Retail Stores that "sell knives"

lcsmith84

lcsmith84

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After work today I had some time to kill and went to one of the large outdoor equipment stores. It rhymes with Ass Bro. This store has around a case and half of "premium" knives located at the end of the gun department. I have been looking recently online at the Benchmade 940-1, and was surprised to see they carried the 940. I thought this was cool, as I would actually be able to hold the knife in my hand and check the fit/size.

After standing at the counter and being ignored by 2-3 employees, one made his way down to me. He asked if I would like to see anything. To which I responded the Benchmade 940, which they had labeled "Benchmade Axis Osbourne Folder". Their labeling although technically true, seems much more convoluted than simply the the model number. When I asked to see and pointed at the 940, the employee's response was "You mean the green one?" As I was checking the knife out, he also asked "Why did you call it the 940?" I answered "Because that's the model number of it..."

My point of this long story is not to belittle the employee. Even though I worked retail in the past, and although I didn't enjoy the job. I always ensured I knew the products I was selling.

My point is I wish there were more brick and mortar knife stores. That carried higher end knives, and employed knife people to talk to. I almost exclusively purchase knives online, which for the most part works. I would just like to have the option, even if it carried a slight premium in price to hold/fondle/feel some knives before I bought them. Are most of you in this situation or do you have a good store to turn to?
 
I was in the same chain store looking at leathermans...the guy behind the counter kept trying to sell me on one of the Chinese made gerber multi tools (one he kept shoving at me was a bg labeled pos) and how much better they were. I looked at the guy and said you can't be f'n serious. After about 5 minutes of it I walked out.. Don't get me wrong I'm not by any means a Gerber snob, I own a few of there usa made knives, but to be told there Chinese multi tools are way better than leatherman by a supposed knife technician was absurd.
 
If discussing knife stores, General Knife Discussion is not the place. Better to start a thread in the correct location. General Knife Discussion is for discussing the knives themselves.
Feedback: Good, Bad, & Ugly.
 
I was at a new local store today, and the guys behind the counter were quite friendly. I was also surprised to find the price tag on a ZT0350ts a few bucks cheaper than I last saw it online. Most of the other knives were priced higher than I would like to pay, but that was certainly a surprise. Usually the experience is less than fun, lol.
 
We also have a large store of that type. It rhymes with "The Fellas" :D

Our clerks don't know knives either, but they make up for it with their utter ignorance of firearms.

Don't blame them though. I doubt there is a comprehensive cutlery course that needs to be completed before they "recommend" the wares they sell. And I doubt that many of them have used any of said wares either. But they go to work each day and wear the uniform and pay their taxes, so give them a modicum of credit. If you know what you are buying, then politely nod your head at their recommendation, and buy what it is you see worth your hard earned money. Support local businesses when you can, my friend. They are part of your community's economic base.
 
rev is correct, but I also must admit no matter the niche, the small hobbies the brick and mortar is dead, but fortunately there are some great online sites that allow small businesses to survive against the big box places, have had great service from BladeHQ, Knivesshipfree, and also Docs Knife Works, their service is not as personal as the privilege to shake a hand at time of sale, but they compensate with it really well with great service even if virtual.
 
I went to the cutlery spot at some mall I frequent and wanted to see if the guys working there knew their stuff. To my surprize the guys there were pretty knowledgeable. They very quickly saw that I also knew my stuff. They knew about BF, JD and USN. I have walked in a few times after to BS with them (knife talk) and were always cool even though they know I'm not buying anything. They have a good selection but got a make up (I got/get most of my knives here on The Exchange).
 
regardless of which store where and what product...very few employees have any interest or any knowledge in the products they sell. this is true in watches, hardware, knives, guns, cars, trucks, appliances, shoes, you name it. it is especially true in firearms. in the employees defense....they may be from the golf or whatever section of the store and are covering a shift over there or are a brand new employee, etc. and have been given little to no training on the products....but i am stretching for that excuse.
 
most average users needing a knife or multi tool are unaware of different steel types and materials... they think a knife is a knife, and stainless steel is stainless steel. those are the people that keep those big box stores in business and who those stores cater to.

while a knowledgeable knife enthusiast would understand why x knife is 3 times more expensive than y, that big store sells 10 times more of y so they don't concern themselves with anything beyond profit margins... that includes the added expense of training the staff appropriately in all of their products.

a much more basic reason is that many employees want to do the bare minimum of work to collect their paycheck... unless the job also covers their hobby, they probably could care less about the specifics of the item. the reason they have that job is simply: "the store was hiring"

I don't fault them for wanting to skate by on doing the bare minimum, but it is discouraging when you as a consumer have questions about a product and hope that they could provide an informed answer... truth is, you'll get more info about what you want from a quick google search than 99% of the retail employees out there.
 
