Chris Reeve- Financial Wizard

[Jedi Knife]

I am simply amazed at how this man charges $300 for production knives, and some people are even willing to spend it. Wow! You just gotta love the old-school WC Fields business tactics, once again demonstrating the timelessness of good advice. Way to go Mr. Reeve! I should have started a high-end lemonade stand as a kid, $10.00 a glass.

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Censorship sucks- It is a tool to eliminate expression of unpopular opinion.

 

[Corduroy]

And Microtech? The Randalls? Emerson?

It's not about what it costs to make, it's about what people feel it's worth paying to have it. This isn't some kind of bad business - don't be absurd. It's just business.

Mr. Reeve holds his knives to a higher standard than most, and he can feel free to charge for that. I make handmade knives and ask under $100 for some of them, while Spyderco asks over $100 for many of theirs. Am I ticked off because mine are "handmade" and theirs are "production?" Of course not! They make a good knife, and that carries value regardless of how it was created (not to say mine aren't good, too, but I realize we all have to pay our dues while we learn).

Selling a name, you say? YES! Because behind that name stands quality that you can count on, whether it's the name of a manufacturer or an individual.

What are you upset about, really? Did Mr. Reeve say something to you you didn't like? Do you have reason to doubt the quality of his products? Just a bad day? Unless you have a valid complaint with the man or his work, I don't understand this post.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)

 

[Chefget]

Tough call.

Three hundred might be a bit high, if frou-frou and embellishment are ones idea of fair price or true worth. From his own resourses C.Reeves has produced what is without contention the most secure linerlock in existance, and arguably one of the most secure pocket knives made to date.

Many knives are absolutely not worth the price charged for them. The Sebenza, Chris Reeves' contribution to his profession, ranks well above these.

I would be very fortunate to accomplish as much in my chosen profession.

-Michael

 

[Frantium]

Jedi Knife,

Just trying to be fair, if you were him (Mr. Reeve), just how much will you charge for a knife like a Sebenza? That is of course providing you did your own research and just came across a good, if not excellent, knife design.

Take care,

Reynaert

 

[Dark Nemesis]

Jedi Knife:

First off, interesting name Luke Skyschlepper. I must agree with Corduroy, If a person charges $300.00 there must be a damn good reason for it. AND YES CHRIS REEVES HAS EVERY REASON TO CHARGE THAT. His name stands for quality AND Customer Service. I dont think there is a single person in the forums that has had a Sebenza fail them. That says something right there.

I have no problem paying higher prices if I not only trust the knife in my hand, BUT the person who made that knife for me, and I trust anything Mr. Reeve makes. That also goes for others like him and certain companies as well.

It really just comes down to who you know you can trust to make a product that wont fail you, and if you are really willing to pay for that quality.

Dont agree ? no problem, go buy a Junglee Knife and try some serious hard work with it. Come back and have someone else type the results after your lock fails and slices your finger open.

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All of God's Critters may have knives, but most of them are stamped with the name BENCHMADE

 

[Walt Welch]

Master Luke; if you will provide a snail mail address, I will send you $20 so you may have your trousers cleaned and pressed. It is obvious that you feel somehow Chris Reeve and or his company has managed to (at least metaphorically) accomplish the unlikely feat which 'Judge Judy' of TV fame used as the title of one of her books: 'Don't micturate on my leg and tell me it is raining.'

I am somewhat mystified by your reference to W.C. Fields. Can it be that you are thinking of P. T. Barnum instead?

Whatever the case, I think you should investigate the situation at the CR company a little more closely. There is, I believe, a three month wait to obtain a CR knife.

The people standing in line are not suckers: they are consumers who are knowledgeable. The fact that Chris no longer grinds the blades is widely known. It doesn't matter to his customers.

His knives are known for their fine workmanship; it may not be Mr. Reeve's workmanship, but it is workmanship equal to his. Further, he stands behind his product. You only need to read his forum on KFC for a short time to realize this.

