Are all the knife stores gone?

G

Graytalon

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Morning all,
I am new to these forums and recently have been reinfected by the knife bug. Back when I was shorter I started out with a Buck 110 and a Gerber multitool, but after my son was diagnosed with autism, I stopped having knives just lying around.
My spousal unit, that's Air Force code for wife, recently started looking into prepping and such and one thing lead to another and I started trying to pull out my old knives trying see what I have still. Apparently I got rid of most of them. Well, all of them with the exception of some old bayonets and that 110. By the way, I broke the tip off that back in the 80s and "fixed" it with a belt sander...it's not pretty.
I figured I would start out with a medium weight camp knife. A sheath blade that I can practice some of my old boy scout skills. I checked the interwebs and now am staggered by what I don't know. Well, what I didn't' know and what I have forgotten.
Back when I was a mall rat there were knife stores everywhere. Or maybe it just seemed that way. I wanted to see some blades and touch some blades. I don't like to buy things without getting a feel for them. I'm a little guy, barely 6'4", and I want to make sure the knife feels right in my hand. I am trying to find a "dedicated" knife shop. A place that has employees that know the difference between a full tang and a folder.

Ok, here's the bottom line, are there any knife shops within 2 hours of Montgomery that would have some Ka-bars? I went to the Fish Pro shop and they had a pretty nice selection, but only 1 Ka-bar and the gent wasn't very, um, helpful. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Robert, aka "GT"
 
Graytalon said:
I am trying to find a "dedicated" knife shop. A place that has employees that know the difference between a full tang and a folder.
Click to expand...

Hi Robert - welcome to Bladeforums!

Unfortunately, those 2 statements are an oxymoron these days. All of the knife shops I knew have long since dried up. And, if you do find one - knowledgeable employees are relatively non-existent.

I've passed through Montgomery many times, and am not aware of anything around there. It seems like there's a dedicated knife shop further south, off I-10 headed to Gulf Shores, back in a strip mall. I stopped there once, several good brands & nice folks that run the place. I purchased a couple things there, although prices were pretty salty. This was 2-3 years ago, honestly not sure if they're even still there!

Hang around here for a bit though, you'll get lots of great, good & not so good advise on just about anything knife related.

- Sam
 
I believe onespdfrk is referring to "nick's" knives? It is just about in Gulf shores. They had a huge selection, I was there a couple months ago. However, I don't recall if they had basic kabars, I do know they sell Beckers.
 
Hi "GT", aka Robert, and Welcome to Bladeforums.

Good news, there are still many great knife shops left. In fact many of the best online dealers have physical stores as well.
Bad news, I'm unfamiliar with your area, and there may not even be a good store close to you.
Good news, the forum members here, as a group, know as much or more about knives than any knife shop clerk. :thumbup:
 
There's got to be some dedicated knife stores in Alabama for sure. I'm in South Carolina and there are 2 shops within my 30 mile radius that just mostly sell knives. One is run by an old Veteran who has such great prices. I sometimes thinks he is pricing stuff like it's still 1965. Some of the gun shops I visit also have a big knife selection as well. You gotta talk to people in your area and find these little gems. Welcome aboard by the way.
 
I'm 70, and the closest thing to a "knife store" I can recall was Hoffritz. What I do remember, and what still exist, at least in this part of the country, are independent hardware stores with large displays of what would now be called "traditional" pocket knives, sporting goods stores with good selections of hunting, fishing, and camping knives, and Army-Navy stores with scout and military knives.
 
Well, I've found knives in sporting good stores, an Army Surplus, and a pawn shop, but I have yet to step foot in a Knife Shop. I understand there's one in Foley and Huntsville, but they are a bit out of my afternoon drive time. I could drive to Atlanta in that time. Which sounds like what I may be doing.
Thanks for welcome in.

GT
 
Cecil Clark cutlery
833 Monmouth street new port KY
An excellent store with fair prices. Some cliché swords and daggers but some great choices too
 
St Nicks knife factory is what you speak of in gulf shores. In tanger on 59. That's a ways from Montgomery. There is a st nicks in Birmingham I believe though. That'll be closer I think (without checking my fuzzy alabama memory against a map)
 
SVT,
I checked their website and its not showing B'ham. I saw Foley, Athens, and Huntsville. It would be nice if it was in Birmingham, but I guess I am just cursed. :)

GT
 
Marks Outdoors in Birmingham. They're on highway 31 in Vestavia. Not a dedicated "knife shop" but they have by far the best, largest knife selection of any store I've been to. Randy runs the knife counter, he's very friendly and knowledgable, I'm pretty sure he is retired and just does this job because he freaking loves talking knives with any customer who comes in the store. They have more folders than fixed blades but they've got a good selection and Randy can give very good suggestions and recommendations if you tell him what you're looking for. I go just about every other Saturday just to browse and visit with him!
 
Graytalon said:
SVT,
I checked their website and its not showing B'ham. I saw Foley, Athens, and Huntsville. It would be nice if it was in Birmingham, but I guess I am just cursed. :)

GT
Click to expand...

I wonder if they closed bham or if my mind implanted that there for some reason!

Oh well. Sorry man. I tried.

Maybe you could treat the spousal unit to a beach trip in gulf shores and happen to run across it while visiting tanger outlet...
 
everything I know of is in North AL. Yes there is one at the Tanger outlet in foley (or was)

dunno where any others in the state are.

I think blade magazine offers a knife shop locator service, try googling that
 
As much as I want to support these smaller stores, I simply refuse to pay retail when I can save money.
rolf
 
I have to second Mark's Outdoors in Birmingham. Have visited and bought several times while working around there. The older gentleman (Randy?) at the knife counter is a joy to talk to and very attentive. I hadn't been there for a few months and the first knife he suggested was in fact the last knife I had bought. Guy read my mind.
 
GPKnives in Troy Illinois just east of St Louis on I 70. Great store, knowledgeable staff, competitive prices and excellent web site. If your ever up this way.
 
Lycosa said:
As much as I want to support these smaller stores, I simply refuse to pay retail when I can save money.
rolf
Click to expand...

I am sad to say that in most cases, I agree with you. I just bought a Spyderco Military on Amazon for less than some of the used ones sell for on the exchange here. Same knife sells for $80 more in my closest actual knife store. However, some knife companies set their prices at the manufacturer level, thus keeping the prices competitive between stores and online retailers. In such cases I prefer to buy knives at my local store.
 
From the money side of it, I agree with you, Rob, but I dislike buying something that I haven't seen. While I appreciate youtube reviewers, I have no idea how a knife will fit in my hands. I have been deployed with gear that doesn't fit before. I end up not using it or using it dangerously. 20 or so years ago I might have just made do and suffered through. I don't do that any more. I would rather pay 15 or so percent more and have something I don't have to mod or mod in a minor way.
I will be up in B'ham today, will have to swing by Marks and take a look.

GT
 
Ok, I hit Mark's Saturday...I am now completely bumfuzzled. I went just to test the grip on some blades, specifically the BK line. While it's not a complete knife shop, they had enough to cause me to rethink my selection process.
Having said that, I would classify it as a the closest thing to a knife shop I have seen in a while.
Thanks everyone for the input. Now to carve out another day to go up and really see what they have in detail.

GT
 
Lycosa said:
As much as I want to support these smaller stores, I simply refuse to pay retail when I can save money.
Click to expand...

Slam dunk. Better prices and better selection have a way of putting the squeeze on higher prices and poorer selection. If I could get Starbucks delivered instantly from Amazon for 40% off, I'd do that too. In fact, if I never had to leave the house . . . .
 
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