Knife show dealer etiquette.

Frank Castle

Frank Castle

Joined
Dec 6, 1999
Messages
667
Hi ya'll,

Just want to vent here. I currently attended my first knife show last Sun. I had attended and worked many o' tables at gun shows but this was my first true knife show.

It was great I got to see plenty of things never seen before. Alot of nice custom works out there. I had a great time.

One dealer however I felt was very rude. I had peered over the table and spotted a Dalton Smachette. The dealer was busy with a customer talking his speal. So I went to pick it up. As I got about an inch off the table his Ninja like hands snatched it away from me ..."Can I help you?" I then said yes.I'd Like to see the Dalton please. He opened it and handed it to me. I placed it back and then politly asked to see the mini GT in gray. He then opened it and handed it to me. I had told him I was familiar with autos if he was concerned for my safety. He loudly replyied "well I don't know that." (A clue would be me mentioning them by name and model....) I handed it back and walked away from the...D!@%head.

I wanted to buy the MT tanto DA Socom from the table across from him to spite. They were asking way to much though.

I took all my money away to pal. I spent 200 on some small things and was interested in your table. Bite me.Thanks to all the custom makers and other dealers who had no problem letting me handle your $2000+ knives.
 
Well, sounds to me like the dealer in question lost a nice sale which could have led to future business.

But, as a rule, at shows, I always ask permission before picking up a knife. Even it this means waiting for the seller to finish with another customer. It's just polite. You gotta understand that occationally dealers do suffer losses when someone pockets a knife. So, some are understandably sensitive.

Autos are also a special case. I've seen to many unexperienced people pick up an auto for the novelty of it having no interest in actually buying it, and the knife ends up on flying through the air and crashing to the floor because the guy has no idea of how to handle it. So, a smart dealer may demonstrate the opening and/or ask a customer if he is familiar with it before handing an automatic to someone.

Remember, he doesn't know you. You're just some guy who walked up to his table.

Dealers need to do these things politely and carefully so as not to offend a potential customer. If a dealer really is worried about such problems, then glass display cases are a great solution.

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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com

[This message has been edited by Gollnick (edited 08-16-2000).]
 
Frank,

I know how you feel. When I attended the ECCKS last march, I ran into an extremely rude dealer. I saw a beautiful custom Ken Onion, which by the way was the reason I went, to try and buy a custom speed safe knife. I politely asked if I could see that "Ken Onion" right over there. He looked at me hesitantly and finally picked up the knife and very slowly handed it to me. I cycled the knife once with no problems, closed it and proceded to open it again when I was rudely interupted by his eagerly outstreched clenching hand taking the knife away from me. I said aloud "I was going to buy that if you weren't such a rude bastard" and walked away. That really ate me up inside because no one else at the show had that knife and IT was the whole reason I was there. It is true when they say Onions will make you cry
smile.gif


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Louis Buccellato
http://www.themartialway.com
Knives, Weapons and equipment. Best prices anywhere.
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"only the paranoid will survive"


[This message has been edited by TheMartialWay (edited 08-16-2000).]
 
I think you will find that dealers who truely love knives don't act that way. Its the fly by nighters and the ones just in it for the money who act like total jerks. These people would act the same way no matter what they are selling. In all the years I have been going to shows I only remember one total jerk and after meeting him that once I never saw him again at another show. This hobby has a way of weeding out the non knife money hungry dealers. They just don't seem to last because we won't put up with it.
Bob
 
Most of my experence has been positive but I make sure to always ask first. Ive been slighted a few times for other customers who arrived later at a table..Im in jeans an a Tshirt and he wont help,guy with Polo and Rolex walks up and he's all over em...BUT by far the worst treatment ive ever gotten from a dealer was the RANDALL rep at a local knife and gun show several years back.When I asked to see a knife the rep asked if I could afford it and if so was I gonna buy it..I politely kept my mouth shut and walked to Bob Bells table to spend my $$..to this day I will never by anything from that company.
 
