Reviews of Knize Ten (1924)
by Knize

As a lover of leather scents i had been wanting to try Knize 10, but the revierws on Basenotes and the Net were so varied that I had no idea of what to expect until I got my hands on a 4 ml decant. On me, knize 10 smells a lot like Serge Luten's Cuir Mauresque with a little Tabac Blond layered over it. At some point I'm also reminded of Chanel's Cuir de Russie, but Knize is a little more powdery and smidgen sweeter.However, even with the powderiness it never loses it's smoky edge.This is considered to be as a men's scent, but any one who loves TB and CM sould try this.

Unlike R.E.L. which I could envision wearing while sitting on a leather chair at that exclusive, old fashioned, gentlemen's club to which we often allude to here in BN, or Miller Harris Cuir d'Oranger, another masterpiece best suited for speeding on one's Harley; I envision people wearing Knize Ten back during prohibition at a jazz club while swilling Champagne.
James Dean in "Giant " when he strikes oil, however, must not be ignored. Yes, the petroleum note does take some time to get used to. A brilliant composition I admire but can't really wear except very sparingly and in very cold weather.

You wake up in the morning, you have a shower and get dressed. You go to your fragrances and say "What shall I wear?" You choose Knize Ten.

For the rest of the day, everywhere you go, you will be turning heads.

A lot of people will be curious about what they are smelling, others will turn in disgust.

You won't care though because you're wearing Knize Ten

The top note is sweet, fruity--Luca Turin describes it as strawberry. I agree. Walking just behind the strawberry is a hint of camphor. The camphor gives it that very slight men's room feel some have noted, and bringing up the rear, or, rather, enshrouding the sweet and astringent top notes is the "leather." Never have I smelled a so-called leather frag that smells like actual leather. Knize is no exception. Rather, it uses the same chemical, iso butyl quinoline, that most leather frags share, and which is to real leather as cherry flavoring is to fresh cherries. I'm not knocking leather frags. I like them. Love love love Bandit. And I love Knize. But I would never mistake it or be reminded by it or any others of the smell of a leather store, a shoe store, a saddle, a piece of rawhide, an elegant pair of leather gloves. It's the specific smell that we've learned to associate with leather when we smell it in frags. And it works well with the other two accords, which give the frag a punch and strident quality that I rather like. Unlike some reviewers I don't find this complicated. It dries down to a sweet, powdery smell with the leather receding but still detectable. I don't know how I would have reacted had I smelled it without knowing the history. Knowing the history, I feel like I'm wearing an antique, a piece of history, that reminds me of an age when men wore suits to go out and buy the paper, often with a carnation, and where black tie was as routine as, say, jeans and topsiders are now. None of the several women I've asked to smell it have liked it. Most recoiled. So I won't wear it if I'm trying to appeal to the opposite sex. Or maybe I will and the hell with it. A thought: Knize is very similar to Creed Royal English Leather, which substitutes orange for strawberry and has much more of the camphor. I want to smell REL again but, to me it was totally urinal puck and I was shocked that anyone would wear that and call it good for you. Well, my theory is that Coty and Roubert, whom, according to Turin, created Knize, were copying REL. Anyway, this is one of my faves and I'm grateful that I was able to find it as the US distributor has gone the way of all flesh.

wow... let's play a game of confuse the hell out of my nose.... most of the pyramid is totally lost on me... this smells like mashing a 500$ bouquet of freshly cut roses into a 100 year old saddle that has absorbed enough sweat (both human and horse) to render it as supple as the skin of a newborn baby... i get absolutely no petrol note, and i get absolutely no citrus... to me it is absolutely linear... the only downfall... if you bury your face far enough into it to see the molecular structure of your skin, i can almost smell the urinal cakes you find in fine hotels... other than that i could never see buying a large bottle because i'd have it for a decade, but definately worthy of keeping around for something ABSOLUTELY unique and beautiful

Very nice classic leather. Amazing that it still alive. Based on interesting juxtaposition of dark animalic leather and soft sweet floral note with a strawberry accent - they play hide and seek with each other.
On my skin I don't get much citrus, rather some cool herbs bounded with leather ribbon. In a floral heart my nose definitely smells jasmine (although it's not in a pyramid here) and fresh rose petals. The leathery basenotes are very clear from the beginning - I smell two kind of leather - a rough tar leather of a saddle and a soft dressed leather of a traveling bag. Nicely seasoned with animalic notes, generously powdered with cumin and slightly warmed with a sugar-free amber.

