Chris Reeve drawing, something was off at blade show Atlanta.

Reopening the thread at the request of Tim Reeve to address the issue raised. PLEASE DO NOT POST until after Tim has had an opportunity to post here.

(I will remove any new posts before then...but leave the thread open for discussion afterward.)
 
Hey all,

Thank you to the moderator for unlocking this discussion for me to make a response. I made a response video yesterday in our Chris Reeve Knives Fanpage group on Facebook. I added links below if someone is on facebook/in the group can check out my longer form response with more nuance.

To start, I really appreciate all of the interest and support for our company and our knives, its massively humbling.

Over the last about 7 years we have started to introduce lotteries and different systems to manage 'first come first serve' knives. These are attempts to manage an over whelming amount of demand for few knives. I know 7 years is now a decent amount of time but in the grand scheme this is relatively new to us. That being said we are constantly learning and tweaking the systems in the pursuit of fairness of opportunity and transparency.

At Blade Show 2026 we only had 6 knives that were available for lottery. We called 6 names in a row and the first person could choose which knife they would like and then so on through the 6 names. Of the 6 names chosen I know of only one winner that is one of our authorized dealers, Deepak Chopra, who we have been working with for some years. He paid full price like everyone else. He only put in one entry, like everyone else. I the rest of the winners were 'regular' customer as far as I know, three of which I know for a fact were end user customers. I am still wrestling with the concept of vendors/knife dealers/CRK authorized dealers entering our lotteries. When a dealer wins and then flips it for a way higher price it is not a good look and inflates the value in the market, but some dealers genuinely want the knife for themselves/personal collections (dealers are fans too and they get the same chance at these knives as everyone else), I've seen it many times. Also, the market is the market and how much to I intervene, Idk, I'm still wrestling with that. How exactly do we define a dealer? Because we have CRK authorized dealers, there are other knife dealers at every show that essentially have built up big collections and are in the business of buying and selling knives, and then there are still many "regular" customers that will win the lottery and in whatever amount of time end up flipping the knife at their discretion usually for a profit and I cant blame them necessarily. How do I discern different purchasers and make a rule or system to address this? I'm genuinely all ears and have shown by precedent that we are always tweaking the system in pursuit of fairness and transparency.

At smaller shows that generally have less lottery entries we have used a written sign up sheet and I use a random number generator from random.org and show the whole crowd what number comes up and the winner is the name that is on that numbered line on the sheet. With Blade Show we have tried this electronic system as it helps manage some other issues. We run a duplicate finder when the lottery ends and before we draw the names.

Fairness and transparency are the two most important components of our lotteries. This is why I try to run as analog and as simple (sometimes strict) as I can. You have to be in person to win and cannot be a proxy for someone else who is at the show. I can't do much if you are a secret proxy for someone not at the show, I'm not sure how I could control that. But at least, the person that wins need to be the person that purchases. There have been multiple times that a wife or friend of a winner is there but the winner is not and we have drawn a new name.

JOHN PHILLIPS, this accusation or rumor of apparently two of our employees winning is absolutely false. None of our employees have entered a lottery, I would never let them, and if for some reason one of their names was drawn (like Harry Potter and the Wizards Cup) I would draw another name. What would be our motivation to take special lottery knives to the show just to have employees win them? That is fucking absurd, Idk how you heard this or who got the wrong end of the stick here but this is completely untrue. Thank you for weighing in and your support, this specific thing is completely untrue. Yes, some vendors/dealers/exhibitors have won, they enter one entry just like everyone else and pay the same price as everyone else and I cant think of a year that they were the majority of winners. Someone must have misinterpreted this. Not a single CRK employee will ever enter one of or lottos or win one of our lottos. That completely defeats the point of a lottery.

With first comes, I've restricted dealers and 'exhibitor' badge holders from being able to get them. I had a card system for the first come customers that secured their place in line as they came in and chose their knives. First comes are for the VIP or 'early bird' badge holders that are extremely dedicated fans who sleep a few days outside, in line, waiting to be the first ones in the door when the door opens.

