Experience working at a knife counter for a store?

Interesting thoughts. Though even the worst of what I hear about what you guys are saying aren't as bad as I heard thing from retail in electronics and video games. All those things it seems like I can handle myself and capable of convincing someone otherwise. I doubt someone will walk in saying they broke their knife in half and asking specifically us to replace it. They might, but we'll just direct them to the manufacture anyways since it's not exactly our fault. So even if it's that bad, it still manageable. With someone asking for American made stuff vs Chinese crap, I live in Canada anyways so I don't think we care since all knives are foreign made to us with rare exceptions, and if they ask me to pick a knife there's generally two criteria which is A: What are you going to use it for, and B: how much are you willing to pay? Then picking the best knife for that pricepoint.

Maybe I'm just coming with this with a different attitude but if someone says something stupid like, "those knives on TV shave paper and go through hammers" I'm more than willing to happily try to educate them on whats the difference between those knives and a $200 benchmade. And if I fail to convince them, then were no worse off than when he/she entered the door, and if I do, maybe we got another BF member.

I've tried playing "knife expert" at my shop when I browse around and that's what led to my idea of working as the "knife expert" and I've found that people are willing to listen to the stuff I say, and their not totally ignorant to what I'm going to say.

Seriously try dealing with video games and electronics and you get a windbag of garbage coming out the door.
 
I got (and followed) some great advice from a guy I was interning with once:

Never attempt to make a career out of a passion...Once it becomes "work" the passion will be gone forever.
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unit said:
I got (and followed) some great advice from a guy I was interning with once:
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Not necessarily true: it's worked for me for well over thirty years.:D

Do what you want, and enjoy. Life's too short not to.
 
I say go for it!

You don't have to let people get to you. Yes, it's hard to put up with the same grind day in and day out, but that's the case with ANY job.

If you think you might enjoy being around all that steel -- why not try it out? You can always quit if you don't like it.

I worked at a now-defunct sporting goods store in FL through my first couple years of college, and when it was slow, I used to love to go back and handle not just the knives, but the guns they had for sale, too.

One boss would actually pull some of the handguns out and teach me about them.

On opening and closing shifts, I always made sure I was the first guy back there at the gun/knife counter. That way, I could take the guns out from the safe and put them into the display counter, or vice versa. I just liked being around them and handling them. It was a thrill.

People will be people no matter what occupation you find yourself in. It's your choice as to whether or not you let their behavior/words affect your attitude and outlook in any given situation.
 
Apebrains said:
I would amend that statement to say:

"Never make a retail job out of your passion or the passion will be gone for ever." :D
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Never having worked in retail, that may be accurate. I spent thirty years in advertising, which is about as much fun as you can have with your pants on, despite having to deal with clients.
 
Now that we have heard of what butt heads customers can be let me warn you that your manager at whatever store is going to tell you what products to move when and the emphasis is on move regardless if it is what the person needs or wants, so the highest priced knife they are willing to buy is the one they need even if it isnt. Hyperbole will be your closest companion. I am sure there will be some exceptions but be prepared to repeat the advertising hype you know is inaccurate. This is why it is so nice to buy from makers, they tend towards honesty since their name is on the blade. Those who scam customers or behave questionably get found out more quickly , exposed on forums like BF, tend to make restitution or implode on a personal level and typically lack the lawyer funds to perpetrate a dishonest operation for very long.
 
One last comment, the knife community as seen on this board and all the makers out there just seem to be good honest people with fewer exceptions then any other "communities" i have seen.
 
Honestly, I would not want to work retail for knifes...

1:4 Odds you get someone who knows nothing about a blade..
 
No way would I work at a knife counter from some of the things I have seen and heard over the years.

I really don't think I could stop myself from laughing at the customers...
 
Worked at a hunting store outside Ft. Campbell for a few months after I got out. Did it mostly for kicks & to supplement my V.A. pay. Store carried a decent selection of Spyderco, Benchmade, Cold Steel, Case, and some Cheap stuff. If a customer had questions on knives they usually referred them to me. Luckily most of the customers were soldiers or hunters & it was not too bad. We still kept band-aids close by for customers that got cut.

Even if I did get a idiot customer dealing with knives all I had to do was go work the gun counter & their stupidity would be eclipsed.
 
gak said:
Retail is retail, i.e.: it will make you want to gouge your eyes out. If they don't force you to do other stuff when there's no customers at least you get to play with the knives though.

Expect from customers:

1. "My Ka-Bar snapped in half and I want it replaced free. No I wasn't hammering it, I was just cutting a piece of leather."

