BHQ with a hap40 Lum Tanto exclusive?

[Evil D]

I guess it's totally ok for people to talk trash about a company and their CEO and business ethics and make all kinds of insults and accusations but God forbid if that person gets sick of hearing the constant flow of negative attitudes and drama. The customer is not only always right but also the only one with feelings and the only one entitled to an opinion. Some of you people are honestly delusional.

And some people attempt to suppress other people's OPINION, all the while promoting their OPINION.

I don't recall anyone saying the behaviors described are 'ok'. Sorry to ruffle you up.

Sal, you don't need to apologize!

I have no dog in this fight, I just don't see Sal saying anything even close to as harsh as some of the people have lately on this forum. But, that's the world we live in now, where everyone expects special treatment and double standards are the standard.

[sal]

Hi DirtmCGirt, Rivy,

Point taken.

sal

[curlyhairedboy]

Clear communication with the ELU, even if heated, is one of the most important things that sets Spyderco apart from the rest.

I for one had very little idea about the difficulty of HAP40, based on the successes of other sprints with it. It's good to know that it's a beast to work with. Will rethink asking for the entire back catalog in it as sprint runs.... :D

Sal, regarding your comment about customs: Taichung continuously and Golden increasingly produce knives with fit, finish, and action better than many customs. It's entirely reasonable to point out the value that's offered.

[Molle Ninja]

Sal,

I’ve not been here on the forum as long as some, but I have been buying your knives since the 80s. I have been especially loyal to this brand over the last 5 years or so, letting my spending do most of the talking. Your connection to your customers has impressed me and kept me coming back.

So take this for what it is; observation, not indictment.

First off, if Hap40 isn’t a good option for this type of blade because of inconsistency of results, then it seems Spyderco was in a better position to know this than BladeHQ and certainly end customers. To come back and essentially (actually, literally) tell us to quit *****ing is unacceptable. Maybe the knife shouldn’t have been made in Hap40 then? BladeHQ probably would’ve sold a 1,200 unit run of the damascus blade steel like in the foliage green FRN Delicas I bought my boys last year, for example. For what it’s worth I’ve bought about 15 of the Hap40 knives, maybe more, all straight.

Why was the screw unfastened on the stop pin of one of my Lum Tantos, then, nearly dropping out? It doesn’t matter one bit that they’re polished when they’re not installed properly. That’s not a Hap40 issue, either. How about the crazy loud grinding on the other when opening and closing? These are straight QC issues. Two knives, $440. It doesn’t matter that you had the “balls” to make the knife if the end result isn’t worth the effort.

Just own it.

And please, before the sycophants come out of the shadows—don’t bother. I wouldn’t be posting this if the reaction from the company was more measured, as it customarily is. That is the real disappointment. I can get over being disappointed by a purchase and inconvenienced by taking advantage of a decent return policy. But don’t tell me I’m *****ing when it’s not me who dropped the ball.

[Tdog]

Sometimes putting an issue at rest for the night gives a slightly different perspective. I just picked up the Lum I received yesterday and after opening and closing a few times felt a bit better about it. The blade on mine is VERY close to the right liner when closed. If there were a way to adjust/center the blade I could be content with the knife. As it is now any further movement to the right and the blade will get scratched by the liners. Is there a fix someone might suggest without totally tearing the knife apart? Has anyone else been able to adjust the blade centering on your Hap40 Lum Tanto? If so what technique was used?

[PaleMoon]

Sal,

I’ve not been here on the forum as long as some, but I have been buying your knives since the 80s. I have been especially loyal to this brand over the last 5 years or so, letting my spending do most of the talking. Your connection to your customers has impressed me and kept me coming back.

So take this for what it is; observation, not indictment.

First off, if Hap40 isn’t a good option for this type of blade because of inconsistency of results, then it seems Spyderco was in a better position to know this than BladeHQ and certainly end customers. To come back and essentially (actually, literally) tell us to quit *****ing is unacceptable. Maybe the knife shouldn’t have been made in Hap40 then? BladeHQ probably would’ve sold a 1,200 unit run of the damascus blade steel like in the foliage green FRN Delicas I bought my boys last year, for example. For what it’s worth I’ve bought about 15 of the Hap40 knives, maybe more, all straight.

