of the maker at the time of production, then the buyers should accept that. My question as an end line user would have been, ' Is this an acceptable standard on the makers current work?'' Case sells off center blades and gaps. I know that when I choose to buy their knives,and don't complain unless it's so bad that the liner interferes with the edge. P.S. Case, FYI, I still like centered blades with no wobble or gaps. Thanks

if you give 280 for a knife it should be perfect in every way. that's a lot of money

I think Erica and Larrin Thomas from Knife Steel Nerds, need to do a podcast. They would make a good pair discussing industry news, steel, and knife philosophy overall.

I watched Kyle's video, so now I have the full understanding of the situation. Guy bought the knife 2nd hand, he bought it knowing the flaws, which is between him and the guy he bought from. Unless the blade separates in pieces or scales disintegrate, Kyle has no obligation to the second hand buyer. As far as custom or handmade knives, I don't agree with most on subject of flaws. If I'm buying a custom or handmade knife, I better be getting a flawless knife for the cost. The price ALWAYS reflects the fact it's custom or handmade, being more money than a "factory made" knife. To use the car analogy as I see it, two identical cars, one is hand assembled and the other was made on assembly line, that handmade car is ALWAYS more expensive because it's handmade. The door seams are perfect, the hood seams are perfect, the paint is flawless, every little thing is precise. Reflecting the above scenario, IF Kyle's knives have some "pitting" or area that doesn't clean up, it's up to him to increase stock thickness or whatever it takes to not have that issue moving forward. A new maker, that has some flaws in their product, shouldn't be charging custom knife prices comparable to flawless knives made by others. The problem I see there, and has been an issue growing for years, too many people are willing to throw good money at inferior products, inferior meaning not flawless. EXAMPLE: Why would i pay $210 for uneven plunge, pitting from material not cleaning up and nicked handles, but sharp as hell, when I can buy a comparable knife without those flaws for the same or maybe $10 more, even if it's not as sharp? If it's custom or handmade, the maker sees every single knife intimately and should never send out a "faulty" or "flawed" product, which is why we pay a premium for those knives.

The knife maker didn’t really have to do anything yet he fixed the problem . Then after that he try’s to get a free knife because the plunge grind is off , that won’t effect anything it will still cut . The second hand buyer is 100 percent trying to get a free knife . The maker sharpened the knife too . He went above and beyond imo .

I have some old handcrafted washstands and chest of drawers. Functional ? Yes. Perfectly made ? No. But that's the beauty of handcrafted products. You can see the workmanship in the product than a perfectly milled product.

Dear Erica, I didn’t know that you were Italian. I collect Italian Switchblades 😊

I commented on his video that I have a flaw or two in my one Winkler knife that I have had for a long time and carry everyday. None of the flaws actually effect the performance, and I don't expect extreme tolerances from something that is hand made. I do believe that makers should strive for perfection to better their craft, but anything made by hand will have flaws and should be expected.

Cosmetic stuff proves that it is not "machine made" In Kyle's video, the chap bought it secondhand! Keep speaking the truth Erica, we are listening!

That was a very good video, and very well said

I keep thinking I need a new YT account so people will know who I am, but if I did that I wouldn't feel quite as comfortable saying that Allen can talk all he wants about his "big following" but for having 17k followers he sure doesn't have much more engagement (likes/comments) than I do and I don't even have 1500 followers. I'm going to go out on a great big sturdy limb and guess that he bought those followers for clout. I remain unphased. Come at me bro!

Feel like cosmetic issues should be between 1st buyer and maker. 2nd has no claim besides warranty but the fact that warranty is still active and the fact that Kyle was going to make a new knife until 2nd wanted to be tough. I’ll buy from Kyle with no fear that he will stand behind his product. Situation sucks for Kyle but he earned a new customer from it. If 2nd had remained nice, he’d have a new knife.

