For outdoor enthusiasts, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a haven for nature lovers the world over. And over the years, various businesses have set up in the area to address the needs people wanting to get back to nature and explore the vast expanse of the Smokies. One of those businesses, Smoky Mountain Knife Works, has developed quite a following over the years and has become a pre-destination before visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Knife collectors to campers needing that perfect pocket knife flow through the doors on a daily basis to pick out the perfect blade, but it doesn’t stop there. Smoky Mountain Knife Works works hard to get people involved not only in the knife world, but the outdoor world as well with a series of special events held at their Kodak, Tn business each month. To close out 2012, Smoky Mountain Knife Works has three big events planned including:
- Rep Weekend (Friday, October 12 at 9 am) – Join Smoky Mountain Knife Works as they welcome a number of national brand name Knife representatives.
- Gunny is coming to SMKW! (Saturday, October 20 at 1 pm) – R. Lee Ermey from such renowned films as Full Metal Jacket will be in our retail showroom.
- Black Friday event (Friday, November 23 from 10 am to 1 pm) – Details to come.
These three events come on the heels of a year that saw Smoky Mountain Knife Works host such great events as a recent appearance by survival expert Les Stroud, pro Bassmaster fisherman Bill Lowen, Mykel Hawke from the hit television series Man, Woman, Wild and One Man Army on the Discovery Channel, Case Knives, Remington Cutlery, and the Zippo Collector’s Club. If you’re a knife collector, or just a plain outdoorsman, that’s a schedule you can really sink your teeth into. From product knowledge to just general outdoor skills, it’s all there with little left out.
As a company, Smoky Mountain Knife Works is one of the largest retail establishments in the area (more than 80,000 square feet), ranking right up there with Bass Pro and the Nantahala Outdoor Center. And it’s more than just knives, it’s knife accessories and kitchenware, an expansive collection of trophy wildlife, indoor waterfalls, and Native American artifacts.
Smoky Mountain Knife Works also houses the National Knife Museum, located upstairs above the showroom area as you walk through the front doors. The exhibits have been gathered from the knife makers themselves and you will be able to view not only the knives but examples of the original advertising pieces that have become a true part of Americana. The museum covers the progress of the knife from early man using stone tools through the change to steel and beyond.