Why was the screw unfastened on the stop pin of one of my Lum Tantos, then, nearly dropping out? It doesn’t matter one bit that they’re polished when they’re not installed properly. That’s not a Hap40 issue, either. How about the crazy loud grinding on the other when opening and closing? These are straight QC issues. Two knives, $440. It doesn’t matter that you had the “balls” to make the knife if the end result isn’t worth the effort.

Just own it.

And please, before the sycophants come out of the shadows—don’t bother. I wouldn’t be posting this if the reaction from the company was more measured, as it customarily is. That is the real disappointment. I can get over being disappointed by a purchase and inconvenienced by taking advantage of a decent return policy. But don’t tell me I’m *****ing when it’s not me who dropped the ball.

Is your reaction measured? Have you never dropped the ball in your life? Do you always own up to your mistakes?

Sal has a pretty flawless track record when it comes to running his business and interacting with his customers, yet all it takes is one little outburst (saying the word "*****ing") for you to forget all of it and condescendingly talk down the company as a whole? C'mon. This been said time and again, but how many other production knife companies do you know of where the founder even bothers checking the forums? I bet most people here couldn't even tell who's running the vast majority of knife brands out there.

Take some time off to think about all this, take a good look in the mirror, and come back and read his reply again. It's hardly anything worth fussing about. And it's not like his comment was targeting you specifically, anyway.

Spyderco has been facing increasing BS internet drama as of late, with Sal consistently bending over backwards to make the situation right and please everybody's needs. With the increasing amount of trolls and overly entitled reviews, I even wonder if some of the complaints aren't originating from competitors. One user in particular only seems to show up here to talk about how amazing WE Knives are in comparison to Spydercos. I'm amazed Sal even bothers anymore.

I'm not saying Sal never makes mistakes, but jeez people, take a minute to remember all the amazing stuff before you crucify a guy for slightly losing his temper for half a second.

"The good deeds a man has done before defend him."

[SpeedHoles]

I received mine today. Happy to say it's a cherry, and I'm really digging it!

[camvdcs]

Read a lot about off centering. Just received mine from Bladehq and it is centered, relatively smooth opening, early lockup, & fit finish great. Happy with it.

[jtoler_9]

Here’s how I see it. Limited issue blades and increasing prices = I am not surprised at all that expectations are raising.

The higher the prices go, the more I expect to see these types of sentiments and discussions.

I still wish I would have snagged one of these. Missed another. C’est la vie

[NiallRiv]

Loving mine! VERY sharp out of the box and in excited to have a slicey thin tanto, in a tough blade steel. The clad factor just adds to the coolness, personal still not sure of the actual benefit for a folder. Mines a hair off center but no where near touching. Added a few drops of Hoppe's to the washers and pivot and it smoothed it right up. Clad lines are about and eight inch on both sides and even. Will likely dye mine soon as I have another in the jade G10, will post if I do.

Thanks Spyderco and Blade HQ for another cool exclusive!

[mbellett]

First post for me here, although I've been following for a bit. My two cents on this knife:
I was excited to see this offering, as I've enjoyed the hap40 on the Meerkat and Ladybug, and wanted to try it on a larger blade. I have a few knives in regular rotation in my pockets, the original Gayle Bradley being my go-to blade when I know I have a lot to cut. The Bradley fits my hand perfectly and the blade slices wonderfully and just keeps coming back for more. My only issue with it is that after a few hours of opening and closing, my thumb is pretty chewed up from the hidden liner lock. I also have a CTS 204p Military that saves my thumb; it is definitely a beast in the pocket and honestly a bit large for my hand. It opens and closes readily though, slices well, and that blade also holds up really well. Here in Ohio, law enforcement can get a little weirded out by large knives though, so I'm careful about where I carry it. The Lum Tanto seems to fit into a sweet spot for me- in between the other two in terms of overall size and weight (although thinner than both), with the blade somehow appearing shorter than it really is. I tend to favor long wearing, harder steels, and prefer hollow grind to flat. The thicker tip on this one was just icing on the cake.
Overall, fit and finish on mine is good. Blade is very close to center and pivot was smooth out of the box, although smoother now that I disassembled and lubricated the pivot. I like that the G10 is definitely grippier than on the Military. The only QC issue that I have is that the lanyard tube is loose enough to make a rattling noise, it appears the the center section is about .013" narrrower than the standoffs. It's not enough to ruin the knife for me, it's a part that would be easy to replace if it ever gets on my nerves.
This is the most I've ever paid for a knife, so I'll admit to being a little let down by the lanyard tube. Considering the difficulty to manufacture though, and the fact that the overall design of the knife checks so many boxes for me, I'm still happy with it. I see this knife getting a ton of use.
Thanks for bringing this one to us, Sal.

