My visit to the SKMW Buck counter this weekend....

revnewk

revnewk

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A board meeting in Brevard, NC, this weekend allowed me to make an excursion to Sevierville, TN, and to my favorite spot--Smoky Mountain Knife Works. I could have sworn I saw pearly gates when I pulled into the parking lot. Good day this past Friday.

If you know your way around SMKW, you know that the Buck counter is front and center as soon as you enter the showroom. I refer to her as the "Buck Lady" (Thelma), and she is always a joy to interact with. She's current on my favorite knife company. She's like a knife pharmacist.

I picked up a few Bucks for my growing collection:

Squire (500 series)
Companion w/ rosewood (300 series)
Lancer w/ rosewood (300 series)
Metro (blue)
Bantam (Black Reaper)

Since I purchased more than $100 worth of Bucks, SMKW gave me a beautiful mini Buck anvil. Cool.

There were a few other models that I wanted to handle before purchasing...and I decided not to purchase them after handling them. A few examples:

1. Marksman--I know several Forum members like this $100 knife. It does indeed fly open, but I did not like the locking mechanism at all. Secure? Yes. Gaudy? Yes, IMO. Bulky? Again, Yes, IMO. I would have purchased it had I liked it...but it is no match for the Vantage Pro Force.

2. Vantage with Rosewood Inserts--I am a HUGE Vantage fan. I own the larger Select, Avid, Pro, Select Force Black, and Pro Force Green. I also own the small Select, Avid, and Pro. When I held the new model with the Rosewood inserts, it felt cheap in the hand, compared with the original Vantages. It even looked cheap up-close. The original large Select is much more handsome and grippy.

3. Paradigm--This first attemt to introduce an assisted opening to the Vantage line missed it, IMO. The extra step of flipping the bolster to open it slows down the process. For over a hundred dollars, it would have been better to just introduce the opening mechanism without the "busy" bolster.

I know that many like the Marksman, Inset Voyager, and Paradigm. Knives are like music--every person just likes what they like. For me, these three knives missed it.

For others, they are homeruns.

Long live our hobby! ;)

My Buck loyalties remain firmly with the normal and Force Vantages (large and small), the 500 series, the 300 series, and the 110/112 series.

Oh. And on my way out of SMKW, I finally remembered to buy a Buck ballcap. Score. ;)

Good trip. If you every make it to SMKW, take oxygen with you. You'll need it.
 
Nice. I just noticed my typo in the thread title: "SKMW." Ya'll know I meant SMKW, right? ;)
 
Oh yeah. I also got to handle the new 110 Lochsa. Now THAT is a sweet blade. Worth over $200? You have to decide that. But I'm tempted.
 
Certainly a fun place to spend time....last time there I got a yello 301 comfort craft and a little Buck 160 keyring type straight blade thing that I have never used because it's always in my back pack....
 
You picked up some great knives. Sounds like a great place for a knife nut to go. Too bad I live on the other side of the continent or I would love to visit the place.

My wife probably would not like that very much though.
 
I live maybe 2 hours away from smkw. I was there last weekend. My lil boy likes looking at that polar bear behind the counter. Lol
 
gedlicks said:
You picked up some great knives. Sounds like a great place for a knife nut to go. Too bad I live on the other side of the continent or I would love to visit the place.

My wife probably would not like that very much though.
Click to expand...

Take her on a holiday to Dollywood and Gatlinburg, then just sort of stop by the store ;)

And yes, OP, those are Pearly Gates for certain.
 
Cool place, it really is. I go to the Smokey's atlest once a year. Every time I go I stop by smkw. I go mainly to browse and hold knives I normally wouldn't get to, to see if I like them.
I never buy from them anymore though. Their prices are steep. When I check their prices against the river website or the exchange here on bf, I've always over paid there.
They do have a kind knowledgeable staff though.
 
I have been a customer of SMKW for years online, but I have never made it to their store yet. I have to get there someday! As for pricing, they do have deals on and off that are great, but their normal day to day prices are higher than the "deals" you get on the internet, but they do have higher expenses and a great return policy....Years ago they had "close outs" and other specials that were true bargins, but I have not seen them offer much the last few years....
 
I've been there twice (once in 2003 and another time in 2012) - it sure is a knife nuts paradise! OH
 
I just stopped there today for the first time......they advertise that they are the Worlds Largest Knife Store. I believe it! My head was swimming with all the brands and models that they carry. Left there with some kitchen cutlery. Think I spent 2 1/2 or 3 hours in there shopping and drooling! Greg. :)
 
I have been to that same knife counter myself while on vacation. I like the store, it was a fun trip. The Marksman was one of the few knives in the whole store that I actually asked to hold.
 
I got to stop in there for a few minutes years ago, it was the only good place around, the entire pigeon forge/gatlinburg area was just a bunch of china made tourist junk overpriced food and bad service.
We might go to FL this summer, I'm trying to figure out how to detour through there on the way.
 
My experience, several visits, is that they're light on the new and high end stuff. There is nothing special about their prices (MSRP). They also closed the National Knife Museum.
 
Prices are not the best, but I did like the selection. I have never seen so many brands in one spot. Its a good place to fondle a bunch of stuff that you wouldn't likely see outside of the internet. At least that is true for me in central FL.
 
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