Ever been asked ID to look at knives?

J

JCK

Joined
Nov 7, 2009
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645
So not too sure how many of you this will apply to, but the other day I was in king of knives, looking at the few spydercos that they had, delica, frn d'fly adn rescue. Anyway, I asked to look at them and get a feel for them, and the person that was there asked to see some ID. I haven't even said I'm going to buy it, just look and she wanted to make sure I was over 18.

She also claimed that all spyderco's (on that shelf) were made of carbon steel, and could cut through bone, and that you'll never need to sharpen them. Thats a bit hard to believe I thought, even for a non knife person.

Has this ever happened to you? Is it meant to happen?
 
I couldn't say. By the time folks started worrying showing knives to folks, I was quite plainly way over 18.
 
Uhhh...

Well selling a knife to a minor may or may not be illegal depending on where you...kinda like knarfeng, i haven't had to worry about this in a while.

But considering that gobbledygook about blade steel i wouldn't really trust her to know for sure one way or the other.
 
yeah I take that most here are over 18, so not sure how many this applies to, but it just interested me why they would need ID to let me look at a few knives. Maybe its a company policy?

@Joben - guess that's a pretty reasonable explanation, but I said, ok I'm not interested in buying today, just looking. I looked around the shop at the swiss army knives, some kitchen stuff, even big fixed blades, but as soon as I got to the folding spydercos, and asked to look at them, I had to produce ID.
 
ive never been asked to show some ID..and your deal applies to me...the only local place that i ask to look at knives, i can cause i know the owner and hes a cool guy...and i carry better knives than what they have, so its fun to show my knives off and whatnot...
 
Id take my business elseware. She knows nothing about knives, and talks a lot of crap. There are many fine online dealers that would be happy to sell you knives and actually know something :P
 
Thalestin said:
Id take my business elseware. She knows nothing about knives, and talks a lot of crap. There are many fine online dealers that would be happy to sell you knives and actually know something :P
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yeah, I would never buy anything from them, its just this is one of the two places I know near me that have a few spydercos that I can get a feel for, and see what they are like, instead of going off of pictures online.

Online seems the way to go :thumbup:

@dinozzo - I didn't want to show her the knife I had on me at the time, she probably would have called the cops or something crazy like a citizens arrest, so was a chance I was not willing to take.
 
You might also want to check the fore sale threads. You get a good deal and the money stays within the forums.
 
I think a brick-and-mortar store would have the right/responsibility to ask for a valid photo ID 'cause of liability reasons, and I personally don't have a problem with being carded; I'm twenty-five and I look a lot younger than I really am. The first time at a knife shop I was carded, but after I got to know the owner (and subsequently buying a couple Benchmades from him) he knew me as a responsible individual and let me handle any knife in the display case I asked for -- personally I like to buy my knives at a brick-and-mortar store to keep 'em in business.

The only time I'd be wary of a place is if the person behind the sales counter said something outlandish like what the OP mentioned. If there isn't another more knowledgeable sales rep to speak to, then that would be an indication to take your business elsewhere...
 
Ive been carded before and its kinda foolish, i have a pretty decent looking beard going and its funny when they ask if im 18... And there was one place i went to where the smith and wesson knives were more expensive than kershaw knives. The person behind the counter didnt know a single thing about the knives they had, when i go in there i usually wind up telling them about the knives. Half the knives they have there are all cheap Chinese imports too... They had a knock off kabar warthog fixed blade for sale there too that they wanted 40 for, i finally told them that it wasnt the real thing and was knocked down to 9.95 which is more like it!
 
She may not have been knowledgable and was either repeating something she was told or read. You are always within your right to ask to speak with someone else.
Also, there may be an ordinance against sales to minors where the store is located, or it could be company policy, either way it's not her fault unless she was just doing it to mess with you. You arent a suspicious looking character are you?
 
mr-winkie01 said:
I think a brick-and-mortar store would have the right/responsibility to ask for a valid photo ID 'cause of liability reasons, and I personally don't have a problem with being carded; I'm twenty-five and I look a lot younger than I really am. The first time at a knife shop I was carded, but after I got to know the owner (and subsequently buying a couple Benchmades from him) he knew me as a responsible individual and let me handle any knife in the display case I asked for -- personally I like to buy my knives at a brick-and-mortar store to keep 'em in business.

