Spyderco Military - S90V Blue or CRUWEAR Gray?

Rasco said:
$100 less than the S90V you mean. But yeah.
I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the CRUWEAR.
From the cheapest site I could find it on, which was still around $170.
But it beats the BBS price by about $50.

I'm so excited. I've also got an Edge Pro Apex on the way and I can't wait to give the CRUWEAR a manicure :P
Click to expand...

Congrats! you will love that thing!!!!
Hey surfingringo I could have taken that pic lol. Great pair! ;-)
 
nccole said:
Can't speak for him but it is just their pricing for me. It sucks on all models, even when they have one on "sale" it is still more than everybody else's normal pricing. On the S90V blue Mili, they decided to price it way high. I think the reason they did it was to discourage flipping, which seemed to work. They decided they would rather not have flipping and others taking money they were leaving on the table by selling cheaper. Thing is they were already high, so it just seems greedy. The blue PM2 with M390 went for $180 iirc. The green CTS-204P (same steel from a different company) PM2 went for $140 first run (plus $8 shipping) and $150 shipped second run from KW. The CRUWEAR Military's went for around $140 from most dealers. When you know what they can be had for if you were fast and lucky enough, seeing BBS pricing is a big turnoff.
Click to expand...

That's exactly my feeling. I bought the M4 Manix from them but ever since they priced their dealer exclusive blue M390 Para 2 as high as the carbon fiber S90V Para 2, I've been turned off by their greed. I choose to spend my money at places that seem to value their customers and their loyalty instead of a company that prices at what it thinks the market can bear.
 
Personally I don't mind if a source wants to charge more than the going rate. These are sprint runs after all. There's a collectability factor. On the one hand, yes greedy, but any more greedy than some random eBay seller...? And that high pricing, apparently in some cases, ensures that a few will be left for guys like me, who are a little late to the party but willing to spend a few extra bucks to get the one we want.
 
Rasco said:
Personally I don't mind if a source wants to charge more than the going rate. These are sprint runs after all. There's a collectability factor. On the one hand, yes greedy, but any more greedy than some random eBay seller...? And that high pricing, apparently in some cases, ensures that a few will be left for guys like me, who are a little late to the party but willing to spend a few extra bucks to get the one we want.
Click to expand...

That's actually a good point. There's been quite a bit of whining and bitterness ("bitter" is a quote from one of those who posted) about people not getting one of the green/204P Para 2 sprints. They sold out in 24 hours at the attractive discount price and no doubt a bunch will wind up on eBay for $250 or so. People complain about sprints and exclusives going quickly - this exclusive one is still available, and probably for less than you'd dream of paying an eBay seller.
 
LOL that was probably me!
I admit, I was pretty bitter this weekend over how fast those Greens sold out.
I think when it comes down to it, just in my mind, I find it easier to trust a semi-established website over a random eBay seller.
I find it comforting to know there's some kind of "store front", even a virtual one.
I'd prefer to pay $250 to KW rather than to a questionable eBay seller. At least I know I'm not getting a Chinese fake.

So if you would prefer to take your chances on eBay rather than pay more up front to buy from a reputable dealer, that's fine.
Maybe once you really dive into the eBay knife world, it becomes easier to trust certain sellers.
 
nccole said:
On the S90V blue Mili, they decided to price it way high. ...

When you know what they can be had for if you were fast and lucky enough, seeing BBS pricing is a big turnoff.
Click to expand...


Yes it is a bummer that one store sells a primo model for a low price and another store sells a primo model for a much higher price. I don't know that I can fault the store for that- people buy them at that price and higher, and the knife should be worth a lot more than the standard model. Doesn't mean I will buy one at the higher price though.

The part of the BBS business model that I don't like is that they tell you if there is a problem with the new product that they sell you, you have to take it up with the manufacturer. I don't know of any other retail establishment that won't take back a defective product and give you a refund or exchange. Considering the much higher price that BBS charges you would think that they wouldn't mind a little extra customer service.
 
JNewell said:
That's actually a good point. There's been quite a bit of whining and bitterness ("bitter" is a quote from one of those who posted) about people not getting one of the green/204P Para 2 sprints. They sold out in 24 hours at the attractive discount price and no doubt a bunch will wind up on eBay for $250 or so. People complain about sprints and exclusives going quickly - this exclusive one is still available, and probably for less than you'd dream of paying an eBay seller.
Click to expand...

