Dealing with SOG

[David in MN]

As many will know I have carried a SOG Trident Tanto for years. For a lightweight medium duty knife it's awesome. I like everything about the knife until last night when I hear a snapping sound and the assisted opening no longer works. This morning I get the gunsmithing tools out and take it apart to find a broken coil spring.

I'm not happy but things break.

I send SOG a message that this has happened and that I need a new coil spring assuming they will send me a $0.34 coil spring and I'll be up and running in a week.

The reply was infuriating. I was told that they do not send out internal parts but will make an exception this one time. I was told that by disassembling the knife (turning 5ish screws) I had voided the warranty and if the repair didn't work I would be on the hook to pay for parts and labor to fix it. All because I requested the broken part rather than sending in the whole knife under the warranty program.

Bottom line: I have the spring coming and a Benchmade on the way. I'm a little sore at SOG for threatening me because I had the audacity to do the troubleshooting for them. I disassemble and clean all my knives and guns and assume it is normal practice.

I liked SOG knives. Now I'm a little soured. FYI.

[Stwood]

Some companies only have one mindset, and that is that all consumers are dumbasses.

I had a switch to fail on a new machine one time, and they required me to load a 1000# machine up and drive 2 hours one way, and an appointment, to get it changed.
I refused, and requested they send me a switch and install myself.
They finally relented, after an hour on the phone.

[Alan Georges]

Some companies only have one mindset, and that is that all consumers are dumbasses.

Not a good assumption, but the safe assumption in today's legal climate.

I had a switch to fail on a new machine one time, and they required me to load a 1000# machine up and drive 2 hours one way, and an appointment, to get it changed.
I refused, and requested they send me a switch and install myself.
They finally relented, after an hour on the phone.

Still faster than the drive.  Pain in the ass though.

Too bad shibboleet is not real.

[Stwood]

Too bad shibboleet is not real.

 

[Carl]

As a gunsmith for the last 40 plus years,I have a two price policy...the SOMETHING BROKE PRICE and the AFTER YOU ATTEMPTED REPAIR PRICE  while many thought it unfair ....few declined my services as I continue my work now for only a few select LEO and class 3 users.

  I would have done as you did...but understand factory policy.

[David in MN]

As a gunsmith for the last 40 plus years,I have a two price policy...the SOMETHING BROKE PRICE and the AFTER YOU ATTEMPTED REPAIR PRICE  while many thought it unfair ....few declined my services as I continue my work now for only a few select LEO and class 3 users.

  I would have done as you did...but understand factory policy.

I get it. And I suppose it's my fault for not reading the warranty policy. And they don't know I'm an engineer with decades of experience  with knives (have made a few). But when I send a message offering to buy a broken part I don't want a full page lecture about the warranty. I guess I'm also a little miffed because it's a coil spring in a knife. I could have done this repair when I was 7. I mean one of the screws I removed voiding the warranty is the screw to switch the pocket clip, which I assume is something the owner can do.

And maybe I'm just using it as an excuse to spend $200 on a Benchmade. But it's a heads up on SOG's policy for the rest of  you.

[David in MN]

I got the spring. I have to admit it's not the easiest build. I broke out my wife's electrician's set (turns me on too) to needlenose the spring into place. Fixed the knife, no big deal. But be aware if you have a problem, don't open it up to fix yourself. Through this process I've actually learned it's better to be dumb and ask questions than to be smart and fix things for myself.

[Stwood]

I broke out my wife's electrician's set (turns me on too)

Pink....Lavender? 

[David in MN]

Pink....Lavender? 

Hell no. She runs Klein. It's a debate in the house because I'm going Felo. She terrifies me pulling panels and she'd happily illegally wire a house (true love). Once she starts pulling wires and I look like an idiot standing there she throws me the old construction joke, "don't let your skirt get in the way".

Her whole family is nothing but engineers, welders, iron workers, etc. I had to prove my ass as a farm kid with concrete experience to have a beer with that crew. On our last vacation I had to rebuild a pool pump with my father in law with no tools and we did it.

If our household can't do it, it doesn't need to be done. 

[Stwood]

Ok...ok. 

[Smurf Hunter]

Hell no. She runs Klein. It's a debate in the house because I'm going Felo. She terrifies me pulling panels and she'd happily illegally wire a house (true love). Once she starts pulling wires and I look like an idiot standing there she throws me the old construction joke, "don't let your skirt get in the way".

Her whole family is nothing but engineers, welders, iron workers, etc. I had to prove my ass as a farm kid with concrete experience to have a beer with that crew. On our last vacation I had to rebuild a pool pump with my father in law with no tools and we did it.

If our household can't do it, it doesn't need to be done. 

It's healthy for a man to get knocked on his ass once in a while...