Buying knives online vs. local cutlery retailers

I'd happily pay a little bit more to support a local knife shop — if I had one. In a city of 2.5 million people, there's really only one (the Spyderco Factory Outlet). Much as I like Spydercos, I like other things too. So, lots of online buying happens. Wish that wasn't my only option.
 
Spark said:
I love it when people come in and flick open knives as hard as they can repeatedly then say they are going home to buy off amazon. Really. It's awesome.
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I wasn't aware you were set up to handle walk-in business?

If your store prices are the same as your 1SKS prices I don't know how much they think they are going to save...a couple of percent maybe? I would gladly pay the difference just to take it home today. Some people have no class.
 
i'd be happy to pay a little more at a store in person, but all the places (gun shops) around here charge more than retail. for example, the one closest to me has a 551 griptilian for $139.99 when retail through benchmade is $110. they don't haggle either. the other two within reasonable driving range are the same way with guns and ammo so i figure they would be with knives too. i always check that one place first to see if they've become somewhat reasonable but never have. i figure if i make the effort to try to patronize them i'll go ahead and check out the knife.
 
The problem is that we're all aficionados which means we have a better idea of what average market prices are online before we go into brick and mortar stores. Most people don't. B&M stores have MUCH higher overhead than online, but consider the higher price (so long as it's reasonable) a premium for the privilege of getting to "try before you buy." Don't go in if you don't plan on making the occasional "courtesy purchase" and always be polite. Often times if you make the case "I'd like to support you rather than these online folks, but their price is X--what can you do for me?" they'll try to meet you in the middle.
 
As for any products, I used to try to buy as much locally as possible. However, over the years, I'm finding harder to do so, where my money actually goes to a local individual. As far as knives are concerned, I've been having much worse luck in buying from local retailers. There is a serious lack of knife/cutlery shops where I live, and I don't live in a small town, so it's kind of a let down. So I've tried shopping at sporting goods stores and gun shops, but most don't have a decent selection to look at, or they are charging at or above MSRP in some cases for the decent knives they have in stock. It's pretty much forced me to shop online only for my knives. Which sucks, I'm in the market for picking up my first Emerson, and I would really like to pop into a shop and pick up each model of the Commander so I can get a feel for it. But, no real shop carries them around here *if they could keep them in stock anyways* and there isn't a official dealer for them here either. So even though I'd like to shop at a local shop, I damn near buy everything that isn't groceries online nowadays.
 
Most knives are way over-priced where I am. Very limited model selection also. Since I got on the net about 4 years ago my collection of knives has increased tenfold.

Much better selection , better price comparison and no driving around to find it. Shipping prices are a lot cheaper than fuel.
 
I don't mind tossing the local B&M a bone now and then, but I want decent service. I had a knife ordered through the local shop recently (they don't often have much in stock that interests me,) pre-paid in full, and had to go back down there after a month to ask about my order. Now I had ordered a fairly common production folder, nothing exotic, so I told the shop owner it was unacceptable. He says "Not like you need it right this second." So, I demanded a refund.

The next day, I ordered the same knife online, saved myself $60, and got the knife three days later with a hand-written thank you note on my receipt.
 
nothing in my area, but I don't buy much anyway. The big box stores don't really carry anything I'm interested in anyway.

rolling the dice does kind of stink, as I've sent back several over the years. Oh well, that is what you get with a lower price.
 
Spark said:
I love it when people come in and flick open knives as hard as they can repeatedly then say they are going home to buy off amazon. Really. It's awesome.
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That is not cool at all. I worked in a shop and would discourage folks, as they picked up the knife, from snapping it open.

I am usually willing to pay a little bit more to a local shop to get to check out a knife before buying and get it right then and there. The logic is that if I had it over nighted to me, I would already be paying $20 or so extra.
 
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I like to buy from my local shop when I can. He does a lot to support the local knife community. He holds a collectors meeting, in his shop, once a month. He also buys local collections and advises others on the value of their collection and where to sell them. For me it's worth it to pay a little extra to help keep him in buisness. I still buy here and on the internet, but I like to help him out when I can.
 
