Now it is more readable, enjoy!
TLDR: I found a new Brick and Mortar that I really like due to its selection, and the owner convinced me to eventually buy a Benchmade from him
Question to others: What are your experiences with B&M's? Or at least what was your first B&M experience like? And has this affected your future purchases or outlook on knives in any way?
SO... Here I am, making my first post on GKD after two years into this hobby and less than a year here. (This isn't a standard intro because I have to get one of my knives back for a family photo). My experiences with knife buying started with Amazon, which eventually moved onto gun/sporting goods stores (which I owe one of them a purchase next year because I came in multiple times without knife money...) But they all lacked something, Amazon lacked in-person handling experience, and the sporting good stores lacked the variety that Amazon had.
So after I returned to live at home, I decided to find myself a store that had the good qualities of both stores. In my area (near Richmond, Virginia) I found a nice little store called 'The Classic Edge'. I decided to head over to this store on a day that I wasn't feeling too hot about my life, and boy was it hard to find. It's hidden away behind a big car parts store, but once you park up next to it, you can admire its simplicity.
As soon as I walked in I was overwhelmed, a whole store dedicated to knives? It wasn't knife heaven per se (KC is up north), but I was definitely floating on cloud 9. The store wasn't busy when I came in, but the owner told me that I can look at a few knives, but not "pull out 200 different knives" just to not buy one of them. And I can honestly respect that because I am that person every time I walk into a sporting goods store.
Luckily for him, I had a list ready, and then that was completely destroyed when I saw that he had Spyderco SPRINT RUNS (well just the Native 5 154CM/S90V CF, but I was still in awe). I handled a PM2 S110v, CF Native 5 (ergos are great!), manix 2, lionsteel m1 (EDC-ing a fixed blade is not for me) and for the first time ever: A CHRIS REEVES SMALL SEBENZA.
I felt that in hand and I thought to myself: this is how I'm going to ruin my credit isn't it
? I actually realized what people talk about, the aesthetics of a big knife working knife in a gentlemanly small package with smooth actuation that just... Let's say that I am trying my best to not go back there, because I am over budget this year, and I need to find out how to aesthetically make my wallet cry as well lol.
After I tried out the grail knife of all knives, he asked me if I wanted to see anything else, and I told him that it was all I wanted to see today (should've looked at the Link & Dividend as well because of the M390 batches).
He offers Bushcraft as well as autos, but neither are my speed (every knife dealer that I talk to asks me if I'm LEO or Military when I ask about autos, so I'll take the hint better than I do with women lol).
So he asked me if I have any other questions, so I asked what the appeal of autos were, and boy did that send us down a long convo. We talked about how autos aren't any more effective than folding knives (I did tell him that I use them for EDC, and about this forum), how each creation of a knife is essentially a compromise (blade steels, ergos, size, price, etc...), the effectiveness of blade steels (he appreciates them but is not a snob like me), the rise of the Chinese Companies (does not carry Kizer anymore, but he actually thinks they do a pretty solid job), and his experiences with Benchmades F&F (they are very much up to his standards).
Call me old-fashioned (or prude
), but I will take a face to face conversation with less of a grain of salt than I do online. It feels like for the first time that I actually stood my ground among someone who was as genuinely interested in my hobby as I was.
He had a 940 in his pocket, with an axis lock that was smoother than silk, and faster than wildfire if that gives him any legitimacy
So, after this long schpeel, what does that mean for the future?
For me? That means I have somewhere reliable to buy my Benchmades, where we can sit down knife by knife and see if it is up to my F&F standards (I also promised on YT that I'd pay full MSRP if the first one that he handed to me is perfect one night, and yes I do make great choices thank you very much). This also means that I have somewhere to buy Sprints, Exclusives, and maybe those Kershaws in M390.
Also Chris Reeve Knives fondling.
For my friends/strangers/family? (Nah, who am I kidding, my family wouldn't want any) This means that I have a go-to place to recommend, with someone who I trust is knowledgeable and might be able to guide the people that I send there in the right direction (I will test that later if my friend decides he wants a new knife).
I honestly can't wait to go back to a dedicated store where I just have as large of a selection as he does.
I really want to find out what people's first experiences in B&M were like, and if, for better or worse, changed how you purchase knives in the future.
So what does this mean for the forum? Pull up google, search knife shops near me, and weed out any sporting goods stores, and see if you're lucky enough to find a knife shop near you. Sporting goods stores are great, but much like buying your first knife above a certain price point, you should always check it out in person
.
PS: (I should really stop being a knife snob, because my upper limit is 300$ and rising, and I know that people haven't even thought about anything beyond 50$)
PSS: I don't think that this should be in feedback as this is more of my first experience in a B&M, and will save how the transaction went for when it actually happens. If any of what he said rubbed you the wrong way, then just skip that section, I had a fun time trying out new knives.
