There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
I see some comments from members, it looks like you are seeing a few different issues with knives that have just been received so I will do my best to address everything here:
1) Sharpness: The samples that I tested were shaving sharp...I know this because I actually shaved a small patch of my arm with them. I test every knife we make before approving the shipment to customers. We randomly pull samples for testing, but that's not a guarantee that every blade is as sharp as our test units. However, if you think your knife should be sharper out of the box, Apogee Culinary does provide free lifetime sharpening. You can email them directly (sglassen@apogeeculinary.com) and they will send you a call tag so you can send it in.
2) Handle scuffs: These are basically impossible for us to assess or address without photos, and so far nobody has posted any. We have no reason to doubt what you're saying, but we also can't know if what you're seeing is normal our outside acceptable tolerances based just on these comments. Some of the scuffs could just be the natural pattern of the handle material. I haven't read specifically if anyone had washed them or was just reporting the look as they were delivered - a quick wash with soap and water may address some of these concerns. If there are manufacturing defects with the materials or finishing, they will be covered by our warranty.
3) Bent blades: We don't have a machine shop here, so we can do another visual inspection but we'd like to get some measurements on a larger sample size to check this out. I've asked for additional units to be pulled from the warehouse so that we can measure them. The processes of welding the blades to the bolsters and polishing them are both done by hand. With any knife, this can sometimes result in a less-than-perfect-90-degree final angle. Some slight variation (less than 1 degree) is not uncommon, but much more than that would be considered "out of spec" - we'll have to do some measuring before we can determine which is the case here. In addition to their offer of free lifetime sharpening, and regardless of how much the blade may be out of alignment, Apogee Culinary has a tool to straighten blades and has offered to do that for anyone who thinks theirs is out of alignment. You can email them directly (sglassen@apogeeculinary.com) and they will send you a call tag so you can send it in.
4) Quality Control: @Deaomega1214 reviewed over 200 pieces at the factory before they left the factory, and we reviewed a random sampling of five units before we approved shipment to members. We didn't see anything like what members are describing, but we're glad to take another look and we want to make sure everyone is happy. These blades are covered by our warranty, so if they are not up to spec you can send them in to Apogee Culinary to be touched up, or request an exchange or refund.
5) Warranty: So far, out of 1200+ orders, I see a total of two support tickets for any "Defective / Warranty Issues." Some people haven't received theirs yet, but so far this doesn't indicate a problem affecting the whole group. It would seem that some members who have commented also haven't yet filed support tickets for these issues...
You're certainly welcome to discuss any issues here, but we can't do anything to support your order unless you submit a help ticket - you can do that by going to the Transactions tab in your member profile and clicking the "Contact Support" button just below your order record for this item. https://www.massdrop.com/transactions
Our support team will ask for pictures so that we can understand the nature and seriousness of the problem, and also so that we can collect a record of the number and type of complaints. This will enable us to understand the scope of the problem and decide if it needs to be addressed internally for a handful of units (normal and minor) or with the vendor for the whole group (rare and serious).
I hope that addresses any concerns, we're glad to support any member who submits a ticket in getting warranty service. Massdrop and Apogee stand by the product and the warranty that covers it, and we'll make sure to address any issues you may have - please help us to do this by contacting support so we can refer to your order when responding.
Thanks, Jonas
CC: @harveyfnj @MJKelly @Moximo @Mandrake @Despoiler @tarachii @anteck7
UPDATED 7/19/18: We've been keeping track of how many Defective/Warranty support requests come in for this, and it's only 12 so far - that's less than 1%. Return rates for kitchen knives can often fall around 3%, so we feel confident in saying that it's not a widespread issue.
That being said, Apogee and Massdrop want to make sure that you're happy, and this knife is covered by warranty. If you did receive a knife that is blemished or has a blade which is off-center, then we'll be glad to take care of it - and you have options:
1) You can send your blade directly to Apogee for sharpening, or straightening. Just send an email to <sglassen@apogeeculinary.com> and let them know that you'd like to send it in and they will help you with shipping.
2) If you'd prefer a return or exchange, just go to the Transactions tab in your member profile and click "Contact Support" below your order record for this item. https://www.massdrop.com/transactions
The blemishes on the blade were mostly removed with a good washing , application of tuff Glide, and a vigorous polishing with a fine microfiber cloth. Yes I know that the Tough Glide must be removed prior to using it for food prep. But I have found that the solvent and dry lube can help with stain removal . There is one scratch or tooling mark that is still there. Admittedly the knife has to be held under a good light at a specific angle to see it, but it is there. See above for problems with capturing it in a photo.
My problem is that I should not have ever had to go through this process. When I buy a mid -grade knife, much less a high end knife, (I will even apply this to a $50 knife rom Spyderco or the like) I expect it to be pretty much perfect. This one obviously was and still is not that. As to sharpness, mine is just OK. It will not shave arm hair let alone whittle it. It can push cut notebook paper but not phone book paper. Of the 5 knives I have purchased in the last year, it is the least sharp.
So I guess I am stuck. I can't photgraph the defects and your people want photos prior to letting me return the knife. I guess I am screwed in a few ways, because according to your note, I must be one of a very few that got something sub par.
Let's see as time goes on. In any case, the fact that anyone has this kind of complaint may motivate whoever is responsible to tighten up the pre packaging inspection process, were this to happen again in the future.
I hope that this helps to understand where I am coming from on my statements.
:)
Scratching on the handle
Blade is bent
Blade is off center (you can also see the bent blade here)
Back left side of the blade is only half finished. The rest is unfinished with a sharp edge.
There is a dent on the front right side of the blade. This was a little hard to photograph but you can see it in the way the reflection distorts around the dent.
On top of everything else the blade is completely dull. I can run my thumb up and down it without even risking a nick.
One or two of these issues I could perhaps live with (not a big deal to sharpen and polish the blade). But the off centering, bent blade, handle scratches and half finished back edge are not things I can fix myself. Overall it gives the impression that it was sloppily made and QA/QC is lacking.
I am going to open a support ticket to return the knife. I'm not sure if they have any spares to swap out, but even if they do I am unsure if I want to go that route in case I get another lemon.
My handle also has a small but noticeable gouge in it which I can add a picture of from mobile later. Also there are grind marks on the bolster of the knife just before the g10 handle.
I honestly however don't think it's in issue with the QC. From my experience working with companies with good-seeming QC processes, talent and expertise is not retained, and corners are bound to be cut when yo underpay staff and set unreasonable timelines. This is true in every industry, and if Massdrop chose a factory that overpromised when the contract was signed, and is used to producing products where quality is a minimal concern, superimposing quality control measures on top is not going to change that.
Nevertheless to be fair, the knife has been functionally what I expect from a good $70 knife. It handles well despite it being off-center and me being left-handed, and feels extremely well-balanced. Alas, I had hoped that this knife would have been a $120 knife masquerading as a $70 knife. It may still be if the HRC is approximately as advertised and steel is to spec.
Does this mean the blade was designed to be off-center? Because this has honestly made gripping the blade as a lefty feel a tad more awkward because of the deeper thumb placement (in-reverse of how it would be gripping the blade as a righty).