Tacoma is home to a great many things to be proud of – restaurants serving the freshest food in the Northwest, bars offering delicious local beer – and now it’s home to one more pillar of excellence; one of the finest knife sharpening stores in the business.
Paul Inman and Dee Button have recently opened Vulcan Knife in Freighthouse Square, a one stop shop for sharpening services, repair and restoration, as well as purchasing all major brands including Kershaw, Benchmade, Microtech, Zero Tolerance, Colt, Spyderco, Opinel, Cold Steel, Esee, Tops, Vyper, Extreme Ration, Emerson, Mcusta and Kizer.
Inman and Button have been in the business for over 35 years, and moved to Tacoma in May from Ballard.
“There’s much more of a knife culture down here, much more variety, “ Inman said. “This is more of an urban and rural area, and the cross section means a much larger variety of clientele.”
Inman is one of only hundreds across the world who make their living through forging knives, an art that has been in existence for thousands of years. The new location will allow Vulcan Knife the opportunity to have a viewing window outside their store so customers can watch Inman work the forge.
“We have more of an expansive view of what we want to do with our business,” Inman said.
With the spring season approaching, Vulcan Knife is expecting a large influx of lawn care equipment to sharpen. If you are getting ready to start taking care of the yard again, consider getting your gear in top shape by stopping by Freighthouse Square to get blades tuned up by one of the best in the business.
“Through that course of time, I’ve been able to figure out what works and refine it. That’s the point of time were at right now,” Inman said.
Inman was trained by William F. Moran Jr., a world-renowned bladesmith known for his work with Damascus knives.
“We have never lost a customer and that’s due to good quality, the job done reasonably quick and a reasonable price,” Inman said. “Those are the things that make us the best at what we do.”
Inman has three apprentices, the last he will ever take on. Kelly Martin, Nina Holstorm and Roya Alavi will carry on the tradition once Inman retires.
“When I have a question I know I’ll get the right answer and asking questions is okay,” Martin Said.
Inman and Button hope to create an environment where enthusiasts can gather and be around the hobby they love.
“Each customer is very special to us,” Button said.
Though Inman won’t be taking any more apprentices, he will be offering basic classes in knife making, and the end of the 80-hour class will see students forging their own knife. For those not sure if they want to jump head first into knife making, Vulcan Knife also intends to host a two-day seminar about the craft where at the end of the 16 hours, participants will know whether or not they want to jump into the 80 hour class.
Vulcan Knife is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.vulcanknife.com or call (253) 503-3347.
Prices
Up to 5” $4.50
5” to 10” $5.50
10” to 14” $6.50
For repairs and restoration
bring in your item for a quote.