I picked up my DM LE from the mailbox after doing a photobooth for a church charity tonight. I have to say this is the first knife from the SYKCO that has disappointed. I was really looking forward to getting the LE and adding it to te collection(and taking pics of it, of course)

When I opened the box it was in it's sealed plastic bag with inspector #47's cardboard sheath covering the blade, so far so good. When I removed the cardboard the was a large(relatively) gap between the back of the blade and the Res-C handle. I can stack two very thick business cards in the gap. My first thought was to pull up on the blade, like it had come loose from the handle. I didn't do this as it's sharp and the handle is firmly attached. Since I don't use the blades very much and mainly get them as collectors or subjects to photograph, this imperfection really bugs me. I would imagine it would also hurt the resale of the knife in the future if I was to sell it. Even if it was a user it would be a spot to let moisture and crud accumulate. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I'm sure I could send it back for a refund, but then I don't have one and I really like this blade style. Grrrr!

I'm tired and cranky and it's 1:20am so here's some really quick shots of it. My camera battery was about to give up the ghost and I didn't want to set up lights so it's blurry. I'll take soem more later today.

Ted,

Ain't worth the grief Bro. Send it back! I can't see Dan say anything but send it back to make it right.

+1

It was an early birthday present to myself. I feel like I knew that I was gonna get the Red Ryder BB gun and instead I found a squirt gun. I'll try to get in touch with them to see what they'd like me to do. I hate trying to email them as my email almost never makes it through the spam filter.

Tedwca mine is just like that with the big gap at the handle and mine does not have a penetrator tip like it said it would in the description. I too am pretty dissapointed, but like you dont really want to send it back and be without it for however long.

My new Dumpster Mutts have no gap. They are perfect. As far as the penetrator point, I don't recall the announcement for the DMLE mentioning it. You could always put one on it if you wanted to. If I had a problem with mine I'd PM Dan or email Patti. I'm sure Scrap Yard will make it right. Good luck.

Tough time for #47 when Dan reads this post eh Ted?

You know for a fact that Dan would have thrown that knife in the Dumpster before shipping it that way. Price to performance has NEVER compromised the Busse family's Quality Control. And I dare say NEVER will. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Send Dan a P.M. with your pictures and watch how fast The Big Dog finds a "extra" Dog Mutt Limited Edition hanging around the shop. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Number 47 shame on you for letting it come past you and get ground,polished,and inspected then shipped to a customer like that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbdn.gif" alt="" />

One of Dans main missions with his handles is fit and finish. To securely and forever lock out all dirt grime and even liquids from the handle tang.

Ole number 47 is in deep doo doo. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/paperbag.gif" alt="" />

Cheer up my friend, Dan Busse WILL make it right, and 47 will surely go to bed with a sore on his butt. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

Peace.

Mine were fine; I'd only taken one out of the bag, but I opened up the second and it was good too. I wonder if blade-handle alignment issues might be part of the reason that Swamp Rat switched from Res-C, despite the fact that it has a lot of fans. If it wasn't an LE, the gap might not be so big a deal (of course, that's always easier to say when it's not mine), but since it is an LE, you should contact them about a return for repair -- I'm confident that they can either re-seat the blade or put a new handle on it.

My understanding of brother Dan's knife work is that he is a performance guy and not so much a fit and finish guy. Go beat the crap out of it and you'll never notice a little gap behind the blade. I have seen the same thing in the INFI Street Scrapper 4s also with no negative performance noticed from the gap. Someone filled it in with glue or putty or something just for the cosmetic effect.

I suspect that someone fell asleep at the machine! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> When the Dumpster Mutts first appeared I ordered three of them; one for a soldier in Afghanistan and two for me. One of them has the same gap at the handle, which would qualify it as a "factory second" at many other knife companies. However, we are all paying for "1st quality" Yard knives. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> If my DMLE has the gap, I will send BOTH of the errant Mutts back to Dan for repair/replacement, and hope that they make good on the additional shipping expense. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> After all, the Post Office has a box that ships for $8.95 and will probably hold a dozen or so Mutts, regardless of weight!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

No gaps on any of my mutts (have 5, two LE's)
I think the penetrator tip was on CG only, not LE
Ted, I will give you $90 by pp for your blade, so you will not have to look at it any longer....