Hi everyone, One of the new brands we’re carrying as we open our Main St. store are Shun knives from Japan. Shun was not on the radar when we had our previous stores and I’ve been interested in checking them out. Our Shun rep was kind enough to give us a Classic 8″ Chef’s knife and I brought it home to the Corrado Test Kitchen! Used it for the first time tonight and was duly impressed. They are light for a bolstered knife and have great balance. The slightly odd triangular round handle fits really well in my hand and was very comfortable. And, it was sharp as hell!

Shun knives take 32 layers of steel that has been pounded down to 3/1000th of an inch thick and wrap it around a core of VG-10 high carbon stainless. This makes a knife that is very strong yet light. I’m telling you, this is a nice knife. Come in and check them out. The Classic 8″ Chef’s sells for $139.95…

I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone happy holidays in whatever form you celebrate it. This year more than ever I am thankful for my family and friends and grateful for the opportunities before me. I am reminded that it truly “takes a village” and feel fortunate to be among such remarkable “villagers”…

Peace,

Jim

Well, we’re making progress… the new store on Main Street in Evanston is a couple of weeks away from opening and is coming into shape. Paint is on the walls, carpeting is on the floor, and our beautiful wood cabinets are being built. Goods are being ordered and some are here already. It’s amazing how many details go into a new store… Of course, I already knew this but think I forgot just how many there are. That’s what makes it special, though… as they say “the Devil’s in the details…”

When we open, we will have a couple of store-wide specials to help get us off the ground…

• 10% off all purchases of $25 or more… (limited to quantities on hand, no rain checks)
• 20% off of all Premium Sharpening Services (limit 5 items – mix/match knives & scissors)

Offers valid through 12/31/2011…

So, stay tuned for more updates and the announcement of our Grand Opening in the near future. We look forward to welcoming you to our new home…

All the best,

Jim

716 Main Street • Evanston, IL • (847) 563-8805 • CorradoCutlery.com

NOW OPEN – COME ON DOWN!…

Hey folks, just a quick note to say hi and give you some exciting news about Corrado Cutlery. After an absence of seven years, Corrado Cutlery is opening a storefront location once again. For those of you around Chicago, the store will be at 716 Main St. in Evanston. That is just west of both the “L” and the Metra trains. It is a great retail block with some solid long time local stores such as: Ten Thousand Villages, Dave’s Down To Earth Rock Shop, Goods of Evanston, Vogue Fabric, Guitar Works and two popular restaurants: Lupita’s Mexican and Trattoria DOC… The deal closed today, and it will be a scramble, but I am hopeful to be open by early December in time for the holidays. I will keep you posted here and on Facebook and plan to keep a photo journal of our progress on Facebook as well. The online stores will keep going as well and I plan to expand those in the near future also. Corrado will be truly going “bricks and clicks”…!

So, stayed tuned and I look forward to having you stop by and see us in person when you’re in the area. Thanks!

Jim

Being a guitar player, I know the value of well trimmed finger nails. It’s many a song that’s been disrupted by the loud and harsh twang of a nail catching on a string! That’s why you’ll  find a stainless steel “Normandy” Nail Clipper in my case as part of my standard equipment – right up there with extra strings. For those not familiar, the “Normandy” Nail Clip is a thin body nail clip with a unique design that keeps it very flat when closed so it is not bulky in pants pockets. When open, the “Normandy” achieves great leverage to clip tough nails easily and it includes a cut steel nail file with a nail cleaner tip. Made of high-grade stainless steel with a satin finish.  An extremely popular design that was just re-introduced by Drieturm/Germany. The “Normandy” sells for $39.95 and includes leather slip case…

I have taken a batch of hand made Randall Made Knives on consignment from  a friend of mine. These are not brand new but most are in good to excellent condition and are a great value. We’ve priced them at 25% off of Randall Made’s current pricing. This is not a bad deal as a new Randall Made will take you over 5 years to get! Randall Made is taking orders now for 2016…

These are being sold in “as is” condition with a 10 day review period. If you get one and don’t like it, return within 10 days (in same condition as you received it) for a full refund. I will ship these for free using UPS Ground (faster shipping available for additional cost)…

There are also a few other odds and ends pieces here as well. If you ever wanted to get  a Randall but were waiting for a deal – here’s your chance. First come, first served — come and get them…

It’s amazing the difference a good tweezers make if you are trying to pluck hair (or even get a splinter out). Precision tweezers have jaws with face surfaces that meet flat without any gaps. Generally, they are stainless steel, as plated steel will not always meet flat. Also, the best tweezers have longer handles so that the same squeeze from your fingers translates into a tighter grip at the jaws.

