Puzzeled look when I ask about REKAT!

U

UW Mitch

Joined
Nov 2, 1999
Messages
1,437
Is REKAT only something us online knifeknuts know about? I went into Excalibur Cutlery (a northwest cutlery chain...and NICA dealer) and asked if they had any REKAT knives. The sales person looked very puzzeled. I said "Round Eye Knife and Tool" and he still had no idea what I was talking about, and was looking at me like I was crazy! I just walked out of the store kind of upset about the whole thing.

Now I don't mean to be mean, but shouldn't cutlery sales people know what brands are on the market? Even my dad (non-knife knut) was asking what I thought about the Rolling Lock!

Have you ever walked into a cutlery store and asked for a brand and have the sales person not have a clue as to what you were talking about?

~Mitch

p.s. sorry for being long winded.
 
Hey Mitch....

I've run into these Drones before....

You walk into a knife shop, expecting the clerk to know something about what they are selling,, and they Don't have a clue....

These are the types of people who buy stuff from their distributor based solely on the word of the person they are good sellers...

Bottom line is money. They Don't Know about what they sell, and for the Most Part could care less about the product as long as it puts $$$ in the Till....

Hey sure there are some brands that some people haven't heard of,, with so many,,it's hard to keep track.. I sure as heck don't know every brand,, but I'm learning and I'm making it my business to learn about the all the different brands...

What I do sell I know about,,and if I don't I'll find out!

These are good indications that a "knife store" is just in it for profit.. A true knife retailer,,like those here,,are itimate with knives and what they sell... Watch out for the ones who aren't!

ttyle Eric...

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel
Custom made, High Quality
Concealex Sheaths and Tool Holsters
Canada's Only Custom Concealex Shop!

 
What irritates me is when a knife store worker who doesn't even know the brand of knife he is showing me acts like he is God just because he can work a liner-lock, and he of course wants to teach his ignorant customer how to use one, too- unbelievable! This has happened to me several different times.

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"I'm out there Jerry and I'm lovin' every minute of it!" - Kramer
 
I've also noticed that at most "cutlery stores" the sales person will flick open the box, jar the knife out of the box, then flick the blade open. Haven't we all learned that flicking is bad for the knife?

Perhaps they are trying to be the "cool" knife sales person, but I'm more impressed by what then know than their "showmanship."

BTW I have also dealt with some very knowledgable sales people as well, so this is in no way a knock to people who own brick-and-mortar storefronts...just ones who don't train their staff.

~Mitch
 
i've seen both kinds of knife store workers: the ones who know knives and the ones who don't. i've stood in a knife store and talked a salesman for about an hour (slow night) and must have handled and discussed about 15 knives. then i went into one shop and i was shown how to close a liner lock with "ATS" steel. i didn't like their attitude, so i asked which ATS steel it was. They said "there is only one, ATS!" i pointed out the ATS-34 on the knife we were looking at and then asked to see a spyderco delica, and pointed out the "ATS-55" inscription. then she got mad and asked me if i was going to buy one or not.

i love talking knives with people who know them. i love to teach people about knives if they honestly don't know. i cannot tolerate people who say they know what they're talking about and don't and won't admit it just because they have a nametag on.
 
Most of the employees at the mall stores are just high school kids. They don't know much, but try to be helpful. It kills everytime I go into the knife shop in Alderwood Mall (north of Seattle) and the owner shows how you can flick open the BM Axis locks. Given all the demo's he's done the stop pins are probably all toast on the display models.

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E. Larson
Edmonds, WA


 
I have had a similar experience with a knife store in the mall. I asked the guy working behind the counter (pretty old guy, looked like he was the owner), do you have any EDI Genesis'? Then he looked at his coworker (who also looked old), and with a sort of "you know what he's talking about?" look. Then he said he did not know what it was. Then I explained EDI was a fairly new small production company. Then he looked at his coworker again and said, oh he probably looks in those magazines.

Then I asked to see a Pinnacle. The guy shows it to me and I play with it. Then I pull my sebenza out of my pocket and show it to him. He handles it and says, it's very nice. But you could tell he had never seen one or heard of one.

