Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 2:15:14 GMT
I recently purchased the "Mbala Jungle Knife" from Atlanta Cutlery' Seen here: www.atlantacutlery.com/p-868-mbala-jungle-knife.aspxI thought since most of the knives from AC are made by Windlass, I thought that this knife would be one made by them. I got it yesterday to find out that is is actually made by a company in China. I ordered it sharpened, and I went out cutting with it today. After realizing that the blade was complete crap, I broke the handle off (which didn't even have a snug fit on the tang, but it was really on there good) I saw that is has a rat-tail tang and is NOT suitable for anything but for handing on the wall. I am ashamed of AC, if it was not meant to be as they advertised, they should say so, and they should as hell NOT offer to sharpen it. The little nicks in the blade are from after the big chip. I realized that it was semprini after the big chip, and gave it hell. THUMBS DOWN. I am not really angry, just ashamed.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 2:16:02 GMT
I didn't link the pictures right, just give me a sec.
Okay, fixed.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 2:18:21 GMT
The knife is $20. You got exactly what you paid for.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 2:20:27 GMT
The knife is $20. You got exactly what you paid for. The knife was originally $40. It is on closeout so it is cheaper.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 2:28:28 GMT
Closeout means they cut down the markup. No matter how bad they want to get rid of them, they wouldn't sell them below their worth.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 4:19:54 GMT
But they are clearly selling it as a functional knife--I would have thought AC would know better or at least value their reputation more than that.
Have you contacted them, Master?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 4:20:32 GMT
But they are clearly selling it as a functional knife--I would have thought AC would know better or at least value their reputation more than that. Have you contacted them, Master? No, not yet. I am not sure if I will.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 13:59:23 GMT
But they are clearly selling it as a functional knife And it IS functional. It's $20 worth of functional. $20 doesn't buy you much at all, even when you're talking about a 5" knife, not to mention a 14.5" blade. Seriously, the knife I'm looking to trade for right now costs ~$200, and it's only a 7.5" blade. $20 in the knife world is a joke, you can't expect a decent blade for that kind of money. I wouldn't expect hard use out of ANY of the knives they sell, and they range up to almost $100. They're more costume pieces than they are serious, serviceable knives meant to be used hard. Edited to add: Seriously, he got more than his money's worth out of the damn thing. I mean, look at the blade! You see that GIGANTIC chunk missing? You see how it's been violently beat to hell? I kinda doubt a cheapass knife would be overhardened as to produce a chip that size, which means he hit it REALLY hard against something that he shouldn't have. With that in mind, the fact that the tang-weld is still holding up should indicate that it's at least strong enough for light (IE: $20 worth of) use. Edited again to add: Buy beware. Everything made by Windlass Steelcrafts that ACC sells specifically says so in the product description. The fact that he ASSUMED that this was too, just because ACC sells it, was his own fault.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 16:46:54 GMT
Better that it only cost him $20 and not $200 - because good quality, name brand merchandise can be flawed as well...I've heard of Albions that somehow got past the QC process and into someone's hands. It happens.
I don't think it unwise to assume a certain level of usability; think of how many people who did buy that knife who have no other experience except to say that it looks good to them. It is in those hands that I fear such the most.
But HR's right; if it's made by Windlass, ACC (and MRL) go out of their way to let you know that.
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Jul 2, 2009 16:47:04 GMT
Wow, what the hell did you do to that poor thing?
HR's got a point... A $40 knife of that size will be doing very little, ultimately. Likewise, if the manufacturer isn't specified, the only assumption you should make is that the blade is most likely crap.
If you're so upset with their "functional" description, why aren't you going to contact them? Tell them they told you it was "functional" and it isn't. Evidence should stop at the "tang" there. You needn't tell them you attempted to invade a bunker by chopping through the wall with it, or whatever took that bloody big chunk out there...
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 19:13:47 GMT
I was cutting down part of a small tree, smaller than my arm, and it was a very soft tree. And as for $40 knives go, I know for a fact that the Windlass Qama would have been able to do this no problem at all.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 19:52:30 GMT
The Windlass Qama is a good little sword; I have one, I love it. But like random said, why wouldn't you tell ACC about your mishap? They might be willing to accept a return and send another, or give you credit towards something else? Wonder who made that Mbala knife?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2009 22:32:41 GMT
The problem here is that ACC is within their right. They sold it as USABLE, and considering the cost (it's a $20 knife, not a $40 knife, they just marked it up to double that for normal sales which is probably business as usual) and what was done to it, I see no foul play on any side. Just skewed expectations.
You have to remember, this object was sold as a knife. Not an axe, not a shortsword. A knife. It wasn't sold with a qualification to it's claim of usable, but common sense dictates that $20 doesn't buy you tree-chopping functionality.
To quote my friend, who is NOT a knife or sword aficionado in ANY sense of the word, "I wouldn't even spend $20 on a kitchen knife because it would be crap." Simple logic dictates that you get what you pay for.
