That seems the general pardigm for Windlass stuff:
It is like getting a "kit-sword". Some customising or reassembly is required. And then the thing is usable, unless it was materially shoddy to begin with. Determine that first, and return if it is. If it is materially sound, then it can be worth keeping after you put the modifying work into it -- although a customer should not have to do that! I almost wish they would just sell their stuff like the Scouts do with pinewood-derby cars. That way the customer controls all aspects of assembly, and then Windlass could focus just on design and material quality (both of which at times are also lacking), and leave the assembly (at which they are generally sadly lacking) to the customer, and pass on the savings to customer as well.
With that caveat in mind and to their credit, I have rebuilt stock-item swords of theirs into really good weapons. Not that I should have had to do so. But I did, and then such things became what they were meant to be.
Believe it or not, I have told Windlass, in like three letters, that their stuff could be so much better, if they put maybe just $15-worth more work into each thing (in my humble estimate), and corrected the "grips issue". But do they listen to me or anyone else who actually cares, has bought multiple items, and would like them to be as good as they could be?
I know not. I sadly doubt it.