The only time I'd be wary of a place is if the person behind the sales counter said something outlandish like what the OP mentioned. If there isn't another more knowledgeable sales rep to speak to, then that would be an indication to take your business elsewhere...
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I too would buy from a brick and mortar store, problem is there isn't a decent one around where I live. Also I had heard king of knives had a reputation for marking their prices up, and its too true. They wanted 180 for their spyderco native FRN. I understand making a profit and all, but its not like they had hundred of them sitting out the back, it was the last one they had, she even said it was their last one, and therefore on a special price.

And I'm fine being asked for ID, when buying a beer, or buying something from the local bottle shop, but I guess I just found it weird when I wasn't going to buy anything, and had told her that, merely looking. I do look a bit younger than my age, but not like I'm 12 or something.

@Karda - She probably thought I was part of a gang and was looking for a good 'stabbing knife', which is strange, as I don't fit the gang stereotype at all, and I'm not a shifty guy. I wanted to speak to the guy there, as I figured he'd mabye be better, but he was busy talking to the other customer in the store, and I only had about 10 minutes to just have a quick look.

Also about taking business elsewhere, no where else I can go really, the disposals store not too far away has a few spyderco's such as enduras and delicas, and a Tenacious or two, but they were the older models, like stainless steel endura or delica 2 (not a bad thing), and their prices were through the roof as well, 200 bucks for a delica :barf: no thanks.

Hopefully I haven't turned this into a W&C but I was more looking for your opinions/ experiences if you have had any
 
Never been carded ever.Not even in my young years,back then I always visited the cutlery shops in the malls.The staff were always respectful and just plain happy to show whatever interested me. I would have to say that if they were disrespectful or didn't know what they were talking about,I would just not deal with that person or that store.
 
Huh, I started buying knives when I was like 12, and I'm pretty sure I didn't look 18. Have been turned down a couple times though.

Went to a gun show once when I was around 25, I had $1000 burning a hole in my pocket, I went up to a knife dealer who had a pretty impressive display of blades, asked to see a particular blade, and he looked me right in the eye and said "nope, you can't see that one" I asked why not? He says "that one costs $700" :rolleyes:

...What a douche! -And I'm even a fairly clean cut guy! So I pull ten hundreds out of my pocket and say "guess I'll take my money somewhere else"
I went to the guy right next to him and spent around $800 on blades. -Made sure to walk past the guy from before and gave him a big smile!
 
If you were a gang member and looking for a knife to stab somebody with, wouldn't you just go to the nearest kitchen drawer and take one?

But when she says the first stupid thing, you know you can't believe anything she says. After that, it's just entertainment. Play with her marbles a little, that's what I'd do.

"So they cut bone, huh? How do they do on cardboard?"

"You say they're carbon steel? What's their carbon content?"

"Never have to sharpen? Really? If I can dull one, can I have it for free?"

I'd just laugh in her face at the ID request.

Parker
 
I've never been asked for ID - but much like some of the others that posted here I'm well past the age of the proprietor caring.

Funny - because I grew up in the City, and I vividly remember buying throwing stars, switchblades and balisong knives over the counter well before the age of 18. That was more than a few summers ago...

In my State they have become so paranoid it wouldnt surprise me if they asked for ID at the knife store. I also am lucky that I know the owner and we spend more time telling war stories than worrying about what I am going to do with the knife I am buying.
 
Toyz said:
I've never been asked for ID - but much like some of the others that posted here I'm well past the age of the proprietor caring.

Funny - because I grew up in the City, and I vividly remember buying throwing stars, switchblades and balisong knives over the counter well before the age of 18. That was more than a few summers ago...

In my State they have become so paranoid it wouldnt surprise me if they asked for ID at the knife store. I also am lucky that I know the owner and we spend more time telling war stories than worrying about what I am going to do with the knife I am buying.
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Which knife store(s) is/are still open down there? I grew up in Baltimore, and it seems to me that they're few & far between down there, these days.
 
I moved out of the City in 85 and really haven't spent much time down there since! Most of the knives and martial arts sharp stuff I used to buy in Highlandtown. I'm not sure if any of the stores are still open.

The city has changed a lot.

I now go to a store in downtown Frederick called Edgeworks.

There's also a knife store in Intercourse PA that I go to once or twice a year.

Sorry to the OP - not trying to hijack the thread.
 
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