CRKT UPP

[marrenmiller]

As if I needed another reason to avoid CRKT. Lame and/or dangerous designs, terrible execution, bad heat treat, prices that are out of touch with reality... I'll add this to the list, I suppose, but it's not like the camel's back hasn't already broken.

 

[slyraven]

I bought a crkt and it chipped immediately on first day, the ripple. Over priced junk and they have the nerve to try and manipulate the market. I'm done with them.

 

[21bangbang]

Can't say I'm very fussed over this. I've bought a few CRKT knives and they're junk. I won't get upset about being priced out of crap I don't need. Ill just buy other appropriately priced junk when i desire it.

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

They stopped my supply because of under MAP prices. No warning. No request to change prices. In order to undo it I had to sign a dealer agreement that made no mention of MAP. I signed it and raised my prices to MAP. 4 days later I got the UPP I posted. I replied by saying goodbye and removed CRKT from the web site. It won't go back on.

SOG stopped me from buying as well even though I had MAP prices. The reason they gave the distributor was that I had one of their products listed on Ebay. No communication from them. No opportunity for defense. My assumption is that they simply want to reduce the number of dealers and better control the marketplace. They won't be returning to my site either. i've sold their products for 21 years as well. It isn't a pretty trend.

Adevertising below MAP is pretty easy for a manufacturer to figure out. It’s much harder to figure out whether in-person deals are being cut without some detective work.

What’d you do with your remaining inventory after you cut ties?

 

[craytab]

A manufacturer has the right to ask a dealer to sell their products at a certain price just the same as a dealer has the right to sell the manufacturer's products at any price they want. With that in mind, if the manufacturer finds the dealer not selling their products at the requested price the manufacturer has the right to not sell the dealer any more of their products to resell. People may not like it but it's not illegal (I know I don't like it). Zt, bm, and spyderco's policy is like this, not really a true map policy.

That said, zt, bm and spyderco I can at least in theory understand doing this (though I don't agree), why in the hell crkt would do this makes no sense. Low prices and deals was one of their biggest selling points. Oh well, won't impact me a bit.

 

[gazz98]

In 32 years of carrying knives, I've owned 4 CRKT knives : Komodo dragon, M16, M21, and Edgie (it was a gift ). I still have my M21. Nice design. Wish they would do a D2 steel with G10 handle but it will never happen.

I don't bother looking at CRKT offerings anymore.

 

[xraso]

I gave up on CRKT quite a while ago. Won't buy or recommend them to anyone. Their steels are soft and QC is a joke.

I have seen a couple of knives that I looked at and said - wow, that is sorta interesting, I wonder who makes it? CRKT ... Oh well, not THAT interesting.

 

[WadeWilson]

I haven't owned a CRKT in years. Along with that, I couldn't care less about their new pricing policy. There was little they offered that interested me but this just makes the decision making that much easier. In the immortal words of Curly Bill from Tombstone, "Well... Bye."

 

[DocJD]

I've hoped for many years that some decent company would get serious about taking on new and innovative knife related inventions .

But to do the opposite of CRKT . To actually work towards perfecting useful and functional products that might find a more permanent market rather than cheaped-up sales gimmicks that don't work and become dead ends .

 

[dirc]

I have not owned a field strip model, but I've watched the videos and it seems like a genuine improvement.

I'm curious about if you also include it on the gimicky side, since I've not actually used one yet, but I did have one on my shortlist

 

[unwisefool]

I have not owned a field strip model, but I've watched the videos and it seems like a genuine improvement.

I'm curious about if you also include it on the gimicky side, since I've not actually used one yet, but I did have one on my shortlist

I guess I don't understand the need for the field strip. How often are you really taking your knives apart? For the vast majority of us there is usually no reason to do so if it is set up correct from the factory.

 

[dirc]

fair point, not often, but it's nice to know you can easily do it if you bring it on a camping trip and it gets gunked up

(and, not really since I'd bring a fixed blade in any case)... but it still seems a worthy development

 

[DocJD]

I have not owned a field strip model, but I've watched the videos and it seems like a genuine improvement.

