Smoky mountain knife works!

BJE

BJE

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Joined
Apr 12, 2006
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Just want to let everyone know that I am taking a trip to TN Mon.&Tues and will be visiting SMKW for the fith time in my life:cool:. This time the knife museum is open, last time I was there they were still building it. How is the museum, and are they having any special events anyone knows of? As a bonus, I managed to sell a car and now I have an extra $1800 spending money (won't be spending close to that though). That sounds like a dangerous combo, money and a large knife store. Anything I should check out while I am there? I have to tell somebody and y'all are the only ones who would care about a building full of knives and the history of knives.
 
Love the place. I go there every September on vacation to the mountains. Lots to look over. Allow plenty of time. Hope we can make it up again this year. I need some new knives.
 
I've been there several times and take it from me, you're gonna love it! One heck of a knife store!,,,VWB.
 
I love that I live in the same state but its 6.5 hours for me to get to this place.

Maybe its worth a weekend outing :D Oh, and not to hijack, but is there a place in memphis I just have to check out?
 
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I love that place! Has to be the greatest knife shop in the US. I went through the museum the last time I was there. Take youer time. It takes a while to take it all in.
 
I've heard of that place.:)

Oh yes.......... I live right down the road from there. It's a great place to visit every once in a while. When I get bored I take the 10 minute or so drive and browse the Knife Works. I don't always buy knives from there because in many cases their pricing is higher than most internet dealers and our tax rate in this area is quite high.

But......sometimes you find some decent prices and you can at least look at some knives that you have been wanting to see. They don't have a very good Benchmade selection. Their CRKT selection is ok. They have a ton of Cold Steel.....a decent Spyderco selection.....an occasional Emerson but usually not many....lots of Gerber, Case, Swiss Army, Kershaw, etc..

Enjoy your time here. Send me an email or PM if you have any questions.
 
I haven't been since I was a kid. Awesome store. I remember they had some very good fudge. Don't know if they still do that.
 
haha yeah the 9.25% sales tax here is downright mean. but now some online dealers are starting to factor in taxes (newegg, Im looking at you) and taxes + shipping is driving prices higher than store prices (which Im sure is the reason that big box stores are donating to senators like crazy to push for enforcement of internet taxes!).

but sometimes its good to support local even if it costs you a bit more.
 
akadave2 said:
I love that place! Has to be the greatest knife shop in the US. I went through the museum the last time I was there. Take youer time. It takes a while to take it all in.
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Graceland:D And bourbon street blues clubs:cool: I have been to both and really recommend Graceland if you haven't visited Elvis's home. But be safe in Memphis it is a dump of a city. Really there is much to do in TN and although your a resident; I still feel I should tell you that;). As for SMKW I go there when I can but haven't seen the museum yet. It's an amazing place that's for sure. Also some great BBQ nearby one of those nearby exits. General Lee Truck Stop has a large BBQ pit and great BBQ:p. If you do a trip there make sure to check out some civil war battlefields along the way. Of course Nashville has the Grand Ole Opry, a great Civil War Museum----and a great German Restaurant share the same exit as Travel Centers of America off I40.
 
kiahs said:
I haven't been since I was a kid. Awesome store. I remember they had some very good fudge. Don't know if they still do that.
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They sell fudge everywhere else around here so if the Knife Works doesn't have it just drive up 66 until you are in Pigeon Forge and look for fudge.

I don't recall seeing any fudge at the Knife Works but they may have some on the bottom floor. They have tons of cooking sauces, BBQ sauce, etc, and other food/cooking items down there.

I still support the Knife Works and have bought many knives there. Even if they are higher in some cases it's tough to let go of one once it is in your hand!!;)

I don't know where you are traveling but Nashville, TN is still 3 hours or so away and Memphis is about 6 hours away. There are many things to do in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg if you aren't going to travel around the state.

As for internet sites charging sales tax......I don't know of any that charge tax unless they have a store in your state. Otherwise most do not charge sales tax. Of course the govt. would like to change that.
 
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DrivebyTrucker said:
But be safe in Memphis it is a dump of a city.
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this may be a little off topic, but I agree, dont come here unarmed. id rather be asked to find a different restraunt or music club than walk around without something to protect myself. honestly after the (last) shooting on my campus I really considered transfering, because I walk past the spot where a football player got shot every stinking day. just find somewhere else to go, germantown is nice! the blue plate cafe is pretty good if youre a nice, simple foods guy like myself (they have good mac and cheese :thumbup: )

but as far as Ive been able to tell the places to get knives around here suck. theres a gun store, target, and the store that cannot be named and if I want to go on an "outing" I can go to bass pro shop and buy a buck knife.
 
I was just up there a few months ago and I went through the museum. Its nice. Youll love it. Ive been there a total of 6 times in my life and I hope to go many more. Make sure to take plenty of money. Its addictive.
 
I tend to visit about once a year. Now that Bass Pro opened at the I-40/Hwy 66 exit, I sometimes skip the run down to SMKW. So if Bass Pro is something you would like, spend some time there also.
 
Awesome place, it's probably a good idea I don't live close to it :)

We went back in May and my wife ended up going out to sleep in the car waiting for me to get done messing around in there. I must have spent a good 2 hours just at the Case counter playing around with all the models and different styles. The Buck section is huge and the people there are great.

Have fun and post some pics of what you get.
 
That place is great for looking at the knives you never got to handle. I wouldn't suggest purchasing them there. $$$$$$. When I was there they didn't have any benchmades or Chris Reeve knives. You would think a place like that would have some.
 
jk904jk said:
That place is great for looking at the knives you never got to handle. I wouldn't suggest purchasing them there. $$$$$$. When I was there they didn't have any benchmades or Chris Reeve knives. You would think a place like that would have some.
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Aside from the high TN tax I thought the prices were good. They give a 10% military discount so I was able to get the knife at sticker price without the tax.

I have mixed feelings about going and wasting someone's time to handle a knife knowing full well that I don't plan on buying a knife from them. It's different if you don't like the knife, but handling and wasting the shop's time with the intention of finding a deal online is :jerkit:

$5 isn't worth finding a deal somwhere else.
 
Not much chance of buying an auto knife there,been going since it was a tiny spot down toward Sevierville.They started carrying them a while back,but most sales folk don't even want to show you one unless they are convinced that you are annointed to legally buy it.
Auto knives are illegal in Tn.,but there are some stores in the area,esp. Pigeon Forge that do sell them and some good prices.
 
p_mcmanis said:
I love that I live in the same state but its 6.5 hours for me to get to this place.

Maybe its worth a weekend outing :D Oh, and not to hijack, but is there a place in memphis I just have to check out?
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It only takes me about 3.5 to 4 hours and I am a couple states to the southeast.

There is fudge everywhere down there, as a matter of fact, any place that remotely deals with tourists over here has fudge.

I also try to go once a year and have not failed for four years now. There are so many places to go and things to see, yet when I go up there I feel very relaxed like it is my true home. I have every intention of moving to TN one day even if the sales tax is high.

Anybody have any suggestions on a decent (and cheap) hotel? I don't like paying $70 a night for just me when I will only be there to sleep. I have to save some money for knives and I plan on getting another car when I get back, my old truck is starting to break down and I want something newer.
 
Many of the hotels in Pigeon Forge are cheap during the week. Right now there is a car show in town so my guess is hotels are $120 per night this weekend. You can find $36 per night hotels during the week if you are lucky if there is not a major event going on. (Especially now that school has started again and it's not quite time for the Fall leaf lookers to show up)
 
We were down in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg to visit some of my GF's family. I went right by that place, but didn't have time to go in. Damn. Its huge!
 
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