Let's go through them and we will talk about our own experience with dealing with warranty issues.
Firstly here at True Talon, we are always your first port of call for a warranty issue and we will never push you off to China or the USA to the manufacturer. In fact we do most warranty repairs in-house unless the manufacturer chooses to take over the issue.
These are the main brands we sell -
Reate Knives - Limited Lifetime Warranty
Liong Mah Knives - Limited Lifetime Warranty
Maxace Knives - Limited Lifetime Warranty
Kansept Knives - Limited Lifetime Warranty
WE Knife and CIVIVI Knives - Limited Lifetime Warranty
Kizer Cutlery - Limited Lifetime Warranty
This is Reate's warranty below and it is pretty typical of all the brands we sell with only some minor variations (such as not all brands supply spare parts with their knives but Reate and Maxace specifically do this) -
REATE KNIVES WARRANTY
Reate - if Reate have a complete knife to send and the warranty issue is serious enough, then they do indeed send out a new knife straight to you the customer and you would return your original knife back to us. For other issues we will either fix it here in house or have to return it to Reate for repair. We have very few warranty issues with Reate as their quality control is extremely good.
Liong Mah Design - typically we rarely if ever have any of Liong's knives with any issues. The biggest one we had was pocket clips not working on one model and we were supplied new pocket clips. Some we replaced here and some were sent to the customers who chose to screw on the new clip themselves.
Maxace Knives - we have yet to have any warranty issues with a Maxace knife.
Kansept Knives - Kansept as a new player are very conscious of warranty issues. The few issues we have had, they have sent new knives to us to make an immediate swap.
WE Knife and CIVIVI Knives - having been our most popular brand for a number of years, the more knives we sell the more warranty issues that appear. We have had WE Knife send us new knives in some cases to exchange; but it's normally parts they will ship to us. We have had to replace a few broken and damaged blades, broken and damaged lock bar inserts and locking liners, damaged G10 and Carbon Fiber sides, and damaged / faulty detents.
Kizer Cutlery - they will either send out a new knife or parts depending on the severity of the issue. Early on we did have to drill out a few stuck (and hardened) titanium pivots but that has not happened in quite a few years.
Some of these issues were caused by the customer - we had one customer who snapped the tip off a blade and a new blade was supplied at no charge to the customer. That does not mean this will happen on a regular basis or if you abuse a knife it will be repaired free of charge. Every issue is evaluated individually.
Our suppliers, as well as us here at True Talon, are very conscious of how a new purchase can have a lasting impression on a customer and if something is wrong, then fixing that issue as fast as we can is important.
There's an old business saying that goes roughly ''don't judge a company on the purchase - judge them on how they fix a problem with that purchase''.
Here at True Talon we only deal with suppliers that offer Lifetime warranties and back them up. And so far they have all fulfilled their obligations and some go above and beyond their obligations.
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Maxace have a reputation for out of the box designs and for their great heat treatment and cryo treatment on their blades.
Just to recap some of the great knives they released in 2022 -
Amber III - M390 blade
Babylon 2 - M390 blade
Beetle S - M390 blade
Black Mirror - M390 blade
Corvus III - M390 blade
Hephaestus - M390 blade
The Hive - M390 blade
Killer Whale 2 - ASSAAB ASP60 blade
Pterosaur - M390 blade
The Rock - M390 blade
Sandstorm - - M390 blade
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It features the entire list of Kansept knives that are available - or soon will be as some are still prototypes at the time of writing this.
UPDATE OCTOBER 2022 - Many new knives have been released by Kansept this year. However, a number of very popular older knives are available once again such as the KRATOS and the Mini Accipiter with Damasteel blade.
The download link is below the photos.
