Anything worthy to see in Chicago blade related?

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Feb 8, 2010
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I might be travelling to Chicago soon. Anything nice to see over there blade related or a unique shop to buy blades or something?
 
It's been many years, but the big art museum used to have a armor and sword section.
 
Yeah, the Art Institute has a pretty neat section of old weaponry. But for actually buying knives there’s nothing really in the city. There are a few gun stores in the suburbs I know of that carry decent knives, or there’s always Bass Pro or Cabelas if you’re looking for something more standard. If you’re feeling really adventurous there’s GP Knives, DLT, or Adam’s International if you’re ok with driving roughly 4 hours one way.
 
George F. Harding, Jr., built a scaled-down but accurate reproduction of a medieval Scots castle on his Chicago estate to display his collection of arms and armor. The Harding Museum at 4853 Lake Park Avenue was open to the public until 1959 and I made a pilgrimage there twice a year as a child. Its arms and armor now belong to the Art Institute of Chicago. For many years the Institute displayed a few pieces outside its basement public washrooms. Eight years ago it made a permanent gallery for 10-15% of the collection. Their selection was judicious and it is well worth a visit. I remembered every sword and battle axe! Some day the entire collection will have a building of its own, but I shall not live to see it.

You can read a history the Harding Museum here: https://archive.artic.edu/arms-and-armor/resource/1246

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For many years, Northwestern Cutlery at 810 W. Lake Street was the place to go for kitchen knives and professional blade sharpening. Most Chicago cooking schools had discount deals for their students there. They have moved and I have not visited the new location, but it is probably worth a visit if you can fit it into your schedule.

https://nwcutlery.com/

Their web site has a link to a Chicago Tribune article on the history of their business. It is worth reading.
 
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