Even the tang assembly is what I would expect. By itself, there's nothing wrong with it for a knife, though maybe not a 15" blade per se. Even Cold Steel uses a similar construction on their Laredo bowie, only the threaded rod is replaced with a piece of steel cable. That said, I've never read a bad review of the Laredo bowie.
The Windlass Qama is one of those diamonds in the rough. It's relatively cheap, yet surprisingly well made for the price. These don't come around often, which is why this entire forum was created in the first place: to identify these cheap, yet usable, swords. The Qama happens to be one, as it's made by a somewhat reputable company (Windlass).
I think this only serves as a warning for everyone else to CAREFULLY read the product descriptions before buying, and not click 'purchase' with ANY assumptions in mind. Hell, if there are any doubts one should be take the time to ask questions of the retailer before jumping in blindly at an impulse buy.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2009 2:36:39 GMT
I have been looking at this knife since they started selling it. It has always been $40. If I had asked ACC about it, they just would have told me that it was a cheap, functional knife. This forum id just not about finding diamonds in the rough, but warning other people of products out there that claim to be functional, but aren't. That is why I originally posted this, so people would know that this knife is not suitable for cutting like I originally thought. I will not contact ACC because it was so cheap, it doesn't bother me. If I had paid the original price, I may have been pissy and contacted them.
|
|
Insane
Member
I'm not mental... Just Insane
Posts: 188
|
Post by Insane on Jul 4, 2009 9:34:07 GMT
Maybe Master should have known better,
But they advertise it as a useable jungle knife that begs to chop bush and vine.Well tempered highcarbon steel blade.
My $60,- Musashi katana can cut stuff. So why not a $40"jungle"knife.
If you say it's useable it should be useable. Ok maybe Master did overdo it with the tree cutting, but with that tang the knife is not useable and in my eyes very dangerous.
So Master you should contact them and tell them about sempriniesque quallity.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2009 12:57:36 GMT
This is literally giving me a headache, now. ACC is probably WELL AWARE that they're selling a piece of crap. That's probably one reason why it's on closeout. They are getting rid of what's left as fast as they can, because they aren't worth keeping as a product. They get the thing made dirt-cheap in China, they've been fully aware of every aspect of the knife since day 1. But they advertise it as a useable jungle knife that begs to chop bush and vine. It doesn't "beg" anything. Does a $5 wallhanger beg to cut? No. The feeling of an object "wanting" anything is simply a misinterpreted feeling of the holder. When they say "useable"(misspelled on their site), they aren't lying. I'm sure It can cut VERY light brush and vegetation. They make no claims of quality, just that it's usable. They sell is as a knife, not a machete. Seriously, people. Cheap knives are cheap for a reason. I'm certainly no knife snob, but you just CAN'T spend so little on something when you have ANY kind of expectations out of it. He wasn't lead astray, he simply didn't spend enough time contemplating his purchase. He say what he assumed was a good deal, and struck too fast. I'm pretty sure I said ti in another post, but seriously people, ASK QUESTIONS. Both here, and directly to the retailer.
|
|
|
Post by brotherbanzai on Jul 4, 2009 15:31:32 GMT
Even at the original price I would have assumed it was not made by windlass, given that other windlass designs of similar size are much more. But the add says it's usable and "begs to chop bush and vine". It's not really that big of a stretch to think you could cut branch or small tree with it, but I don't know how master tried to cut with it. If he tried to cut something substantial with one mighty stroke of his $20 knife, then yes, that was a bit foolish. Bit if he was making short chops in a "v" to cut the way you would with a $12 machete and that big chip flew out, then that doesn't seem all that unreasonable.
Yes, you shouldn't expect much for $20. But I have seen descriptions in the Atlanta Cutlery catalog in the past that specify that you 'should only use this blade for so and so as it's not designed for serious contact'. It's an attractive knife that probably should have stayed hanging on the wall, and AC should have said so given that they sell other "usable" blades and are marketing this one as such.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2009 10:55:09 GMT
When they say "useable"(misspelled on their site), they aren't lying. I'm sure It can cut VERY light brush and vegetation. They make no claims of quality, just that it's usable. They sell is as a knife, not a machete. What jungle would that be? The Light Jungle? The Paper Jungle? IMO, this would not be a functional jungle knife.
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Jul 7, 2009 22:26:52 GMT
I think we are forgetting that most "jungle brush" or what have you consists of thin, green twigs and vines, and high grasses. A knife like this would surely be sufficient to clear these "obstacles" (as woud a swipe of any hand) but I would never attempt to chop a branch with any knife. Another point of note is Master's claim that the branch was "smaller than [his] arm." Have we SEEN Master's arms? My LEGS are smaller than his arms. He's a beefy boy. "Smaller than [his] arm" is not giving us a good idea of what we're looking at here. Either way, even a "soft" part of a "small" tree is a poor choice of ABUSE for a knife, even of this size. Still, what bothers me most about this is that he's not contacted AC. Regardless of how cheap it was, if it doesn't live up to advertisement, whatever that might be, REPORT IT TO THE VENDOR. Duh.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2009 3:11:17 GMT
Alright, I have contacted them about the incident.
|
|