First time I tried it I didn't like it that much. It was a nice leather scent, but too much for me. But I am glad I've got some patience and waited till this fragrance is tamed. It opens really beautiful.

this classic is blown me away. It silage turns head and harmonically charisma enhancer. I know you have to like leather first to love K-10, but if you think a little bit more, this creation is a superbly delicate, not understated but subtle floral in the leather fluid. just be different!

A roaring woody beach fire, then toned down to a spectacular, heady mix of wonderful floral scents that seem to change amongst each other. All my favorite flowers on my favorite leather couch...

This is a classical, distinguished and elegant gentleman´s scent for an older person.The start of the this scent is amazing-an opening of citrus-orange, quite fresh and crispy and the drydown is leather-tobacco, what you feel already at the beginning but within the time it becomes the dominating overall aroma.Very warm and sensual!Very well composed and very well put togehter but it lasts for hours and is very intense.And it has a powdery touch full of vanilla what i personally dislike.This is a unique, man´s scent but this perfume is of another time- well it has been launched 1925!But in comparison to chanel´s cuir de russie or no.5 two great scents of that time, this one smells a bit dated and a bit daddylike.It´s not timeless because you feel wearing it another century, another time -the world of the k&k austrian monarchy.....As it has been already mentionned -be careful using it because it is very intense-only a few spritzer!I personally dislike the dominating vanilla-powdery note and if you really want to feel a great perfume full of luxury and greatness then try bandit by piguet or cuir de russie or JHL by Lauder or even givenchy´s III- they make you dream of so much more and you feel wrapped in a touch of perfume- as a windbreeze always around you...........Knize ten is definitely a very good and outstanding scent but not the olymp of perfumemaking-try also guerlain´s perfumes!

Gosh, I've only owned this fragrance for less than twelve hours now, and I'm still patting my own back for such a fine purchase! I smell alot of similarities to Lutens' Cuir Mauresque -alot. I do, however, find Knize Ten so much more satisfying. Not only does it pre-date Cuir Mauresque by eighty some-odd years, it projects well and is so much more affordable. Now that is satisfaction!

*THE* classic leather fragrance - smooth leather that is neither too clean or too dirty. This is the official reference point for all leather fragrances and is required if you are fan of the genre. Some reviewers describe only needing one spray... I say spray away and don't pay attention to those nasty stares in your elevator. I love being enveloped in K-10, and I'm glad I hunted down a bottle.

If you're in the US and you see a bottle, buy it! As the time of this writing the US distributor stopped carrying them and no one has picked up the business. A friend who owns a fragrance shop and used to carry Knize has tried to get the company on the phone for weeks and they won't return her calls or emails. It looks like they don't care about having a US presence, which is a shame because after decades Ten is finally catching on.

The greatest scent ever made. TRY TRY TRY. BUY BUY BUY. WEAR WEAR WEAR.

They don't make 'em like this anymore.

I discovered this incomparable elixir of pure sex when my friend told Tania Sanchez how he was saving up to buy Cuir de Russie in a brief Facebook exchange. She responded with just six words: "Good but get Knize Ten instead."

So we tracked it down (to a great online retailer - manufactum.com). And now it's leapfrogged Santa Maria Novella's Nostalgia and Bulgari Black to become my all time favourite.

It's bright, powdery and soapy at first and then deep, dirty and deliciously animalic on the drydown. Complex and very classy.

I love to imagine Marlene Dietrich wearing it at the height of he powers, swanning around the less salubrious bars of LA looking for wanton sapphic pleasure in a tuxedo, wishing she was back in Berlin or Vienna.