I'm curious about if you also include it on the gimicky side, since I've not actually used one yet, but I did have one on my shortlist

Many reviewers had problems with the fasteners not working properly . The basic idea was OK . Becomes a gimmick if not made to be functional but only to sell as a novelty IMO .

 

[coinbuysell]

Nothing for me to see here either. I have one CRKT, Shenanigan I think, that I bought from a guy who buys TSA confiscated knives here at DFW airport by the pound and then cherry picks the "nicer" ones and re-sells the rest by the 20 pound lot. I think I paid $10 for it after he cleaned it up, oiled and sharpened it so I carry it when we go tubing down the river to cut string, rope, etc. that ties the tubes together and the cooler tube to the rest of the tubes. Works great for that and I don't worry about losing it...

 

[craytab]

I have not owned a field strip model, but I've watched the videos and it seems like a genuine improvement.

I'm curious about if you also include it on the gimicky side, since I've not actually used one yet, but I did have one on my shortlist

I guess I don't understand the need for the field strip. How often are you really taking your knives apart? For the vast majority of us there is usually no reason to do so if it is set up correct from the factory.

This. I've never had to do it.

fair point, not often, but it's nice to know you can easily do it if you bring it on a camping trip and it gets gunked up

(and, not really since I'd bring a fixed blade in any case)... but it still seems a worthy development

It's a gimmick.

Many reviewers had problems with the fasteners not working properly . The basic idea was OK . Becomes a gimmick if not made to be functional but only to sell as a novelty IMO .

I looked at one in a store and it wasn't all that easy, maybe with practice. Also seemed a little finicky and temperamental. Considering I've never needed to take apart a folder in the field, this seemed like a gimmick that was not worth it at all.

 

[AF]

I like my Hissatsu and Pilar. I've owned a very small number of CRKT in my lifetime.

 

[Knife Outlet]

A manufacturer has the right to ask a dealer to sell their products at a certain price just the same as a dealer has the right to sell the manufacturer's products at any price they want. With that in mind, if the manufacturer finds the dealer not selling their products at the requested price the manufacturer has the right to not sell the dealer any more of their products to resell. People may not like it but it's not illegal (I know I don't like it). Zt, bm, and spyderco's policy is like this, not really a true map policy.

That said, zt, bm and spyderco I can at least in theory understand doing this (though I don't agree), why in the hell crkt would do this makes no sense. Low prices and deals was one of their biggest selling points. Oh well, won't impact me a bit.

While MAP policies are legal, price fixing is not. It violates anti trust laws. CRKT is trying to get around the law by saying they don't want to regulate prices and don't ask dealers to agree to the UPP. But then they threaten the dealer who doesn't follow the UPP. That threat makes it price fixing. If this were tested in court, this document would be laughed out of the court room. I'm not going to fight them. If nobody else does, they will probably get away with it until there is enough of it in the industry to motivate a class action. I'm out of the loop now. I'm just providing information to the industry.

 

[Knife Outlet]

Adevertising below MAP is pretty easy for a manufacturer to figure out. It’s much harder to figure out whether in-person deals are being cut without some detective work.

What’d you do with your remaining inventory after you cut ties?

Not that hard. They can call or email dealers and act like a consumer looking for a discount. They can see an invoice from a user who might need to include it to make a warranty claim.

 

[melmac]

As much as UPP sounds like a violation of antitrust laws, I think it's been found legal in courts because a dealer has the right to sell to whoever they want — even if they do it just to punish those who don't sell at their cost. From what I know, other companies like Benchmade have also done this. Although they say it's just MAP, it really is a UPP.

I'd be curious to see the products and prices they have set. Is it all their products or just a few?

 

[craytab]

While MAP policies are legal, price fixing is not. It violates anti trust laws. CRKT is trying to get around the law by saying they don't want to regulate prices and don't ask dealers to agree to the UPP. But then they threaten the dealer who doesn't follow the UPP. That threat makes it price fixing. If this were tested in court, this document would be laughed out of the court room. I'm not going to fight them. If nobody else does, they will probably get away with it until there is enough of it in the industry to motivate a class action. I'm out of the loop now. I'm just providing information to the industry.

I'm not sure you understand what price fixing is. This is not price fixing.

From the FTC: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/com...itrust-laws/dealings-competitors/price-fixing