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Follow our team's adventures as we climb the highest peaks of each continent!
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Our team's current Mission:
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"Of the four elements of life...Earth, Air, Fire, and Water... Man stole only one from the gods... Fire... And with it, forged his Will upon the world." -Unknown
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I can take orders by email or by phone. Email is probably the best way, however, as I may not always be able to answer the phone if I am working in the shop! If you leave me a message, I will, of course, call you back as soon as I can. The basic information I need is your name, shipping address, and telephone number, then what knife you are interested in or a custom design you wish to discuss. If you like the style of a knife you see in my gallery but want some alterations, that is not a problem. You can also send me a picture of a knife you would like (ie: a historical reproduction or something), and I will match it as close as I can. Please do not send me a picture of a knife produced by another maker and ask me to recreate it, as I find that highly disrespectful. If you would like something SIMILAR to a knife you have seen, that I will produce, though in my own style. For a custom knife order, I require a fifteen percent deposit upon receipt of the order. This deposit is non-refundable and, should you back out of the order, will go towards cost of materials and the cost of finding someone else to buy the knife. This does not apply to in-stock knives that are available for immediate purchase. I currently accept payment through Pay Pal, money order, or, if you are local to the Southern California area, we can work out a meeting place and I will hand deliver your knife to you. In that event, I will gladly accept cash in hand ;~)
The amount of time required to craft a blade will vary from blade to blade and be heavily based on the customer's desires and what type of blade they want. Obviously, all blades listed for immediate purchase are already crafted and only need to be shipped. The customer will be informed at the time of order as to an approximate time frame for the completion of their blade. The customer will also be regularly updated by email as to their order status up to the date of shipment.
I use UPS whenever possible for shipping. All orders ship via UPS Ground unless otherwise specified by the customer. Average UPS shipping rates are as follows: Shipping rates may very depending on package weight, but the customer will be informed of the rate for shipping upon order. If the customer requests another shipping method, additional charges may apply.
All West Coast Bladecraft blades are warranted against any defects in craftsmanship for the lifetime of the blade. I stand behind my work all the way. Any blade showing defects in workmanship will be repaired or replaced at no charge to the customer. Blades that are damaged by customer abuse or misuse are not covered under warranty. West Coast Bladecraft will inspect the blade and determine if the damage is warrantable or not. If damage to the blade is determined to be non-warrantable, the customer will be contacted about the cost of repair and determine the next course of action. These blades are all designed to be used, but common sense will dictate what they are physically capable of handling. A knife is NOT a screwdriver or a pry bar...other people have gone to great effort to produce those specialized tools... DO NOT USE A KNIFE!
Blades may be returned within 5 business days of receipt for any reason. These blades must be in NEW condition and un- tampered with! The customer will receive a full refund minus the cost of return shipping. If the knife was a custom order, the initial fifteen percent deposit will not be refunded. The customer is responsible for the return shipping charges if any. Should special circumstances be involved, those will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
For anyone new to carbon steel knives, it should be understood that, while the blade quality, durability, and edge holding ability are far superior to stainless steels, they are also higher maintenance. Carbon steel blades are much more susceptible to rust than stainless steel blades. For this reason, it is important to keep the blade clean and as dry as possible. This does not mean that you will ruin the blade if you get it wet...just dry it off afterwards! Do not let the blade sit in water or let water drops sit on the blade...it WILL rust. Also try to keep your fingers and hands off of the blade as much as possible or make sure you wipe the blade down after touching it as the natural oils in our skin can cause discoloration in the steel. I recommend keeping a light coat of oil on the blade at all times. They make specific carbon steel blade oil but really any good gun oil, mineral oil or even WD-40 will work very well. I often use the soft gun cleaning cloths that are pre-oiled...all you have to do is wipe the blade down with that and you're all set. Should rust develop on your blade, don't panic :~) As long as the blade has not been rusted for a long time where the metal has begun to pit, it's an easy fix. I recommend getting a tube of Flitz metal polish. It works wonders on every metal surface that I've used it on and will even take rust off of a blade with little effort. Knife Storage A quick note on storing your knife: DO NOT store your knife in the leather sheath for long periods of time (ie: months/years). After a while, the oils and dyes in the leather do not play well with the steel on the knives and they will begin to discolor and oxidize. Unless you order an unusually large blade from me, I will ship your knife in a padded zipper case with the sheath separate. This is how I would recommend storing your knife when not in use. Sharpening Any knife is going to go dull if it gets used...that is a fact of life. The quality of the steel and the method of heat treatment can assist in extending the time between sharpenings, but if the knife is used heavily, it will eventually dull out. Even ceramic blades that claim to stay sharp forever will eventually go dull with use. The only knife that stays sharp forever is one that is never used! I am often asked what the best way to re-sharpen a knife is. I'm going to assume that most people do not have a belt grinder at their house, so if you want to re-sharpen your knife on your own, I recommend using a stone. Either a good Arkansas or India oil stone or a Japanese water stone. Personally, I use the belt grinder to put a good bevel edge on the knife, then move to different grits of high quality Japanese water stones to finish off the edge. If you are not comfortable using a stone, the only other system I have found to work really well is the Spyderco Sharpmaker ceramic sharpener. You can find that online or at any good knife store. Again...each person finds what works best for them. For those who have asked, this is what I recommend...but I encourage you to experiment...you may find something else works better for you!
West Coast Bladecraft is not responsible for the use of blades that have been purchased through us. The customer agrees that they are at least 18 years of age and the customer assumes full responsibility for the use of the blade once the blade has been delivered. The customer further agrees that West Coast Bladecraft or any of its partners, employees, or investors are not liable for any damages or injuries incurred by blades purchased through West Coast Bladecraft. The customer must agree to all of the above before completing their purchase. The customer also agrees that, should the customer fail to read these terms before agreeing to them, that it is not the problem of West Coast Bladecraft and West Coast Bladecraft is not responsible for the customer's incompetence. If anyone has a problem with this, they can go someplace else.
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