If you want a flawless knife get a production one. Or look for a maker with a rock solid reputation and history of perfection. Handmade knives may have cosmetic blemishes. Some of us are ok or even like that. Other people are a little more picky and I can understand that. That said if you buy anything second hand you are accepting any possible flaws.

not just a sharp edge but one that last a bit under normal use what knives were made for also that when you go to resharpen the knife the edge maintain its sharpness

Also, full customs are expected to have inconsistencies, even a 5K full custom...bc it's a handmade full custom knife...if you don't know that you shouldn't be buying full handmade custom knives...

That is the reason I buy my “most dependable” knives from “MKT” Medford knife and tool. Lifetime warranty and warranty is transferable to the secondary market. Greg Medford is the Goat. Though his knives are machine processed, many aspects of the different knife models are hands on, like the grinding and angle grinds etc.. MKT knives are super tough, super sexy, super tolerances as well as a super lifetime warranty. MKT is the go go go go Goat! Though some would say he is a bah bah Black sheep but not me.. Baybeee!

Well said, E! Have a great weekend!

8:01 this is what it comes down too if its new but if its used your on your own honestly

True story: several years ago I ordered 3 griptilians from Benchmade’s custom shop… all 3 arrived with no bevel… absolutely no bevel at all… completely dull… I was dumbfounded.

Thank you! 🎉

Im into bushcraft knives so dont want a cosmetically perfect knife. I aim for a comfortable tough knife that holds a great edge and works wood well, look at the L.T Wright genesis probably worse finish on a knife I ever seen with visible vertical grind marks on the flats, no crisp transition line from the bevels to the flats it almost looks amateurish, they are not cheap and people seems to love the knife

I agree Bullying shouldnt be allowed anywhere!!!! However, I think you a drawing attention to the negative bullying and als to the fact that his knives might not be perfect yet

I have found lots of flows in Randall knives but anybody can on any knife just keep looking hold it up to the light and look down the blade i promise you will find it

Hello, every creator on RU-vid or social media channels has a responsibility. Social media can be dangerous and merciless. It wouldn't be nice if there are actually people who want to take down small knife manufacturers. People and their feelings should be respected. Put very simply, this is perhaps the difference between good and evil

Have you got a CPK in your hands yet? Best HT in the game. Nathan is a true evil genius

Oh boy here we go down the knife pro hole lol lol you will learn i think maybe good job girl

There are more and more Karens comming out more and more everywhere,! Loyalty and good friends are hard to find , true good friends i mean👍✌🏻🤙🙏🏼🇨🇦😊

You knife are a different breed.

🍿🍿

It's just absolute insanity to expect the maker to support and fix a blade you got SECOND HAND. I saw the video and absolutely think he's in the right to no longer fixing it. The guy is simply trying to take an advantage of the maker. You bought it second hand, you knew what the flaws were. As a buyer or trader, you accept those conditions before making the trade. It is not up to the maker to fix those things for you if you knowingly buy the item that is flawed. He didn't even have to get rid of the pitting, it was a very generous thing for him to do. The buyer is a giant dickhead. The car analogy is a good one because it's like, you don't ever go to the original dealer that sold you the 1987 Chevy S10 in 1987 and complain about the balljoints going out in 2024. Like, wtf. dude.

The bullying is definitely an issue and not the way to handle the situation. However, to use your car analogy. If I take my car to the mechanic to fix something, and in the process they break something else(even if its cosmetic), im going to expect them to remedy that situation. Maybe i need to watch his video again and forgive me if I missed something, but thats my opinion as I understand what happened.

Erica, I watched the Scrawny Lumberjack’s videos yesterday and I was really surprised when he shared his story about how he wanted a knife touched up and the maker refused since that was an “accurate representation of their work at the time”. That sort of feels like a cop out, sure if it’s cosmetic I guess some could let it slide because it’s a smaller maker but at the same time most of these handmade/custom knives aren’t cheap. I’m curious what your thoughts are on that?

as you said... function means a hell of alot more than a nick in the micarta.. lol...

