- Joined
- Nov 11, 2003
- Messages
- 6,787
Hey guys, had time to drop by our National Knife Museum in Tennessee this past week, and also wandered around the Smoky Mtn store for a good while. Both the museum and the store are located in a huge 20,000 sq ft building that is for sure the biggest knife store in the country. Here are my thoughts, I'm curious to know yours, even if it's just in reaction to my reaction.
First off, I thought the museum was really unimpressive. Maybe it's because it seems focused on slipjoints, peanuts, Case, etc and I don't do those types of knives, so maybe I just don't get how awesome their collection is. But I've been a knife collector for close to a decade and know most of the manufacturers. They had knives in display cases in this "museum" I wouldn't even consider purchasing. The customs section was way too small and not very historical in terms of the important custom makers than have contributed to the history of cutlery in our country. The museum collection just seemed sub-par, small in size, and lacking a true timeline of how knives have developed in this country (how custom makers have contributed to innovations of design and technology). I would classify the "museum" more as a nice private collection of vintage slipjoints with some other odd and ends thrown in for good measure, but nothing serious or impressive. Now, again, maybe I missed stuff, a did walk through it rather quickly, but I was expecting much more out of a "National Knife Museum."
Don't get me wrong though, I'm real glad it's there and hopefully developing.
As for the store, I thought it was also pretty lacking. They had the standard fare from the mid-grade manufacturers, some but not alot of selection from the better makes, no customs, and a very sorry antique and hard-to-find knives section. Second-hand product was extremely limited. Accessories like sheaths and such were sub-par. Prices were good and staff was friendly, but there's no official in-store education on how to evaluate a knife, for example, the difference between their Kershaw and their United Cutlery fantasy knives sections.
Am I riding these places too hard? I mean, as a collector who hangs out on this forum, maybe I've just become too much of a knife snob. But dang, c'mon, "National Knife Museum" and "Largest Knife Store in the Country," it's even billed as a "Destination for Knife Enthusiasts." Shoot, I know many private collections that put the museum to shame, many stores cooler and more progressive than this one, many purveyors who stay on top of the market and showcase the work of real artisans, and "destinations," like shows, that provide alot more in the way of education. I guess I was expecting a whole lot more from the mecca of knives in the U.S. Made me kind of sad, but also helped me to realize that we can get waayyy more into knives on this forum than even the general retail and collector sectors of the hobby venture into much.
Your thoughts?
First off, I thought the museum was really unimpressive. Maybe it's because it seems focused on slipjoints, peanuts, Case, etc and I don't do those types of knives, so maybe I just don't get how awesome their collection is. But I've been a knife collector for close to a decade and know most of the manufacturers. They had knives in display cases in this "museum" I wouldn't even consider purchasing. The customs section was way too small and not very historical in terms of the important custom makers than have contributed to the history of cutlery in our country. The museum collection just seemed sub-par, small in size, and lacking a true timeline of how knives have developed in this country (how custom makers have contributed to innovations of design and technology). I would classify the "museum" more as a nice private collection of vintage slipjoints with some other odd and ends thrown in for good measure, but nothing serious or impressive. Now, again, maybe I missed stuff, a did walk through it rather quickly, but I was expecting much more out of a "National Knife Museum."
Don't get me wrong though, I'm real glad it's there and hopefully developing.
As for the store, I thought it was also pretty lacking. They had the standard fare from the mid-grade manufacturers, some but not alot of selection from the better makes, no customs, and a very sorry antique and hard-to-find knives section. Second-hand product was extremely limited. Accessories like sheaths and such were sub-par. Prices were good and staff was friendly, but there's no official in-store education on how to evaluate a knife, for example, the difference between their Kershaw and their United Cutlery fantasy knives sections.
Am I riding these places too hard? I mean, as a collector who hangs out on this forum, maybe I've just become too much of a knife snob. But dang, c'mon, "National Knife Museum" and "Largest Knife Store in the Country," it's even billed as a "Destination for Knife Enthusiasts." Shoot, I know many private collections that put the museum to shame, many stores cooler and more progressive than this one, many purveyors who stay on top of the market and showcase the work of real artisans, and "destinations," like shows, that provide alot more in the way of education. I guess I was expecting a whole lot more from the mecca of knives in the U.S. Made me kind of sad, but also helped me to realize that we can get waayyy more into knives on this forum than even the general retail and collector sectors of the hobby venture into much.
Your thoughts?
) Meanwhile, I'll continue to keep an eye out for those rare occurrences . . . I refer to them as "Blue Moons Over Sevierville" . . . when SMKW actually offers knives I collect. Considering some of the bargains I've gotten from them, they're worth the wait.
and see the country. This trip always includes a trip to SMKW.