(This post was last modified: 06-08-2022, 10:03 PM by Moriarty.)
I suppose very few vendors offer a return or replacement with no questions asked, but all should do it when a product has a defect. And each vendor takes a position on what constitutes a defect and what does not. In this case it sounds like Neil4Real feels the non-centring of the Sailor logo is a defect and Murat does not. It is not damaged, the razor’s functioning is not affected, and it is purely cosmetic. It bothers the customer but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is a defect. The razor is an expensive, limited production item, and if Murat accepts a return he cannot then re-sell it, so 50 2022MC razors would become 49. I get why Murat would need to draw a line somewhere and he can’t reasonably follow the same blanket return policy as, say, Blackland who are producing razors in bulk with the cost of expected returns built into the pricing from the start.
So is this a defect, or is it only something the customer dislikes and expected to be different?
From what I can tell, all of the Sailor 2022MCs posted here have the Sailor logo offset slightly to the left, but it is still above the anchor insert and not completely off to the side. Mine is like the other pictures I’ve seen here and it looks ok to me. Neil’s photo of his looks like it could be further off-centre than the others, but the photo is from an angle and it’s hard to be sure. If it isn’t different then it’s not a defect - they are all made that way and it’s just the way the logo is positioned on this batch of handles. If it is different from the others then I guess it is a judgement call whether that’s enough of a problem to warrant a return or repair. Or maybe it is just a minor cosmetic variation that is to be expected with a hand-made item. On balance, if I were Murat I would want to see a clearer photo and then make a call.
I generally think that if you want everything to be perfect and exact, you have to buy mass-produced goods. If you want to buy artisan hand-made products you have to accept imperfections and variations - so long as the product performs correctly. Take a close look around a Ferrari some day - any Ferrari - and see all the wonky stitching on the leather and all the sloppy welds. A hand-made Ferrari is never going to be as precisely built as a mass-produced Mercedes or, frankly, a Kia, however hard Ferrari strives for perfection. That’s not reasonable to expect Ferrari to deliver, and it has nothing to do with how much you paid. And, of course, if you can’t live with what Ferrari makes, imperfections and variations included, then you should not buy one - same goes for Rocnel. Damn good cars, though, and damn good razors.
TLDR: I think Neil is right and I think Murat is also right.