its such a slight knick you can hardly feel it or see it. more like a scratch almost. theres oil residue on the shaft...no drips, just residue. and its got a crapload of dirt stuck in it but thats beside the point. i figure since the bilsteins are pressurized, every time the seals in the shock run over that knick, it lets out a tiny bit of oil.  of course i will run it until it doesnt do anything anymore. they were 100$ each after all