KRATOS - TIMASCUS
MINI ACCIPITER - DAMASTEEL
SPRITE - CARBON FIBER
BLACK GREMLIN - CARBON FIBER
LUCKY STAR - ROSE CARBON FIBER - TANTO
LUCKY STAR - ROSE CARBON FIBER - DROP POINT
SHARD - TIMASCUS
FENRIR - CARBON FIBER
Some notable new knives coming in 2021 are -
The Convict with Damascus blade - Sheepdog Knives
The Mujir - Dirk Pinkerton
The Reverie - Justin Lundquist
The Kratos - Ostap Hel
Full size Accipiter with Timascus inlay
Click the orange link below to download the PDF Catalog.
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KANSEPT is a split off company with ex-employees from Kizer, with their ex Production Manager and designer Kim Ning heading their team. They have come out with some extremely beautiful and functional knives at reasonable prices.
In our view they are higher up the production ladder than Kizer and compete at the WE Knife level in terms of actions, fit and finish but certainly not pricing.
Below I have put a link to their PDF Catalog and a link to their knives on our website. We have started with a select few knives so far and if they are as successful as we think we will expand the range.
I have also added a few photos from the catalog to show how impressive their knives look - and they look just like this in the hand.
SHARD - TIMASCUS OVERLAY & TIMASCUS POCKET CLIP
SHARD - COPPER AND GREEN TITANIUM
The following in no particular order are some of our favorites and some of our best selling knives - click the links to see specs and prices -
1. The Gava - design by Rafal Brzeski
2. The Roman - design by Alessandra de Santis
3. The Kitefin - Limited Edition
4. The Black Void Opus - Justin Lundquist
1. The Elementum - Damascus and Carbon Fiber model
2. The Incite - Gold and copper leaf models
3. Rustic Gent - standard model
4. Dogma - Brass and copper models
The GAVA
The Roman
Kitefin LIMITED EDITION
BLACK VOID OPUS
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This year there have been some stunning knives from Kizer - with a few that really caught our attention....Photos at the end.
Click the links to see the specs and prices or purchase each knife -
1. The Vanguard Gemini with Black Linen Micarta handle and Bohler N690 blade. Every handle is unique due to the random pattern of the Micarta and Kizer have done a stellar job with this knife. While the original Gemini is still a great full titanium knife and continues to sell very well, this new liner lock version with the Black Micarta handle is a stunning knife for buyers on a budget.
2. The All Black Carbon Fiber Sheepdog with S35VN blade. This full size Sheepdog jumps to a higher price bracket but has the excellent S35VN steel blade as all the standard size and Mini Sheepdogs do (the Vanguard XL and Vanguard Mini Sheepdogs have lesser stainless blade steels).
Making a truly All Black model is a bold move for a full size Sheepdog. With the black Unidirectional Carbon Fiber handle, black hardware (pivot, screws and pocket clip) and stonewashed black blade, it's a lot of black to look at, but it works very well. These have been selling like hot cakes and we can see why.
3. The Assassin with either a regular flipper or front flipper has been a bit of a sleeper but it's picking up speed.
It's unusual for a knife maker to release two versions of the same knife, although Kizer have been making a niche for themselves with proper Left Handed versions of knives for a while now, a market which many knife makers are ignoring.
The Assassin is a beautiful knife to look at and with a 3 inch blade and 91 gram weight makes it an ideal EDC knife. Plus you have the choice of a regular flipper or a front flipper. The actions on these are excellent and we know a few customers using them as fidget toys.....which is not a practice we encourage but there it is.
4. The Matanzas with Micarta inserts and lightly black washed blade. This is a stunning looking knife with the black and brown color scheme working very well. With a 3.4 inch S35VN blade and it's slim gentleman style shape the Matanzas has been an excellent seller.
It also comes with carbon fiber inlays and a stonewashed blade and when we have had this knife at the various Aussie Knife Shows it has sold extremely well.
The Micarta model with black blade ups the ante slightly on the carbon fiber model in terms of looks but both models are excellent whichever one you choose.
So those are a few of the more stand out models from the Kizer 2020 line up that caught our eye and our money.
Maybe you have another model you like better?
Black Linen Micarta Gemini
All Black S35VN Sheepdog
Assassin - Regular Flipper - S35VN blade
Matanzas with Brown Micarta handle
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LIKE ALL LIONG'S KNIVES THESE ARE NOW EXTENSIVELY HAND FINISHED.
