What is the most prestigious upscale knife shop in the US, or around the globe?

not2sharp

not2sharp

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There are probably a handfull of very high end knife stores which cater exclusively to the wealthy collector. We will probably seldom see them advertise in the trade magazines, and they are usually located away from more visible high traffic areas. Who are these guys, which is the best of the best, and, what does one have to do to get on their mailing list?

n2s
 
The only one I was familiar with was Barrett Smythe Gallery on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan. I believe they are gone. You really could see some very high end customs, with some amazing engraving.
 
Nordic Knives seems to have the most extensive custom inventory of any physical knife store. Shame most of their employees don't know anything about knives.
 
"Shame most of their employees don't know anything about knives."
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That is a key part of it. The kind of store we are talking about here would have an incredible sales force with the sort of advanced forensic skill that would allow the right customer to confidently drop $5,000 - $100,000+ on the right knife. This is not the kind of experience that caters to the casual window browser. They are usually very plush, very controlled, and very secure.

n2s
 
Steven Roos said:
Shame most of their employees don't know anything about
knives.
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No kidding. It's a shame to see nice stores who won't pay their employees enough to keep them, or at least to properly train them. There's one nearby here that always has a "help wanted" sign up in their window. I know a bottom line has to be met, and but a few veterans really make all the difference.
 
Plaza Knives in the South Coast Plaza in Orange County, CA has barnone the best selection of knives that I've ever seen.
 
the best selection of knives

The store I am thinking about would be the knife equivalent of Tiffany and Co, Channel, Cartier; The probability of finding a production knife there is about the same as the chances of finding a Timex at Tourneau.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
the best selection of knives

The store I am thinking about would be the knife equivalent of Tiffany and Co, Channel, Cartier; The probability of finding a production knife there is about the same as the chances of finding a Timex at Tourneau.

n2s
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Like Phill said, Barrett Smyth Gallery had some very expensive high end knives. I haven't visited them for quite a while, not that I ever bought anything from them. Anyway I don't really know if they are still around.
 
Hey beats me but a couple of years ago my wife took our daughter to Europe with her. My wife was presenting a paper at a Chemical Eng. conference in Davos Switzerland. So they were gone a couple of weeks, and because I decided to stay home, cause I hate to go to Europe or even fly for that matter, I told her to bring me a knife home in her luggage. Well while in Davos she stopped in an upscale jewelers and purchased me a Klotzi folder.

Now I am a happy camper right? Well turns out the thing here in the states is around 180 bucks retail. The owner of the shop has one clipped in his pocket and says it is the one he carries so she buys it. She paid over 300 bucks for it. I about threw up when she told me how much it was. Never told her how much it goes for here which is way less than retail, so I have to say that the shop she was in is the most "upscale". Not just cause of the knife mind you but she looked at some kind of watch that was 35k American. That wasn't even the most expensive in the shop either. Belts were a couple of grand too. Anyways, thats the way it is. keepem sharp
 
"What your talking about" does not exist IMHO. The best I have seen is
(a) South Coast Plaza Cutlery in SoCal, and (b) Nordic Knives in Solvang, further north, CA. Still-- a good thread.
 
bell said:
"What your talking about" does not exist IMHO. The best I have seen is
(a) South Coast Plaza Cutlery in SoCal, and (b) Nordic Knives in Solvang, further north, CA. Still-- a good thread.
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Yea, there is no such store. Hell, there are no such knives! Only a handful of custom knives have reached the $100,000 mark, and I doubt any of them have even been in a retail store.
 
Steven Roos said:
Yea, there is no such store. Hell, there are no such knives! Only a handful of custom knives have reached the $100,000 mark, and I doubt any of them have even been in a retail store.
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There is at least one annual invitation only art knife trade show that tends to move a quantity of these high end knives.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
There is at least one annual invitation only art knife trade show that tends to move a quantity of these high end knives.
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Which one? The AKI is the only one that comes to mind, it is only held once every two years, and there still aren't many knives that go that high. $20k, $30k, $40k sure, but $100k?

From talking to makers it looks like Julie Warenski will be there with Buster's "Fire and Ice" piece. That could fetch $100,000. (or more, who knows?)
 
The only time I have ever seen someplace other that the web with a huge offering of high quality knives was at the Wolverine knife show in Novi Michigan. I wish I knew of such a store. Even my local Army Navy surplus store who used to sell Camilus, Boker and Gerber now sells nothing better than kabarf.
 
There was a store in Italy(Rome or Milan) that had accounts with many high end makers, but I forget the name.

Nwknives.com carries lots of high end stuff.

A.G. Russell does also.
 
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