I must have got one that was made during the first production run. Some of the latches were rusty upon arrival and I considered sending it back for a refund. Since the instructions said to wax the plates first (and I followed the instructions) I didn't realize they were rusty until it was too late and unsure it could be returned. Otherwise, the machine is pretty difficult to get used to and might not be worth it if you enjoy the meditative quality provided by hand knitting. After you figure out how to work it, it saves a lot of time in knitting large flat pieces.