We have always had a strict policy of not selling a single knife till the doors open. In 2019 we had a problem where we still held to not selling till the doors opened but a massive line formed in front of our booth of people already in the room with exhibitor passes. So when the doors opened and the VIP folks came in it looked like we were already selling the knives and most all of the VIP's did not get a chance to get a first come. This frustrated me (and obviously the VIP's) immensely, had many tough but good conversations with some of these VIP's that helped me make better systems. I implemented restricting exhibitors out of first comes going forward. Its tough on another hand because many of those folks with exhibitor badges are also genuine fans and customers, but still, they have not put in the work of waiting in line so that is my decision.

I am terribly sorry for the confusion this has caused even though in actual fact our lottery this year went incredibly smoothly and the knives went to folks that genuinely wanted them.

If you have questions, feedback, or criticisms please call me or email me at CRK. I am not hard to get ahold of and want to hear the feedback. You can talk directly to me.

Thank you again for all of the support, and the goal is to get our knives into the end users hands or collections. We will keep pursuing that.

-Tim Reeve

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2445469902635242

CRK Fanpage Group 2026 Blade Show Lottery Response

Hopefully these links work correctly.
 
Blues said:
Reopening the thread at the request of Tim Reeve to address the issue raised. PLEASE DO NOT POST until after Tim has had an opportunity to post here.

(I will remove any new posts before then...but leave the thread open for discussion afterward.)
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Thank you!
 
Fwiw even if it isn't perfect, the amount of thought and effort put in to try to make it better is telling.
 
Thank you, Tim, for coming here to post your perspectives on the matter. It means a great deal to me personally and the community.

I've been a fan of CRK for many years, and it was my Regular Sebenza purchased directly from your mother, Anne, in 1998 that was my first truly high end knife. I now own seven, and have no plans to divest myself of any.

Please don't be a stranger here. Our members would love your participation as time permits.
 
Figured there was nothing to it. Thanks for clearing it up Tim.

Btw. . . You guys always provide outstanding service, as I was recently reminded when I sent my 31 to the Spa. She came back gleaming with a brand new glass blasted finish and blade which I didn’t even think it needed. But you guys went above and beyond as usual.

Your company is a rarity nowadays. You put the customer first.
 
Here's my thoughts. The last 3 years I have gone to Blade with a vendor badge. I'm not a dealer. I sell maybe 3-5 knives a year from my personal collection to fund other knives I want more. I was bummed I couldn't participate in the scavenger hunt, but I understand and respect it.

This year, I was one of the guys at the CRK booth to look at the cool stuff early. I didn't ask to buy before GA time, because I know how it works. I knew I wouldn't be eligible for the FCFS, and that was OK with me. I'm left handed anyway. I was one of the first to order on that Friday morning for a lefty crosshatch Inkosi in the configuration I wanted. No big deal. When GA opened I bought my second ever Pacific. It's awesome.

I, as a guy who managed to get in with a vendor badge, to help another friend with his booth, a seller of knife making equipment, not knives, both appreciated the opportunity to see the pieces early, even without being able to purchase the FCFS early. I have no issue with the dedicated guys who camped out getting those. And I appreciated the opportunity to at least have a shot at winning the lotto for a knife I would have cherished for what it is, and passed to my righty son someday. I liked the idea of saving money on a ticket to help a friend, AND being able to see cool things and have a shot at something special.

I would change absolutely nothing about how CRK did it this year.

I'm team CRK for life!
 
Tim, let me first say that I genuinely appreciate you coming on here to clear up any confusion. As I said in my post, I believe absolutely nothing nefarious was going on and I was defending you and your company against any of this “dealer” nonsense.

My only small frustration with the lottery was that an employee won(or someone I thought was an employee) which was extremely confusing to me as well.

I don’t know what to tell you, I was standing right there when it happened. One of the guys inside the CRK booth area raised their hand as a winner and an audible gasp was heard from the crowd. I guess there could be a gross miscommunication or misunderstanding somehow. I even talked to him after the lottery to ask him what he was going to do with it because some people look for sell them pretty quickly.

After asking for help regarding this potential misunderstanding, I was made aware that maybe the person who won behind the counter wasn’t an employee and was possibly a volunteer or something along those lines.

