TOPS Warrenty?

[Joe13]

I just recieved a tops anaconda from a friend. When I got it home I thought there was some junk on the blade so I hit it with some alcohol and a paper towel.

Turns out the finish rubbed off as I wiped.

It was my understanding that this knife was supposed to be coated with some sort of baked on coating so this perplexes me a bit.

I'm not a big knife guy but my friend is and he is also kinda stumped.

Has anyone dealt with TOPS warenty department?

What are my options if they do not honor their lifetime craftsmanship policy? Strip it and duracote it?

Thanks!

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[Bill Siegle]

You should contact TOPS knives. They have a good rep for taking care of issues.

 

[Joe13]

I read the warranty inside and out and read some other forum threads so I'm not hopeful that they will do anything.

It seems that if I do not have the original recipt or thier certificate of authenticity (which I wouldn't have even if I had been the one to buy it lol), I will most likely be told to go suck eggs.

Being a person that has a hard time waiting - I completely Dissasembled it and took some "0000" steel wool I use on guns that need some scrubbing but I don't want to hurt the blueing and started scrubbing, soaking it in alcohol until black stopped running off the blade like ink. Grabbed a silicone covered protectant clothe and shined it up real nice to try and keep the exposed steel from discoloring.

It was next to new when I got it yesterday and by the time I got all the failing coating off of it, it now looks well used instead of brand new.

I have the number for TOPS and see what they say, but if as the warrenty says - I have to pay postage both ways, then I may not even bother sending it in.

 

[etrain16]

Weird. Their website says the blades are powder coated and put through the ringer to stand up to just about anything. Are you certain it's a true TOPS blade? It's worth asking them about warranty, sure, they may tell you to pound sand, but at least then you'll know. If that doesn't work, you might look in to having it powder coated or Cerakoted locally at some point down the road, maybe that would be worth it. If it's done properly, it should last for quite a while. May not hurt to call around and ask about cost - you might check Buster Beaver, I visited their shop and it looks like they do nice work.

 

[Joe13]

Weird. Their website says the blades are powder coated and put through the ringer to stand up to just about anything. Are you certain it's a true TOPS blade? It's worth asking them about warranty, sure, they may tell you to pound sand, but at least then you'll know. If that doesn't work, you might look in to having it powder coated or Cerakoted locally at some point down the road, maybe that would be worth it. If it's done properly, it should last for quite a while. May not hurt to call around and ask about cost - you might check Buster Beaver, I visited their shop and it looks like they do nice work.

I will certainly ask around about cerakote and what a blade would run - maybe I'll be the only guy in the woods with a metallic purple 15" knife! (It's funny but I like purple lol). I would actually rather put money into something like that then pay two way shipping on chunk of metal to be recoated black...

Honestly, if it did not come from my childhood friend which he was going to sell for his dad (who is a bigger gun and knife geek then he and I put together), I would be outraged that someone sold me a spray painted used knife - most likely screaming on here about how badly I was screwed and what an idiot I felt like. Hell, my fingers look like I was wrenching on a leaking motor last night, not cleaning a knife.

BTW, don't clean sharp things while watching tv...

 

[etrain16]

I think we all have stories where we were maybe taken by someone. I've been guilty before of either not knowing enough about what I was looking at, or maybe not reading an ad accurately. I've certainly done it myself, just always hoping not to repeat it again.

As for the metallic purple knife, that would be very cool. If you do it, be sure to post pics.

 

[Joe13]

I talked with the tops people. Sounds like with some time, effort and the cost of shipping the knife there and back that they would most likely refinish it for me.

I'm going to use the hell out of it and worry about the finish next spring.

 

[Joe13]

Update:

I have now found out that the knife was bought used and not new so I'm going to bet the first owner sprayed it to cover up the useage marks.

It still looks nice enough for what I'll be using it for lol.

Here is what it ultimately came out looking like:

 

[etrain16]

From what I can see in the photo, it still looks pretty good. Pretty lame attempt by a previous owner to try and make it look new though