2. "I am rich and I only buy Made in the USA knives, everything else is junk. How much are the Made in USA knives ? Well I'll get this Made in China one instead then, it's just as good and half the price."

3. "My dad bought his old knife for 50 cents and it skins 500 deer before you need to sharpen it. Why are these knives more than 50 cents ? Do you guarantee they'll skin 500 deer or I get my money back ?"

4. "I see your name tag says, 'Frank'. Well Frank let me tell you a little bit about knives. You see Frank all of this super-steel stuff is a myth. Your store is ripping off customers Frank. Cheap Made in China knives cut better than any of these Frank. Frank you should tell your manager that he's ripping people off. Frank, do you understand what I'm saying Frank ?"

5. "What do you mean I can't try the knife out for a few weeks and bring it back, I won't scratch it!"

6. "I have a bunch of $10,000 custom knives, but I like to come here just to see what the riff-raff have to settle for."

7. "Those are switchblades, they are illegal to sell."

8. "Those are daggers, they are illegal to sell."

9. "Aren't knives illegal ?"

10. "What do you mean you charge $2 to sharpen a knife ? I can get a new one for cheaper than that. You people are trying to rip me off."
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That was hilarious :D:D:D LOL'ed alot!



barrabas74 said:
I worked at a knife store that sold GOOD KNIVES and a few crappy ones for a while as a part time job while I was in College. I loved and HATED it all at the same time some days. First let me say what is posted above is %100 true and you will probably here/see all of it in some form or another. Between working at a knife shop and hanging at one cuz a friend of mine worked there I have heard some of the dumbest (even rivaling stuff here) things about knives.

I once had a guy tell me that the titanium coating on his S&W folder made it possible to shove through a quarter and the CRK Nkonka in A2 couldnt do it because it didnt have that coating. He bet me $300 that it couldnt. I said "you got the $?" and I said....I'll bet you $50 dollars that my benchmade auto stryker (btw he said that was illegal cuz it was an auto to even OWN) will not only go through a quarter but it will wont dent the tip as badly as your S&W. I pulled out a 2X4 and he laid the cash down. I used a glove and plowed the BM through the quarter and it had almost no damage (still have the knife...love it). He did it with his S&W (without a glove....cuz he didnt need it) and the liner collapsed it didnt make it through the quarter and he cut the ever loving shit out of his hand. He ran from the store to the bathroom leaving the $50 and a good trail of blood. Never did see him again hmmmm.
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Thats a seriously cool story! :D
 
moonwilson said:
Fortytwoblades works at a really nice knife shop in Maine. Hopefully he'll chime in at some point. I can say from the time I've spent in knife shops (as a customer myself) that the customers can be really, really, really annoying. But the same could be said about any type of retail job.
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Any info on it? I'm heading up to Maine later this year and I'd be interested in stopping by.
 
moonwilson said:
Fortytwoblades works at a really nice knife shop in Maine. Hopefully he'll chime in at some point. I can say from the time I've spent in knife shops (as a customer myself) that the customers can be really, really, really annoying. But the same could be said about any type of retail job.
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I wonder if the Obamas stopped in to browse while they were in Bar Harbor last weekend? :D
 
Mr. Bad Example said:
It's in downtown Bar Harbor, but I forget the name. I've been gonna stop in and visit but haven't made it to the coast yet this summer.
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I was there last year and had no idea he worked there. I spoke to two guys at the counter about a Benchmade Nagara...maybe one of them was Fortytwo :eek:
 
Halfneck said:
Worked at a hunting store outside Ft. Campbell for a few months after I got out. Did it mostly for kicks & to supplement my V.A. pay. Store carried a decent selection of Spyderco, Benchmade, Cold Steel, Case, and some Cheap stuff. If a customer had questions on knives they usually referred them to me. Luckily most of the customers were soldiers or hunters & it was not too bad. We still kept band-aids close by for customers that got cut.

Even if I did get a idiot customer dealing with knives all I had to do was go work the gun counter & their stupidity would be eclipsed.
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I bought a few cool knives from Grandpa's Hardware on the 41A when I was stationed at Fort Campbell.
 
GAK, your last 3 are about knives and legality, could you explain. I live in South Louisiana and fly beneath the radar pretty much. I spend my free time in the woods or on the water and always with like minded people so guns and knives are no issue from a legal perspective for me. I buy my stuff on line so I don't go into stores, I'm curious about your last 3 could elaborate for me.
 
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