Most of you know that the UK is going to make it where you cannot purchase knives by mail.  You must go to a store and pick it up.  Now, hear me out because this may not be what you are expecting from me.  My first response was, that is just nuts, and for the stated reasons it may be LOL.  BUT what if the intent were to keep brick and mortar stores in place.  NO!  I am not saying I would like that to happen here!  I enjoy getting knives in my mailbox thank you.

But as yet another iconic knife store closes, I wonder if there is anything that can be done.  When we all came up, the local hardware store handled the knife sales.  Here in the N. GA mountains they still do.  But in the metropolitan areas there is less likely to be a local hardware and the big box hardware carry very few knives if you can even find one there.  So where do the young men and women get their knowledge and love of knives?  Do we just let them grow up thinking it is a weapon and you don't need one of those?  Are you aware that some boy scout troops dont allow the kids to carry a knife?

So, one of my thoughts...knife shows.  I think kids 10 and under should always be free at a knife show.  I believe it will encourage a parent to spend a little at a show and it gets the kids exposure to the love and uses of a pocket knife.  I have seen many manufactures take the initiative to give out knives to kids at shows.  It certainly makes an impression and helps take away the "weapon" idea right from the youngsters start.

Where is all this coming from you ask?  Plaza Cutlery !  Some of you have heard but have you been to the site and read their announcement?

"

Hi there! 

After 44 years Dan and Russ have closed the store and are essentially retired. Dan will have a new website selling limited edition Chris Reeve Knives, Rockstead, Randall Knives, and special projects with Medford Knife and Tool and custom makers like Kirby Lambert. Dan plans to have the new website up in March. He will take special orders on Randalls, so if you have always wanted a particular model with particular materials you can order it through Dan and it will probably only take a few months instead of 5 years through Randall.

Also starting in March, Russ will continue to sharpen knives at Jostmar Jewelers located in South Coast Plaza, on the first floor below where our store was. Jostmar is hiding a bit, but if you go down the escalator right where our store was and walk straight you will see the restroom hall on the left hand side right by the Lego Store and Puzzle Zoo. Go down the restroom hall and in the very back is Jostmar. You will be able to drop off your knives with them and Russ will come by a couple times to pick them up. Jostmar does watch and Jewelry repair, watch batteries, and engraving. They also have Luminox watches! We have known them for many years and they do excellent work. I (Andrew) bought my wife's engagement ring and our wedding rings from them as well as had them engraved. They are great people!

We sincerely would like to thank all of our customers for support for all these years. Meeting good people and talking about knives over the course of years and even decades is what we will all miss the most. My family is also forever grateful for the Segerstrom family for the support and the opportunity to have our store located in what is considered one of the top five malls in the world, and the number one in the USA. Henry Segerstrom took a chance in leasing to "Del" Delavan (Dan and Russ' father), a hardware salesman and WWII combat veteran, who had the idea for a "knife store" before any shopping malls had them. The Segerstroms have been nothing but supportive and treated us like family. They were persistent in trying to get Dan and Russ to stay open longer, but at their age it is hard to keep up at the same speed with running a business. It is time for them to have some free time to fish and travel!

Thank you!

Sincerely from the Plaza Cutlery family"

44 years !  With all that being said, what are your thoughts? How do we turn the tide and can we?