Q.  Why isn't my steel the size I ordered.

A.  There are a few answers to this question.  Most of our steel is raw steel from the mill.  It is sized so you can grind off the mill finish and still have the nominal thickness left.  There is no 'standard' for oversize amount.  Feel free to ask us to mic. a piece before ordering.  Our measurement will be approximate.  That brings us to the second point.  We are not a precision shop - DISTICTLY NOT a precision shop.  We have neither the time, nor the ability for precision, and while we to strive to make everything a little oversize, sometimes we miss by a bit on the undersize end.  If you need 10" - and not 9 15/16", let us know and we'll pay some extra attention to the plus side.  Most of our stainless is waterjet cut from sheets.  This costs a little extra, but reduces the stresses of shearing or bandsaw cuts.  They are pretty good at tolerances.  If you order 1 1/2" wide and all we have is some 1 5/8", we just might send you the wider stuff at the 1 1/2" price.

Q.  Why is the bar of Steel you sent me 'bowed'. 

A.  Similar to the first answer above, our steel is raw steel from the mill.  While we take steps to give you the starightest product possible, it is never going to be perfect, and part of making a knife is being able to intially get your stock straight.  If you receive obviously bent product at the post office (say 15 degrees or more), note it to the postal staff and we'll initiate a claim.  If it is bowed somewhat, you should expect this as normal in raw steel.

Q.  This item is not the same colour as shown on your website (or as the last time I ordered it).

A.  This is another matter with (at least) a two part answer.  Many dyed items - like micarta or dymondwood - come to us with dye lot differences - sometimes minor (like G10) - and sometimes major (Like 'natural' micarta or some dymondwood lots)  The second part of the answer relates to colour rendition and lighting.  A piece of high grade Curly Koa will look hugely different when photographed under incandescent light - flourescent light - or sunlight, and even the light angle can make a big difference.

To make this even more challenging, computer screens do not render colours consistently, so what looks maroon to me may look purple on your screen.