Recon 1

Got my Benchmade sharpened here. Place has changed since I last was here. When I last went, it was a much larger store and was pretty much military surplus store. Now it specializes strictly in knives. Nice service though; will probably be coming back soon to check out another Benchmade.

I’ve purchased several knives from Rencon 1. Emerson and BenchMade. Both were discounted and the service was awesome! Daniel overheard me mentioning that I better make my mind up fast or the parking meter would be in the red. I saw him get up, but didn’t pay attention. As I was paying, he came back behind the counter and told me that I was O.K. on the meter. THAT was AWESOME SERVICE!
Thinking that next time I’ll mention how hungry I am and see if I’m offered a slice of pizza or a quesadilla. Seriously, I’ve NEVER had anyone check the meter for me… EVER!!!
Great QUALITY knives!!! Great INVENTORY!!! Great SERVICE!!!
Have my eyes on several more knives from Rencon 1.

I called the store and spoke with Tamar about a particular knife that I was interested in. She was very informative and incredibly knowledgeable. She gave me all the information I needed, took my payment over the phone and shipped the knife same day. I received the knife next day. Very pleased! Great shop!

I had one of the most enjoyable shopping experiences in my life. First, a big thank you to Ken. Thank you. Thank you for taking your time to show me the many options I had researched and for your valuable opinion and most importantly patience.
I have gone around the entire valley searching for a knife dealer. Not a swap meet quality knife dealer, an American made fine knife dealer. I finally found thing place, and had to come see their selection. Boy was I blown away.
I needed a new Edc and I had either the Kershaw leek or the griptillian in mind, and I was finally able to handle them here. Now the service is amazing. I stated that I needed something that would work as an everyday carry, preferable a tanto blade, good for working on cars, and must have a stainless steel blade. The first knife I was shown was the griptillian tanto! Wow. Right away the one I was here for.
Now I have to say, I spent the next 30 mins or more going from blade to blade and seeing what I preferred, and I was treated with so much respect, and shown so much patience that I knew I had found a haven for knifes and future collecting.
I settled on the first one I was shown, because it was perfect for what I needed. After a great discount of 25 dollars which they just threw in, I left with a purchase I will cherish for a long time.
One last thing I have to touch on. I accidentally caught my finger closing a knife since I am not used to anything but liner locks,(muscle memory) and right away I was given a napkin to clean up, and a bandage was offered to me. The way they handled it was more professional than some emergency rooms will handle someone having an accident. Thank you for that. And like I was jokingly told at that moment; «if you cut your hand on a knife you are using because it’s simply that sharp, buy that knife, because it is a great quality knife.» Needless to say I bought it.
I also purchased a pepper spray for my wife. nice to find a place that has tools for such emergencies.
Thank you to everyone here. You have gained a customer for life. Thank you.

Really great store. I have recently decided against doing most of my shopping online, because I want to support local businesses. It’s difficult sometimes, but I think it’ll pay off. Anyway, I have wanted a Benchmade Triage (black on black) for about a year, but haven’t been proactive about finding one locally. So, when my g/​f cancelled her trip to come see me at the last minute, and told me she’s interested in another dude, I decided it’s time to treat myself to a new toy! So, with the money our hotel refunded me, I found Recon-​1 and bought my Triage! I called several stores in LA, but Recon-​1 was the only place that had the specific specs I wanted. It was a trek from Culver City, but totally worth it. If you love Benchmade and you appreciate GREAT customer service and deals, then check this place out. They even made sure I had money in my meter so I wouldn’t get a ticket while shopping. Great people, and they’ve made a loyal customer!

Hands down the best. I can’t recommend them enough.

Great place to get all your tactical stuff. I’m not too into outdoor things but they have a great selection of production knives, flashlights, backpacks, etc. Nice staff, cool place overall.

My favorite knife shop!
I posted a completely accurate review of this shop a couple days ago and Unilocal’s automated censorship system hid it in «not recommended» while it prominently displays factually incorrect reviews as «recommended». I addressed this with Unilocal and they say they have no control over their system and can’t or won’t fix known inaccuracies.
Case in point… Lily K gave them 2 stars and complained about a person she spoke to at the store. She claims this was an employee but in fact the employees were talking to her boyfriend while she talked with an overly opinionated customer. At least know who you’re talking to before you incorrectly judge people in a public way.
Another false statement… Gavin C. gave them one star after cutting himself (no comment) and went on to say the prices are too high. He even have an example of the Rubicon being marked at $ 489.00. The TRUTH is all knives are marked at MSRP and discounted at the register. I bought that Rubicon myself and can tell you I paid $ 305.00. This has been the case with every knife I’ve bought from them.
The brother and sister team that run Recon 1 are knowledgeable, friendly people that have the largest selection of high quality knives in southern California and sell them at prices that match the best on line deals. If you like knives you should check them out. I travel the country and visit knife stores in every city I visit. I know for fact that Recon 1 is the best in so cal and among the 4 best in the nation.

Never thought I would shop at a place like this but after going in looking for a emergency kit I found myself buying a knife, backpack and tazzer. This place is a outdoors go to place

I’m happy that there is a place close to home that sells quality production and custom knives. They have a vast selection. I have purchased 3 production knives from them and Tamar gave me fair prices on all. Yes you can shop online via Amazon etc. and maybe save a few $$. However, Recon 1 allows you to touch feel and examine what you are buying. I don’t mind supporting this family business and hope they are around for years to come.