I am lucky enough to have a single store near me that stocks Benchmade, ZT, Spyderco, and some others.The staff is super friendly and quite knowledgeable, also quick to let me handle any and all knives in the case. My issue is that they are sometimes close in price to online outlets but more often they are $30-$50 or more above any decent web outlet (For example; I have been looking at a Spyderco Domino which is $173 at Knife Works and they have it for $220 or a PM2 which is $108 at KW and they have it for $175).
I like the store and want to support them but where do you draw the line between "paying a little extra to support the local guys" & just shopping online?
 
My local Ace Hardware store (~ 1 mile away) has the biggest knife collection for a store in town, and the knife section is run by a serious knife enthusiast. He's more than happy to show you and talk with knives all day. Really good selection to browse through.

Unfortunately, they run almost all of their prices at full MSRP. So I've only bought one knife from them. But since I do my other hardware shopping there, I don't feel so guilty looking at and handling their knives.
 
texasshipagent said:
rev is correct, but I also must admit no matter the niche, the small hobbies the brick and mortar is dead, but fortunately there are some great online sites that allow small businesses to survive against the big box places, have had great service from BladeHQ, Knivesshipfree, and also Docs Knife Works, their service is not as personal as the privilege to shake a hand at time of sale, but they compensate with it really well with great service even if virtual.
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Another good one is knifecenter. A small online knife shop in Fredericksburg va. (Use to be in md outside of dc) they also are more than happy to deal with you in person and let you handle em b4 buying if you live nearby. They also stand behind what they sell, I bought a lmf2 from em when I lived in va, and the handle started peeling apart from being pulled in and out of the sheath after about a month.
I took it back into them and they gladly exchanged it for a Becker bk22 since I didn't wanna knife that received damage from just unsheathing it.

That being said a buddy of mine experienced the same on the lmf2 he purchased from the store rhyming with grass mow and they wouldn't take it back. Told him it was in used condition now and he would have to go thru Gerber to get it replaced.
 
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lcsmith84 said:
After work today I had some time to kill and went to one of the large outdoor equipment stores. It rhymes with Ass Bro. This store has around a case and half of "premium" knives located at the end of the gun department. I have been looking recently online at the Benchmade 940-1, and was surprised to see they carried the 940. I thought this was cool, as I would actually be able to hold the knife in my hand and check the fit/size.

After standing at the counter and being ignored by 2-3 employees, one made his way down to me. He asked if I would like to see anything. To which I responded the Benchmade 940, which they had labeled "Benchmade Axis Osbourne Folder". Their labeling although technically true, seems much more convoluted than simply the the model number. When I asked to see and pointed at the 940, the employee's response was "You mean the green one?" As I was checking the knife out, he also asked "Why did you call it the 940?" I answered "Because that's the model number of it..."

My point of this long story is not to belittle the employee. Even though I worked retail in the past, and although I didn't enjoy the job. I always ensured I knew the products I was selling.

My point is I wish there were more brick and mortar knife stores. That carried higher end knives, and employed knife people to talk to. I almost exclusively purchase knives online, which for the most part works. I would just like to have the option, even if it carried a slight premium in price to hold/fondle/feel some knives before I bought them. Are most of you in this situation or do you have a good store to turn to?
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Retail is in an odd position. If they labeled that knife correctly, you could just check out the knife in store, then easily buy it online for a much cheaper price if you like it. Many retail stores intentionally label items incorrectly so you can't do this.

raistlin65 said:
My local Ace Hardware store (~ 1 mile away) has the biggest knife collection for a store in town, and the knife section is run by a serious knife enthusiast. He's more than happy to show you and talk with knives all day. Really good selection to browse through.

Unfortunately, they run almost all of their prices at full MSRP. So I've only bought one knife from them. But since I do my other hardware shopping there, I don't feel so guilty looking at and handling their knives.
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The Ace Hardware stores in my area carry Cutlery Corner quality knives almost exclusively, and sell them for a higher price than their informercial suggests.
 
raistlin65 said:
My local Ace Hardware store (~ 1 mile away) has the biggest knife collection for a store in town, and the knife section is run by a serious knife enthusiast. He's more than happy to show you and talk with knives all day. Really good selection to browse through.

Unfortunately, they run almost all of their prices at full MSRP. So I've only bought one knife from them. But since I do my other hardware shopping there, I don't feel so guilty looking at and handling their knives.
Click to expand...

