I hope this isn't considered thread hijacking, but I thought I would offer some thoughts on what a real upscale knife establishment would look like (to me), rather than citing an existing example (as I've never seen one).
To my mind, a premium knife shop would cater to the mid-to high-end user, as well as collectors of production and custom knives. It would also cater to knife makers, stocking blade blanks, handle materials, tools, accessories, sheath making equipment, etc. Of course, knowledgeable staff would be a must. Ideally, a real high end shop would offer courses and tutorials in collaboration with local knife enthusiasts.
Additionally, It would be nice if you could test production blades prior to purchasing them. I'm not thinking of stress-testing a blade right out of the box, but rather setting aside a number of 'display' models, for supervised testing. It would be nice if you could try out a camp knife model by splitting some wood, or try out a new EDC by cutting a few bits of cardboard. An insurance nightmare, I know, but it would be nice nonetheless.
I've seen such shops for fishing, and even for firearms (to a very limited extent), but never for knives. Still, a man can dream, right?
- Mike
