n00b question about buying knives

T

tambrico

Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
65
Hey, so I've never bought a knife that I haven't ordered online. Right now I'm not in a position where I can order one online. So in a couple of days I'm going to head out to a local gun shop to check out what they have and hopefully buy something. What can you guys say about the prices at gun shops? Are they around the same as what I can get online, or more? Also, will they be rude to me there because I'm young (I'm 18, but I look a little younger)? I've read that the staff at this particular shop can be a little rude sometimes.

I'm more concerned about the prices though, so that's my main question.

Also, I'm looking to pick up either a Tenacious or a RAT-1 depending on what they have in stock, and which one I like better when I see them in person.

Thanks
 
You should probably expect to pay higher prices at the gun shop. Very few brick-and-mortar stores can afford to offer those kinds of discounts. In fact, many of them charge full MSRP.

As far as how they treat you, well, that will probably depend on the store. But if you don't look 18, yeah, they'll probably blow you off. Make sure you let them know you're 18 right out of the gate, that should help.
 
walking into ye good ole fashion brick 'n mortar store is an excellent way to get a feel of the product that you so desire.
as nothing beats a "hands-on".
just viewing pictures on the 'net alone is never quite the "whole picture".
but more importantly it gives you the opportunity to inspect the very intended knife before any actual purchase.
on the other hand, great 'net prices are pretty good at motivating impulsive buys.
 
My local gun store before I moved was always nice to me, let me handle the knives answered questions as best they could, they weren't really knife people.

I imagine if you go in thier with a positive attitude, not being really shy, you'll be fine. I do find the prices at gun shops a little much though and really only handle knives just for if I see them on line and want to get a feel for them. $90- for a delica though....come on.
 
Like others have said, expect to pay full price for the blades, but you do have the advantage of being able to handle them first, which can be really nice.

As for the treatment, it all depends on the person. Letting them know your age right off the bat can't hurt, but I think a lot if it has to do with your attitude. How you carry yourself, and how you treat the guys behind the counter will directly affect their opinion of you. Be nice and curtious and for the most part they will do the same to you.....hopefully.
 
I guess I'm lucky then, because one of our local gun shops has prices that are, in most cases, just as cheap as online. sometimes they can be better. They will let you play with whatever you want, and they have a sharpmaker behind the counter they will let you try, really cool people, and they love to talk about knives. I recently scored my Spyderco Lum there for $99. They usually have a pretty decent selection of Spydies, a massive selection of Kershaws, and the cold steel/sog stuff I never bother with. The only problem is they usually only have a handful of Benchmades. 2 miles down the street from that store, there is a knife only shop who is a Benchmade and Kershaw dealer who sells 25% off retail, which isn't too bad. I have bought from him a few times. Sometimes its worth it to spend a couple extra bucks for that instant gratification:D, plus I want him to stay in business. The worst part of that store though is that he has a very large stock of Sebenza's, and the temptation is always great to get one.;) I'm not ready to spend that much on one knife YET.
 
If only Warriors and Wonders (http://warriorsandwonders.com/) were just down the street.
I buy a lot of stuff from them, the owner is a great guy, and they have a retail store. The number of places doing retail as well as internet sales seems to be increasing. You just have to be lucky enough to live near one.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. Unfortunately I only have $40 to spend so I probably won't be able to get a Tenacious at full retail. However, they are the only gun shop in a fairly large city that seems to have a huge selection of knives. Maybe that could indicate lower prices. I'm not sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top