Poll, gauging satisfaction on pre-orders

Are you satisfied with our pre-orders? 1= no not at all, 5= yes very much

  • 5

    Votes: 86 66.7%

  • 4

    Votes: 16 12.4%

  • 3

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 1

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I have never done a pre-order with you but I want to

    Votes: 26 20.2%

  • I have never done a pre-order with you and I don't want to

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • Total voters
    129
patrickguignot said:
I'm not a native speaker but this formulation is strange ;)
Click to expand...

That's because I am Strange

hqdefault.jpg
 
I don't chime in here often but I have participated in both Friday sales, very successfully, and in more than one pre-order. The Friday "races" have grown tiresome (to me, others love them) and while I was excited when I first saw the finished DEK and definitely plan/planned on getting one, I lost interest when I saw that they were only being offered in small quantities during the Friday sales. I figured they would eventually reach a point of saturation like the FK2s, especially when Nathan posted he was making 100s of them, but that hasn't happened yet. For those like me, a pre-order would allow a relaxed means of getting a knife we might otherwise pass by. Is there risk involved? Sure, on both sides, but most things of value come with a little risk.
 
.357gus said:
I love the preorders. As a bonafide member of the old man’s club, I highly appreciate them.:thumbsup::D

How about a sharpened swedge or dagger grind DEK?
Click to expand...

Please keep preorders.

I’d love the option to order a DEK with a dagger grind option or pick a more exotic handle material (Double Edged = DEDEK?).

I’m sure the K18 delay is stressful for you but I’m not too worried. I know I’ll get it eventually and it will meet or exceed my expectations.
 
madcap_magician said:
Honesty compels me not to vote in this, as the only preorder I've done with CPK is the K18, and while I'm not dissatisfied with it despite the delay, since it's not complete I can't really say how satisfied I am with that process. (... though if it tells you anything, I've bought six CPKs since then despite not having my K18!)

I am pretty darn fast and can score most every time I try, so mostly I'd be interested in preorders for nonstandard handle or blade configurations, which I know you've done in the past. I would also be supportive of it in general for the people who aren't fast, as there seems to be a lot of pent-up demand for DEK1s in particular.
Click to expand...

If you can proxy a DEK for me, I’d still be down for one!
 
Some quick thoughts.
  • I agree pre-orders are a generally bad idea.
  • Pre-orders allow for various options that would not be possible otherwise (e.g. swedge, satin finishes, ugly old wood hammer handles).
  • Being late is generally OK, especially on a product which no follow-on consequences. Unless someone ordered the K18 and had a zombie hunting trip they now have to cancel.
  • Communication is key. And as far as I've seen you (all) do an excessively amazing job at communication.
You communicate well, you want to add flexibility, it gives you and your customers a few more options. Why not do pre-orders? Have you considered only accepting pre-orders for non-standard offerings, i.e. smelly wood handles must apply?
 
There are a lot of good aspects to preorders and I think you should keep them too.

But you are asking how satisfied we are. I can’t say I’m 100% satisfied. It does suck to wait a year or more for something you pay in full ahead of time. And it also sucks seeing the item you’re waiting for being sold on Friday sales. And it can also suck if you’re one of the first in on the order and one of the last to receive it. Those are the main negatives that come to mind. And they are all clearly noted as part of the deal in the preorder.

Still, I don’t think anyone would argue against having them, especially when they make a project like the K18 possible.

I have wondered if a lottery system would make more people happy for Friday sales formats...kind of like a virtual Bladeshow deal. It would certainly offer more random distribution instead of a small core of folks scooping up the good stuff on a regular basis. There may be ways to do that that aren’t too painful. Just an unsolicited thought there.
 
I’m a big fan of the Friday sales / pre-order combo (with the random fun Friday one-offs thrown in as well).

I’m a big big fan that you add some customizations in with the pre-orders.

Your reputation is solid and I have zero concern when paying for a pre-order.
The k18 is such an outlier that I think it should be excluded from the data.

This current model seems ideal and when I consider any alternatives, they don’t weigh as favorably as what we have currently.
 
There's no doubt that Friday sales can be frustrating especially with the server lag we've all experienced here on Blade Forums as of late. I've had success in placing in these sales but in all honesty it seems more like lucky timing more than speed and skill.

For standard configurations I believe increasing the offering to at least 20 would make a world of difference without the need to initiate a pre-order. Much like many of the comments posted in this thread I see real value in offering pre-orders with options to add upgraded features as the the best use of this type of sales format. I missed out on taking part in the FK2 pre-order and after seeing some of the amazing knives that were delivered I can only hope that you will continue to offer these "value added" options. You have gone to great lengths to establish your integrity & credibility so I have no qualms whatsoever in paying in advance for what could easily be a grail quality knife.

All things said, do what's best for your business Nathan, and if you feel that Jo is being over worked in her capacity then by all means give her a raise !
 
While I've been able to get all of the CPKs I've bought in the Friday sales, I've wished that I got in on some of the old hammer handle/smelly popsickle stick handles after I've seen the results! I think that the pre-orders are a great option for those that don't enjoy the shark pit that the Friday sales sometimes become.
 