It's worked alright, in fact its worked so well they is still have a whole pile of them available lol.

Thats the issue, increase the price to stop people from buying and flipping at the risk of being stuck with 100's or in BBS's case, 1000's of dollars worth of inventory..at the current price I don't know if they will ever sale all they have.

I like the way KW does things, yeah they could have jacked the price up on the Green Para's for a few extra bucks in the pocket but they took the high road and kept the prices very reasonable. KW is very aware of the secondary markets, particularly for the Para 2's but they don't care, secondary markets did not at all figure into how they priced the Para 2 Exclusive and look how quickly they all sold out.

BBS? Exact opposite, and they still have a pile of the Blue Millies in stock to show for it.
 
Last edited:
That's BBS's problem, not mine.
All I care about is that there is still (at least) ONE SOURCE (non-eBay source) where I can purchase one of these sprint runs.
It's up to me if I want to pay what they are asking. But at least the option is there.
Similarly, if KW wants to charge what they think is a fair price and not care about flipping, that's fine too.

But I think any basic economics teacher could tell you that if your supply of "widgets" sells out in less than 24hrs, you probably had them priced too low.
 
Rasco said:
That's BBS's problem, not mine.
All I care about is that there is still (at least) ONE SOURCE (non-eBay source) where I can purchase one of these sprint runs.
It's up to me if I want to pay what they are asking. But at least the option is there.
Similarly, if KW wants to charge what they think is a fair price and not care about flipping, that's fine too.

But I think any basic economics teacher could tell you that if your supply of "widgets" sells out in less than 24hrs, you probably had them priced too low.
Click to expand...

They would. However, an advanced economics teacher would examine volume, real and time value of dead inventory, new client procurement, customer satisfaction and loyalty, etc. I personally have no "moral" problem with how bbs does business. Free country, free market, etc. But there are costs associated with that business model other than that of dead inventory. Like many, I have never ordered anything from them, simply because their prices aren't competitive and their return policy is non existent.

Now Knifeworks? Those guys are awesome!! They price their goods and handle their customer service in a way that makes me happy to do business with them. They hooked me up on a couple of deals last year that made me a client for life!

@Rasco...I'm not arguing with your point. I see exactly what you're saying, and yes, if there was some model that I felt I had to have then I would be glad to find it available, even at an inflated price. Like most though, I usually don't need a knife that bad so shops like that don't get any of my money. :)

Not sure how we got into an economics debate or why on earth I chose to participate, but whatever. Enjoy that new cruwear Millie!! That's a nice one!
 
ToxicBot11 said:
It's worked alright, in fact its worked so well they is still have a whole pile of them available lol.

Thats the issue, increase the price to stop people from buying and flipping at the risk of being stuck with 100's or in BBS's case, 1000's of dollars worth of inventory..at the current price I don't know if they will ever sale all they have.

I like the way KW does things, yeah they could have jacked the price up on the Green Para's for a few extra bucks in the pocket but they took the high road and kept the prices very reasonable. KW is very aware of the secondary markets, particularly for the Para 2's but they don't care, secondary markets did not at all figure into how they priced the Para 2 Exclusive and look how quickly they all sold out.

BBS? Exact opposite, and they still have a pile of the Blue Millies in stock to show for it.
Click to expand...

Obviously they do, and "market discipline" is the answer. If they're priced too high, they won't sell and BBS has non-earning inventory costs. It's the free market at work.

It works going the other way, too. The price of the CF/S90V Military sprint is stratospheric. If you really have to have a Military with an S90V blade, the BBS sprint looks very reasonable.
 
Rasco said:
That's BBS's problem, not mine.
All I care about is that there is still (at least) ONE SOURCE (non-eBay source) where I can purchase one of these sprint runs.
It's up to me if I want to pay what they are asking. But at least the option is there.
Similarly, if KW wants to charge what they think is a fair price and not care about flipping, that's fine too.

But I think any basic economics teacher could tell you that if your supply of "widgets" sells out in less than 24hrs, you probably had them priced too low.
Click to expand...

Or at least well below what the market valued them at. :)
 
As I said, I purchased both but the S90v blue I lucked out and caught one on the secondary market. I passed on it originally and here are why:

1) BBS has a no return policy. Not only can you not return it due to buyer's remorse, if the knife actually has a warranty problem, sucks for you... You have to go directly through Spyderco. I cannot support an online business that doesnt SUPPORT their customers and back up their products that they sell. Retailers large and small, online or not all have a fair return policy, even Ebay sellers lmao.

