Q&A with Bert Tilton
Residence: Owner-operator, Bert's Blades
Occupation: Warner Robins
Q: Describe your store?
A: It's basically a knife store. We have new and used knives and also carry martial arts weapons of all types, military surplus and a few other odds and ends. That just about covers it. We don't have kitchen cutlery. That's something we don't carry.
Q: When did you open the store here?
A: I opened on Watson Boulevard in 1993, but before that I was at the indoor flea market that was on North Davis Drive and before that I had space at Smiley's Flea Market.
Q: Why did you sell knives? Were they a childhood interest?
A: Actually, I started out selling comic books at Smiley's. A gentleman next to me sold knives. He had a good trade and when he retired I took over his knife business. It grew and the knives outpaced the comics. I still have maybe 3,000 comics in the store, all left over from those early days.
Q: So the childhood interest was comics. What was your favorite?
A: I guess Conan was. I sold off all my own old comics but still have a full collection of every Conan comic, so it must be my favorite.
Q: Did a knife interest develop with the business?
A: Yes, and it started more with the business side. Plus I'm a history buff and love and collect antique weapons. Knives always have a lot of history attached to them whether it's by brand, model or through individual use. People come in with stuff to sell me all the time when a relative dies or they find things in an attic. That's usually interesting. Of course, military members come in all the time with items from around the world. I buy a lot of that for my collection. It's the history and craftsmanship I enjoy most. I enjoy seeing a quality-made knife, but if it's an antique I enjoy it even more.
Q: So what's the most interesting thing in the store right now?
A: Not a knife. It's a bust of Saddam Hussein that came from his palace in Tikrit, the capitol of his home province. It was brought from there by someone who wanted people to see it and wanted me to sell it on consignment for them.
Q: Bert's Blades is a good example of a small, local business. How were holiday sales?
A: Overall, better than last year, but still what I'd call slow. I guess I had as many sales as normal but people were spending less compared to years ago.
Q: What was your big item?
A: Every year or so something different sells well. This year it's survival knives. Para cord, first aid kits and survival knives all sold well. I guess people are worried about the future. This year, and this is a little unusual for Christmas, but this year I sold a lot of preowned knives. Usually for Christmas people want something new in a box, but we sold a lot of preowned. Of course, the advantage is you get it for about half the price and it's like-new. I wasn't unhappy with Christmas sales, but January is usually a better month for us.
Q: What are some past big sellers? Is there something that stays constant?
A: A few years back, movie and fantasy swords and knives were really big. It's the Rambo knives that always sell. They're always popular.
Q: What's your range of customers?
A: Very wide. You'd be surprised how many females come in to shop. We have customers pretty much across the board. Probably 95 percent of my customers are friends and a lot come in to talk history, knives and guns. Maybe a little politics.
Q: Is it just you in the shop? Is it your sole work?
A: Me and my wife, Glynn, run it. My full-time job is with the Houston County Health Department as an environmental health specialist. I basically run the restaurant, food health inspection program, and I'm head trainer for our district. I've done that since 1975. The Air Force brought me to Warner Robins, and when I separated from the service I stayed around.
Answers may have been edited for length and clarity. Compiled by Michael W. Pannell. Contact him at mwpannell@gmail.com.
This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 9:41 PM with the headline "Q&A with Bert Tilton ."