Trying to buy a CRK Mnandi

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donavo

Joined
Jun 28, 2015
Messages
172
Hey guys im looking for a Chris Reeves Mnandi with the s35vn blade and snakewood inlays. whats a fair price for a used one that i should expect to pay? thanks.
 
I don't think you can ask for "fair pricing" or knife value at your membership level. I'd suggest you try to hang out in the CRK resale forum and get a feel for pricing and how quick things sell at a listed price.
https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/chris-reeve-knives-for-sale.916/
Bear in mind, the snakewood is a discontinued inlay but it's only been gone for a year or two so resale costs shouldn't be inflated by rarity yet.

Good luck!
 
thats a strange rule...ive bought my whole collection from this forum. i cant see any reason why i cant get a rough estimate on what i should pay for that knife from more experienced members...
 
ahh so this rule is to prevent selling without gold i take it. well im being offered one in person for 400, in near new condition, but i searched the entire internet and i cant find a comparable knife. even in this forum, they all say sold and the price isnt there.

a little backstory, im looking for a gents folder. ive been stuck between kizer feist and boker kwaiken mini. this CRK came up without any expectation for a price that SEEMS good to me but i wanted to confirm. if this is still against the rules, i totally understand, at least recommend an alternative or give me a reason to go with either the boker or kizer since im pretty half and half on those 2 lol. thank you.
 
I believe if you cruise the intertubes and look at "out of stock" listings for a snakewood Mnandi, you'll find they sold new for around $400 at closeout.

A few comments on your choices; the Mnandi is the ultimate modern gentleman's folder. It's hard, IMO, to find a better knife for that purpose. Add some raindrop or ladder damascus and you have an instant classic in your hands! I have a Mnandi in bocote wood and I reach for it frequently. There aren't many peers to the CRK Mnandi for the purpose of gentleman's folder.

Bear in mind that the Mnandi will feel much smaller than either the Mini Kwaiken or the Feist. It also will feel significantly lighter. The Mnandi is only a "sort of" one hand opener. As you get used to it, you'll be able to dig the side of your thumb into the nail nick and open it with one hand, but it's not a "flicker", the action is very smooth, deliberate and hydraulic. Both the Feist and Kwaiken are fast opening knives, which doesn't always fit the bill for a gentleman's folder.

The Feist is a front flipper. If you've never had experience with one, there may be a learning curve to feel comfortable opening it. There have also been some issues with variable quality on different runs of the Feist. You might want to confirm that the Feist you buy is from the most recent production run. Other than that, I'm a big Kizer fan, I own probably 25 or so different models but have never handled the Feist. Please be aware that Kizer is several steps down quality-wise from Chris Reeve Knives, but typically offer great quality at the price they sell at.

The Boker...well...IMO, Boker is second only to Columbia River at fantastic designs that just aren't made all that well. There are some Bokers that I love, but more often than not I find I'm ultimately disappointed with the fit, finish and quality of Boker and Boker Plus knives. I don't own any but apparently the Solingen Germany produced Bokers are significantly nicer.

Any of these choices are great examples of a gentleman's folder, each at different price and quality points. You can't go wrong with any of them but I have a sneaky hunch that once a Mnandi has caught your eye, it'll stay in your mind until you take the plunge and try one for yourself. If it doesn't work out, you can always re-sell with minor loss.

One other gentleman's folder that's a personal favorite of mine is the Spyderco Chaparral. Such an awesome little big knife that slices like a laser! I've gifted a CF scaled Chappy and my carry today is the FRN handled lightweight model. It doesn't have the "bling" factor of the other choices your looking at, but it might be the best "knife-like object" in the entire group. If you want a fancier look, you can always check out the Raffir Noble scaled variety.

Good luck and most of all, have Fun!
 
marcinek said:
It is.

I'd go CRK over a Boker or Kizer all day if I had the choice.
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even with the huge price difference? i mean of course if those 3 knives were in front of me and i just had to pick one, i would go with CRK. ive never had one tho so i dont know how good they are. is it really that good? the steel is very comparable from what i know (vg-10, s35, s30)
 
Hackenslash said:
One other gentleman's folder that's a personal favorite of mine is the Spyderco Chaparral. Such an awesome little big knife that slices like a laser! I've gifted a CF scaled Chappy and my carry today is the FRN handled lightweight model. It doesn't have the "bling" factor of the other choices your looking at, but it might be the best "knife-like object" in the entire group. If you want a fancier look, you can always check out the Raffir Noble scaled variety.