I went into Recon 1 a couple of times three years ago in my quest for some good swiss army knives and the like. The guys were great– friendly and knowledgeable.
Last year, though, (after they moved to the smaller space next door) I went back with my boyfriend to show off the store and the old white guy with grey hair behind the counter was a sexist ass. I came in to look at the knives, and he pointed me towards the pepper spray, saying that they had pink versions I might like. I hadn’t said a damn thing about needing self defense stuff, so that came completely out of the blue.
I had questions about some of the knives and all he kept giving me joke answers. When I got irritated he folded and told me the blade I was looking at was for fishing, but wouldn’t say what you were supposed to do with it.
They weren’t busy, it wasn’t closing time, and they were perfectly willing to talk to my boyfriend (who wasn’t as interested in the wares as I was). They just needed to made it clear that they didn’t want my business because I was a woman.
It’s a damn shame that guy was behind the counter when I came in. I used to love the place, and now I’ll probably never set foot in there again.

Unlike Gavin’s experience. I’ve had nothing but pleasant and positive experiences. $ 489.99 MSRP for a knife that cut you so easily is either a really damn good knife or maybe you shouldn’t be handling big boy knives. Fyi expecting a knife store to have a full first aid kit is ridiculous. Next time put some dirt on it and move on.

Overpriced. Everything, all of their production knives, is at MSRP. They were selling a Spyderco Rubicon for $ 489.99!!! Insane.
I cut my hand opening a knife. The sister was cold and rude when I needed first aid (it was my fault and I was never hinting at a lawsuit). She handed me (no joke) a friggin starbucks napkin from her breakfast coffee and a bandaid that was less than half as wide as the cut I had (it was a good inch long). I went and got gauze from my car, but my full emergency kit was with a friend traveling to Yosemite. I asked them for tape and she (no joke) gave me packing tape. WOW.
So, overpriced and horrible service from the owners.

Overpriced and no return policy. So I am out $ 87 for a $ 50 stun gun that I don’t want. I came looking for a stun gun. They only had two options. Maybe if you want a knife.

Sako is the best in town. Great customer service and if you can’t find what you need in stock they can likely order it for you.

I went here on a mission to find a birthday present for my brother. I really wasn’t sure what I would find, but I just knew something would present itself. I looked at some of the knives in the cases, asked about the durability/​quality and was pleased to get an honest answer. As I looked at the rest of their inventory, I was excited to go through their collection of Maxpedition bags. And… ah-​ha! IT DID present itself! I purchased a bag for my brother and was even more excited that it was on sale! YAY!

I don’t know knives, I don’t know emergency supplies, I don’t know outdoor gear. What I do know is that the people in this store DO KNOW. I came in late one Monday evening around 6 looking for an Emergency Disaster Kit as a gift. They showed me around, gave me great information and let me peruse the store without breathing down my back.
I need the emergency kit fast, as in Tuesday, cause the gift needed to be given on the Wednesday at 8 am. I told him i’d take a kit right now. He told me no, I couldn’t. Huh? Well, all the contents are packed fresh, so that the shelf life of the bag and all the food and water and perishables would have a 5 year shelf life from the day of purchase. WELL… THAT’S COOL!!! I wondered about that when I thought about ordering online. He promised me it would be ready on Tuesday between 6 – 7 pm. I looked at him skeptically… VERY skeptically. Needless to say, i came back on Tuesday at 6:30 pm and yep, it was all ready for me!!!
I’ve read the reviews on this place and everyone seems to echo the same thing. Awesome store, lots of stuff you can’t find in most places but a little on the expensive side. Personally, they may have been 2 – 5 bucks more expensive. But for those $ 2-​$ 5 I didn’t have to pay for shipping and I got a real person that had real answers. Definitely will revisit should I need another Emergency kit or a knife… or something outdoorsy.

This place really is STOCKED with soo many cool items. They do however, specialize in knives. I shop all over the valley for knives and I must say, this place is rather pricey. I guess it’s give and take, with the stock like theirs, they can charge what they charge when other stores aren’t carrying it.
Do go in and check out their vast stock of knives. They have very good quality blades and «high quality» prices. haha

Great customer centric oriented business. I was in the market for a Maxpedition bag and had a couple of questions/​concerns that the Maxpedition 800# couldn’t handle. They referred me to Recon 1, saying they have the best selection of Maxpedition products in the LA area.
Not only did they have a great selection of bags and accessories, but Saco and Tamar were amazing. They took the time to walk me through what would or would not work for me, I was able to play around with the bags, and the pricing was great. I had to come back another day to complete my purchase; they remembered who I was right away and picked up right where we left off. Definitely recommend and will return.

Soco and Timar are the best (owners)
I am a knife slut and this place is a dream come true. Rows and rows to drool over.
Prices from the cheap to collectors level.
Recon1 has the largest assortment of knives in the Greater LA area period.
I am also a Flashoholic and they are a BIG Surefire dealer. Lots of stock.
They also have the largest stock of Maxpedition Brand gear I have ever seen.
Lots of emergency preparedness items.
I could spend hours there… sometimes I do…
You won’t be sorry.