T Tim Reeve I apologize for getting this wrong regarding the employees and thank you for clearing that up.
 
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There is no perfect way to distribute a limited quantity of goods where the demand vastly outstrips the supply. I think transparency is the best way to to do it, and that learning new ways to be transparent is a function of experience. Having a lottery with the list of numbers be public, the drawn numbers being public, the drawing done publicly and live, and a clear list of who can enter all help. That's even more important for raffles, which I detest on principal and only participate when it's a good-cause raffle where the prizes are not the point.

But as Tim pointed out, just because someone has an exhibitor badge at Blade doesn't mean they're a retailer, and even when it does, most retailers are also themselves knife collectors. Just because someone doesn't have an exhibitor badge doesn't mean they're not there to grab knives and flip for profit the same day.

I doubt there was some lottery-rigging conspiracy here, but as the comments show, there's always suspicions, and rumors go around fast, so maximizing transparency is about the best a maker can do.
 
John Phillips John Phillips T Tim Reeve I can clarify John's issue. John the folks that were "inside" the Reeve booth for the smooth zaan lottery were not employees just like the guy yelling names this year was not an employee. They are folks from the Reeve Facebook fan page that have been coming to bladeshow to buy from CRK for years. They also as collectors occasionally help the reeve crew with things like yelling names or aftermarket valuation for customers if the reeve crew is unsure. Sometimes they end up inside the booth. They are not paid except the occasional beer and enter the lotteries the same as anyone else. CRK usually has Anne, Tim, Dean and 2 or 3 shop employees working the booth.

RM
 
WedgeAntilles said:
Here's my thoughts. The last 3 years I have gone to Blade with a vendor badge. I'm not a dealer. I sell maybe 3-5 knives a year from my personal collection to fund other knives I want more. I was bummed I couldn't participate in the scavenger hunt, but I understand and respect it.

This year, I was one of the guys at the CRK booth to look at the cool stuff early. I didn't ask to buy before GA time, because I know how it works. I knew I wouldn't be eligible for the FCFS, and that was OK with me. I'm left handed anyway. I was one of the first to order on that Friday morning for a lefty crosshatch Inkosi in the configuration I wanted. No big deal. When GA opened I bought my second ever Pacific. It's awesome.

I, as a guy who managed to get in with a vendor badge, to help another friend with his booth, a seller of knife making equipment, not knives, both appreciated the opportunity to see the pieces early, even without being able to purchase the FCFS early. I have no issue with the dedicated guys who camped out getting those. And I appreciated the opportunity to at least have a shot at winning the lotto for a knife I would have cherished for what it is, and passed to my righty son someday. I liked the idea of saving money on a ticket to help a friend, AND being able to see cool things and have a shot at something special.

I would change absolutely nothing about how CRK did it this year.

I'm team CRK for life!
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I wrote John privately earlier today and explained that for several years I attended the Blade Show with a vendor badge as I helped man tables for friends of mine who were custom makers...Kit Carson, Jerry Halfrich and others. So, it's easy to see where a mistake can be made with an assumption that someone with such a pass is an actual employee.

I rarely sell knives from my collection, and was never compensated by any of my friends for manning the table but for good deals they might offer me privately as a friend which had nothing to do with the show per se, nor any lottery.

It appears to have just been an innocent error...and easy to understand how and why it could occur.
 
Blues said:
I wrote John privately earlier today and explained that for several years I attended the Blade Show with a vendor badge as I helped man tables for friends of mine who were custom makers...Kit Carson, Jerry Halfrich and others. So, it's easy to see where a mistake can be made with an assumption that someone with such a pass is an actual employee.

I rarely sell knives from my collection, and was never compensated by any of my friends for manning the table but for good deals they might offer me privately as a friend which had nothing to do with the show per se, nor any lottery.
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Thanks for the help Blues and others clearing up my confusion. My fault. Feeling pretty sheepish right now is an understatement, especially being a HUGE CRK user/collector. All I can do is apologize.
 
