Dave mentioned the blade profile being a slight rocker, not his normal flat and fast. I don't think he mentioned it as an issue, but either way it appealed to me. He did mention he couldn't get the finish he normally likes to achieve on the blade itself, sighting some wispy lines. Maybe it's the screens of my 4k laptop, or my tablet, but I couldn't see these lines. So I figured these were just tiny imperfections that Dave, a seeming perfectionist, was seeing as something bigger than what they really are. Or the lines were something that a regular Joe like myself wouldn't mind. And yes, I did take in account that pictures don't always tell all when viewed through a monitor. In reality there are some light wispy lines, but nothing outrageous. My ITK I got straight from Devin has more wispy lines than this knife does, as do several other "first grade" knives I've bought from respected makers. So I don't see this as an issue.
Another issue Dave stated was some surface imperfections on the handle. I still don't see those. So again, I don't see this as an issue.
But Dave does instruct us, as the potential buyer, to see the pics below when referring to the slightly thinner than normal handle. So I did. The pictures don't really show how small the handle actually is. If instructing one to look at pictures to see just how small the handle is, I think it would be important to provide pictures to show just how small it really is. Or put something up next to it as a reference. At the time of the post, only one person knew just how small the handle is. That would be the same person who directed us to look at the pictures, the same person I trusted with $525.
Sous vide, you mentioned that outside of 2 options I just might be kidding myself. Maybe you're correct. Or maybe Dave could have said something like "dude, you've bought from me before a few times, and I like repeat customers. If I throw a re-handle coupon at you, or refund you a couple bucks, or paint you a pretty picture of puppies and rainbows, would this get us square?" There were plenty of options that could have been offered.
I bought a stone holder from Dave back in 2012 I think. When I received it there was a large crack in the rubber base. I shot Dave a pm informing him and he promptly replied with an apology. He then replaced it free of charge and even let me keep the defected one. That's Grade A customer service. And that's what I've come to expect from Dave. Hence why I decided to inquire what my options were. Something I think Anybody would have done.