Las Vegas: When I was a young bride (the first time) my mother-in-law gave me the greatest present – a good, sharp kitchen knife. She told me, “This will make your life a lot easier.” Understand that back then a major part of my life was spent in the kitchen. I was a full time housewife, and a damned good one! When my son got married I gave his wife a similar knife for the first Christmas present. When she opened it she squealed with delight. My son and husband (second one) were mystified at her enthusiasm, but she and I exchanged knowing looks. If you spend any time at all in the kitchen and you do anything there besides heating soup in the microwave, you need a really good knife.
You could go to a department store and get totally confused by the bewildering array of sharp objects. You can ask the clerk which one to buy and I’ll pretty much guarantee he/she will point to the one that is most expensive. OR you could go to Bonds House of Cutlery at Valley View & W. Sahara where an experienced and knowledgeable staff will spend time answering your questions. There are lots of knives for lots of uses from de-boning a chicken to skinning a – well, whatever you might want to skin. Shop owner, Lynn Bonds, has made a living selling “knives & more” for over 20 years. When you own a really good knife, you want to have it professionally sharpened. They do that, too, off site because it’s messy. Bonds also has the largest selection of cigarette lighters I’ve ever seen. Don’t smoke? Check out eBay to see what classic Zippos are selling for these days!
And here’s a “scoop” of sorts – Lynn recently purchased the entire inventory of a California business and rented extra space near her shop to serve as a clearance center. Given the choice between picking out the best stuff or buying it all, Lynn said it was easier just to take the whole lot. She let me in while they were still opening the boxes. Just to give you an idea of the variety there are darts and dart boards, Lord of the Rings collectibles, ceramic figurines, wind chimes and a plethora of other items – including knives. My favorite was the Knight Light. Cute, huh? You just have to see it for yourself. It might be a good opportunity to do some early holiday shopping. Just don’t be like me and forget where you hid the stuff.