Glad to see CRK was made aware of this and given a chance to respond.
I am sure if there is anything they can do to improve the lottery system they will
 
John Phillips said:
Tim, let me first say that I genuinely appreciate you coming on here to clear up any confusion. As I said in my post, I believe absolutely nothing nefarious was going on and I was defending you and your company against any of this “dealer” nonsense.

My only small frustration with the lottery was that an employee won(or someone I thought was an employee) which was extremely confusing to me as well.

I don’t know what to tell you, I was standing right there when it happened. One of the guys inside the CRK booth area raised their hand as a winner and an audible gasp was heard from the crowd. I guess there could be a gross miscommunication or misunderstanding somehow. I even talked to him after the lottery to ask him what he was going to do with it because some people look for sell them pretty quickly.

After asking for help regarding this potential misunderstanding, I was made aware that maybe the person who won behind the counter wasn’t an employee and was possibly a volunteer or something along those lines.

T Tim Reeve I apologize for getting this wrong regarding the employees and thank you for clearing that up.
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No worries at all! Our booth is very much an open hang out spot for all the fans and some of the die hard/close guys lend a helping hand. They all have the same chance and price for the lotteries, and, speaking for them I dont think they would want it any other way. Theyre big supporters of our community and are quality dudes. Thank you for the kind words and the support!
 
pyreaux said:
John Phillips John Phillips T Tim Reeve I can clarify John's issue. John the folks that were "inside" the Reeve booth for the smooth zaan lottery were not employees just like the guy yelling names this year was not an employee. They are folks from the Reeve Facebook fan page that have been coming to bladeshow to buy from CRK for years. They also as collectors occasionally help the reeve crew with things like yelling names or aftermarket valuation for customers if the reeve crew is unsure. Sometimes they end up inside the booth. They are not paid except the occasional beer and enter the lotteries the same as anyone else. CRK usually has Anne, Tim, Dean and 2 or 3 shop employees working the booth.

RM
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Well said.
 
CrakkedCranium said:
OK, here we go. I know people are gonna say that I’m just here to say this and ruffle feathers but it’s truly not.

As someone new to the knife world, and has spent quite a bit of money in here since I’ve been doing this. I think I have a right to my opinion of what I saw Blade show 2026.

Shirigorov pulled tickets out of a hat. Most every single person that won was not a vendor. I think maybe one vendor was drawn? Otherwise they were normal people. Maybe normal with a lot of money, especially the guys that bought the knives for $17,000, but not vendors. My buddy won an opportunity to buy one and he did.

Chris Reeves was a different animal entirely. They drew names electronically with a laptop. They had everyone scan a code to enter.

Here’s the issue that not only myself had, but the majority of the people standing around me had, including the young man that was yelling out the names. So anybody that was there knows what I’m talking about. Dude sounded like a drill sergeant!

6/7 winners were vendors or influencers. They had vendor tags on. There was only one normal person that did not have a vendor tag that won. And his name, was Depak Choopra. 😂The individual yelling out the names, was the first one to say, WTF IS GOING ON HERE?

I was on the side with the guy, screaming the names, across from the counter that had the special knives. Anyone that was there know what I’m talking about. One individual actually went up to the Asian guy at the booth and asked him, why are all the vendors winning? He completely ignored him and walked away. That person came back to my side and said F this, this is all fixed!

Again, this is my first time at Blade show, and maybe I don’t know how things work. But from an untrained eye, this is suspect as fu..!

I’m truly not trying to cause any riff in the knife community, but as we all know, there’s a lot of corruption in this world. And maybe because you’ve been in it for so long you haven’t seen it. But I do not think a vendor should be allowed to win any of these knives. They get customs all the time and mark them up for unfathomable amounts of money. This should be for normal Joe’s, the people that go to work 10-12 hours a day and save for months to buy something.

My ticket is in the photo so you know I was there.

Again, YMMV?
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Hey, just replying so you don't miss my response. Terribly sorry about the confusion.
 
Hey T Tim Reeve glad to see you here. Thank you for participating. There are a lot of CRK fans that frequent BF.
It’s been a while since we chatted last.
Added a photo so you know who this is. ;)

IMG_9126.jpeg
 
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