I can pick up any of the dozen or so CR knives I have, and the action is of the same bank-vault like feeling. I can detect NO variation at all.

If you purchased a CR knife, thinking it was a custom made knife, and are disappointed, you have a simple remedy at hand. Just list it on the knives for sale site at any knife forum. You should be able to get all or nearly all of your money back.

Besides, paying $300 for a production knife is not outrageous; I have paid $800 for a gold coin Sebenza. Given the chance (that is if Chris and Anne will put me on the list), I will continue to do so. Every year.

I sincerely hope you are able to resolve this situation to your satisfaction. Walt

 

[Larry in KY]

I agree with Corduroy! I feel that Chris Reeves could charge more, yes, more, for his Sebenza's.....I've paid substantially more for folders and have gotten less folder than the Sebenza!!
Really, neither do I understand the post!!

 

[Walt Welch]

'If anger you will let go of, then help you I can.' Yoda

 

[txlazer]

IS This young Jedi knife, by any chance the same person as PAUL? on rec.knives, sounds like him (A.K.A Flamestarter)

 

[RJ]

Jedi Knife,

Why do you feel that the sebenza knives are not worth the money? Did you have one that failed? Do you even have one? If you don't you should really look at one before judging the worth.

Thanks,
Rich

PS: I have recently seen posts like this, although this one is much more civil, on other forums. Those threads turned very ugly. Hopefully this one will remain calm and civil. The person who posted on the other forums obviously was just looking to get a rise out of people by slandering a highly respected/loved knife(Sebenza) and knifemaker(Chris Reeve).

 

[copfish]

Just say No! DOn't buy one. I have two large, a small and an Umfaan, great knives, high "gee-Whiz" factor, they scream quality. I also love my Military. Seems like I carry that more. Not quite as comforting to open and close the Military as the Sebenza.

 

[Jedi Knife]

Anger?

Who is angry? I certainly am not. I, myself, have spent in excess of $300 on knives recently! As an American, why would I ever succumb to such a primitive "notion" as anger, or envy, because of his ingenious manipulation of this somewhat specialized cutlery market? I have the utmost respect for Mr. Reeve's knife marketing savvy. I view his success as indicative of being able to successfully interpret such an historically turbulent and unpredictable market such as this. Mr.Reeve has a profound grasp of internet knife marketing, and he deserves any financial benefits that he is capable of gaining! Go Mr.Reeve!

Respectfully Yours,

JK

 

[Jedi Knife]

Mr. Dark Nemesis,

Who is Luke? (Sorry, I had to edit this)
What I really mean is, how do you associate/assume me to be the Luke you speak of?

JK

[This message has been edited by Jedi Knife (edited 16 May 1999).]

 

[Frantium]

Who is Jedi? Who is Luke Skywalker?

Reynaert

 

[stjames]

JK - It's the blue ti thumb stud. Sure sign of quality. The rest is just hype

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James

 

[Sal Glesser]

Perhaps another point of view.

Most that produce knives are accutely aware of the fact that price and value are critical to success. Those that have been around for a long time do not believe they can charge more simply because of a "name". (at least not for very long)

The "name" got there by providing quality and value. The quality and value must remain or the "name" changes.

For comparison; Using the Golden factory, using the same materials as the Sebenza, made to the same quality standards at the same volume. I don't think that we could improve on the cost much. The Reeve's are providing excellent value for the price paid. "Quality is time is money!" In business, the three words are synonomous.

Makers like Corduroy are closer to seeing much of this. If Corduroy had to up his volume, he would have to purchase equipment, obtain a location for this equipment (read; payments). He would have to draw a salary, hire assistance, pay social security and income taxes, workman's comp insurance, etc, etc.

You guys are knife nuts. Go visit a factory. Learn more about what we makers (factory, semi custom and custom) have to go through to provide you, the ELU with good products. Those of us that care, have the passion and extend the effort are where it comes from. The Reeve's are in that group. Chris and I share a joke when discussing the "secret of our success". "No secret, we just make less money". This means putting more into the product.

