Best type of (non-online) place to get a great deal on a knife?

scotchleaf

scotchleaf

Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
2,232
I have found that the best place is a used tool store. Like this...
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What do you think - Flea Mkt? (too much new junk) antique mall (overpriced wall-hangers) Pawn Shop? (around here they tend to have cheaply made, and worn out knives)

What do you think?
 
Interesting way you ask the question. 'Great deal on a knife' rather than 'Deal on a Great knife'. I attend local "Gun and Knife" shows and think the best knives can be found there. There's usually one or two sellers with new production knives. Sometimes the local 'handmade/custom made' maker will attend. I plan to try that myself this year. And there's usually a collector or two wanting to buy/sell/trade.

Regards,
Jacque
 
Best place around here? Nowhere.

Antique store? Way overpriced broken / worn out junk.
Pawn shop? Don't have one.
Flea market? We don't really have one. Broken junk is common at yard sales though.
Local department and hardware stores? Very limited selection, cheap junk, some have no knives at all, higher prices than online.
Local sporting goods stores? Decent selection of mixed grades, grossly overpriced.

So it's online shopping only for me...
 
Yeah, no matter what storefronts are always going to charge more for knives than online shops. I do respect storefront owners as they have REAL bills to pay to keep a shop open. Sometimes it's worth the extra $5-$10 just to save yourself the time and shipping costs (and to keep your local businesses open).

On occasion the total with shipping and taxes if bought in state, are as much as just running to a local shop and picking up a knife there.

Any other knives that aren't stocked in stores are typically online or really expensive in specialty stores. There's two shops in my hometown that sell Benchmade and Cold Steel knives. They charge 100% full retail for everything. People still buy because they either don't know any better or they would rather fondle the knives in person and buy right then and there than ordering online.

Brick and Mortar = Bills = higher prices :D
 
scotchleaf said:
I'm looking for great deals on used knives
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I would recommend looking up local gunshows in your area. Down here in Texas we have them run by about once a month or once every other month. You should be able to find something there.
 
If I couldn't shop online for knives I would literally drive to Virginia (I live in Fl.) and shop at New Graham's, I love those guys.
 
SecSpyral said:
If I couldn't shop online for knives I would literally drive to Virginia (I live in Fl.) and shop at New Graham's, I love those guys.
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Funny you mentioned New Graham's, I was going to buy something from their online store when I looked and saw their location and realized I live less than an hour drive to the actual store :D.
 
I've been shopping at the Cutlery Shoppe since the late 1980s and have also been a regular customer of NewGraham's for a number of years, too.
Many other good ones out there, but those two get a lot of my business...

Regards,
Mike
 
I swing by a local smoke shop (Prissy's on Hwy 39) from time to time. They have a fair selection of traditional Bokers at reasonable prices. They have some misc. no-name junk as well but that's where I got my little carbon/delrin pen knife that I've been carying for close to a year. YMMV

Frank
 
gunshows usually have a bit of variety available- from broke and busted imports to high end local custom makers.
 
hwpaintballer said:
Funny you mentioned New Graham's, I was going to buy something from their online store when I looked and saw their location and realized I live less than an hour drive to the actual store :D.
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I am so incredibly jealous. I told my girlfriend for our 4th year anniversary that I would take her to pick out something from her favorite jewelry store if she took me to New Grahams.
 
SecSpyral said:
I am so incredibly jealous. I told my girlfriend for our 4th year anniversary that I would take her to pick out something from her favorite jewelry store if she took me to New Grahams.
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Well I hope that you get the chance to come up here, I love the scenery, Mountains everywhere. You can also take in the fine rare dialect of South Western Virginia ;).
 
I'd like to describe something that happened yesterday evening.
A co-worker of mine wanted to get a folding knife to carry for both utility and self-defense. Near our workplace is a brick and mortar cutlery shop.
We went in and my co-worker checked out Griptilians, BM960s, Spydercos, and several other folders. Then, the older lady who co-owns the shop mentioned that they acquired a collection from a knife guy who needed to sell his entire collection to get some extra money. She said they already sold off ~2/3 of the collection, but they had a countertop rotating clear lexan case with the rest of the folders.
Lots of knives in there including a Sebenza, a Boguzewski (sp?), William Henry folders and much more. My co-worker is a nice guy, but didn't want to spend too much money, so all of those were way out of his price range.
Then, we spotted a Kabar Dozier Black Thorn in the case as well as a Camillus EDC folder.
Get this: While most of the other knives were priced way too high, that Dozier Thorn was priced at $40 (!) and the EDC was at $32.
My co-worker opened and closed the knives and asked my opinion of the two. I gave him my opinion and did tell him the handle and blade on the Thorn would show scratches, but if he wanted a really good folder with a D2 blade, he couldn't go wrong with the Thorn.
Heck, I followed up with, "If you don't buy that Thorn, I will!"

After hemming and hawing for a little longer, he decided to buy the Thorn.
Got an e-mail today from him saying he is VERY happy with that folder and is glad I helped him out with that choice.

So, visit your local cutlery shop (assuming you have one not to far away). You never know what treasures you'll find.

Regards,
Mike
 
Privately owned gunstores, hardware stores, etc.
They can negotiate on prices, and frequently mark up 40% over cost vs. retail, which can be double dealer cost. Some of the prices I've seen are comparable to the best online prices.
 
I'll be going to the local knife and hardware store near Spartanburg, SC to check some stuff out tomorrow. Their prices are roughly the same as ordering on line. G-10 Cara Cara for $25.50.
 
I can usually find good prices at the gunshows around here. Theres one dealer that usually comes and his prices are as good as anything on the internet. I also live about 2 hours from Grand Prairie Knives so when I'm in St. Louis I go by there. The prices they have in the store are the same as on the web and they are very nice. It's really fun to check a knife over before you buy it.
That being said I do order off the web as well. I've used The Knifecenter,New Graham,Grand Prairie, and Smoky Mountain Knife works all with great success.
 
I like to browse a local flea market near me since there is a vendor there who sells mostly Swiss Army knives, mostly used and seconds I guess. Anyways today I picked up a new looking rucksack and a mint Swiss Army executive with the money click for a large sum of 15 bucks. I purchased other amazing deals there like a mint spyderco cricket for 5 bucks at the same place. Also, accross the street where I work, a company that imports Wenger products has a wharehouse sale 4-5 times a year, I loose some money there too.
 
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