Goodness! See what it can do...?!

Knize Ten: I usually spray my Sotd (especially decants) when I am settled in my car. 4 sprays of Knize 10...one each on wrist and two under neck...now, those who have this scent would already have a big smile on their face coz they know how intensely beautiful 4 sprays could be

Knize Ten took me back to my childhood. What it reminded me strongly of is,(dare i say) my Mom's dressing table, it's drawers and its contents, especially talcum Powders (there is one by name Cuticura which is remarkably similar), and leather "finished" makeup kits and purses. This scent literally sucked me into that era and time. The overall aroma is unmistakably captured so damn well for me in K-10. A fascinating scent. I would say this scent is quite easily unisex because of its powdery nature...it may smell tad old fashioned on a women (only some maybe able to carry it off) but on a guy, this is a sure shot winner. This scent has a pretty linear approach and is unmistakably (powdery fresh) Green in it's feel with the powder never loosing its sight. I do not detect any citrus elements in the top notes. When reviews says a “blast of Citrus” - its nothing like an Etro Lemon Sorbet or an Issey or a Live Jazz or anything of that genre... The opening notes is anything but powdery herbal which is green (almost intense fern like sweet note) with a smell of sandalwood talcum powder aged in a metal container...this accord is surprisingly transparent. soon the powdery elements soon take over and this scent lingers on and on in this phase...The leather note in it is not like Heeley Fine leather. It’s more of (dare I say), a women’s leather bag found in an attic kind of smell. this purse must have definitely stored some form of Talc in a metal container and nail polish remover, this accord seems to have stuck on to the leather and the leather itself exudes a very powdery aroma. It’s only in the base notes that this beautiful phase tones down *sigh* and it reveals a different kind of leather note (civet?), very unusual (two forms of leather?). it along with some dirty vanilla and amber create a very cloud like, rich, suave accord which is truly what completes this fragrance...a masterpiece till it's last breath. a scent worth all it's accolades....think of it as the Kouros of it's time in a leather Jacket of Chanel Pour Monsiuer..how could it be, right?

This is a fantastic scent. I love Knize Ten. It's a classic leather scent that has stood the test of time. It starts with a citrus blast but the leather is there from the start too; the heart and base notes add a sweetness and tobacco element to the leather and it dries down with a bit of powder. It seems to be a like it or hate it scent. I can only walk through a mist of this one, or it gets overpowering. It lasts well, and makes me feel very good!

After a few days waering Knize 10, i must say i still hate the openingsnote. My girlfriend's remark is : "terrible, it smells like you've showered in used motoroil and dried yourself with an old oily, turpentine and sweaty rag".

After 1 1/2 hours it's get soften and even a tiny little bit sweet . The leather is there and is there to stay. It has a remarkable longetivity ( the next day in the shower it still fills up the bathroom). The opening: thermonuclear indeed, but the fall down is great. IMHO there are better scents, and it certainly won't become my everyday scent, but it is in my wardrobe and is there to stay.

ZZtop's advise on knize ten is correct:


The trick to enjoying Knize Ten is to:

1) Wear it in (very) cool weather !
2) Only Mist instead of spraying, and one is enough !

This way you prevent that fellow workers and the house dog or cat run away from you as if your carrying a fatal desease.

The opening: 2/10
The driedown: 7,5 / 10

Creed's Royal English Leather will always remain the quintessential Anglo-aristocratic perfume for me. It's quality-cum-simplicity speaks of unquestioned confidence in one's own status, horse-drawn carriages and fox hunts, a world where everything is in and everyone knows his place. Enter Knize Ten, the fragrance of modernity's gentleman. There's the powdery-floral refinement of yore here, mirroring the ties and tails tailored at the number one men's fashion address in Vienna. But there's also the pumping motor of a Brescia Type 23, the syncopation of the Jazz tunes, the complexity of modernism, Ulysses, Picasso, Dada, quantum theory, the new chemistry and all this makes Knize Ten the modernist equivalent to the venerable Creed - brasher, louder, more complex. If REL exudes the clarity and calm of a classicist landscape, Knize is like a Braque unfolding the dazzling complexity of space and time on its olfactory canvas, yet creating aesthetic coherence in the process. What an irony to call this an "antiquated" scent. It's high modernism in perfection. One gentlemanly rule remains essential, though: apply with a light hand.

