Hello Knife-Folks … I have a “feel-good story” I’d like to share with you all today:
I bought my 1st Aurora Knife & Tool, a Truffles out of the swap (r/Knife_Swap), w/out knowing anything about the knife or the company really — it just looked mad cool (it helps that I love tantos, complex grinds & I’m quite the sucker for a satin belt or hand finish); plus, it was built w/great materials, was coming LNIB (like new in box) and the price was right … I think I paid $125, or somewhere in that ballpark anyway.
I’ve probably had 400ish (just a rough estimate) knives pass through my hands in a lifetime of collecting (I’ve been @ this for 46 years) & in all that time there have been only a little more than a handful that I’ve taken out of their packaging for the very 1st time & was “instantly, completely/totally wowed”; there were 2 Kizers: the Phoenix & a full-sized S35VN & titanium Militaw; my 1st Chaves: a Blue Label Rendencion 228; my 1st Asher: a Spiro wharnie, w/cross-hatched titanium; my Spyderco Sage 5: CPM Magnacut & AWT topo milled aluminum scales, Lynch deep carry clip & anodized H/W; and my QSP Hedgehog (a jigged titanium framed slippie w/an M390 cleaver blade).
But honestly, the Truffles impressed me even more than all of these … between the quality of materials, perfect build quality, insane action (open & close), awesome hand-feel, overall functionality & it’s just so sexy. The moment I took it out of the box (Sept.4th), I was blown away!
I went on their website to learn more about Aurora. I was quite impressed by what I learned there: customer satisfaction seems to actually be #1; the founder/owner/designer (Michael Reed) is a devoted family man, and a devout Christian who is unafraid to be outspoken about said Faith (not unlike myself, but this is fairly rare these days, especially in the marketplace).
So that same morning, I ended up clicking their “Contact Us” & leaving some positive feedback/encouragement. Well, Michael got back to me himself, in less than 3 hours … really hands-on & quite impressive.
We emailed back & forth a few times; then like 2 weeks later I messaged him & let him know of the slightest “flaw” (it was a “sharpness” to the underside edge of the Roundhouse Lock’s pivot collar; purely tactile, not at all visible, hadn’t cut me or anything like that, just felt somewhat sharp whenever I slid my thumb up onto the lock from a resting position on the scale). I only asked how he recommend that I fix the condition (I didn’t want to damage it or null any warranty that might still be in place).
Once again, his response just blew me away: “… if you’d like, we can just get that back in the “shop” & swap the parts out for ya, easy peasy”. He then offered to swap out all of the accents “for a pop of color”; he even provided me with a pre-paid shipping label! So in the ma2222wdil it went on Friday, Oct.10th & (of course) I let him know it was on its way.
A week later (10/17) Michael checked in, just to let me know he had not received the package as yet; the next email came a little less than a week later (10/23): “… accents installed for ya … no burr” & a double check on the “ship to” address. I responded the next day & the knife should’ve shipped shortly thereafter (w/in a couple days or so).
Unfortunately, it somehow did not … having waited a couple weeks for it to return, and missing my favorite knife terribly, I reached out to Michael (11/14, a Friday @ 4pm). Come Monday, Michael humbly apologized, located the misplaced knife & got it the mail, all that same day; tracking numbers were provided the following day.
November 24th, my baby came home to me; I remember thinking: “man this box he sent it in is HUGE!” 🧐😳 … opened it up to find 2 knife boxes inside 🤨🤔:
Box #1 contained my OG Truffles, all dressed-up in contrasting, black-stonewashed accents, just like we had discussed.
Box #2 contained a Dark Truffles, dressed in contrasting gray satin accents … exactly how I’d want it to be! Just 1 problem — this is not my knife (I didn’t pay for it!); so I reached out to Micheal to see if we could figure out whose knives he (must’ve) accidentally sent me.
Here’s where/when Michael completely blew my mind: “…extra knife was a surprise for ya … I’m a big believer in making it right whenever I don’t get it right, and the way I sat on your knife for a month was a great example of not getting it right!”
I asked permission to share this story with y’all & he gave his blessing as long as I shared why he did it: specifically that it was due to his shortcoming … he had a heart-felt desire to make it right.
Thank you Knife-Fam for taking the time to read this & I hope it blesses you / makes your day a little brighter.
*BUY AKT (Aurora Knife & Tool)! I can vouch that (if nothing else, at least in the long run) you def won’t be disappointed!!!
Lastly, let me give a shout-out to Aurora Knife & Tool & Mr. Reed:
You are all making a great product, out of excellent materials & all @ a decent price point.
THANK YOU ALL!!
And THANK YOU Michael, for everything above … as well as for following your dreams by being a knife enthusiast, turned awesome knife designer, turned amazing business owner, as well as an outspoken man of God, faithful family man & all around good guy!
by OG-BigPapa-KJ