I have kinda the same issue with my local shop. I have only purchased one Spyderco from them (for about 35% more than any online outlet) but I have bought guns, ammo, gun cases, targets, holsters, etc. from them so I don't feel terrible. I just know that if nobody supports their knife section that it will go away.
 
I was in the new Cabelas (just say it, you're in TGBU ;)) in Delaware and standing at the knife counter watching a demo of the Wicked Sharp. I was talking knives with the guys behind the counter, I pulled out the Insingo I had at the time and Case Bose Tribal Spear, he was surprised to see a Sebenza, as he put it, in there. I also had a Charlow that I let him sharpen on the Wicked Sharp, someone else wanted him to sharpen my Insingo, which I would not have done unless on pain of death, and the guy doing the demo even said no. I saw several guys buy up the Wicked Sharp models, I was going to but not after seeing the nice new recurve on my Charlow :barf: . Very sharp otherwise.

If you're standing in line at Bass Pro in Maryland to get a look at the knives on any day other than Monday-Thursday, you're not going to get a look. The gun counter takes up all the time in the Maryland store. It's practically dead at the Harrisburg Bass Pro, there's always a helpful employee at the knife/optics counter. They only know the Case knives and multitools but they are enthusiastic and friendly.

I've never seen a line for knives at a knife counter before I visited the Cabelas in Hamburg, PA.

I prefer to visit Edgeworks in Frederick MD and Willey Knives in Delaware. Sean and his crew, and Geri and her crew are very knowledgeable and their prices are comparable for a brick and mortar. I'm actually headed out tomorrow to Edgeworks.

Local hardware stores sell Frost cutlery, if they sell anything more than cheap keychain knives and utility knives. One True Value near me sells Frost in addition to Leatherman, Buck and Victorinox. I haunt a lot of antique malls and flea markets looking for knives. I had been going to a farmers market in York PA called Morningstar for years, and found a lot of old slipjoints. One buddy goes there the first time and found a Bark River Aurora/Northstar etc for 50 bucks. No box but great condition, with a brand new sheath!
 
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silenthunterstudios said:
I was in the new Cabelas (just say it, you're in TGBU ;)) in Delaware and standing at the knife counter watching a demo of the Wicked Sharp. I was talking knives with the guys behind the counter, I pulled out the Insingo I had at the time and Case Bose Tribal Spear, he was surprised to see a Sebenza, as he put it, in there. I also had a Charlow that I let him sharpen on the Wicked Sharp, someone else wanted him to sharpen my Insingo, which I would not have done unless on pain of death, and the guy doing the demo even said no. I saw several guys buy up the Wicked Sharp models, I was going to but not after seeing the nice new recurve on my Charlow :barf: . Very sharp otherwise.

If you're standing in line at Bass Pro in Maryland to get a look at the knives on any day other than Monday-Thursday, you're not going to get a look. The gun counter takes up all the time in the Maryland store. It's practically dead at the Harrisburg Bass Pro, there's always a helpful employee at the knife/optics counter. They only know the Case knives and multitools but they are enthusiastic and friendly.

I've never seen a line for knives at a knife counter before I visited the Cabelas in Hamburg, PA.

I prefer to visit Edgeworks in Frederick MD and Willey Knives in Delaware. Sean and his crew, and Geri and her crew are very knowledgeable and their prices are comparable for a brick and mortar. I'm actually headed out tomorrow to Edgeworks.

Local hardware stores sell Frost cutlery, if they sell anything more than cheap keychain knives and utility knives. One True Value near me sells Frost in addition to Leatherman, Buck and Victorinox. I haunt a lot of antique malls and flea markets looking for knives. I had been going to a farmers market in York PA called Morningstar for years, and found a lot of old slipjoints. One buddy goes there the first time and found a Bark River Aurora/Northstar etc for 50 bucks. No box but great condition, with a brand new sheath!
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I've been in both the cabelas you mentioned, yea the one in Delaware is decent, and has an ok selection. The one in pa thou had a good bit larger selection when I went in, but took awhile for service. The bass pro in md if it's the one in arundel mills mall had your typical clam shell knives and a small selection of quality blades. I've also been to Edgeworks but there prices were full msrp, then I found knife center and they have a nice selection and competitive pricing.
 
lcsmith84 said:
After work today I had some time to kill and went to one of the large outdoor equipment stores. It rhymes with Ass Bro. This store has around a case and half of "premium" knives located at the end of the gun department. I have been looking recently online at the Benchmade 940-1, and was surprised to see they carried the 940. I thought this was cool, as I would actually be able to hold the knife in my hand and check the fit/size.

