I wouldn't call the pawn shops, I would visit them personally. And don't say anything about looking for a STOLEN knife. If a pawn shop gets caught buying stolen property they lose money on the purchase, not to mention the hassle of a police report. A pawn shop owner could easily say "Nope. Haven't bought any knives", and then the knife simply disappears .
If a person should ever see their stolen property in a pawn shop, consider buying it back. Because when you get the police involved they will impound the property as evidence, and who knows when, or if, you will ever see it again. I know the idea of buying back your own stolen property sucks, but it's better then the possibility of never getting it back.
Sorry to hear about the theft. I hope your friend gets the knife back. I believe in Medieval punishment for thieves. But frankly, when I hear "California" and "car broken into", I'm never surprised. It's a common occurrence in this state (lifetime resident of California).