This is one of my favorite leather scents by far, even topping Cuiron. In fact, it's actually in my top 5 favorite scents overall. It starts off with a light citrus accord before revealing a rich blend of leather and tobacco. A very sophisticated scent that doesn't smell like leather polish or curing agents. To me, it smells more like a worn out leather coat. Rather simple yet makes its presence. It's strong, but it isn't as atomic as A*men so don't believe what others say. I'd recommend this to anybody who's searching for a leather scent that isn't 'too leathery'. I'll always have a bottle of this in my wardrobe. Two thumbs way up for Knize Ten.

The opening is, quite literally, breathtaking: this scent's potency is shocking, and your head may snap back under the assault. Spray too much of this stuff on, and you'll be seriously sorry!

Once I can actually distinguish anything beyond pure power, Knize Ten presents a somewhat harsh blend of dry leather, roasted spices, and dark tobacco smoke. It's the inside of an old-fashioned gentlemen's club, and I suspect that's exactly what it's meant to be.

As it develops, Knize Ten sweetens slightly with a bit of amber, and there's even a miniscule hint of vanilla hiding deep in the background. This is not a sweet, fruity leather in the vein of Daim Blond, Armani's Cuir Amethyste, or Cuir Ottoman. If anything, its raw power and uncompromising stance call to mind Caron's Yatagan, only Knize Ten is quite a bit more rounded and far more "civilized."

The drydown reveals a nicely spicy leather that brings Knize Ten alongside Creed's Royal English Leather and Caron's Tabac Blond. It's not as sweet or mellow as the former, nor as smoky as the latter, but the persistent amber and spices give it a character all its own. Late in the drydown I'm even reminded of Eau d'Hermes, with the Viennese leather and castoreum standing in for French leather and cumin. Knize Ten most certainly deserves its status as a classic, and I'm happy to wear it.

Knize 10 is really two different fragrances. The opening is kind of complicated as it mixes spices, citrus, herbs, and rose for a kind prelude to a leather scent but with lots of complication and is better to ignore this first hour. Or you could minimize the opening harshness by spraying very, very lightly. But the greatness of Knize 10 is the drydown which is a very soft vanilla/amber enhanced leather that is appealing and long lasting. It is really wonderful - but the opening smells of bad cosmetics or something - just let it go because it does get better - much better.

I found the opening note somewhat akin to a punch on the nose. Pungent, artifical, chemical, not one I enjoyed.
After a couple of hours however it calms down to an unusual earthy spicey note which I quite like.
The particular leather note I was hoping for isn't there at all for me though.
I'd echo the "definitely try before buy" on this one.

All about the leather. A strong, raw leather, either a really worn old leather or some quite unrefined leather product, definitely not the soft, subtle smell of a pair of new leather gloves. Could be an old armchair or a saddle perhaps.
Some say turpentine and gasoline and garage and well, I see where that's coming from, but I agree with fraddicted that it's more like Tabac Blond: that sharp, almost metallic note. I love Tabac Blond and I love Knize Ten too, they're such a fine couple. With their old families and money they can afford to be bold and eccentric, they don't have to dress up in boring business suits and shower-fresh cologne... However, if you only like your leather notes very soft and refined you should probably stay away.

Tried this one after it being recommended to me by a European friend. I LOVED it!!! I think the other reviewers' noses, the ones who bashed it, are so brainwashed with department store scents as being the norm(I mean those hideous ones that make you choke as you walk into the fragrance department) that they've forgotten the timeless boutique scents that aren't mass marketed. Everywhere I looked for Knize Ten, either they didn't carry it or it was sold out. That shoud tell you something. It starts out with a Roman Catholic church incense note then progesses to a new-car leather smell. The drydown is stupendous! I've had several compliments on it at work. People tend to get close and crane their heads over my shoulders. I also know that it was James Dean's favorite scent. Was his sex appeal "just" a coincidence??