IMG_20180303_132052.png (233.8 KiB) Viewed 3459 times

[Molle Ninja]

Sal,

I’ve not been here on the forum as long as some, but I have been buying your knives since the 80s. I have been especially loyal to this brand over the last 5 years or so, letting my spending do most of the talking. Your connection to your customers has impressed me and kept me coming back.

So take this for what it is; observation, not indictment.

First off, if Hap40 isn’t a good option for this type of blade because of inconsistency of results, then it seems Spyderco was in a better position to know this than BladeHQ and certainly end customers. To come back and essentially (actually, literally) tell us to quit *****ing is unacceptable. Maybe the knife shouldn’t have been made in Hap40 then? BladeHQ probably would’ve sold a 1,200 unit run of the damascus blade steel like in the foliage green FRN Delicas I bought my boys last year, for example. For what it’s worth I’ve bought about 15 of the Hap40 knives, maybe more, all straight.

Why was the screw unfastened on the stop pin of one of my Lum Tantos, then, nearly dropping out? It doesn’t matter one bit that they’re polished when they’re not installed properly. That’s not a Hap40 issue, either. How about the crazy loud grinding on the other when opening and closing? These are straight QC issues. Two knives, $440. It doesn’t matter that you had the “balls” to make the knife if the end result isn’t worth the effort.

Just own it.

And please, before the sycophants come out of the shadows—don’t bother. I wouldn’t be posting this if the reaction from the company was more measured, as it customarily is. That is the real disappointment. I can get over being disappointed by a purchase and inconvenienced by taking advantage of a decent return policy. But don’t tell me I’m *****ing when it’s not me who dropped the ball.

Is your reaction measured? Have you never dropped the ball in your life? Do you always own up to your mistakes?

Sal has a pretty flawless track record when it comes to running his business and interacting with his customers, yet all it takes is one little outburst (saying the word "*****ing") for you to forget all of it and condescendingly talk down the company as a whole? C'mon. This been said time and again, but how many other production knife companies do you know of where the founder even bothers checking the forums? I bet most people here couldn't even tell who's running the vast majority of knife brands out there.

Take some time off to think about all this, take a good look in the mirror, and come back and read his reply again. It's hardly anything worth fussing about. And it's not like his comment was targeting you specifically, anyway.

Spyderco has been facing increasing BS internet drama as of late, with Sal consistently bending over backwards to make the situation right and please everybody's needs. With the increasing amount of trolls and overly entitled reviews, I even wonder if some of the complaints aren't originating from competitors. One user in particular only seems to show up here to talk about how amazing WE Knives are in comparison to Spydercos. I'm amazed Sal even bothers anymore.

I'm not saying Sal never makes mistakes, but jeez people, take a minute to remember all the amazing stuff before you crucify a guy for slightly losing his temper for half a second.

"The good deeds a man has done before defend him."

I get it, but I’m the customer and my problems with this batch are not unique. Owning up to a mistake while saying that your customers are *****ing about the fact that apparently it’s common knowledge that Hap40 blades warp (none of the others that I have are warped—hmmmmmm?) is not owning up to a mistake. It’s putting it on us for having an expectation of quality after spending $440 on two knives, after having spent five figures on Spydercos in my life.

