Ski blemish opinion please

[Dacon62]

I prepaid and my dealer brought in a 2014 high end Carbon Fiber ski from one of the major recognizable brands.

The ski has two black carbon fiber flecks embedded into the base one is the size of the end of a pencil eraser and the other about the size of a persons pinky nail. It is very noticeable because it is in a lighter colored bottom. I am told that the ski is NOT a second and cosmetic blemishes are normal for high end, hand built skis. I realize that the performance and the running surface of the ski are unaffected in any way it is just visually annoying and may decrease resale value.

They do not want to send it back and replace it with another one saying that the next one they get back may have more or less cosmetic issues.

Really!! Is this normal? I have never bought a ski with blemishes unless it was labelled as a second or 'Blem'. My last ski was a 2010 Radar Strada and it was blemish free.

Am I being too fussy or is this the new reality when purchasing high end skis??

[rawly]

My high end brightly colored ski has noticeable traces of the black carbon fiber that didnt look right to me at first I was told the same thing and am fine with it. My ski wasnt a blem.

[skiray]

I'm not sure about a "new reality".

 

I've always thought a Blem should be related to the spec. (Flex, shape, etc.) I like good fit/finish and fancy graphics, but I prefer PB's.

 

I wonder what, if any cost impact blem's have on ski prices.

[rq0013]

my last 2 skis had carbon fragements on the bottom, not as big as yours but you noticed them.

[A_B]

Ski it. If it elevates your skiing, keep it. I learned that lesson the hard way many years ago, and constantly get reminded by my skiing "friends"..

[ral]

Not an issue. Some skis like the Warp or Fischer have all fiber exposed and look kind of perfect, but if Goode or other manufactures did not paint/coat, you would see plenty of what you see in your ski.

 

As @AB‌ and most here would say, if you ski better on it than in the previous one, keep it...

[ozski]

FYi My Warp has some amazing variations in the fiber, its certainly the only one of its kind. The finish is far from perfect. Its all about how it skis.

[Horton]

As far as ball count who cares?

 

As for the dealer claiming it is ok, that is crap. If you are paying full price for a "First" there should be less than a few hairs of carbon.

 

If you got a discount that would seem fair to me. Many factories sell those kinds of skis at a discount to the dealers so if you paid full pop the dealer made extra.

 

In the end if it skis good.... whatever.

[AKShortline]

Does it have a production number on it? I know Mapples and Radars do. Might be able to verify blem-ness with the factory.

[GOODESkier]

Close your eyes and ski....... make the decision based on performance. I know it is hard, I like things fresh and perfect, but at some point, you have to look past the surface........

[Waternut]

If that truly is normal, I'd be a bit leary of that company. If you can't even control the quality of your graphics that everyone sees, who's to say you are controlling the important stuff that you can't see. It was actually a graphics problem and not productions fault, then there should've been some kind of redesign to incorporate a different color to hide the flaws.

 

I know it's only cosmetic but would you buy a new car at full price with a pencil eraser size piece missing from the window tint or a big scratch in the paint? I know I wouldn't.

[Horton]

to be fair high end skis are handmade. a thread of carbon here or there is not that uncommon. I also know that the factories work hard to keep everything clean and to keep the blemishes to a minimum

[GOODESkier]

If you got beat in a race by a car with a dent in the fender ever single race........ would you pass on buying it to eventually win? I know it isn't the same, but my suggestion is, if it skis better for you than a ski with perfect graphics........ maybe you should keep it and focus on how it skiis... If not, then send it back and get a new one to try. Keep the BEST skiing ski, not the prettiest. This is hard for me as well. I have had dirt bikes and snowmobiles that look brand new after thousands of hard miles. Just how I am, I know it is hard to overlook the cover of the book.............