Vacation in Oregon

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Slow7

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May 9, 2010
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Leaving in two weeks, I'll be spending some time in Oregon on my way to Alaska and was hoping to visit a few knife factories. Benchmade, CRKT, don't offer tours :( Any recommendations of knife makers I can / should visit? are the outlet store's actually worth a stop?
 
Did a week long tour or OR last year with the GF. She's not at all a knife fan and we had a pretty tight timeline but checkout Leatherman while you're out there (in Portland).

Also if you at all like planes, the Evergreen museum houses the Spruce Goose.

McMenamin's has a series of pubs/inns in redone historical buildings that I'd highly recommend if you end up needing lodging.
 
KAI, Benchmade, Leatherman, and KSF would be a mandatory stop for me, timelines be damned. ;)
 
KAI outer office has rich cutlery displays. Service dept. will sharpen, repair/replace your cutlery while you wait. No factory store, no sales for walkins. No factory tours that I know of. Best time to visit is weekend after Thanksgiving for the Warehouse Sale. Can't wait. The factory

Benchmade is near impossible to tour. When a big sporting goods store opened here the BM reps. had lottery tickets for a tour. I did not win. I know of no casual factory tours. link to 3 part video of factory tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a277JW8BS4U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYrDTj4PrTI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJUXsM_quUE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6_iNhtXwI4

Leatherman has one outlet store near PDX (no longer attached to the factory, it is in a shopping mall, but factory is near PDX), walking distance from Ikea, with very inclusive display/sale. Prices are MSR but you can find it here if no where else. Staff is knowledgeable. I know an engineer that had a factory tour as a professional but no one else. Make arrangements in advance. link to factory tour: http://www.leatherman.com/tour.html Leatherman coffee mug

CRKT product is made elsewhere (all products are imported afaik). Corporate office only is here. I looked for it but couldn't find it. Dry hole.

Knives Ship Free retail brick and mortar, in Hillsboro, never been but it is only a matter of time. link to video Derrick Bohn https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh0pMUTWJXoaVLtZqCsdpZg
Capable Derrick Bohn, pic taken at last's month OKCA meet in Eugene, someone that I can vouch for

William Henry is located in McMinnville. I know one guy who toured the plant as part of a group. He was impressed. link to WH video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_H4ogdBBHo

Buck factory tour is the bomb but you'll have to divert to Post Falls, Idaho. The factory museum is beyond anything, stunning, unbelievable, fantastic. The factory store has bargains you can't get elsewhere. Visit during the factory sale coming next month. link to video factory tour https://vimeo.com/34806102 Chuck Buck's office with Chuck's Son CJ Buck

Gerber is here. I've never visited the factory which is near me. link to Gerber factory tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a277JW8BS4U
 
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I was in McMinnville, Oregon just when I was starting to collect William Henry Knives. I would love to tour their plant. I really love their B12 models.
 
Benchmade will give you a sort of over-view tour...
First of all the showroom is good because it is "knife-store" style with a person working there to talk to you about all of their knives and let you hold them. If you check out their showroom you can ask to say hi to Derrick. He's the PR & Communications Manager at Benchmade. If he's not busy he'll come say hi and show you the factory from behind a glass wall. I did this last time I was there. Derrick took me up to the viewing deck and spent about 30 minutes telling me about the factory we were looking at and answering my questions. He was a cool guy to talk knives with, and very knowledgeable about Benchmade. Worth a visit.
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I live up in Vancouver Washington, about 35 to 45 minutes north of the Benchmade plant. I make the trip down about 8 to 10 times a year. I've even purchased knives from the in house store, though they do charge full msrp, so don't go expecting a good price. Amazon wins every time. Though I did buy their demo full size onslaught for 100.00 when it was discontinued. It's cool having the chance to handle any model you please but I haven't been able to get the tour and I ask on every visit. Maybe I need to spend a few thousand more on their knives before they hook me up with one. Gerber doesn't offer much as a destination (imo), leatherman is a fun stop as is KAI when they are doing their blemish sale. Haven't tried CRKT.
 
As an archaeologist, I want to chime in that if you are interested you could pick up some neolithic knife making materials...

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/recreation/rocks-minerals/?cid=stelprdb5381935

Glass Butte is a pretty neat spot where high quality obsidians of some very pretty types can be found easily. There is a lot of very nice obsidian in Oregon, and Oregon sourced obsidian is found archaeologically all over the Northwestern parts of North America. The Glass Butte stuff is some of the prettiest, and you can pick some up for yourself.

Plus it can be neat to get out into the Oregon Outback. I don't know where you are coing from, but Oregon has some extremely varied environments. There's a lot to see.
 
Hay Thanks everyone!! Great suggestions I have a lot of homework to do before I leave this week.
 
Not knife related but the Spruce Goose is located in McMinnville about an hour from the KAI in Tualitin. We vacation in Oregon every year and I have only been to the KAI in Tualitin. Now I have some other places to visit. Enjoy your trip and have a safe one.
 
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