RGMN - Apologies, it is not matte black, it is a clear coat gloss black on the fork...the head tube and top tube have matte black, which was also blemished, but not nearly as bad.
It's a race setup that I did not buy locally (hunted this particular bike for awhile due to a specific paint scheme). When I tried to put in spacers or flip the stem, too much tension was put on the front brake cable. Definitely a manufacturing issue but a simple enough fix if done right.
I will be addressing this issue, but what is the solution I should be looking for? In my mind I want the fork replaced on this 2 week old bike, but is that asking too much?