Back in the saddle . . .

[Subterfuge7]

I just wanted to say 'hello' again to all my fellow brother/sister blade enthusiasts. After a long absence (a protracted & complete blind-side of a divorce will take you out of any game) I am finally getting back into the art of collecting, hopefully making, and of course arguing the finer points of metallurgy and the latest "tacticool."

Question. Having just moved to a new city (Richmond, VA) I am looking at doing some part-time work at one of the local hunting & fishing outlets. What are some of your experiences in working commercial/retail knife and gun sales, and what are some of the things I should watch out for as a fairly knowledgeable "knife enthusiast" sitting behind the counter selling low to medium quality blades to an unsuspecting public?

Thanks all!

SUB

 

[Bob6794]

Don't have experience in that field. But my advice, remember the average joe is happy with a smith & wesson and think their a good brand, keep it to yourself how bad they are if you want to keep your job. If they ask for advice than their free game to steer towards something better. And let them buy their pull through sharpeners, it's painful but let it slide.

 

[Cereal_killer]

My advise: ask your co-workers what the current best sellers are and stick with those, the public likes much different knives than us knife nuts. Don't recommend some awesome knife you don't even carry and above all else, dont bad mouth a knife they mention as being awesome no matter how much it sucks.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

... let them buy their pull through sharpeners, it's painful but let it slide.

If your store sells carbide pull-throughs and ceramic pull-throughs, you can tip them toward the ceramic. They won't tear up the blade.

If you see the same customers coming back, you might talk to them about the better knives that the store sells. But like C_k says, don't badmouth anything, stay positive.

 

[bladeboss]

And remember, Gerbers are still fantastic to "non-knife folks".

 

[link2derek]

Welcome back, SUB! My guess is that most folks coming in will be anything but knife aficionados, so just sell the them the best thing you have for their budget and intended use. In the rare instance that you have someone coming back repeatedly for something better, then you can discuss options that your store doesn't offer.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

I remember a couple years ago I was at the local "Bass Pro" and I seen an elderly gentleman and what looked like his granddaughter looking at a kershaw chive. The salesman behind the counter didn't seem to know much about the knife, so I decided to politely butt in. I asked the gal what she was planning on using the knife for, she said fishing and hunting with her hubby. I recommended a griptilian since the steel is better and the blade shape is better. The salesman turned around and said "blade steel doesn't matter if you know how to sharpen it". I said "maybe if you only cut paper"! I briefly explained the difference between the chive and griptilian regarding edge retention, and that was it. The old man was convinced to buy her the benchmade.

Don't be that salesman lol

 

[Faiaoga]

I think it is possible to be honest and helpful without antagonizing your supervisor or being dishonest about your true beliefs. In fact, think it possible to earn some points for yourself and to make a satisfied, repeat customer by doing so.

Although I have never been in your position, I remember overhearing a woman trying to find a knife for he son to take to a summer camp. She was looking at a Marine Corps KBAR as a possible choice. If I wanted to be helpful, I might ask

Have you checked if the camp allows sheath knives?

How old is your son? How big is he?

What will he be using the knife for?

Does already have a knife? What kind?

By discussing your own experiences learning about using knives, you might then be able to sell a decent Swiss Army knife or similar AND a good beginners bush craft knife (perhaps a Mora youth model with hand guard). The boy would get good start, he mother would be pleased by the personal attention and moderate cost, and the boy would have good knives that other campers will envy. Your store manager might even like your selling two knives instead of one. The mother might even be impressed with your concern for safety issues (hand guard and brightly colored handles) - she might recommend you to the other soccer moms