I'm fortunate to live within easy driving distance of what may well be Canada's best knife store, so I've bought virtually every knife, sword, hawk,spear etc I own from that store. I've only gone on-line to get one or two items I really craved, that my local store didn't carry.
As a Canadian this has been a no-brainer, as most on-line stores are American, which would force me to pay duty and shipping on top of the price of the knife.
But beyond Economics 101, buying from a brick and mortar store allows me to to examine and handle the item before buying. More than once ,on actually seeing a knife in the flesh so to speak, I've decided I didn't like it that much after all. I've also noticed a few flaws from time to time on certain pieces ,allowing me to ask the seller for another example ,right then and there.
Best of all, I get to walk out of the store, clutching my object of desire in my hot little hand, instead of waiting a few weeks after i've paid for it, for the knife to actually arrive.
In summary; if you live in a small town or out in the sticks, you may have no choice but to go online, but if you live anywhere near a real knife store, I think you'd be extremely foolish not to shop there.
 
I have a small local B&M here that I visit often, they have very few of several different brands (spyderco's, case, cold steel, Boker, etc) and a large selection of Benchmades (they also get the new models in just as early as the online dealers sometimes sooner) I bought some less expensive stuff from them every once in awhile (mostly Victorinox and some sod busters) but found out they actually price match online prices so now I try to buy all my Benchmades from them. Several online dealers have an Extra 25% off MAAP, but if I don't go in the store with a price the owner will usually give me an extra 15-20% off MAAP which I'm perfectly happy paying to support him. I think I paid $148 for my BM 275 instead of $121 from online but am good with that. If it had been $200ish, probably not, I'd might still try to buy from him but maybe like 1 out of 6-8 purchases instead of more regularly.
 
I support my independent local retailers as much as I can. I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart in over four years and if I had a local lumber mill I'd cut Lowes out too. I like to keep my money in the community. I'm not saying that online knife stores are like chain stores, but my local knife shop gives me an experience as well as a product. The owner and I don't know each other well but he knows that when I walk in the door I'm there to buy. The cloth comes out, the glass doors slide open and it's "What may I show you today." He and I both know that I can get knives cheaper online, but like buying viagra through some online shady pharmacy, you're never really sure what will show up. I'd rather not waste my time with shipping back a lemon. He usually gives me a discount off the sticker, but I haven't nor would ever ask. Knowing what I'm getting, and supporting my "neighbor" means more to me than saving twenty bucks.
 
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Last one i went to was in a mall. They had a bk2 for 110 bucks. thats the last time i ever went in there. There is a decent army surplus store on my drive to work with a good selection of sypderco and benchmades. I will buy from them. They are higher then online But the people there are great and i support them when ever i can .
 
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or...you can use the internet to find a shop

....if you want a knife for a lifetime but dont wanna pay alot...heres what you do...buy a cheap knife and be happy enough with it....then start saving your money and buy a handCRAFTED knife from a blacksmith/metal worker drop a a hundred bucks or more on a cusrtom peice ( dont forget to talk material). theres guys all over this forum for instance that are pros....or you can use the internet to find a custom shop to call......then when you get it, take care of it, look at it like a sword custom made for a knight, and call it quits. you got your best friend for life. blam!
 
I do both. The local shop usually has the basic stuff and they are nice to hang out and talk to. The more "rare" stuff usually has to be gotten on the internet. For example, I usually get my Case knives from the local shop, but get GEC online. Mostly because the local shop doesn't stock GEC though. Still, some of the larger internet outlets have special run knives that you can't get anywhere else.
 
Well, I was going to say that there aren't any dedicated knife stores near me, but then I remembered that the A.G. Russell store is only about 30 minutes away.

In my town, the only knife retailer to speak of is Walmart, and I'm not interested in Buck, Kershaw, or Gerber knives. If there was a brick 'n mortar store, I would try to support it. If there was a knife I wanted and the price wasn't comparable to what I would pay online, I would take in some proof of the lower price and see if I could get the owner to work with me.

I'm not saying I would expect him to offer up the lowest price to be found anywhere, but charging full MSRP just won't cut it.
 
seedsacker said:
I support my independent local retailers as much as I can. I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart in over four years and if I had a local lumber mill I'd cut Lowes out too. I like to keep my money in the community. I'm not saying that online knife stores are like chain stores, but my local knife shop gives me an experience as well as a product. The owner and I don't know each other well but he knows that when I walk in the door I'm there to buy. The cloth comes out, the glass doors slide open and it's "What may I show you today." He and I both know that I can get knives cheaper online, but like buying viagra through some online shady pharmacy, you're never really sure what will show up. I'd rather not waste my time with shipping back a lemon. He usually gives me a discount off the sticker, but I haven't nor would ever ask. Knowing what I'm getting, and supporting my "neighbor" means more to me than saving twenty bucks.
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Oh, by the by, Lowe's corporate headquarters is in your town, so when you shop there you are keeping your money in the community.
 
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