Knives, kiosks and katanas
Abes Hattach, the owner and operator of the store Omega Blades, shares the story behind the origin, challenges and joys of working at a weapons shop in Maplewood Mall.
By Tiana Higgins | Reporter
Abes Hattach slid the gleaming red blade of a katana from its sheath. The white-and-blue LED lights around him highlighted the edge of the blade as he lifted the sword. Straight, secure, smooth. All that was left was to clean it with oil and it would shine like a beacon for the customers.
Omega Blades’ interior is one that’s lit up as brightly as the shining blades it sells. Its position on the corner between the Maplewood Food Court and Barnes & Noble has everything from batarangs, nunchucks and tasers proudly displayed. Little is left in hiding, much less the store itself.
With a corner store layout, customers walking by with mall court smoothies and clothing bags from the H&M store across the mall do double takes as their paces slow down to see butterfly knives, 3D photos and swords cleverly disguised as walking canes hanging from the wall.
“If I don’t come here one day, it’s like something’s missing.” — Abes Hattach, owner of Omega Blades
It’s a matter of respect for the blade, Hattach thinks as he stands behind the glass display counter ready to greet his customers, beauty like this doesn’t belong in boxes.
“This store is everything,” Hattach said. “If I don’t come here one day, it’s like something’s missing.”
Hattach took over the family business while it was still a seven by five foot kiosk in 2015. He knew it would be a challenge, but he had finally found his passion.
Gone were the days of hotel management and going home feeling unfulfilled. Although he smiled in the company of tourists and vacationers, he would often find himself stepping outside to air and breathe out the suffocation of so many demands for more towels, restaurant recommendations and better cable service. Hattach compares his job transition to an airplane. It only lands at the right time and he was ready for the opportunity.
Hattach is the youngest of five born in Fez, Morocco. A popular tourist destination where he was able to meet people from Italy, the United States and all walks of life. The two eldest of his siblings, his sister and one of his brothers, live in Morocco. The other brother lives in Germany and another, Omar, resides in California after 21 years living in Minnesota. It was Omar who started the family business.
Once a small kiosk founded in 2001, its supply of Egyptian-style necklaces and pictures weren’t quite the same as they are now.
Hattach’s older brother Omar was tapping his foot on a slow business day when he began playing with his pocket knife. A customer came up to him asking for the price of the knife after mistaking it for merchandise and Omar agreed to give it away for $7.
“It was funny,” Hattach said. “He went back to his small apartment — living in Egan — and he said ‘you know what? I’m gonna look for pocket knives and sell them with my items,’ and he put up little pocket knives with dragons and he was really, really happy. He called my mom and said ‘Oh mom, I made money. I’m gonna send money back home.’”
Both of Hattach’s parents came from a small village, Fechtala, in northern Morocco. As a way of giving back to humble beginnings, Hattach buys most of his merchandise from small villages in China, Japan and Morocco.
Hattach said he appreciates his customers in the same way his father did. Growing up, Hattach would help around his father’s small shop in Morocco serving tea and coffee to locals and tourists.
“Even if they didn’t buy, my dad would be really happy because he met a new person,” Hattach said. “That’s what I admire. I always love when I’m standing and talking to the customers. My mom and dad did everything for me. This is why we’re here, working hard for them.”
From kiosk to shop, Hattach has made the store his life. Every year Hattach looks forward to the November-December months when he’s the most busy. Those days bring back memories of the remodeling process when he would make six trips a day gathering supplies.
“It was really hard,” Hattach said. “ I was remodeling by myself. You don’t know if the store is going to work or not. You don’t know if the customer will like it. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, you know? I was a little bit scared, but it’s worth it.”
Hattach sometimes spends hours at night looking for something new to bring to his vast, horizontal display cases and black wall hooks. Searching the web for companies and merchandise, writing notes, making calls and attending conventions such as the ASD show Las Vegas, sometimes it can take a whole week to place orders.
Hattach says his customers appreciate the good stuff. They come in to build their collections, stay to hear the history behind the blades, marvel over aesthetics, talk about the accuracy of the mass battle fights in the Ruroni Kenshin movies and don’t settle for less than top notch quality blades. Hattach considers companies like Master Cutlery LLC to be the Holy Grail of some of his best sellers. Although the process can be lengthy, it offers a variety of hand-crafted choices for the customers.
Hattach’s cousin, Simo Mechouary, whom he hadn’t seen in 10 years, visited from Canada in May and was impressed with the dedication behind the store. He helped out as an assistant.
“That’s how we attract the customers,” Mechouary said. “By the quality that they’re not going to find outside.”
“I was asking him if I could buy a sword when I was 5 years old.” — Shawn “Sword Master” Vang, weapons expert and returning customer
Long-standing customer Shawn Vang can vouch as much for the consistency of the new products. Since the days of the kiosk, Vang has been appraising the quality of the wares.
“When I first met [Hattach],” Vang said, “I was asking him if I could buy a sword when I was 5 years old. He said no.”
Trained in multiple martial arts styles and weaponry since he was a child, Vang kept coming. Hattach now calls him “Sword Master.”
“First thing I look for is a brand new sword,” Vang said. “I test out every brand new sword that they have and if I deem it worthy enough to go home with me, I’ll buy it.”
Vang’s favorite purchase has been a seven-foot katana.
Hattach has even noticed a pattern in his customer’s preferences.
“Dragons,” Hattach said. “Anything with dragons. Always the first.”
Hattach has been thinking of getting a dragon sleeve tattoo. One that would match the design on one of his favorite pieces of inventory: the Japanese samurai tanto. He gets upset when the weapon is out-of-stock.
Hattach has two policies when it comes to sales:
- show the customer everything and
- work within the customer’s budget.
A customer, Kyara Kim, who first shopped at the kiosk after being dragged there by her daughter to purchase a shuriken appreciates that Hattach doesn’t upsell her …and the dragon designs.
“The owner is very friendly,” Kim said. “Nice, remembers his customers, gives good deals. They always have new inventory. Even if you’re not looking to buy, it’s always worth stopping. You could change your mind.”
Apart from his stock of traditional weaponry, Hattach’s supply of anime swords started out as a mistake. He had unknowingly bought a replica of a nichirin sword from the hit anime Demon Slayer, and after a customer — heart-eyed — made the purchase, he began mixing his wares with the 3D arts and fan-favored replicas.
Since setting up shop in Maplewood Mall, Hattach has gained more than just the money in his sales. Whether that’s hanging out with his buddy Ryan who operates the carousel downstairs or inviting Vang behind the counter, Hattach feels as though he’s found a second family away from home.
“We’re celebrating each other.” — Abes Hattach, owner of Omega Blades
Not only has he found common ground with others to appreciate the weight of a sword in their hand, but he also feels like he gets to experience a community not many are a part of. Whether that’s appreciating the make and style of a blade or finding honor and nobility in its purpose, Hattach’s experience in this subculture has satisfied the part of him that felt missing back when he was a hotel manager.
“We’re celebrating each other,” Hattach said. “Helping each other when we need to, staying positive when someone’s going through a hard time. When we get together, we help the community around us. Bringing people together always feels good. It feels good when you see other people mentioning your name in a good way.”
Sometimes there is a lull in sales, but Hattach said he stays positive in his pursuit of expanding the family business. His two employees and customers are better than acquaintances and the blades he sells light up his day with their dangerous beauty. A continent away from home, Hattach has found a community he wouldn’t trade for the world. For him, this is a passion that will be everlasting.