I'm not trying to put the knife store owners in a negative light. It was just surprising that's all.

-Johnny
 
There used to be a knife shop in one of the local malls and the staff was so unknowledgable it killed me. They didn't even know how to close some of the knives and forget the multi-tools. But when I was in B.C. last summer I went into a store where they guys were pretty knowledgeable. We started talking and showing off our knives, when I pulled out my MT SOCOM (not something you see very often in Canada) they nearly fell over. Then they let me play with EVERY knife in the store
smile.gif
If only I had a Sebenza, think what I could have done....

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"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n"
John Milton
There are only two types of people; those who understand this, and those who think they do.
 
Anyone here a SNL fan? There's an episode where Sylvester Stallone does a skit as a stoned out computer sailsman. Same kind of scenario: guy walks into computer store asks computer salesman about a new computer and the salesman stares back with a spaced out look on his face. Amazing the help these days huh?
 
I get that alot too, one day I walked into the knife store at this mall in omaha, (I was the only one in the store at the time other than the guy working there) and he did not say a word, and ignored me because I was in my work clothes, eyeballing the axis locks.

I just love it when they don't know what they are talking about in the first place and then I have to correct them.
 
its not surprising at all when you consider most people dont know the first thing about one of mans oldest tools.alot of people around here are hunters and know little or nothing about steel- they know Buck,Gerber and Cabelas- the knife gets dull fast but it sharpens easy- the sheath looks nice- the handle is slippery with blood on it.it gets frustrating to try to make a knife with a fine tool steel, heat treat it to get the most out of it, and then have someone compare it to some cheap stamped out piece of 1050! but i believe that there are a few out there who do understand and appreciate the finer points (and edges!) on a good knife, for them ill continue to try and create good tools.
 
I work part time in a Retail Knife Store. I am definitely the store's KnifeNut. I access more knife related information on this site each day than any of the other employees are prone to get in a month.


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AKTI Member No. A000370
 
I run into this problem all of the time. I wish it was limited only to knife stores. Unfortunately, in almost every store you go to, you're met with sales people who have no clue at all about what they're selling. I try to deal with people I know, who know me well enough to know what I like. I cherish those who I have found and patronize their businesses as much as possible.

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The thorn stands to defend the Rose, yet it is peaceful and does not seek conflict
 
I own a small full service shoe store, you know the ones that measure your feet instead of asking what size shoe you wear. I sell higher end shoes so when a customer comes and asks me why he should pay $140 for a pair of Clarks shoes as opposed to $20 for a pair of no name knock offs that look identical I have to be able to point out the features, advantages, and benefits of the better shoe or the customer walks right out the door. The point is if you are going to carry high quality merchandise, you should at least have a staff with some product knowledge or I will walk right out the door.
 
Been to a gun store lately? I am seventeen and I know so much more about the products that these guys sell than they do. You would think that people would find the time to educate themselves about the product that pays the bills.
 
Mitch - all I can say is AMEN halleluyah!!

It must be Karma cause I was at the SAME situation as you I wanted to eyeball and test drive a REKAT carnivore and all I got was this dazed look. It frustrated the hell out of me.

In pittsburgh the only knife store chain is Cutlery Plus and I know most of the guys there by name - except the part time crew that works thursdays and that african american guy (i refer to him like that cause he was not too friendly and didnt really give me his name) he might have been mean but he could sure sharpen a knife well.

I think some of the comments stated here are warranted but are a bit harsh.. some of these people are just here to pay the bills we can't expect too much but inside I feel the same way - being a knife nut I would want my salesperson to be too.

When I was a newbie and starting out I got a lot of help from them but it seems that from BF.com I overtook them in knife knowledge rather quicklywhich is kind of sad
frown.gif


And yes i got the 'liner lock lesson' as well.


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<A HREF="http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html
</A> If you play with love you will be heartbroken; if you play with knives you will [bleed]


 
Sniperboy,

You bring up a good point. Some people are really into their jobs, others are not. We are really into knives, but maybe the sales people are just not as interested in them as we are. Thanks for putting things into perspective.

~Mitch
 
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