I had been wanting to add a leather fragrance to my wardrobe for some time when my physician actually "prescribed" several, Knize 10 being one of them. I purchased a 1 oz. spray "blind" and am truly pleased. It is, on me, right up there with "Mouchoir de Monsieur" and "Jicky", especially in its' drydown. Its' opening is exactly like "Tabac Blond" and I am happy to report the sillage and longevity are well above average. I applied lightly, as per a previous poster, and really enjoyed the "Knize 10" experience.

Starts off smelling a bit like powdery Dunlop tires in a nice leather bag. Then it softens into smelling like the leather bag with the tires removed but a little of the powder left: slightly musky powder. I like this stuff. Not for an evening of romance At All, but great for the club or a day in a tweed blazer. Creed Cuir de Russie is still my favorite leather fragrance but Knize is singular and powerful.

Knize Ten starts off with a strong mix of herbs, leather, and an overall greenness. I’ve never understood why so many find this opening to be offensive. It is anything but. Very quickly Knize Ten transforms into a smooth, slightly sweet, gentlemanly leather. Heat brings out the herbal/vegetal qualities. As it dries down, the amber becomes more apparent and the scent further sweetens, but never approaches “sweet” by modern standards. I get a good 8+ hours out of it and the sillage is just right. I don’t think of Knize Ten as formal or casual - it can be either or both. It’s not very complex but sometimes that’s what you’re looking for. The leather here is the opposite of the leather in Cuiron or Cuir Mauresque. This is not a sharp, pungent leather, and there is no fruit to be found. Instead it is the smooth, polished leather of saddles, old-style suitcases, or well-worn boots. When I think of classic scents that still hold their own, Knize Ten is top-of-mind.

The most amazing scent ever. Bohemian vs. black tie, a thermonuclear meltdown at first spray, a depth charge of unusal beauty 2 hours later. Highly ecommneded.

I bought this a couple of weeks ago. I was curious about it because I heard James Dean wore it. I can definitely understand why. It is a lovelys scent. Even though it could be stronger. I bought the toilet water. This one should really come in EDP. It is very refined and masculine and different. Nothing you smell on everyone ells. Thumbs up from me.
benb

I would say this is a cross between Bvlgari Black and Helmut Lang Cuiron. I pick up loads of leather throughout the development of the fragrance, but it's a smooth leather due to the slight hint of sweet fruity notes. I can see why this was a favorite of James Dean. It's classically masculine. This one is quickly becoming my holy grail of cologne.

The same notes that make Knize Ten seem old-fashioned and gentlemanly also imply a sort of dirty modern leather, probably due to more recent derivations like Bulgari Black, Bel Ami and Cuiron. This is a strong, herbal, sandalwood leather scent. The opposite of Varvatos, the only sweetness found here is a vague floral note after the leather has faded. This is a scent that nobody would release today. Just as well, I am content to smell uniquely of Knize.

Legedary almost like No.5 by Chanel launched two years earlier. Exhales timless class and excessive, conspicous roaring twenties extravagance at the same time. First, it gave me the impression of sitting in a chruch, as the notes of incense were too powerful and spicy. But once these notes evaporated it left the most long-lasting, unforgetable impression of precious leather and citrus notes- which is pretty much what i love and crave for in every male scent, and also slight toches of very refined tobacco and cedar. It smells like Belle Epoque Vienna, a both conservative and bohemian capital of fashion, culture and lavish lifestyle, a city which combines the riches and sophistication of both West and Orient. So get your formal wear ready and head for the annual ball held in the Viennese Opera wearing this one-you can't go wrong. Easy recongizable yet no-nonsense multilayered artwork. Even the bottle is a masterpiece.

