I agree with you that some dealers have taken advantage of the current long wait to increase prices over catalog list. Some dealers sell at list price plus a certain amount all the time and will tell you so up front. Some dealers are charging a mark up to cover what they call expected price increases in the next year and it seems that some of these increases are far more that any price increase ever made by RMK. My suggestion is to find a dealer who will sell you a knife at catalog price at the delivery time of the knife. RMK sells to dealers based on the delivery price at the time the knife is delivered. When you order direct from RMK you will get the price on the day you order.
One thing you need to keep in mind, however we as dealers are free to sell the knives we buy at whatever price we can get. We are not obligated to sell at catalog prices. Some dealers will sell at catalog price, myself included, and I will give you a copy of the actual invoice the RMK supplies to me to prove that you are getting the knife at the CURRENT catalog price. Most dealers are sold out well in avdance [I am currently sold out until May 2003] and with RMK being sold out for 3 years it has created a sellers market.
Every dealer that I have spoken to in the last year or so is in the same position as I am, sold out well in advance. We will sell at catalog price, but at the price at delivery time, as we are charged from RMK. Just keep in mind that when writing orders for 2003 you are talking about 2 pricing cycles away[ 2002 and 2003]. Hope this helps you out. Greg
