Been moving towards integrating some hand tools into my work (currently working on shaping a guitar neck), which has led me to make a few purchases recently. One of these purchases was a new spokeshave from a premium company. Now, along with a couple chisels and a set of card scrapers, this was my first premium purchase (I have a few older tools inherited from family and such).

The spokeshave looks perfect. It really felt solid and is just a beautiful tool. However, looking over this well crafted instrument it was suddenly difficult not to notice a small chip on the trailing side of the mouth opening. Yes, I admit that it is a small defect, but a defect nonetheless.

Thinking about how I felt about it, I ended up with the thought that I was a little bit unhappy about it. Even if it will get scratched up and used, I like to be the one who adds the "character" to my new things.

I'm typically of the mindset that whether you pay five dollars or five hundred, you should not settle for a lesser product (of course expectations are usually higher the more we spend). For example, you don't go to the grocery store, buy a carton of eggs, then say that it's okay if one of the eggs are cracked because you only paid a buck fifty for it. Certainly not. You go back and make sure you get one where each one is perfect. But I was willing to not be this way over this tool that I just spent north of a hundred bucks on, if, and only if, the company told me that it was within there QC tolerances and was a typical thing.

So, I contacted the company and sent a couple photos. The rep for the company responded saying that "What [I] have there is fairly obviously a casting defect," and "not sure how it escaped without notice."

The rep followed up by letting me know they would facilitate an exchange if I was willing to ship it back at my expense. That is where I have the issue. I have no problem covering the charge to ship it back to them, but for me it is certainly more the point, especially since it was admittedly something that should have been caught and remedied in house before it ever left.

I do admit that my wife had a little bit to do with starting this fire. I would have just paid the shipping back for the exchange without worrying about it.

Should I be bothered? Would it bother you if you just spent the money for a premium tool and get told that you can file it or pay to have it fixed? What do you guys think? Anyone else been lucky enough to end up in a similar situation?

P.S: long time lurker, short time member, first time posting...