Where to buy — and test — knives in NYC

September 25, 2013 2:35 PM

Seeking suggestions for good stores in NYC to buy high-quality kitchen knives where you can test them out before purchasing. Even if they don't let you actually cut or chop anything, are there places that at least let you hold the knives in your hand, to get a sense of the grip/feel/weight, etc.? Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to Shopping (10 answers total)

Broadway Panhandler has a decent selection of knives. they let you hold and look at all of them,a nd they've got a knife sale right now.

I got my Wustof chef's knife there 5? years ago, and have dropped it off once for a $5 sharpening- and it came back better than new.

Word of Caution- it is slammed full of kitchen gadgets, and omg it is impossible to walk out of there without a new cookie cutter or a mini whisk or a new cutting board or... AHHHHHH
posted by larthegreat at 2:42 PM on September 25, 2013 [5 favorites]

As long as you don't look like you're on bath salts, they'll let you hold the knives in the display cases at pretty much any kitchen store. Sur la table, Williams Sonoma, etc. Not at places like Bed Bath and Beyond, though; it's just too much of a zoo.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:47 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

Cut Brooklyn has a shop that you can visit.
posted by dfriedman at 2:48 PM on September 25, 2013

Korin is the place to go if you want Japanese knives.
posted by foodgeek at 2:49 PM on September 25, 2013 [3 favorites]

Korin also has western style knives. I buy knives there. Its an awesome place with great customer service.

But Broadway panhandler and Bowery kitchen supply are also good.
posted by JPD at 3:38 PM on September 25, 2013

Bowery Kitchen Supplies inside the Chelsea Market.
posted by cazoo at 4:42 PM on September 25, 2013

I had a great experience recently at The Brooklyn Kitchen buying a knife as a gift. They definitely let me handle as many as I wanted until I found one that worked for me. I took a knife skills class there too which I also recommend.
posted by rdnnyc at 5:38 PM on September 25, 2013

I highly recommend Whisk -- they were incredibly kind and accommodating to my daughter, who was buying her first knife kit ... she's a baby chef! They let her try everything, and she didn't even really know what she was looking for.
posted by thinkpiece at 6:06 PM on September 25, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks for these great suggestions. Gonna be hard to lay off the bath salts, but I can only try my best!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 7:25 PM on September 25, 2013

Response by poster: We went to Broadway Panhandler, as a couple of people suggested. They had very helpful staff and a good selection, including a ton of samples available to try out. They even had a cucumber set out that you could slice! My wife wound up buying two knives from Global, a Japanese maker (one 6" and one 8"). Even better: Both were on sale, at a considerable discount.

Panhandler also has tons of other kitchen supplies, so there are lots of goodies we had to resist buying. :) Thanks for the help, everyone!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 5:06 PM on October 20, 2013