2) They have a policy that once they ship it, their end of the deal is done and it's on YOU to purchase INSURANCE on top of their shipping charge to ensure that it is covered in case the knife gets lost during shipping. This is ridiculous and may even be illegal.

3) They were discovered to be auctioning off this very sprint on Ebay, what other Spyderco dealer does that with their exclusives?

4) Price. It's true that they have the right to sell it for whatever they want. It's an exclusive that they paid for. Here is how I look at it though, Spyderco's exclusive run slots are very tight. I spoke with Jeff from CS and asked him if he had any exclusives lined up and he said that he does have some in mind but Spyderco needs to find production slots. This BBS takes valuabke slots from other dealers only to sell it for prices that keep them unsold. The Millie's a US made knife, the same facility that is totally impacted, Id prefer to see guys like Jeff get a US sprint. Also, Spyderco's profit margins and target street prices are pretty stable across the board. Dealers are of course free to charge whatever but when the green PM2, CF s90v Manix XL, Millie Cruwear etc are sold at up to 44% off msrp, Ill vote with my wallet and support those dealers. Their discounts are consistent with the rest of their product line AND have a fair return exchange policy not to mention garanteed delivery and even free shipping.

There may be hundreds of these Millies sitting in a shelf for almost a year now instead of being in the hands of end users. If someone like KW had this, they'd not only sell, but also have to ask for a full 1200 piece run!
 
JNewell said:
Or at least well below what the market valued them at. :)
Click to expand...

Regardless of economics, I am more pro consumer because I am one. It doesnt take much to keep us happy anyway :) whats this guy saying? KW should have charged $200 (msrp)for them like BBS would? Right.....
 
Congrats on your awesome Grey Millie! The Millie is my favorite production knife. EDC one since 2008.



They grey G10 looks awesome, but I have four Millies now and that's enough on this moment.

singularity35 said:
Grindability is another factor to consider. Simply said, grindability equates with ease of sharpening. S90V is much harder to grind than Cruwear especially when rebeveling.
Click to expand...

One of the reasons why the C/F M390 is my favorite :D Way easier to sharpen than S90V, but still has an incredible impressive edge retention.
 
Jeru said:
...

One of the reasons why the C/F M390 is my favorite :D Way easier to sharpen than S90V, but still has an incredible impressive edge retention.
Click to expand...

I can't choose a favorite. Even the plain jane millie is great for me but as you say, the M390 one is also cat's jammies. :D

EDC3-2-13_zps03c9e3b5.jpg
 
I was very hesitant about buying from BBS for a long time because of everything that I've read on forums, etc.... but I wanted a millie, and I wanted s90v. When I had the funds available, and jumped on it. My confidence in Spyderco as the manufacturer and designer of a fabulous knife outweighed my opinion about the dealer. Was it a little overpriced? Probably. But, this sums it up for me... I have an s90v Millie that I absolutely love. It's definitely my favorite knife, and I don't really care how I got it. ;-)
 
Stays Sharp said:
3) They were discovered to be auctioning off this very sprint on Ebay, what other Spyderco dealer does that with their exclusives?
Click to expand...

That episode really soured me on BBS because not only did they have this sprint on ebay, they sold it there for well over the price they were selling it for on their store website. They were well within their rights to make some extra bucks of that one but it struck me as a dishonest deal so I do not want to give them any more of my money. I got the blue para 2 from them long ago and that is probably the last knife I will ever buy from them.

Stays Sharp said:
KW should have charged $200 (msrp)for them like BBS would? Right.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, right...

Surfingringo said:
They would. However, an advanced economics teacher would examine ...customer satisfaction and loyalty, etc....

Now Knifeworks? Those guys are awesome!! They price their goods and handle their customer service in a way that makes me happy to do business with them. They hooked me up on a couple of deals last year that made me a client for life!
Click to expand...

This sums it up for me. If KW sold their sprints as BBS does then yes, they would have made money from me on that one knife but would have lost on all the other knives I would have bought elsewhere. As it sits right now I buy almost all my knives from Knifeworks. I looked at my order history with them and I bought a LOT of knives from them over the past year that I could have easily gotten elsewhere. I like the way they treat me and I like they way they do business so I will likely buy many more from them in the future.

Anyway, that's me two cents and enough ranting and raving for now. Congrats on the Cruwear Millie, it's a great knife with a great steel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top