THE PRICES REFLECT THE HOURS OF HAND FINISHING THAT GOES INTO HIS WORK.
Click the orange link below to download the catalog.
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A few have already been released and are very nice knives like the Ginesis and the Shamshir. Others will be released in the next few months.
Please click the link below to download the PDF file.
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The product range encompasses lights for uniformed professionals - military, police, firefighters and paramedics - as well as industrial, security, hunting, diving, cycling, camping, fishing and other applications. Acebeam products are designed for demanding users who work - or play - in extreme conditions.
Acebeam - reliability when you need it most.
Just released in May 2019 is the new TK16. A high end but low cost EDC light that will easily fit into a pocket or purse. First up is the TK16 Copper and TK16 Aluminum. The OSRAM LEDs put out 1300 lumens and the CREE model puts out 1800 lumens - both on the small 16340 battery. Showing extra attention to detail the copper model comes vacuum packed from the factory to prevent oxidization before you receive it. Both models come with Acebeam's 16340 Lithium ion battery that is specifically paired to the lights for optimal output and runtime. The TK16 is a limited Edition for 2019.
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Kizer have added a lot of new knives this year - notably from designers Ray Laconico, Elijah Isham, Azo and Sheepdog Knives among others.
There are still quite a lot to come as we saw at the 2019 SHOT Show. So stay tuned.
I've added back into our blog section the 2018 and 2017 catalogs in case anyone wants those as well.
]]>Taking a leaf out of other makers books they have been teaming up with various US and European designers to bring out some exceptionally good knives. The Eschaton, the Wasabi and the Ferox to name a few.
Their own in-house designers have been coming out with some great designs as well. The Wisp, the Chimera, the Minitor and the amazing Double Helix that has an action faster than a switchblade.
Some popular favorites have made returns as well such as the fantastic 704 (my favorite) and the 618.
WE have also released a new titanium bolt action pen called the X-Pen.
More knives are coming - the Arrakis, the Pleroma, the Ǣterna from Elijah Isham.
Then there is the Stixx and the Ryback knives from Mikkel Willumsen Tactical as well.
And they are sure to have some surprises before the end of 2018.
Here is the update complete list at December 7 2018 -
1. 704 - re-run - M390 Blade
2. 618 - re-run - M390 Blade
3. 817 - STIXX - M390 Blade
4. 818 - STREAK - M390 Blade
5. 819 - DRAKON - M390 Blade
6. 820 - ROXI - M390 Blade
7. 821 - PLEROMA - M390 Blade
8. 807 - VAQUITA - re-run - S35VN Blade
From the top - Arrakis, Aeterna and Pleroma
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But when it comes to the pen collecting world, the serious pen collectors appear to prefer copper, brass, stainless steel, gold and silver in their pens.
The knife collectors and EDC enthusiasts tend to prefer titanium. Titanium has a number of advantages - it's light to carry, it's pretty well indestructible in normal circumstances, it can be anodized by various methods to produce some amazing colors and patterns - far more than other metals.
And for anyone looking for a tactical pen or glass breaker pen, other metals like brass, copper, aluminium, gold, silver etc are generally not strong enough. Stainless steel might be the one exception here but it does not have the other qualities that titanium has....
So next time you are looking for a pen have a look at titanium - you might be surprised......
WHY TITANIUM?
1 : Lightness
Titanium is 4.51g/cm3 in density, higher than aluminum , lower than steel, copper and nickel, whose intensity tops all metals. In other words, its weight is nearly equal to aluminum at the same volume. However, its intensity is stronger than aluminum and even stronger than steel.
2: Free from rust from acids and bases
Titanium is rust-proof in corrosive sea environments (even marine grade 316 stainless steel still rusts) and stable in all kinds of medias, like hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and even mixed acid.The reason is titanium has a high density and a hard oxide layer, which protects it from corrosion.