TLDR: I found a new Brick and Mortar that I really like due to its selection, and the owner convinced me to eventually buy a Benchmade from him
Question to others: What are your experiences with B&M's? Or at least what was your first B&M experience like? And has this affected your future purchases or outlook on knives in any way?
SO... Here I am, making my first post on GKD after two years into this hobby and less than a year here. (This isn't a standard intro because I have to get one of my knives back for a family photo). My experiences with knife buying started with Amazon, which eventually moved onto gun/sporting goods stores (which I owe one of them a purchase next year because I came in multiple times without knife money...) But they all lacked something, Amazon lacked in-person handling experience, and the sporting good stores lacked the variety that Amazon had.
So after I returned to live at home, I decided to find myself a store that had the good qualities of both stores. In my area (near Richmond, Virginia) I found a nice little store called 'The Classic Edge'. I decided to head over to this store on a day that I wasn't feeling too hot about my life, and boy was it hard to find. It's hidden away behind a big car parts store, but once you park up next to it, you can admire its simplicity.
As soon as I walked in I was overwhelmed, a whole store dedicated to knives? It wasn't knife heaven per se (KC is up north), but I was definitely floating on cloud 9. The store wasn't busy when I came in, but the owner told me that I can look at a few knives, but not "pull out 200 different knives" just to not buy one of them. And I can honestly respect that because I am that person every time I walk into a sporting goods store.
Luckily for him, I had a list ready, and then that was completely destroyed when I saw that he had Spyderco SPRINT RUNS (well just the Native 5 154CM/S90V CF, but I was still in awe). I handled a PM2 S110v, CF Native 5 (ergos are great!), manix 2, lionsteel m1 (EDC-ing a fixed blade is not for me) and for the first time ever: A CHRIS REEVES SMALL SEBENZA.
I felt that in hand and I thought to myself: this is how I'm going to ruin my credit isn't it
? I actually realized what people talk about, the aesthetics of a big knife working knife in a gentlemanly small package with smooth actuation that just... Let's say that I am trying my best to not go back there, because I am over budget this year, and I need to find out how to aesthetically make my wallet cry as well lol.After I tried out the grail knife of all knives, he asked me if I wanted to see anything else, and I told him that it was all I wanted to see today (should've looked at the Link & Dividend as well because of the M390 batches).
He offers Bushcraft as well as autos, but neither are my speed (every knife dealer that I talk to asks me if I'm LEO or Military when I ask about autos, so I'll take the hint better than I do with women lol).
So he asked me if I have any other questions, so I asked what the appeal of autos were, and boy did that send us down a long convo. We talked about how autos aren't any more effective than folding knives (I did tell him that I use them for EDC, and about this forum), how each creation of a knife is essentially a compromise (blade steels, ergos, size, price, etc...), the effectiveness of blade steels (he appreciates them but is not a snob like me), the rise of the Chinese Companies (does not carry Kizer anymore, but he actually thinks they do a pretty solid job), and his experiences with Benchmades F&F (they are very much up to his standards).
Call me old-fashioned (or prude
), but I will take a face to face conversation with less of a grain of salt than I do online. It feels like for the first time that I actually stood my ground among someone who was as genuinely interested in my hobby as I was.He had a 940 in his pocket, with an axis lock that was smoother than silk, and faster than wildfire if that gives him any legitimacy
So, after this long schpeel, what does that mean for the future?
For me? That means I have somewhere reliable to buy my Benchmades, where we can sit down knife by knife and see if it is up to my F&F standards (I also promised on YT that I'd pay full MSRP if the first one that he handed to me is perfect one night, and yes I do make great choices thank you very much). This also means that I have somewhere to buy Sprints, Exclusives, and maybe those Kershaws in M390.
Also Chris Reeve Knives fondling.
For my friends/strangers/family? (Nah, who am I kidding, my family wouldn't want any) This means that I have a go-to place to recommend, with someone who I trust is knowledgeable and might be able to guide the people that I send there in the right direction (I will test that later if my friend decides he wants a new knife).
I honestly can't wait to go back to a dedicated store where I just have as large of a selection as he does.
I really want to find out what people's first experiences in B&M were like, and if, for better or worse, changed how you purchase knives in the future.
So what does this mean for the forum? Pull up google, search knife shops near me, and weed out any sporting goods stores, and see if you're lucky enough to find a knife shop near you. Sporting goods stores are great, but much like buying your first knife above a certain price point, you should always check it out in person
.PS: (I should really stop being a knife snob, because my upper limit is 300$ and rising, and I know that people haven't even thought about anything beyond 50$)
PSS: I don't think that this should be in feedback as this is more of my first experience in a B&M, and will save how the transaction went for when it actually happens. If any of what he said rubbed you the wrong way, then just skip that section, I had a fun time trying out new knives.
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