Do you spend more on knives to support local businesses?

THG said:
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Just curious: why do you capitalize everything that starts with an "A"?
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I use a notepad that is supposed to "Recognize" my handwriting and convert it to text.No Keyboard-it can be challenging At times.
 
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My problem with buying knives online ( and I've been doing it for about 10 years) - is that I've spent a stupid amount of money on knives that about 30 sec. of actual handeling / examination - just weren't for me. Paying say 20% more at a brick and mortar store every once in a while is worth it and surely saves me multiples of that price differential because I simply don't buy knives that I can handle and know aren't going to meet my needs.
OK - I know I could return a new knife to a lot of online retailers - but I'm not much inclined to do that unless something is really defective with the knife.
I don't consider knife salesman much better or worse than most other "sales staff" at most stores - a lot are clerking - they can take your money but they couldn't sell their way out of a wet paper bag.
This may be a little off topic - but come to think of it - it's worth mentioning that the Sportsmans Warehouse in New Berlin ,Wi. seems to always have at least one knowledgeable knife salesman on duty and sometimes even two?
 
The only real local businesses are Walmart, the Knife Shoppe at the mall, Big 5, Sportsman's Warehouse, and Dick's.

The Walmarts near me don't have much. No Natives, and I don't remember if they even have a Buck 110. But no one is behind the counter anyways.

The Knife Shoppe at the mall is mostly outrageously priced.

Maybe 1/4 of what I peeked at was anything close to being reasonable.

Most of it was significantly more expensive than MSRP.

What I've noticed about Big 5 in general is that their sale prices are usually the normal price everywhere else, with occastional deals. But they have mostly junk anyways, with the high bar being CRKT if I remember right.

Haven't checked Dick's knife counter. It's local, but inconvenient to visit, if that makes any sense.

It looks like Sportsman's Warehouse appears to have a good selection, but I don't know anything else as I can't make up excuses to go there.
 
THG said:
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Just curious: why do you capitalize everything that starts with an "A"?
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i noticed that too...

either way hes a lucky son of a gun for having a knife store that cares!

if they did all that id be willing to pay alot more.
 
I'll pay up to 10% more to a B&M, but more than that and it's on-line shopping for me.
 
grasshoppers said:
I count myself lucky to have An outstanding local knife dealer. He charges Retail but usually gives A discount at the time of checkout. If you pay cash he usually will give you a larger discount.:):)
I buy As many of my knives from him As I can. I don't sweat the fact that I maybe Able to get my knives 20 OR 30 bucks cheaper online.
The Reason for this is CUSTOMER SERVICE!!
1)He took the effort to Remember Me on a first name basis every time I visit.
2)He maintains All my Knives free of charge. Sharpening, Repair and will send Knives in himself for warranty Repair or service.
3) He took the time to learn what I look for in Knives. When I Stop by he will show the latest new stuff that came in.If something comes in that
he KNOWS I may want he puts it Aside to show me before he puts it out for display.
4)If you don't like the knife, bring it Back, Refund or exchange, no problem.
5) He takes trade-ins. Bored with a couple of your knives? Bring them in.
Trade them for something that strikes your fancy !!

Nuff said :D:D:D
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This sounds lust like my old knife shop.:thumbup: Same service, and with my discount I pay maybe 10-20$ over on line, Including shipping. Worth it to me.
 
There are a few shops by me. One is so high priced that I rarely go in to talk to the guy. There were two women that had two locations for a while, but have closed both now as there were equally high priced, and a couple of the biggest BS artist alive. There are two gun/knife stores that are MSRP but I sometimes buy a knife from them. Dick's and Sports Authority are pretty much MSRP and I have bought a few knives from them. THe rest of the retailers sell China junk only at high prices....I almost totally buy on line at great savings these days...
 
Online all the way.

My Leatherman Charge TTi online purchase €89,-

Same leatherman in a B&M store: €200,-

screw em.

Prices here are even higher than they are in the states in dollars....and then often they double the stuff.

Saw a CRKT rollock in the store: €40 (around $60-65 atm)

Bought mine for €12 (closer to $18)

So stuff realtime vendors...I'll take online over realtime anyday.
 
if the price is close i'll buy locally, thats not usually the case though, if i can get it locally for say $20 or so over 'net prices, i might would, anything over that no way.
 
I sometimes get knives from a local family owned jewelery store. The owner's son likes knives and has a case of knives on display. He can special order knives for me. Prices are reasonable. The expensive part is when my wife comes and looks at the jewelery.

They also helped my wife pick out a knife for me that I got for my 50th birthday (Al Mar Osprey with MOP handle).

If any of you are in the South Bay Area, the place is Brooks Jewelery in Santa Clara.


Ric
 
I guess that depends on whether we are referencing a local specialty knife shop or a big box store.

