Poll: Ordered direct from CRK

salmonpie75

salmonpie75

Joined
Apr 6, 2015
Messages
15
Hi all,

Well this is my first post -but I'm already dyin'!! I just ordered my very first CRK -a small Sabenza 21 w/ Insinga blade. For some reason, after watching the videos from BladeHQ Interviews of Chris Reeve and his shop, I decided to order directly from Chris & Lisa. Plus, BladeHQ didn't have my preferred knife in stock (so there's that).

I've been wanting a small Sabenza for some time and finally decided to take the $350+ plunge! :thumbup:

For those of you that have ordered directly from Chris' Shop, what have you found to be a typical wait time? Should I have ordered from BladeHQ?

I'm trying to mentally prepare for a possible long wait...any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

salmonpie75
 
Welcome to BF :)

It's been awhile since I ordered directly,..I think my last order was 2 months?
It was for a Large Micarta Sebenza Insingo blade when they first came out. Still have it too :)
 
Congrats on the order! and welcome to BF! I've never ordered directly but have thought about it.....maybe some day.
 
I just looked on their site for the answers because you got me thinking about doing that myself... well, after this I am kind of on the fence now.

What is the backorder time frame?
Because of the high demand for our product, we are almost always back ordered. There are occasions when we do have the knife you are looking for ready to ship immediately but this is the exception rather than the rule. Estimating a delivery time can be difficult because there are a number of variables involved. As a general rule, we are back ordered 2 -3 months for fixed blades and 3-6 months for Sebenzas and Mnandis. Decorated knives, Damascus blades, inlays and customizing are all likely to take longer, sometimes as much as several months longer. We can often refer you to a dealer who may have the knife you are looking for, so please feel free to contact us.
 
The best way to find out is to ask CRK, I am a little surprised they did not tell you there aprox. wait. It is going to vary throughout the year depending on what they are working on and if your knife needs special work. For a standard in dealer stock knife, it is best(and much faster) to order from the dealers and CRK has steered me that way before.
IMO it only makes sense to order from CRK if you are getting customized work or you just can't find any in dealer stock. My 1st was a custom order and that has been my only direct purchase. I have purchased a few from the dealers, but these days I usually buy from the exchange to save some decent coin.
 
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Wow -thanks all! I knew I could get answers from you guys!

For future reference, what is your preferred ordering method and/or dealer??
 
I hope you don't mind me asking on here, Salmonpie75, because I don't want to start a new thread just for it. But I wonder also, if you were to order a custom sebenza, would the price differ substantially from a custom one from a dealer? Say a small 21 with micarta. How much would the difference be between ordering one like that from CRK directly vs a dealer.
 
PatMourin45 said:
I hope you don't mind me asking on here, Salmonpie75, because I don't want to start a new thread just for it. But I wonder also, if you were to order a custom sebenza, would the price differ substantially from a custom one from a dealer? Say a small 21 with micarta. How much would the difference be between ordering one like that from CRK directly vs a dealer.
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In your example small 21 with micarta inlay the price should be the same from CRK or the dealer. CRK sets the prices for the dealers.

OP you could do what I did. While waiting for my knife to be made by CRK I picked up another from a dealer :)
 
I think you want to order individualized or less common knives direct from CRK; otherwise order from a dealer that has it in stock.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
In your example small 21 with micarta inlay the price should be the same from CRK or the dealer. CRK sets the prices for the dealers.

OP you could do what I did. While waiting for my knife to be made by CRK I picked up another from a dealer :)
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Thank you Peter!
 
I've never ordered direct from CRK but i have a tough time waiting the normal 3-5 day shipping time. I'd go out of my mind with 2-3 month wait. Perhaps some pics would help ease your anticipation...
 

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Shadow449 said:
I've never ordered direct from CRK but i have a tough time waiting the normal 3-5 day shipping time. I'd go out of my mind with 2-3 month wait. Perhaps some pics would help ease your anticipation...
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+2 on your comment and +10 on your knife.

Can you cancel the order and buy from a vendor? I know that the True dealer from up North has them in stock right now. PM me if you would like a link to their site.
 
I would try and cancel the order and buy from an authorized dealer. The wait times from CRK can be quite long. You would pay the same price for the same product from an authorized dealer in a more timely manner. :)
 
I have ordered directly twice, but both times the knife I bought was in stock. (Granted, one purchase was 10 years ago lol)! The wait time, as mentioned above, can vary greatly based on the knife you order. If it's your first CRK, I would get it from a dealer so you get the knife faster. When you get it and see how great they are, then you can call and amend your order to something a little more unique since you are waiting either way:thumbup:
 
This is just my opinion and you of course would have to check with CRK, but I think if you checked the dealers today and found what you were looking for, you could call CRK and they would cancel the order for you with no problem(since you just made the order and they have not done any work on it). They support their dealers and try to accommodate their customers as best they can. Maybe buy something special direct from them in the future.
But check before buying from the dealer. It is always possible it was in stock at CRK and would soon be in your hands.
 
if memory serves i was told approximately 12 weeks for a small plain 21. actual wait was 10 weeks.
 
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