There was a time, back before Amazon and the Internet, when you bought knives from a knife store. You would walk in, ask for advice, try some out, and walk home with a knife in your pocket. The Hoffritz knife store started out in New York City, but expanded into other cities. For a while Hoffritz was the biggest seller of Victorinox knives. Alas, they eventually succumbed to the onslaught of chain stores and mail order catalogs, but their logo lives on.