A brick and mortar store near me would save me a bundle!

DavidZ

DavidZ

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2004
Messages
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My point is that most of the knives that I buy are just because I want to see them! I look at them on line, and study the specifications, dimensions, and any videos that I can find, then I want to see them in person, because on line, you can only imagine so much. Then I get it, and it ends up not being everything that I had hoped and dreamed it was, and to the exchange it goes.
If I could see one in real life and handle it, it would reduce my purchases immensely. I can usually tell in the first 5 minutes, if the knife is for me. Then if I thought it should come home with me, I could inspect the details, and get one that has all the quality attributes I like. I see a lot of people who may buy more than one to get the blade centering, lockup, and smooth action... ect. they like.
Who is with me on this?........ or would I just tend to buy more?
This may have been noted before, but I have not seen it.
Also, my first post in this forum.
 
Well, my "local" brick and mortar is 175 miles away. With all the online retailers that have no overhead to cover, I'm not sure how they stay in business.
 
I'm with you David :thumbsup:. I'm exactly in the same situation and have nearly quoted you in such discussions.
My 52 feedback rating makes my point :confused: Oh well - that's part of the fun too - right?

Cheers, Ray
 
The big sporting goods stores carry a modest line of better knives and we have several in my immediate area (Bass Pro, Cabelas, Sportsman Warehouse, Academy). For a knife store specifically, it is a couple hour drive and I stop by when I'm in the area on business most often rather than a special trip. I am willing to spend a bit more at the knife store because I can handle it and I seldom have regrets.

I do perhaps buy more knives just to try out because of the store, as is the case with a recent Fox Elite gentleman's knife that caught my eye at the shop. I routinely bought Condor knives/blades there just to try out, but that has stopped because they went to MAP pricing and they are pushing the value point hard from my point of view. But there is one new Condor chopper that I hope will be available at Blade that I more than likely will pick up. Blade is better now with several of the online dealers having booths/tables with a broad selection of knives. I usually buy one factory knife there from them.

No idea what you would do if you were in my shoes. Visit the Smoky Mt NP and visit a large knife store.
 
A fellow forum member and me had already said that a knife library would be awesome... ;)
Then again it helps not to live in the US many knives are us only.
 
yablanowitz said:
Well, my "local" brick and mortar is 175 miles away. With all the online retailers that have no overhead to cover, I'm not sure how they stay in business.
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Most brick and mortar businesses of any kind stay in business for accounting purposes.(Legal Money laundering from other business interests.) Not implying anything illegal is being done in this particular case or in any other.
 
yablanowitz said:
Well, my "local" brick and mortar is 175 miles away. With all the online retailers that have no overhead to cover, I'm not sure how they stay in business.
Click to expand...
That is true, however I am more than willing to pay more to pick the one that I am buying.
 
I often buy knives online just to check them out. The nearest knife shop to me is only 85 miles away (Grand Prairie Knives) but it's just far enough that I only make it there once or twice a year.

I'm not sure if having one right here in town would decrease my buying or not. I like to have some time to decide if I want to keep a knife or not. Sometimes I need to let it ride in my pocket for a day or two before I know for sure.

That being said, the last time was in GPK was in late January on my way home from a knife show in St. Louis. On the way there I decided that I might want to buy a Cold Steel Lucky. They had them in stock and looking at one in person actually did deter me from buying it. I planned to remove the pocket clip and seeing the knife in person revealed that the clip mount is countersunk and removing it would leave a hole in the handle which I didn't want.
 
Railsplitter said:
I often buy knives online just to check them out. The nearest knife shop to me is only 85 miles away (Grand Prairie Knives) but it's just far enough that I only make it there once or twice a year.

I'm not sure if having one right here in town would decrease my buying or not. I like to have some time to decide if I want to keep a knife or not. Sometimes I need to let it ride in my pocket for a day or two before I know for sure.

That being said, the last time was in GPK was in late January on my way home from a knife show in St. Louis. On the way there I decided that I might want to buy a Cold Steel Lucky. They had them in stock and looking at one in person actually did deter me from buying it. I planned to remove the pocket clip and seeing the knife in person revealed that the clip mount is countersunk and removing it would leave a hole in the handle which I didn't want.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the insight. I would be driving there on the weekends, just to see whats new, then stop for a burger and a brew! A perfect morning in my book.
 
The recent news of Knives Ship Free moving to Southeast TN will place them near me for store visits. They are supposed to move their "stuff" Memorial Day weekend. Looking forward to it actually. But I just ordered a fixed blade from them thinking that I would probably buy it in TN later if it was still available then. I save a little money this way.
 
I feel like it could go two ways for me. (The closest store is about 90 Minute drive away), if it was a 5 Minute drive, I would probably buy more knives, because I could buy more impulsively, pop by, see a knife I think is cool, alright bought. Online, I am similar, I look at pictures, video reviews, specs and think it over a moment longer. But I certainly get the appeal of being able to check something out in person, handle it a bit and then decide if I want to plunk down the cash.
 
How about 10 or 15 minute drives? :D I don't see much difference from a 5 minute drive.

I visited a knife store in Virginia and I was "wowed" by the inventory. I bought some stuff from them and since have purchased online from them.

Bass Pro and Cabelas built stores in my general area. It was always an event to visit either of their stores prior to these stores being built. Cabelas was a BIG event as I never visited one of their stores until just a couple years ago. Now, it's no big deal and I don't visit much unless I have a need. I don't wander in to just browse around. We'll see how the KSF thing goes and their store.
 
I would love a local knife shope or even one withing 100 miles that carried a good varity ... I study check out specs ... and pictures and if available any videos to see the size ... the way it might fit in hand ... but without holding a knife you just never know for sure ...

luckily I have had good luck with research that 99%of the knives I've purchased have worked out ... and the few that haven't get gifted to some friend or a fellow forum member that can use it ...

I think I'm worse about only having a very small gun shop near me I can order anything but they can't afford to carey a high volume of firearms ... so it's drives to ginshows to check out new or wanted guns and at some I get to check out some knives ... but the gun shows don't have most of the knives I'm interested in.
 
Why not just return the knives you are not impressed with?

There is no local brick and mortar near Richmond that carries anything I am into, although I was impressed by some of the stuff Green Top in Ashland actually had.
 
A brick and mortar store saving you money? Yeah right..:rolleyes::D
 
I used to get excited visiting Bass Pro and later Cabelas stores simply because it was a drive to each store. It was much like visiting a gun or knife show. It was an event. Now both Bass Pro and Cabelas have stores within 15 miles of where I live. REI is opening a store in a couple weeks and I enjoy browsing and buying there... How often do I visit BP or Cabelas? Not often and I generally don't wander in there to browse very often.

I suspect when KnivesShipFree open their operation locally it will be much the same thing. Initially I will visit a number of times and then it will be more need based rather than just "passing the time". I don't expect KSF to save me money on knife purchases on an annual basis (probably the opposite as I like what they carry). I still visit the big Sevierville TN knife store. I was within a few miles a couple days ago and opted not to stop. Blade is coming up and haven't decided whether I will attend or not. I'm not really in the market for any knife right now for any purpose.....
 
I have a Cabelas about an hour away. Otherwise, a few of the local gun shops and military surplus (damn near full MSRP) have some knives. Thankfully, after 30 years of carrying a knife I'm pretty good at looking at specs and knowing how it will fit in the hand. I'm also in downsize mode too so no purchases in the near future.
 
I'd love to be able to see certain models in person. One way I make do is to look up a knife's specs and draw out a line with a ruler, marking where the handle and blade ends, and then draw a rough sketch of the knife. It certainly helps to visualize.
 
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