FAQ: Why isn't my new knife perfect?

Wait a minute -- don't mistake perfection for quality.

Some of the knives we offer are, for the most part, made by machines. A great many, however, are made by human hands or, at the very least, assembled and finished by hand.

We mention that because a machine-made product is far more likely to fit most folks' idea of "perfect" -- all measurements and tolerances are set when the tooling is created, so the first knife off the line is identical to the next and the next and the ones after that.

The bottom line is that knives made, assembled and finished by hand often won't be absolutely perfect. Unless you appreciate the character of a handcrafted knife, approaching it with a micrometer and a loupe is a prescription for disappointment.

The same is true, of course, of natural handle materials like bone, burl and horn. Each knife will be unique and, arguably, quirky.

We stand behind what we sell, so if you're not satisfied with your purchase please let us know. But here at KnivesShipFree, we love the character and the quality of handmade knives -- it this age of mass-production, an "imperfection" or two suits us just fine.