CRK 5 year wait and no more Damascus

John Phillips

John Phillips

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Jan 13, 2020
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What’s up fellow CRK enthusiasts!!! I called CRK headquarters today just to ask how long the wait would be if I ordered a box elder burl Mnandi, and to my surprise, I was told it’s 5 to 6 years! Just 2–3 years ago, the weight was under 12 months when I ordered a couple. Other wait times;

Sebenza 4 years
Zaan 5-6 years
Inkosi 6 years
GB and Pacific 5 years


I also asked if Damascus was an option and many of you may have already known this, but they said that Damascus was discontinued sometime in 2023 and they are not offering it for the foreseeable future. They did say that Damascus is not ruled out entirely in the future, it’s just not available now. Pretty shocking regarding the Damascus because there are so many Damascus patterns that have been used throughout CRK history from what I can gather and what I’ve seen here on the forum.

Looks like CRK is joining Randall on that five-year waitlist, lol. Congrats to CRK for building such a strong brand and company that has built this type of demand.

Any other info/correction/thoughts are welcome!
 
It's been this way for a couple of years. Government incentives, prepping, and more outdoor activities spanning back to the pandemic greatly increased the market and backorder. Keep in mind, much of this is dealers who've ordered inventory continually through the years, and continue to order regularly. The market could shift. But Tim has done a great job not overbuilding production in a way that would jeopardize the future of the company. He's very wise in that regard.
 
Nice stuff comes up for sale here and I am sure other places. Be ready to buy when you see it because if it is a good deal it will go quick.
 
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A lot on Reddit lately too. A nicely used 31 went for like $250. Of course I have never caught one that cheap though.
 
Regarding Sebenzas... Besides Forever Flag, 3 woods, and 2 micartas, can you still order anything "special"?

For example, do they take any UG orders like "Fantasy Island" anymore? I know Night Sky is done, but there have been others over the years that I like and are not allocated to one specific reseller (like Dog Paws for example). I'd probably place an order, but from what I see on the website, you can really only order what's already available from resellers.
 
XJ-linux said:
Regarding Sebenzas... Besides Forever Flag, 3 woods, and 2 micartas, can you still order anything "special"?

For example, do they take any UG orders like "Fantasy Island" anymore? I know Night Sky is done, but there have been others over the years that I like and are not allocated to one specific reseller (like Dog Paws for example). I'd probably place an order, but from what I see on the website, you can really only order what's already available from resellers.
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Unique graphics of all kinds are no longer available to order as the employee that does them is retiring. Something like dog paws are a dealer exclusive and may still happen because they're computer generated. But you'd have to get it through the dealer that has the exclusive.
 
XJ-linux said:
Regarding Sebenzas... Besides Forever Flag, 3 woods, and 2 micartas, can you still order anything "special"?

For example, do they take any UG orders like "Fantasy Island" anymore? I know Night Sky is done, but there have been others over the years that I like and are not allocated to one specific reseller (like Dog Paws for example). I'd probably place an order, but from what I see on the website, you can really only order what's already available from resellers.
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I don’t believe you can order anything special like the examples you gave. It’ll be luck of the draw by trying to get something special when a retailer puts them up for sale or if you have a great connection with a retailer that might give you a heads up but I haven’t had any luck going that route either.
 
XJ-linux said:
Regarding Sebenzas... Besides Forever Flag, 3 woods, and 2 micartas, can you still order anything "special"?

For example, do they take any UG orders like "Fantasy Island" anymore? I know Night Sky is done, but there have been others over the years that I like and are not allocated to one specific reseller (like Dog Paws for example). I'd probably place an order, but from what I see on the website, you can really only order what's already available from resellers.
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No UG orders at all. :/
BTW, Fantasy Island was a run for KnifeJoy. I think it was a one & done.
 
Lone_Wolfe said:
It probably doesn't help that I'm sitting on one...........

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Well of course you are. Just curious, have you assembled most of your collection with some special connection with CRK/dealer or have you picked up most on the secondary market? It would be almost impossible to snag all the uniques you have from random dealer drops, right? Just curious because your collection is INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
John Phillips said:
Well of course you are. Just curious, have you assembled most of your collection with some special connection with CRK/dealer or have you picked up most on the secondary market? It would be almost impossible to snag all the uniques you have from random dealer drops, right? Just curious because your collection is INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I'm not fast enough to catch many on drops, unless I get really lucky. The vast majority of mine were bought secondary over the past 15 years.
 
Serious bummer about damascus.

I found both of Senenza 31s I wanted at dealers in < 6 months.

I’m well into the wait on two Mnandi’s. Can’t find them anywhere, but ordered in advance of two milestone events. The timing might be reasonably close. I do wish I could have ordered those with damascus blades.

Anyway, it’s great to see CRK doing so well.
 
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