Oh I forgot to mention . He did have some knives in a glass case. These were in the open. I understand the first time he did it. But a second time? I was sporting my MICROTECH T-shirt at the time. This may be another clue I was familiar with autos.

He did miss a sale...Probubly the Dalton scale release if he had it, or a chamelion, or whatever caught my eye. I was feeling mighty impulsive to.
 
What Bob said in spades!

If you want to be a knife dealer, you got to let folks see and play even if you do run into the rare turkey that wants to fling open and or drop knives that they have no business messing with. I have a Pardue damascus auto in mokeme and black pearl with two large dings to prove it (reads was a 2k knife). Just part of the show.

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" I am continually reminded of the rewards of dealing with custom knife makers and the custom knife community." Jeff J.
 
Generally I've had good experieces, but I'll
share my bad ones:

- Dealers yaking with buddies, but ignores potential customers.

- Dealer sitting on a chair staring off into space, have to yell, wave arms, etc to get their attention.

- Pick up a knife, try it out, say "I'll take it." and the dealer says, "That's already been sold. Here's my card, call me next week."

- Ask a about a knife and the person says, " Oh, X is gone but will be back in 5 minutes, come back then." 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour later they still aren't there.

- Dealers without a clue. One guy was trying to sell a used zytel delica. When he told me the price was $50, I gave it back to him. And he said "Shouldn't ask if you can't afford it."

DaveH

 
If you spend any tme at all at knife/gun/stamp/coin/ shows, you are bound to run into a jerk on the dealer side of the table- however, some of them were turned into jerks by "customers" with no respect for the merchandise or that can even grasp the idea that what is on the table does not belong to them. Even though they paid the $5.00 (or whatever) entry fee, it does not give anyone the right to dryfire the weapons, smear greasy BigMac fingerprints on the Damascus, or swing the Bowies around like a ninja. I have seen this & much worse at shows & can understand how they can get crabby. On the other hand, some dealers simply have pi$$ poor people skills...

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Runs With Scissors
AKTI# A000107
 
Rugger
You make some good points. People can leave a bad taste in ones mouth. I have seen some pretty pushy and grabby people at shows.I think knife shows attract serious knife people as opposed to gun/knife shows which draws a mixed crowd.
Bob
 
IMHO, never touch a knife before you ask; NEVER.
smile.gif


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RICK - Left Handers Unite
 
I will agree with the majority on this one... I never touch without asking, but to the same token I would probably never buy from anyone whom I had to ask permission to handle a knife.... Confused? Let me put it this way, more times then not, unless a dealer/maker is really busy, they will say, "PICK IT UP!!!!! CHECK IT OUT!!!!!" to which I usually reply, "No, unfortunately I cannot afford it" Then (more then likely), they say, "Who cares if you can afford it... Pick her up and check it out!!!!" A very good example of this situation was at this year's Blade Show.... I just had to check out J.W. Denton's table, and he (and his Grandson), almost threw Loveless Knives at me <G>..... I told them upfront that I could not afford a knife, and that due to being extremely clumsey, I prefered not to handle the knives.... They were completely understanding! J.W.'s Grandson replyed (about 20 times), "I understand, but ya just gotta feel this one!" They just wouldn't not let me handle those damn Loveless' (I hated every minute of it too!!!).... If I ever hit the lottery, guess who I am going to go see????? DUH!!!!!

Another table that I had more fun then a barrel of monkey's at, was Ron and Ray Appleton's.... No matter how many time's I told them I couldn't afford one, the response was always the same, " OK, Just try to open/close this one....
smile.gif
SUCKER!!!!" Awesome knives BTW!

I guess what I am trying to say is.... When you run across that dealer/maker that acts like an ass, PISS ON HIM!!!!!!!! There are 20 others that will treat you right! Just be patient!

 
You get all kinds at with any large group of people including knife dealers. But having said that, most are real gentlemen like J.W. Denton whom i've met a couple of times. Most of the knives on his table I can't afford but he still spends the time talking to me. These are the people who do a great of bringing new folks into the knife hobby.
 
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