Persian Rug weavers used to purposely work a "flaw" or "imperfection" into their rugs because of their belief that nothing is perfect but Allah and as imperfect humans we need God's perfection in our lives. I don't mind a knife with a minor imperfection because I have several of my own.

The buyer bought the knife knowing what he was getting he didn’t have to buy it Strong arming for a new knife after buying a used knife is being a dirtbag

I feel like some people make knives without expecting them to be used lol. So many people see knives as collectables and they never see a single day of use... so why give the knife an edge? Maybe that is what knife makers are thinking. Not good.

In my Opinion, if you have blame your competitors you‘re to lazy taking care about your own business. There‘s always room for improvement and you should always start with yourself. Greatness shows in helping others, not in putting them down.

I bought a condor knife and it was super dull 😂😡 . Do you know if anza knives are good merci ✌️

Ruh Roh Relroy...

I don’t know. If your acting as the tester and the sales person and saying it’s a collaboration and your selling knives for top tier prices well than it better come perfect atleast close very close. Yea. If the micarta is off it does affect the performance specifically when sold at corvette prices.

Cute girl with knife knowledge I love it I had to subscribe your pretty intelligent little lady yes lol sorry about my spelling sometimes good job really good job great attitude to keep it up girl doing great

shmingus.

Is that a leather sheath for the splinter?

Communities

Russian, ты можешь со мной не согласиться, но щас большинство компаний идут по принципу, имя важнее качества, да и не многие могут чувствовать метал при рождении ножа ,

Young lady, you have some very interesting perspectives. I've been purchasing knives for a long long time. I have quite a large collection of vintage knives and some knives that have never been used from the early 1900's. I have 4 knives made in Germany all exactly the same from the same maker, their survival in unused condition for how old these knives are is incredibly actually. One thing that I'd like to share with you is that all 4 of these knives have no sharp edge. They were made this way by the German company that produced them. The steel of course is the best they had at during this era of time in Solingen and the makers of these knives were skilled members of that knife making community. Everyone of these knives are the same but slightly different being made by different cutlers. Everyone has no cutting or sharp edge. Why? Because in those days it was understood and expected of a person who would purchase a knife that he or she would know how to maintain and sharpen their tool. You do understand that knives are actually a tool and not only something you purchase to collect? Nothing wrong with collecting them at all, but you might want to give consideration that an imperfection in the craftsmanship of the knife is a normal thing. The problem with the knife community as I see it, isn't in the cutler's. It's with the buyers who rarely are true users of the cutlery and then the critics that give opinions on something they truly probably don't understand. Food for thought. You're probably being blocked or ignored by these cutlers because they're busy perfecting their craft while you are busy giving them advice on something you can't or won't do yourself. It annoys them and aggravates them, it would me.

Anyone that would buy a *used* knife, from a knife maker of handmade knives who has made 1000 knives or fewer *and* has seemingly reasonable prices, and expects *expert* levels of fit and finish and top end qc on top, again for less than $200, hell maybe even $4 or 500, is an unreasonable asshole looking to get over on a new maker learning the trade. He's just pissed that he got exactly what he paid for and didn't get to screw this guy over. Also, the bullies should be called out by name. I want to know who to support and who not to support. I work hard for my money and I don't want to ever reward shitheels. For Christ sake..its a used damn knife. Gtfo with that shizzz.😅

💥👏👏 well said - small imperfections on a blade made by hand is gonna happen makes it unique, so much more treasured than a CNCd blade- trust me luv em both - but within a cpl days their gonna be bastardized 😂-- keep up the great vids 💯💥🍺

This poop needs to stop.

Who’s the RU-vidr?

Why do reviewers talk to the people like we are 5 years old and we can’t comprehend what your saying without the insulting analogy

What happened

Don’t even talk about this if you not going to tell us who it is. That helps absolutely no one solve anything

100% agree though. I prefer PERFECTION which is why I don’t buy customs. I want my knives to look and feel perfect when I buy them. Nothing beats the precision of a cnc machine. Give me a mid tech over a custom any day of the week