As much as I often horseplay and goof around in here, I would like to make a few serious comments regarding preorders for Nathan to mull over if he's struggling with making a decision:

Because of the (low) supply and (very high) demand curve when it comes to CPK, in the absence of preorders, we will see the same sharp price inflations in the secondary markets which we used to see before you had implemented the once or twice the year preorders.

It is true that the K18 preorder + the move + COVID-19 are weighing heavily on your mind and hence struggling with offering another preorder amidst these all, but I think that the alternative will be more harming to your business: frustrating Fridays' sales + limited offering of 10 getting snapped up by the same fast crew will leave you with disgruntled folks who may give up and never come back. I think that this is very worthwhile for you to consider while making your decision.
 
The K18 issue falls into the category of "shit happens". IMHO the "people" need your pre-orders equally as much as the extent to which they also assist you in the further development of your business.

And no maker should worry about the added or reduced impact such a decision would have on secondary market pricing.

You're doing thing right. Continue with the pre-orders.......
 
Last edited:
I agree you should pay Jo more especially when you have high maintenance customers like me.

My two cents, you should continue to do them. From a customer standpoint it is a long wait for something that you paid for but that’s kinda because we want all of our stuff NOW, especially our cool tools. But when it arrives it’s like Christmas because the money is long gone and you get to open a present to yourself. I’ve gotten lucky on the Recent Friday sales but it has been luck. The pre-order takes luck out and you just need to add patience in its place. Additionally being able to customize the knives is really appreciated. I was towards the end of the list to get an FK2 because of the 90 degree spine. Although I like all of my CPK’s the FK2 with sharpened spine is my favorite and although not carried daily is my most used. I wouldn’t have been able to get them if it wasn’t for the pre-order. As far as the "stain" of the K18 being so late- shit happens. You’ve been upfront from the beginning that it may take longer, we all knew the possible risks. You’ve been pretty good about updates and we appreciate that as well.

From a business standpoint I would think it would be more profitable because I think you sell more, at least I know I’ve bought more because of it. I’ve bought at least four extra because of the customization and actually being able to get one. I have users and although I hate to say it a couple are “safe queens”. They don’t really get used but I do appreciate them.
 
patrickguignot said:
I'm not a native speaker but this formulation is strange ;)
Click to expand...
It is best just to use context to try to interpret the intent. On a forum like this, you will often see "loose" where "lose" is intended. "I could care less" actually usually means "I couldn't care less"...etc

As to the question, I'm in favor of pre-orders from CPK.
 
I've not participated in your pre-orders; but i'm not opposed to doing so. In a way, it could be preferable to me; as I dislike posting in a thread to claim a knife... but if I couldn't secure a place on a pre-order via PM or email, there's no real benefit to me. I'm patient enough to wait until I can get in on a Friday sale; and, given the way you handle the pre-orders, odds are decent that I could score one that way before getting one I ordered.
If you don't like the pre-order model, don't do one. Should you decide to go for it, people will participate.
 
I think that I have participated in every preorder. I have absolute trust in CPK and absolute confidence in CPK knives. The prepayment, and any wait period, are of no concern to me. I certainly can’t say that about many other knife makers and businesses. And unlike TommyGun56, CPK has never disappointed me. (Sorry had to take the shot ) Mike

PS. I would, however like to do what ever possible to make Jo’s life easier.
 
gunslinger387 said:
I agree you should pay Jo more especially when you have high maintenance customers like me.

My two cents, you should continue to do them. From a customer standpoint it is a long wait for something that you paid for but that’s kinda because we want all of our stuff NOW, especially our cool tools. But when it arrives it’s like Christmas because the money is long gone and you get to open a present to yourself. I’ve gotten lucky on the Recent Friday sales but it has been luck. The pre-order takes luck out and you just need to add patience in its place. Additionally being able to customize the knives is really appreciated. I was towards the end of the list to get an FK2 because of the 90 degree spine. Although I like all of my CPK’s the FK2 with sharpened spine is my favorite and although not carried daily is my most used. I wouldn’t have been able to get them if it wasn’t for the pre-order. As far as the "stain" of the K18 being so late- shit happens. You’ve been upfront from the beginning that it may take longer, we all knew the possible risks. You’ve been pretty good about updates and we appreciate that as well.

From a business standpoint I would think it would be more profitable because I think you sell more, at least I know I’ve bought more because of it. I’ve bought at least four extra because of the customization and actually being able to get one. I have users and although I hate to say it a couple are “safe queens”. They don’t really get used but I do appreciate them.
Click to expand...

^^^^ This :thumbsup:
 
The fact that this thread was created with the purpose of asking the customers what they think speaks volumes in and of itself. Its the type of thing that separates a 'CPK preorder' from a 'typical' or 'other guys' preorder. Granted, the same risks could exist, but my experience with CPK as a whole has been entirely positive and would again pony up quickly. When I wasn't able to get my HDFK the moment I realized how awesome it was, I visited the buy/sell thread and the community helped me out (without gouging). This is yet another degree of separation from what I find typical amongst other blade groups (or the world as a whole). If it doesn't stand to negatively impact the producer(s) of what I've found to be the best sharp sh!t goin, send it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top