Continue w/ Dragondoor or move on?

Grissim Connery · 05-12-2010, 01:38 PM

I got to feel some AKC kettlebells a while ago and decided that if I ever bought new KB's, I would go this route. I just saw on craiglist a guy selling a bunch of Dragondoor Kbs for the price listed on the dragondoor site, but no shipping charges. This is considerable since shipping is like 60% of the cost. anyways I have a 1pood, 1.5pood, and 2 pood kb, and i wanted to match these to make pairs. the price should be about $290 to get these 3, and that is before haggling it down some.

my question is whether i should get these or hold out to get some AKC ones. it's not that i don't like the dragondoor handles, it's just that i like the AKC handles better. now i wouldn't be getting the AKC ones anytime soon. I don't have the funds for that, but i would be willing to cough up for this, especially because getting to a weight room this summer is going to be difficult.

so should i take advantage, or wait it out?

the guy might have a pair of 48kg KB's. i don't think i can afford those, but they do sound juicy......

Garrett Smith · 05-12-2010, 05:45 PM

If you want to high-rep C&J and snatch, definitely get the competition bells.

Derek Weaver · 05-12-2010, 07:27 PM

The issue with competition bells is that most manufacturers I've seen go to 32 kg only. The AKC has bells that go up higher (maybe 64 kg?) but they're expensive as all hell.

It depends on your goals. If you're looking to do real long sets, I'd save up for the comp. bells. I've got a pair of 16kg, 24kg and 32 kg that I both saved for and spent the winnings from a rather stupid, but fortunate roulette bet.

Steve Shafley · 05-12-2010, 07:32 PM

Perform better is having a sale on their competition kettlebells (just like the akcs but different colors). Free shipping IIRC>

Steve Shafley · 05-12-2010, 07:33 PM

The ~60kgs were custom made by a friend of mine out of AKC shells.

Derek Weaver · 05-12-2010, 10:44 PM

I worked for an afternoon with John Wild Buckley in Oakland and he's got some insane comp size kettlebell. Isn't it Scott Helsley who's made some of those kettlebells?

Steve Shafley · 05-13-2010, 07:27 AM

Yeah, Helsley made those.

Grissim Connery · 05-13-2010, 01:50 PM

i don't see "free shipping" anywhere on perform better. any other places you know that do that?

Grissim Connery · 05-26-2010, 01:37 PM

I got an email saying that they do have free shipping until may 31! I'm going to try to sell my dragondoors on craiglist and get a pair of 24kg and 32kg.

Derek Weaver · 05-30-2010, 12:56 PM

I saw that special they've got going. They do them fairly often, maybe 3 times last year. If they had something heavier than 32kg I was going to get another 'bell or two.