After standing at the counter and being ignored by 2-3 employees, one made his way down to me. He asked if I would like to see anything. To which I responded the Benchmade 940, which they had labeled "Benchmade Axis Osbourne Folder". Their labeling although technically true, seems much more convoluted than simply the the model number. When I asked to see and pointed at the 940, the employee's response was "You mean the green one?" As I was checking the knife out, he also asked "Why did you call it the 940?" I answered "Because that's the model number of it..."

My point of this long story is not to belittle the employee. Even though I worked retail in the past, and although I didn't enjoy the job. I always ensured I knew the products I was selling.

My point is I wish there were more brick and mortar knife stores. That carried higher end knives, and employed knife people to talk to. I almost exclusively purchase knives online, which for the most part works. I would just like to have the option, even if it carried a slight premium in price to hold/fondle/feel some knives before I bought them. Are most of you in this situation or do you have a good store to turn to?
Click to expand...

I happen to live in SoCal and we have great knife stores here. Maybe because knife laws in CA are great (except for no autos or butterfly knives can be carried, unless you're military/Police) But any length, fixed, folding, open carry is legal. Anyways, I have 2 really great shops near me with knife nuts that love to talk knives. They're forum members as well. If you're ever in SoCal, check out Knife Gallery in Orange and Plaza Cutlery in Costa Mesa (the shops are within 20 minutes of each other). Plaza has lots of high end knives like Striders, Winklers, CRKs for days, William Henry, Rick Hinderer, Benchmade, Spyderco, and so on. If you go to LA you can find Ross Cutlery which is a massive shop with lots to look at. Advanced Cutlery is in the Westfield mall. And if you happen to take a trip to Knotts Berry Farm they have a knife shop there as well (not the best selection). Oh and Folwers Gun Room has a great selection of knives which is also in Orange, CA.
 
AusLoX said:
I happen to live in SoCal and we have great knife stores here. Maybe because knife laws in CA are great (except for no autos or butterfly knives can be carried, unless you're military/Police) But any length, fixed, folding, open carry is legal. Anyways, I have 2 really great shops near me with knife nuts that love to talk knives. They're forum members as well. If you're ever in SoCal, check out Knife Gallery in Orange and Plaza Cutlery in Costa Mesa (the shops are within 20 minutes of each other). Plaza has lots of high end knives like Striders, Winklers, CRKs for days, William Henry, Rick Hinderer, Benchmade, Spyderco, and so on. If you go to LA you can find Ross Cutlery which is a massive shop with lots to look at. Advanced Cutlery is in the Westfield mall. And if you happen to take a trip to Knotts Berry Farm they have a knife shop there as well (not the best selection). Oh and Folwers Gun Room has a great selection of knives which is also in Orange, CA.
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Seriously? I was working down in lemon grove ca doing an overnight remodel on a store, and almost got arrested for having my Gerber prodigy hanging openly off my belt. Cop told me that fixed blades are illegal to carry. Only reason he didn't take me in was for the fact I live in south Carolina so he gave me a warning.

Here in SC we can carry whatever we want, autos, fixed blades, or folders. We can carry them openly or concealed as well.
 
Bobby3326 said:
Seriously? I was working down in lemon grove ca doing an overnight remodel on a store, and almost got arrested for having my Gerber prodigy hanging openly off my belt. Cop told me that fixed blades are illegal to carry. Only reason he didn't take me in was for the fact I live in south Carolina so he gave me a warning.

Here in SC we can carry whatever we want, autos, fixed blades, or folders. We can carry them openly or concealed as well.
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http://www.ninehundred.com/~equalccw/knifelaw.html

The cop was wrong and thus is the case a lot of the time. But at least he gave you a warning so you didn't have to deal with that.

Although it does vary city to city for example in the city of LA over a 3" fixed blade isn't legal to open carry.
 
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AusLoX said:
http://www.ninehundred.com/~equalccw/knifelaw.html

The cop was wrong and thus is the case a lot of the time. But at least he gave you a warning so you didn't have to deal with that.

Although it does vary city to city for example in the city of LA over a 3" fixed blade isn't legal to open carry.
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That doesn't surprise me any, cop seemed like a rookie. I'm just glad I didn't get shot since I came out of a storage container at like 2 am behind the store with my arms full of supplies to find myself staring down the barrel of a shotgun and pistol while being yelled at to drop my knife that was sheathed all while his partner is yelling to put my hands up.
 
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