Good luck and most of all, have Fun!
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thanks for the reply and a rundown on each knife, that was really helpful. i think ill pull the trigger on the CRK in that case. and as for the chaparral, its a personal taste but i very much dislike it as a gentlemans carry as its very wide. the blade is too broad to be un-noticeable in the pocket i think.
 
donavo said:
even with the huge price difference? i mean of course if those 3 knives were in front of me and i just had to pick one, i would go with CRK. ive never had one tho so i dont know how good they are. is it really that good? the steel is very comparable from what i know (vg-10, s35, s30)
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The trick about CRK is the sum of the parts (the grade of materials) never will equal the value of the whole. The Feist and Mnandi both have S35VN blades and 6AL4V Ti handles so why the big gap in price? This is the classic conundrum with moving up the price chain for knives or automobiles or...anything. The $100 knife has the same value in materials as the $400 knife. Unless the difference is made up in construction quality, fit, finish, style and action, the returns for higher priced knives diminishes rapidly.

Most people who like CRK can feel the difference in quality and can appreciate the uplift in price. Bear in mind, there's a significant slice of people who buy a CRK and never "get it". Their opinion is just as valid as those who "get it"; there is no right and wrong in the knives we like or don't. Fortunately for those who don't join the CRK Borg, the resale values are solid and sales tend to be brisk.
 
donavo said:
even with the huge price difference? i mean of course if those 3 knives were in front of me and i just had to pick one, i would go with CRK. ive never had one tho so i dont know how good they are. is it really that good? the steel is very comparable from what i know (vg-10, s35, s30)
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CRK has made very good knives for a long time. They are not "overpriced."
 
also, one more question. anyone know why snakewood was discontinued? and any idea if itll come back? is it more of a collectors knife with the snakewood?
 
The discontinued question about snakewood is and excellent question for the CRK manufacturers forum. CRK seems to add new wood inlays and remove some from time to time. $400 seems to be a good price for a Mnandi in general. Not the greatest deal on the planet, but not outta the ball park. CRK is an excellent knife with an excellent reputation and outstanding customer service. You should not be dissapointed with a Mnandi.
 
My gentleman’s folder is a Plain Jane Small 21. I’ve had two Mnandis but they are just too small for my mitts. ...and overall I think the Sm 21 is just a more capable knife.
 
thanks to everyone who helped. i officially pulled the trigger. coworker had brought it in, and seeing the knife in person, plus all the positive reviews i couldnt resist it at $360. and the condition, wow. although he says he sharpened it once, i cant see any mistakes or anything wrong with the blade luckily. never had one of these and im glad i pulled the trigger. awesome little folder.
 
donavo said:
thanks to everyone who helped. i officially pulled the trigger. coworker had brought it in, and seeing the knife in person, plus all the positive reviews i couldnt resist it at $360. and the condition, wow. although he says he sharpened it once, i cant see any mistakes or anything wrong with the blade luckily. never had one of these and im glad i pulled the trigger. awesome little folder.
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Don't forget that most (of not all) CRKs come from the factory with a convex edge grind. Some folks will use their knives then go to sharpen them and they don't understand why it isn't actually sharpening.
They aren't hiring the apex due to the convex edge profile.

The first real sharpening for a "V" grind will take some work, but their HT is good, and will take a great edge once you get the reprofiling done.
 
NJBillK said:
Don't forget that most (of not all) CRKs come from the factory with a convex edge grind. Some folks will use their knives then go to sharpen them and they don't understand why it isn't actually sharpening.
They aren't hiring the apex due to the convex edge profile.

The first real sharpening for a "V" grind will take some work, but their HT is good, and will take a great edge once you get the reprofiling done.
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hmm good point i did notice that on the edge. is there anything i can do to prevent that? only strop? im not the greatest sharpener. all i have is a lanksy sharpening system and a spyderco sharpening system. how can i sharpen and preserve their convex grind.
 
donavo said:
hmm good point i did notice that on the edge. is there anything i can do to prevent that? only strop? im not the greatest sharpener. all i have is a lanksy sharpening system and a spyderco sharpening system. how can i sharpen and preserve their convex grind.
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Just go with a "V" grind, if that is what you can maintain. I have a "V" on my Large 21, and it works just fine, and I can keep it sharp just fine.

Just because they apply a convex, does not mean it needs one to perform. My edge is hair popping sharp on a regular basis. The alloy won't know any better, so long as you don't go too thin and it chips out...
 
The convex edge is do to their sharpening the knife with a belt sander. They recommend the sharpmaker system, but if you really want to preserve the convex edge you could use the mouse pad/sandpaper method and or strop.. I would go sharpmaker myself.
 
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