I've got a bit of problem with just using brick and mortar stores to "shop" the right size/feel then turning around and buying the cheapest version online. That is a dead end system that will result in the b&m stores eventually going out of business and you're back to "blind" online shopping.

I used to live in St Louis and would frequent Grand Prairie. Great folks - especially Jamie. ;) (Sweetheart!) They had a large inventory and, admittedly, did much of their business online. I couldn't/wouldn't, in good conscience, go in and waste their time digging knives out of cases to decide the model I wanted, then go and order online from someplace to save a few bucks.

On the other hand, there is a chain of mil surplus stores in the St L area who carries a pretty pedestrian selection of knives. Their prices are typically HIGHER than MSRP. If you shop most specialty stores, MSRP is almost always higher than actual sales - sometimes by a good margin. Those folks I just chose not to do business with - darn near insulting prices.

Big box WalMart-type stores? I guess I don't extend them the same courtesy as the specialty stores.

Now, if I could just find a Indy knife store rather than driving 2 hours down to Louisville to see Spark! ;)
 
audiopile said:
My problem with buying knives online ( and I've been doing it for about 10 years) - is that I've spent a stupid amount of money on knives that about 30 sec. of actual handeling / examination - just weren't for me. Paying say 20% more at a brick and mortar store every once in a while is worth it and surely saves me multiples of that price differential because I simply don't buy knives that I can handle and know aren't going to meet my needs.
OK - I know I could return a new knife to a lot of online retailers - but I'm not much inclined to do that unless something is really defective with the knife.
I don't consider knife salesman much better or worse than most other "sales staff" at most stores - a lot are clerking - they can take your money but they couldn't sell their way out of a wet paper bag.
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Thanks to experience and the excellent guidance available on this forum, I seem to know as much and often more than some of the salespeople at our local knife dealers, but nothing beats actually handling the stuff. Since I don't buy knives very often, I am willing to pay a premium for hands on examination and comparison. Over time, the difference in price over internet bargains hasn't added up to much.

However, since the only well stocked knife shop within a reasonable distance from my home has moved to a far distant location, either I shop on line or try to nab one at a clearance sale, such as those that often occur after the year end holidays.

Frankly, I sympathize with knife sellers, caught in a changing retail environment. But I've got my own problems.
 
i bet he lost a couple of keys, like me
linuxNights.jpg

:p
 
Ooops way too late with my answer...

anyway i normally dont buy knives from local shops because the prices are really ridiculously high

the only time i do buy something from one of them is when i want a new knife ASAP
and dont feel like going tru all that online + mail thing that just takes too damn long and is alot of hassle

or when i accidently see something in their window that i like
 
Paddling_man said:
I've got a bit of problem with just using brick and mortar stores to "shop" the right size/feel then turning around and buying the cheapest version online. That is a dead end system that will result in the b&m stores eventually going out of business and you're back to "blind" online shopping.
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I felt bad at first, too, but if they're not even going to lower the price a little bit below MSRP, then screw them. The guy even asked me, "You're not going to just look at the knives here and go buy them online, are you?" And I asked him why the prices are so high. He told me that they "have to sell at MSRP or else the suppliers won't supply them," and then tried to scare me into the whole, "just watch out from getting screwed online" thing.

There's one store around here that'll sell maybe $10-20 above online stores, and I'd consider buying from them. But screw the other guys; I have a feeling that they just WANT to charge MSRP, since the other guys can sell knives at least a bit cheaper (and even have a wider selection).

So no, I don't feel bad anymore. I need to watch out for myself and my wallet right now.
 
To pay more to help support a local business is ok. These are tough times for Brick & Mortar stores.

To buy on line to pay less is ok. Money is money and money saved here can be spent elswhere.

To go to a B & M store and "check out the knives" (which is essentially to use the service they provide), and then go buy on line is tacky. In my opinion, you have used the service that cost more and that's why they charge more, but you didn't want to pay for that service.

sal
 
I'd love to, but my local cutlery store has a really poor selection and I don't think they order knives specifically for customers. Now if I lived closer to Plaza Cutlery or Nordic Knives I'd probably go broke in a week! As it is, Nordic is just far enough away to make it an inconvenience to go there friequently. Great stores, though.
 
Sal Glesser said:
To pay more to help support a local business is ok. These are tough times for Brick & Mortar stores.

To buy on line to pay less is ok. Money is money and money saved here can be spent elswhere.

To go to a B & M store and "check out the knives" (which is essentially to use the service they provide), and then go buy on line is tacky. In my opinion, you have used the service that cost more and that's why they charge more, but you didn't want to pay for that service.

sal
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Is it true that you (manufacturers in general) are forcing these stores to keep prices at MSRP? If I didn't feel the guy was lying to me, I might understand, then.
 
Stores have to charge more, they are paying rent and utilities for a physical storefront. Can't compete with drop-shipping.
 
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