Dovo/Solingen professional tweezers come in three jaws styles: slant, straight and pointed. Flat tweezers have a wider surface which will grab hair easier. Point tweezers make it easier if you need to get under the skin a little. Slant tweezers are by far and away the most popular as they give you both the flat surface and the point so you can go after ingrown hairs or slivers equally as well and still have surface to grab with…

R.I.P. – The Normandy Nail Clip?… Or not?… I am happy to report that the earlier memorial for the Normandy Nail Clip seems to have been premature. Word is that a German firm has bought the machines and will begin making the Normandy again soon. For those not familiar, the Normandy Nail Clip is a thin body nail clip with a unique design that keeps it very flat when closed so that it is not bulky in pants pockets. Stay tuned for further information about ETA and pricing…

(to be continued…)

Let’s face it, when’s the last time you heard of anyone wanting the fight the Swiss Army? I’m sure most are concerned they’ll get a can of “whoop-butt” opened on them and, of course having those cool red knives with the can openers, the Swiss Army is just the outfit to do it!

Ok, that may be stretching it a bit but there’s no denying that the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife is one of the most useful and instantly recognizable products in all of cutlery. Since it’s introduction in 1891 by Karl Elsener in the small village of Ibach, Switzerland, the Swiss Army Officer’s Knife has become synonymous with innovation in design and high quality manufacturing.

Ironically, Swiss Army Knives were an afterthought when Victorinox first entered the U.S market (which is what put them on the map). The story goes that while pitching their high grade kitchen cutlery to RH Forschner Co. after WWII, Victorinox tossed a few of the little red knives on the table. They told the story of how much American G.I.’s fell in love with them and suggested that Forschner “give them a try”. I think it’s safe to say the rest is history…

(to be continued…)

So, one of the challenges of having a store – online or otherwise – is taking time off. One of the benefits of the online store is that it can run itself for a few days when I need to get a little R&R… Such is the case as it is time for my summer vacation. I’ll be closed from July 1st through July 15th…

While I am gone, I hang the “Gone Fishin’…” sign up on Corrado Cutlery and Clubman Online. If you would like to place an order you may do so and it will ship upon my return. Please be aware that any expedited shipping such as 2 Day or Next Day will not go out until I am back. So you may want to keep it to Ground and Priority Mail.

Thanks and see you soon…

There is one unavoidable fact about high quality cutlery products… they ain’t cheap! Some merchants will try to side step the issue or gloss it over. I don’t do that. I don’t want to insult your intelligence. There are reasons why good cutlery is expensive and, one of the more challenging aspects about selling it, is explaining not only why it’s expensive but also why it is in your best interest to still buy it. Manicure sets are a great example…

High quality, German manicure sets from Dovo/Solingen can easily run you $200-$400. Each piece in the set has a cost (one or two nippers, one or two scissors, tweezers, files, etc…) and together they add up. Add to that the cost of a high grade leather case (and the exchange rate of dollars for Euros) and you’ve got a bit of an investment going. That’s the thing, though, you are making an investment… an investment in products that are going to work better and last longer – much longer…

It can be confusing when you look at a high end piece of cutlery and a knock off from a distance. They look similar. Once you get them in your hand and start using them, though, is where the similarity ends. Less expensive tools can seem more economical at first but when you factor in the reality that they don’t last and you have to replace them two or three times over the life span of a quality tool (and they don’t work as well to begin with) the cheaper ones don’t seem so economical after all…

(to be continued…)