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Friday Ribbon Cutting to Celebrate New Knife Shop at Mast Store in Valle Crucis

New knife shop at the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis. Photo courtesy of Sheri Moretz
New knife shop at the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis. Photo courtesy of Sheri Moretz

By Angela Gazzillo

Come celebrate as the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis cuts the ribbon at its new specialty knife shop and hosts its grand opening at 3 p.m. on Friday, June 17.

The new shop will be home to over 500 knives and offer a large selection ranging from pocket knives to machetes and hatchets. The shop will be an expansion of the store’s current, smaller selection in the front room of the original store, which will be moved to what previously served as the potato grading room.

The knife shop will feature well-known makers including Old Timer, Case XX, Benchmade, Opinel, Hazen and Victorinox. These makers hail from the United States, France, Norway and across the globe.

The Valle Crucis store, location N.C. Highway 194, is the Original Mast General Store, dating to over 130 years old. Its well-preserved history and large assortment of goods has made it a favorite spot for members and visitors of the High Country to visit and shop.

Sheri Moretz, public relations director for the Mast Store, said work began on the new expansion at the beginning of this year, although the thought for a knife shop has been in the works for several years now due to the lack of a true knife store in the community.

“We’re keeping with the general store thought and taking care of the general needs and civilian needs that people have asked about when they visited in the past,” Moretz said.

The grand opening and ribbon cutting will also offer exciting events for those who attend.

Eagle Scout William Wilson will lead a safety workshop from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that will teach proper knife handling skills and safety rules. The workshop will help Boy Scouts in the community fulfill the requirements needed to earn their Totin’ Chip Merit Badge. The general public is invited to attend the workshop, too.

Carolina Express, a bluegrass band, will also be providing live music at the event as well as all summer long at the Mast Store.

There will be a raffle prize and light refreshments. For more information, call 828-963-6511 or visit www.mastgeneralstore.com