Maybe the marketing materials could’ve said “just FYI, this product will likely underwhelm you if you’ve been a Spyderco customer in the last decade.”

And yes, I actually was one of the early commenters about the problems here and on bladeforums, so I do take the comments as directed towards me.

In the scheme of life it doesn’t matter. Nor does a goofy knife.

[steelcity16]

Man, seems like a lot of QC issues on this one. Very surprised at that, but glad I passed on this one. Probably not possible, but I really wish they would have moved production to Golden and used M4, Cruwear, or 52100 for this one. I would have bought 2 in that case.

[PaleMoon]

I get it, but I’m the customer and my problems with this batch are not unique. Owning up to a mistake while saying that your customers are *****ing about the fact that apparently it’s common knowledge that Hap40 blades warp (none of the others that I have are warped—hmmmmmm?) is not owning up to a mistake. It’s putting it on us for having an expectation of quality after spending $440 on two knives, after having spent five figures on Spydercos in my life.

Maybe the marketing materials could’ve said “just FYI, this product will likely underwhelm you if you’ve been a Spyderco customer in the last decade.”

And yes, I actually was one of the early commenters about the problems here and on bladeforums, so I do take the comments as directed towards me.

In the scheme of life it doesn’t matter. Nor does a goofy knife.

With all due respect, I don't think you "get it". Not right now, at the very least.

The part I highlighted were definitely not his words, which is why I'm saying you should probably take a step back and cool off before commenting in an overly emotional manner. It never helps.

[holeshot]

Sal, I met you at the Oregon knife show last year and I'm pretty sure you don't remember me. That being said, we are both of the same generation and I'm sure you remember the Ricky Nelson song Garden Party, "You can't please everyone so you got to please yourself". Amen. :)

[Mushroom]

Yeah, that is quite a difference, though obviously due to blade thickness and subsequent grind angles.

Also, LOVE your calendar photo this month!

Thank you! :D I was ecstatic to finally flip my calendar to March!

[Molle Ninja]

I get it, but I’m the customer and my problems with this batch are not unique. Owning up to a mistake while saying that your customers are *****ing about the fact that apparently it’s common knowledge that Hap40 blades warp (none of the others that I have are warped—hmmmmmm?) is not owning up to a mistake. It’s putting it on us for having an expectation of quality after spending $440 on two knives, after having spent five figures on Spydercos in my life.

Maybe the marketing materials could’ve said “just FYI, this product will likely underwhelm you if you’ve been a Spyderco customer in the last decade.”

And yes, I actually was one of the early commenters about the problems here and on bladeforums, so I do take the comments as directed towards me.

In the scheme of life it doesn’t matter. Nor does a goofy knife.

With all due respect, I don't think you "get it". Not right now, at the very least.

The part I highlighted were definitely not his words, which is why I'm saying you should probably take a step back and cool off before commenting in an overly emotional manner. It never helps.

Fair enough. You also are not getting my point, though. Making excuses for why a product isn’t right is making excuses nevertheless. You can’t have people spend this amount of money and not expect some disenfranchisement. Especially when you could spend $150 or so on a PM2 in m360 from DLT and be blown away by its goodness. I’ve extolled here and on social media how my Chaparral FRN is **** perfect at $80-something. Spyderco has it in them—this knife was just a miss. It’s not my fault for calling them on it after they got defensive.

[vernonremington]

Won’t be buying a Seki City knife again....

I place the blame on using a them and not Golden or Taiwan. I didnt even pay attention to where it was manufactured until I received it, but like others I’m a little disappointed in this one.

[steelcity16]

Won’t be buying a Seki City knife again....

I place the blame on using a them and not Golden or Taiwan. I didnt even pay attention to where it was manufactured until I received it, but like others I’m a little disappointed in this one.

I've never heard of any other QC issues with Seki models. Are there other models out of there that have been sub-par in the past few years? All of my Seki knives are perfect.

[W7H2O]

To much negativity here.
If you don't like it ... return it. Buy something else.
Fishing for something else is half of the fun.