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    We Be Knives

    3.9 (88 reviews)
    PriceyHobby Shops
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Best brick and mortar knife store in SF Bay Area
    Edwin L.

    Good selection and surprisingly low prices because you know they're paying through their nose for the rent. Plus they sell autos, which I find fascinating with the store being in the most touristy area of SF. I found their prices are only $5 or $10 more than online prices, but that's nothing if you're paying $200 or more for a knife, and in some cases they are actually LESS than MSRP. Plus you get to handle them, not a luxury you have when buying online. Both times I went there only one person was showing knives to customers, answering questions, and ringing up purchases. The shop is very small but every inch of the store is optimized to display knives. I bought one of the new generation Sandsharks and a Pro-tech CQC7 that I've never seen anywhere else.

    Splinter under nail

    My 6 year old got a giant splinter under her finger nail while watching the sea lions at pier 39. Of course we didn't have tweezers when we needed them. The security office didn't have much to help. Noticed the knife store and thought, maybe they have replacement tweezers for Swiss Army knives. The store was packed, my daughter was freaked out. The gentleman behind the counter quickly pulled out some tweezers and handed them over. I was happy to pay for them but he refused and said "they're yours". Service doesn't get better than that.

    Knives
    Joseph F.

    There must be a "San Francisco tax" I don't know about, because they were selling their knives at a much higher price then what online retailers sell the exact same knives for. I want to "support local", but I'm a tourist in San Francisco, and not local. Why would I pay these guys $100 for the same knife I can get for $70 at Blade HQ? Edit: Hello Derek, thank you for your response to my review. Is that 8.63% tax on top of the normal tax of like 7.50%, or whatever it is? That still wouldn't make up for the large disparity, but it would make a little more sense that you would charge 30% or more then online retailers. And you are suggesting that I should have haggled with the shop employee? Would that have really worked? Should I have suggested a lower price then normal retail price, and then your employee would have suggested only 20% over normal retail price, and I would have made a counter offer, and on and on, until we had agreed on a fair price? I'm only a resident of the normal America, where haggling isn't really a thing, but I will try it out the next time I visit San Francisco. I've haggled in Mexico, where it is apart of a normal purchase at a tourist shop. And only two negative reviews of two shops in the Bay Area is actually pretty good. Two reviews isn't really a spree. And I praised one restaurant that I enjoyed during the trip, and I think I will post a couple more positive reviews of some of the places I visited. But my negative review for your shop stands.

    Samuel B.

    I first came here in the late 90's, maybe 2000. Bought a knife (don't remember the price), which I still have to this day (picture posted). I haven't exactly used it a whole lot (I mean, what exactly am I gonna use it for?), but it's still very sturdy and has that oil smell from being inside the sheath. Place is very small, 10 people in here would be cramped. They have a selection of knives and swords, from practical to movie themed. Prices seemed fairly reasonable. Sadly my wife didn't let me buy anything, cause apparently she things getting a Klingon dagger is impractical. PSH! Fun store to explore, definitely worth stopping by if you're at the pier. I think it's one of the oldest stores at the pier. Don't quote me on this, but I THINK they have a catalogue with more swords they can order for you.

    Nice legal blade length balisong.
    Nina B.

    Nice selection in a very touristy area. Everything from inexpensive blade to display weapons to functional knives for work or everyday. Gentleman who assisted me was knowledgeable and straightforward. He knew his stuff without hesitation. (He also has excellent posture & taste in music!) Would gladly recommend.

    Fox Dart knife bought at We Be Knives!

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    Derek C.

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    Derek C.

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    5 years ago

    Great little store with an amazing selection of low end knives to custom works of art, great service all around.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - We Be Knives

    Review Highlights - We Be Knives

    Derek has helped me tremendously in not only learning about knives but making educated buying decisions.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    3.8(48 reviews)
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    Great selection of items. Staff were super nice and very engaging with our elementary school-aged…read morekids. They made the sale not by being pushy, but by literally selling the concept of magic -- they did the trick, showed my kid how it worked technically, did it again, and then talked through what was important to do from the showmanship perspective. Definitely a great little place!

    Took my 8 year old here to get him two small and easy magic kits to start with. He picked the foam…read moreballs and biting coin. Went to the counter and the guy did the spirit lights trick and said it's a lot easier for kids to do than the coin one. We said ok, and put the coin trick back (light trick was more money but we wanted to make sure we got a trick that my son could do so didn't care about the price). Opened up the kit when we got home from our vacation and it is unusable for kids his age and size. The finger attachment is about twice as wide as his finger so can't hide it behind your finger as shown in instructions. Pushing the button requires the attachment to be at the very end of his finger to get enough force to turn it on. The elastic band is too big to keep it in place. Complete waste of forty dollars and really bummed him out since we were talked out of the trick he wanted (and that is listed as an easy trick on their website). Very disappointing. Talking a kid out of what they want to get them to buy something more expensive than is unusable is terrible.

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    Houdini's Magic Shop - Outside store front

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    Chinatown Kite Shop - Chinese New Year Lantern Decorations from the Kite Shop

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    4.6(49 reviews)
    1.1 miChinatown
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    We've always seen this colorful kite shop that you can't miss on Grant Ave. It is happy, fun, and…read morefull of kites, toys, and more. We've stopped by for souvenir pennies outside in front of the store. But, our last visit I saw beautiful Chinese new year lanterns in the window. I really liked it and hadn't seen this specific decoration anywhere in the 5+ stores I had already been to in Chinatown earlier that day. It is a beautiful red lantern decoration with velvet and sequins on it. I bought one to take home. Once I got home, I soon realized I wanted to get 4 more and hang them on my stairway. SF is at least an 1hr+ drive each way for me, so I called their store to see if they could ship it to me. They took my info and charged me for the lanterns and shipping. Albert, the owner, shipped it the next day. They shipped it on Monday and we received it on Tuesday! Probably because we live relatively close, but I really appreciated the fast and accurate shipping! They also packaged the lanterns well and carefully. Thank you Albert and Chinatown Kite Shop for our new Chinese New Year decorations! I am so happy. This is definitely a trustworthy shop and quality products and service!

    Compact store filled with kites for all budgets and ages, plus other small toys, keychains, and…read moresouvenirs. We didn't want to carry something too big on transit, and we were able to get a very portable pocket kite for only $5. There is also a shop cat that greets customers.

    Photos
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    We Be Knives - hobbyshops - Updated May 2026

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