This is a warm, sensuous, almost decadent fin de siecle scent. It wouldn't work with very casual or sloppy dress, but would suit a dandy. I don't wear it to work, but it is great for the evening out, when one is motivated by hopes of romance or conquest

I cannot tolerate a full spray of Knize Ten: It presents a horrid, unbearable blast of green and leather and some synthetic whatever that must be washed off. However, if it is misted, and only the slightest bit of droplets are allowed to touch the skin, it is enchanting. Those few precious microdrops present one of the strongest, richest, most addictive scents I have encountered. It develops slowly and beautifully and maintains its superiority all the way through. It lasts respectably. I usually don’t mix scents, but I have found that an extremely light misting of K10 enriches the dullest aquatic scent without an aromatic conflict. I don’t do this to improve K10, I do it for the aquatic. Knize Ten’s a winner. I’m utterly in love with it.

this is my number 1 cologne. i find it odd that some reviewers here think that it's lacking in complexity. personally i can't think of a more sophisticated fragrance than Knize Ten; it just goes on surprising me. the opening is extraordinary - a pungent mixture of tobacco, leather, citrus... and burnt rubber! sometimes i'm reminded of Tabac Blond but where that fragrance fairly quickly tends to pale out into light vanilla, Knize Ten goes on evolving as the floral notes interweave with the sandalwood. by the end of the day (and the morning after) i'm left with a wonderfully warm incense aroma. however, because of its unusual/uncompromising opening Knize Ten is probably a love-it or loathe-it cologne. if Knize Ten was a malt whisky it would be Lagavulin - formidable, distinguished, unfathomable....

Knize Ten is a great leather fragrance. It’s a little more one dimensional than many of the leather greats (Tabac Blond, Cuir Mauresque, etc), but still great. It’s a dry and rich leather fragrance that would surely please any leather lover.

Strikingly modern and a great way to understand more recent launches like Santa Maria Novella's Nostalgia, Bulgari Black or even L'Artisans Dzing!
Knize Ten isn't terribly complex, but it was the first to explore the lovely relationship between leather, vanilla and amber. Somewhat sweet, uni-sex but leaning to the masculine side, and simply a very pleasant wear.

If Tactics by Shisheido illustrates that a fragrance with some affinities to detergent can be a thing of beauty, then the much acclaimed Knize Ten seems to demonstrate that a fragrance with some affinities to insect repellent can be beautiful too. All this means is that the opening and dominant note is frankly a bit weird, even slightly unpleasant, but the melodies which grow out of it are rich and strange and, partly because of the weird note they blend with, pretty unique. Subtle complexities of leather, tobacco, herbs and sweetness - I agree with the other reviewers about this.

Here is my review of this scent where I wore the scent all day blind - meaning I did not know the name or manufacturer of the scent:
This is another one where it is probably easier to compare against other scents I have than to describe what I smell.
This seems to be a classic non-linear scent. Overall the scent is subtle. I think it started off with some herbal or tobacco component. The middle and base of this are sweet... the middle notes reminded me of Pierre Cardin Centaures Cuir Fougere, minus the aquatic/mandarin, or perhaps with the hint of mandarin. There is definitely a sweetness to this scent which Cuir Fougere also had.
The "Cuir Fougere" note - if that is what I can call it didn't last long though. I believe I am now in the basenotes and there is a sweet base to this scent consisting mostly of sandalwood, reminiscent of Xeryus's base, but stronger. Xeryus's base comes at you in waves when you least expect it, while this one is fairly consistent and strong. I believe there is some spice mixed in with the sandalwood too. (Xeryus's base is listed as "amber" though, so I might have my note mixed up.) Not sure if the scent will evolve further.
Has some must-like qualities to it.

Knize Ten comes from the "House of Knize". He was the Tailor to the Hapsburgs, and the first of Modern day Fashion Designers. The House is located in a small town south of Munich.
Caswell Massey is their sole distributor. Since 1924 it has been proclaimed the BEST mens fragrance many, many times. Recommended for evening and formal wear. A true gentlemens must have.