NYC Knife Shops?

roshi

roshi

Joined
May 3, 2001
Messages
1,501
I realize the title may be an oxymoron.

My wife won a trip to NYC for two (second prize was two trips :)) and decided to take me (guess the boyfriend wasn't available) :cool: .

We'll be staying in mid town Manhatten near Times Square. Are there any knife shops I shouldn't miss?

Yes, I will be carrying and I know it must be full concealed and not one of those wicked gravity knives (anything that can be flicked open by a 600 pound gorilla). I've selected a Camillus Heat, removed the spring bar, and torqued up the pivot. ;)
 
Paragon Sports, 867 Broadway, not too far from where you are staying, advertises something like "the largest custom knife store in NY". I have been there and they have about 1 case, 2 shelves of custom knives. I thought they were quite overpriced. But, you can handle them to get the feel...

I lived near NY for about 2 years and did not find anything like the kind of knife stores you can find elsewhere.
 
Thanks, I checked their web site and it looks like they have sunk to edged political correctness (SAK's and multitools) :barf:

I may drop by the see if they still have some of those customs on display.
 
Take the Lexington Avenue subway up to 86th Street, walk west to Fifth Avenue, and behold the magnificent facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Climb the stairs and enter the great hall where they will separate you from a small voluntary financial contribution :)

Now you're on your own -- although you can rent audio tour headsets -- in miles of corridors of art and artifacts from every known period of human civilization. Check out Arms & Armor -- knights on horseback! Polearms! Lots of metal weapons!

Have fun! :D
 
Paragon's website sucks. You've got to go to the store to see anything. One case of current production, one case of customs. Maybe 100-150 knives on display last time I was there.

There was a a hardware store called Warshaw's, a few blocks away that had a nice small selection of tacticals.
 
Sad to say but inthe age of political correctness the good old knife stores of Time Square are no longer. :(

The trip to Paragon is always worth seeing what they have.
 
Just while we're on the subject of Paragon, know what you're buying in terms of cutlery, as I saw a few things mismarked as to what it was. The help really isn't that helpful also.

Their stock seems to come and go in cycles, too. Sometimes, it's great, other times just Ok(aside from the high dollar customs).

Is Barret Smythe still around?
 
get on the metro north one day and go to greenwich, ct and see hani hafez at eurochasse in downtown greeenwich, ct (30 mins from NYC) It will be well worth the trip. he is THE purveyor to the filthy rich of the area. Loveless, aida, johnson, moran....whatever you want to see...he has.
 
The smell of richly oiled leather goods is pleasantly intoxicating. Euro Chasse has true high end stuff not for the average working man! During my last visit, I continue to notice that there were still no price tags on the knives! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Enjoy your stay Roshi.

N2
 
Paragon is great for looking but not buying, it's the ultimate tourist trap. It's like the Tourneau Corner of sporting good stores. It amazes me that they are still in business with the exorbitant prices they charge.
 
your best bet nowadays for real use knives is EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports). Most New Yorkers I know go out to Long Island (American Outdoor Sports on rte 110 or T&T Gunnery in Seaford) or go straight to Mail-order.
Take it from a New Yorker... don't go out of your way to look for knives while in NYC... Do go the Metropolitan Museum of Art and see the Weapons and Armor collection. And, if you're in Union Square, feel free to drop into Paragons which is only a block away, but in my opinion, you would be wasting your time if you went to paragons just to look at knives.
 
Definitely give the museum a visit. You'd be doing yourself a disservice to visit the City and skip the Met. See Arms & Armor, and don't miss the pair of kopis (precursors to the kukri!) in the Greco-Roman wing.

Two things to remember, though:

First, the entrance fee is really a "suggested donation" (it says so in tiny print at the bottom of the sign). The museum's built on public land, so they have to let you in for free if you want. I always pay what I can afford to pay after the cost of train tickets and eating in the City (I usually give 'em about five bucks). Do give something, though, as the Met's worth supporting.

Second, and most important... While they have no knife policy and no metal detectors, there is a "security check" at the front door. They'll rifle through your bags, and "look you over". Don't have _anything_ clipped to your pockets. I've been shaken down for my pocket watch fob. Again, no official knife policy, but the self-important NYC security guards'd probably give you trouble for a tactical-looking 3-1/2 inch folder like the HEAT. Also, they'll probably insist that you check your baggage, but they won't take custody for electronics or valuables, so you'd be best off having a small bag just for cameras, phones, and such. It's a tiny hassle, but more than worth it.

Oh, and by the way, if you feel like having a cheap-but-decent lunch followed by excellent-but-slightly-pricy dessert, Yoshinoya and Cold Stone Creamery are right next to each other on 42nd Street. Japanese fast-food and ice cream have become a ritual for me and my poor friends when we go into the City :D

Enjoy your trip!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top