3:Healthy Environment and Human-friendly
As titanium is non-toxic and perfectly compatible with the human body, it is widely adopted in the medical field for making items like hip and bone replacements. Titanium belongs to non-magnetic family of metals,and cannot be magnetized. Although the medical grade titanium is a purer form than the titanium used in knives and pens.
4 : Heat & Low temperature resistance
The melting point of Titanium is extremely high. Titanium can be used for a long time at over 600 degrees, it gets stronger as the temperatures falls. But its plasticity can be kept almost constant. For this reason,titanium is the ideal material for low-temperature containers, and is used often by mountain climbers in freezing conditions for cookware where it can go from freezing to boiling with no effect.
One good extreme example of titanium used in hot and cold temperatures was on the XR-71 Blackbird jet (now retired) used by the US Air Force. Since it operated at such high altitudes and at incredibly fast speeds it's titanium body would stretch up to 12 inches as it sped through the upper atmosphere before cooling down and shrinking back to it's normal size. Titanium can take a lot of punishment.
5 : Stronger than steel
Titanium shows a high ultimate performance (tensile strength/yield strength), which means titanium products are not easy to deform once they reach the final shape.
Unlike steel which is brittle and tends to crack under extreme stress, titanium will generally bend and flex back to it's original shape. Of course even titanium can be deformed and even broken with a lot of stress but it takes a lot more than even the strongest steels. And it can keep doing it many times over.
This is one reason it is used for knife handles. A lock bar on a knife can be bent many thousands of times under normal finger pressure. It's only under extreme pressure that titanium will fail and not bounce back to it's original shape.
Cold Steel have done a number of videos where they test the locking mechanism on titanium knives by having them hold several hundred pounds of weight until they fail.
Some of the color types on titanium pens.
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Kizer have added some new knives this year notably from designers Nick Swan, Elijah Isham, Azo and Michael Vagnino. However they have ramped up their Every Day Carry Tools - or as they call it, Everywhere Carry Tools - quite a lot.
The catalog does not show every knife in the Kizer line as it's quite a large file. However, you can look at the Kizers on our website to see any not included. Also our older blogs still have the 2016 and 2017 catalogs for downloading as well.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1587/5961/files/KIZER2018Catalog-CUT_opt.pdf?6884393965081364328
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Due to the size of the file we had to cut out all the non essential image pages as the file was over our 20 Mb limit.
Click the link to download the file.
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2 CHIBS models will be available -
1. A two tone model with black carbon fiber and grey titanium handle with stonewashed blade.
2. An all black model with black titanium nitride coated blade.
Production is Limited to 150 of each model.
Mikkel is well known for his tough tactical and combat knives made in his custom shop under the Urban Tactical banner.
Willumsen calls the 4.8 oz. Chibs’ handle construction method the “Pocket Frame.” It has been seen on his customs over the last several years, but this is its first appearance on a production knife. Each of the four parts of the half-and-half carbon fiber and titanium handle connects via internal pockets.
These pieces are held together across the backspacer by a pivot pin-size screw at the butt end of the knife. Most frame lock knives have different show and lock-side scales, but the Pocket Frame method allows the front scale to mimic the back nearly perfectly. “It’s lightweight, and the handle side looks the same as the lock side. I don’t know if there are advantages besides that, but it looks good and innovative,” Willumsen says.
Creative blade shapes often appear on Urban Tactical products, but the Chibs features a no-frills 3.5 -inch drop point, accented by an oversized cutout and a long swedge.
The CHIBS is one tough beast. As soon as you pick it up you can feel the quality of the build and flipping the blade only reinforces it. The blades come shaving sharp - our owner recently demonstrated this at the Adelaide Knife show by shaving most of the hair from his arm with the CHIBS.
For around the AUD $200 price point the CHIBS is one of the better bargain knives released in 2018.
The next knives coming in the series will be -
Maddog - a D2 paracord wrapped neck knife
Tyran - a small 440C blade folder with G10 and titanium handle
Cobra Ace - large folder with S35VN blade with G10 and Titanium handle
Red E - (no details yet)
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