If Jedi feels the Reeve's might be making any unfair amount of money. He just doesn't know any better. "If he knew better, he'd do better".
sal

 

[James Mattis]

A Chris Reeve Sebenza has a lot of little details - and not just that blue titanium thumb stud - that you don't see on a Spyderco or a Benchmade. Like beveling both the outside and inside edges of the handle scales, for example. If you look at a Sebenza closely, next to a Benchmade Pinnacle, a nice knife with similar construction, you'll see all sorts of manufacturing steps in the Sebenza that you don't see in the Pinnacle. Whether the Sebenza is worth two Pinnacles or more is a subjective judgement.

Sal said what I was thinking, that if a factory tried to produce a Sebenza to Chris Reeve's standard, they might be able to lower the retail price, but they wouldn't be able to lower it by much.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com

 

[Jedi Knife]

Sal,

Thank you for your honest and frank words. I hope you haven't misunderstood me- it was never my intention to delve into such subjective concepts as "fair" and "unfair". I certainly appreciate your participation here. You mentioned Mr.Reeves knives as representing "a good value for the money". Discounting the minor cosmetic differences, could you elaborate on some of the quality compromises Spyderco has made to achieve a much lower price than Mr.Reeve's knives? I really like the Spyderco knives I own, and until you mentioned it, it never occured to me that any major compromises were being made in order to achieve a retail price so much less than knives such as Mr.Reeve's. Thanks again for your time and honest words.

JK

 

[Dark Nemesis]

Jedi:

He was from one of the most famous and loved movies of all time.

Luke Skywalker was a Jedi Knight from the Trilogy(soon to be added to) Star Wars.

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All of God's Critters may have knives, but most of them are stamped with the name BENCHMADE

 

[stjames]

JKM - please see http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002529.html to appreciate my tongue in cheek reference re: thumb studs.

I work as a craftsman in a trade were complex and time consuming tasks from a vast and diverse group of individuals have to come together and coordinate in a precise manner in order to produce the desired results. The cost of this undertaking is enormous, and even when every performance of every show sells out at what most would consider to be exorbitant prices, the organization still has to rely on the generosity of the community to continue to survive. It survives because there is a certain portion of society that considers Opera to be a necessary part of their lives, and even if they do not fully understand all that is involved in producing it, will do what is in their power to support its existence.

As a craftsman, I appreciate the time and effort that has to go into the making of custom and high-end production knives. I also appreciate the beauty and elegance of the simple yet brilliant lock design that Mr. Reeve introduced to the world of folding knives, one that is still the standard and that after many years in use has only recently been copied with any success by the major knife manufacturers. And the lock and its truly “bank vault” fitting are only the strongest example of the high quality of these products. The handle is smooth and clean, as I said, elegant, and both the large and small versions somehow fit my hand perfectly. The blade style is also without fault, simple yet rugged and constructed from the best materials available. The unique and attractive handle decorations offered and the availability of high quality engraving are only some of the many fine options available, as Chris Reeve Knives offers many practical accessories for his knives, from the excellent leather belt and slip pouches to the recent addition (my personal favorite) of a recess insert for those of us that prefer to carry our knives without a clip. And name one other knife maker who can (or will) take one of his used and abused pieces and restore it to “show room” quality the way that CRK can (and does). When you spend your $300.00+ on this blade you can be sure of at least one thing; you have the best customer service and one of the best names in the business willing to stand behind their products for life.

When I consider all this and the actual joy, pleasure and reliable use and service that I receive from my Sebenzas and Umfaans, I feel that I have received a bargain. If I add the fact that my wife loves my Umfaan so much that she has taken possession of it, and her attitude towards my knife collection has turned practically positive ever since, and they have provided a service that is invaluable. Probably saved me thousands on counseling in the future with that one purchase. Thanks Anne & Chris and all at CRK.


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James