Longest wait time you've had on a knife ...

[GB940Rookie]

Slightly over a year. Never got the knife.
The gentleman had the beginnings of Alzheimer’s at the time of ordering and no one knew. Super nice guy. Felt bad for him.
The family repaid our deposit, which I thought was commendable.

 

[Shorttime]

So you paid for one of those?.....

I wish I had one of the Lionsteel prototypes! Although the Mk II is probably rarer, and I don't think they released any to the public. I'm on the email notification list for one of the online retailers, but it looks like the Medellin (or it's illegitimate cousin, the HEST/F), are all we're going to get.

 

[JDRanger]

4 months so far for the Sebenza Lunar Landing and 3 month so far for the large and small grayed out Sebenza.

No guess or estimation from CRK regarding delivery dates.

 

[jp9mm]

2 months into about 3-4 month wait preorder on a Sharp by design 'The Void'

 

[sechip]

Over 3 years from that dirtbag Dustin Turpin. (ended up with no knife)

 

[ArchVV]

I'm currently waiting on a couple customs, but the longest wait so far has been for a Clyde Challenor piece. I got on his books at the 2017 Blade Show and communication was great for the 6-8 months, but it ceased in late 2018 or so. I've heard around the community that he was going through shop renovation but no updates from him personally. No deposit, so no harm, no foul. But, I mean, it's an odd business approach at best.

 

[Rykjeklut]

Little over a year and counting for a Skaha. But, I haven't paid for it.

 

[coinbuysell]

I waited about a year for one of the first Grimsmo Rask's, not sure that I would do it again but it is a really well made knife with ridiculous tolerances.

 

[A.L.]

I think if I waited for a knife for six years (I know it’s not exactly counting every day) I would probably be underwhelmed by the knife!

I think longest I waited was Michael Morris knife for six months. Didn’t really care about it so I traded it off.

 

[knerd]

5+ years for a Kirby Lambert custom.

 

[miso2]

7 months with good communication throughout.

 

[number9]

Little over a year and counting for a Skaha. But, I haven't paid for it.

Mine was just about on time. And worth the wait. Worth the money? Your call. But worth the wait? Yup. It's a cool knife.

 

[BellaBlades]

Bob dozier work horse. Est 6 months. Beat that and then some.

 

[aleforme]

Purely thinking from a maker’s perspective, what’s the point of taking orders with such long wait times?

What’s the advantage of that over say a system like Holt or Garreth Bull? Make some knives, put them up for lottery. Seems like a lot less stress and hassle?

Just curious what others think? Again, I’m just trying to see the maker’s perspective, not the buyer’s.

 

[DrRollinstein]

Little over a year and counting for a Skaha. But, I haven't paid for it.

Worth the wait. I got lucky and had someone offer me a carbon fiber variant.

I have not yet had to wait for a knife. Mainly because I keep missing the TRM Atom Preorders.

 

[braillediver]

11 years and no knife. I was on a well respect knife makers waiting list in 2008 and he seems to have forgotten me.

 

[Ron Sabbagh]

I ordered a custom CQC6 from Ernie Emerson at the 1999 NY Custom Knife show. 5 years later, I asked and he said it would be done soon. After 10 years, he'd forgotten. When I showed him the paperwork, he said it would be done soon.

20 years and still no knife.

Of course, I never expect to get one. Guess I'm not enough of a fanboy

On another note.....one of Bob Loveless' last knives (that he made 100%) was a Big Bear ordered by a customer 27 years earlier. That's the record, as far as I know.

 

[Rupestris]

Eight months if memory serves.

Find the right maker and the wait can be as much fun as the knife itself. My latest took about seven months but the maker had a Work-In-Progress thread here that kept it interesting and, at some points, even hilarious.

 

[ericdraven]

11, 27 years ??? are you guys kidding , that insanely nuts for a knife . reminf me not to piss yall off , you would wait 30 years til things died down and then strike like a cobra .

27 is half my life . i think long before that i would get address and visit a mfer . im leaving with a knife one way or another .

 

[gazz98]

11 years and no knife. I was on a well respect knife makers waiting list in 2008 and he seems to have forgotten me.

I ordered a custom CQC6 from Ernie Emerson at the 1999 NY Custom Knife show. 5 years later, I asked and he said it would be done soon. After 10 years, he'd forgotten. When I showed him the paperwork, he said it would be done soon.

20 years and still no knife.

Of course, I never expect to get one. Guess I'm not enough of a fanboy

On another note.....one of Bob Loveless' last knives (that he made 100%) was a Big Bear ordered by a customer 27 years earlier. That's the record, as far as I know.

Oof. Again, I'm sure most makers do good on their orders but I can't help but cringe when I read these types of stories.


On a semi-related note. What is the "usual" procedure when ordering a custom? Isn't putting 10-25% standard? Some folks have posted in this thread it hasn't cost them any money to be on the waiting list but that is not the norm correct?