Specialized Balsa

[Anonymous15]

Hi everyone,
For those who order from specialized balsa, how long does it take you to get the wood after ordering?

Thanks!

[Carrot]

Hi everyone,
For those who order from specialized balsa, how long does it take you to get the wood after ordering?

Thanks!

On their website, Priority / Ground shipping says it takes an average of 2 to 9 days. If you need it before a certain date I would recommend you to order at least 2 weeks before the said deadline.

[MadCow2357]

My wood has always come in within 5 days, but it could depend on your location and how busy they are.

[TheSquaad]

It also depends when in the season you’re ordering. For example, right before nationals there are usually a ton of wood orders (and usually everyone wants sticks of similar dimensions/densities) so it can take longer to ship than say, the middle of summer when nobody is ordering.

[sciencecat42]

On the topic of ordering wood, how good is National Balsa? I sent in an order a couple days ago and it still hasn't shipped out.

[dholdgreve]

There is a big difference in the way Specialized and National look at their "selection" process. Specialized will look at each stick independently and confirm that it falls within the density range ordered. They are not perfect, but generally very close! The only time I ordered from National, I specified the density that wanted, and when I (finally) got my order that I paid double for, because I specified weight, the sticks were all over the board. I called to discuss it with them, and was told that they sort pieces based on the weight of the log the material comes from. That it would be far too laborious to weigh each stick independently! They gave me a token refund to shut me up.

HOWEVER, in full disclosure, this was during and immediately after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast a few years ago. National's warehouse was very near the coast and received substantial damage. This obviously caused the delay in shipping, so I don't fault them for that, and I understand the stress they must have been under at the time, and the east coast culture that fosters "direct" and "abrupt" communication, so I don't fault them for that... I do disagree with how they "sort" their wood though.