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Monday, March 10, 2014

Smart Wife Swords in Yangjiang

Before arriving, I knew Yangjiang was known for knife manufacturing, in particular the company Shibazi. So I was not surprised to pass an apparent competitor to Shibazi one day while walking through the city.

Smart Wife Knives store in Yangjiang, China

But the name of the company, "Smart Wife", did attract my attention. I briefly pondered the challenges their branding would face in a market like the U.S. and took the above photo. As I stood there, I saw something in the store which compelled me to go inside.

It wasn't their giant knife.

giant cleaver at Smart Wife Knives in Yangjiang


It also wasn't their questioning whether you would dare touch the blade of their knives with your tongue.

knife package with image of a man's tongue nearly touching the blade of a knife


And toy canons would also not have been enough to draw me inside.

toy canons


Instead, it was their display of swords and axes for sale.

swords and axes for sale at Smart Wife Knives in Yangjiang, China

As I examined them more closely, I noticed they all had blunt edges. Although they could presumably still cause damage, they probably wouldn't get you far in Middle Earth. But at least touching them with your tongue shouldn't be a problem, and they can serve well for wall mounting.

One sword had an especially curious design I would not have expected to find in Yangjiang.

Star of David symbol on hilt of a sword for sale at Smart Wife Knives in Yangjiang, China

I asked one of the staff about its Star of David symbol. She said she didn't know its meaning, so I refrained from asking if it was a Maccabean sword. I later noticed other knife stores in Yangjiang with similar swords for sale, but I didn't see any others with the Star of David.

That concludes this light look at a Smart Wife store. In a later post, I will highlight a different side of Yangjiang's knife industry. Somebody has to make the knives.

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