Blick pre-stretched canvas for gallery wrap?

[Roscolo]

About to order some 16x20 pre-constructed stretcher frames. Anyone ever try just buying the Blick Gallery 1 1/2" profile pre-stretched canvas, and then remove the canvas or just stretch your canvas over their pre-existing canvas? In bulk, these are only $8.60 each, and only $4 shipping (for 25) vs. $13 ea. and $45 shipping from frame destination for 1 1/2" profile pre-built 16x20 stretchers.

Maybe the frame destination ones are a bit better, I don't know, but the price difference is huge, so I can handle slightly less on the quality side considering these are almost half the price.

Any reason not to do this?

Here's the link to the Blick pre-stretched canvas I'm talking about:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-pr...profile-canvas/



Thanks

[Colorwave]

I haven't used Blick's, but have used other pre-stretched canvases as a source of inexpensive stretchers.  Not being in a metropolitan area, and with slower and more expensive shipping options available than most places, sometimes it  is my only option.  The ones that are sold here are made with lauan mahogany, a very lightweight tropical hardwood, which is not quite as nice as the kiln dried sugar pine that is more common for unstretched bars.  That said, I haven't had any issues, other than an occasional divot on an edge or corner.  It is somewhat sad that it is substantially cheaper to buy canvas and stretcher and get rid of the canvas than it is to buy the wood only, but a reflection of the fact that the ones I have available are made in Vietnam, vs domestic plain bars.  

You might want to take a look at http://www.aswexpress.com/, if you are still shopping around.  They are the absolute cheapest online source I have found for online art supplies, and have decent customer service and a good selection of stretchers..