Knize Ten Knize for men

As a homo, I don't really go in for the classic masculine thing. It’s just not queer enough. I’m more of a ‘cafeteria’ male. Whether I measure up or not, I’ll take what I like from masculinity and leave the rest. Femininity as well, for that matter. Gentlemanly, yes. Boorish, no. Sports, no, but also Broadway musicals, no. It gets confusing, yes?

But Knize Ten is pretty and strapping in equal measure. If this is what it is to be a man, sign me up.

I’ve finally found a socially acknowledged manly fragrance that I’ll buy into without reservation. (Well, current masculinity is bound to look a bit like dandy-drag on me, but at least it's not such bad theater as the whole-hog Ralph Lauren anglo-psychodrama.)

from scenthurdle

Like Cilantro, Knize Ten is a one-off package which you either love or hate. I HATE both! This is the most disgusting smelling fragrance I was ever tempted to sniff. De gustibus non est disputandum.

Knize Ten has been on my "to test" list for quite some time. I am pleased I finally decided to sample it.

On my skin it is incredibly similar to Bandit EDP but sexier, smoother, and better composed. It is a straightforward motorcycle leather with very little background noise.

Simple, effortlessly cool, and unintentionally rebellious. An accidental outlaw of a fragrance. Knize Ten doesn't cause unnecessary trouble. He's just...bad.

this my second comment, i compared both the 50 ml and 225 ml bottle , the 50ml basically is what all the fragrantica fellows already explained...but the 225 ml is better IMHO..the leather is stronger with the flowery,woody,ambery and minty aspect peaking..i would recommend that those who like knize 10 should try the 225 ml bottles..

The first time I wore Knize Ten I understood why it is still in production after almost ninety year of its launch. Its because it's the best masculine scent out there, a very rich and opulent leather based composition.
The opening is a blast of leather and tobacco. Then the tobacco softens leaving a classic ambery leather accord, you can still smell the tobacco, but it stays more on the back ground giving a smoky ambiance. In the next fase I get Cuir Mauresque, an oily, animalc, almody leather but instead of the dried orange you have spices (clove?) rose and jasmine. It has also a powdery quality that is lovely. As it dries down it gets softer, and amber starts to dominate the fragrance along with the leather. Just perfect. Longevity and projection is excellent, price tag is incredible and its easy to find. So what are you waiting for to get your bottle?
This is a must have in any leather lover.

Ofcourse this is a masterpiece without a doubt.
This is again why im such an addict into finding gems throughout the perfume industry and this is why have this hobby.
What i love about the Bvlgari Black (rubber n vannila)
Is found back in Knize Tens Gasoline,sigaret smoke ashes,rosemary,lime and roses

Its contrasting and bold i see a road movie : A biker or a trucker on the road wearing a leather jacket for years.

Imagine a truly worn smoked out, smeared with gasoline and oil jacket worn by a woman for a few days.

Its daring,robust,confronting but at the same time so GOOD!
Im out of words and i feel bad describing this one...
This is vintage scent Art.

It smells like chocolate.

Well, maybe not like chocolate-chocolate as sweet candy flavor, but it reminds me often of essence of chocolate. Like chocolate it has so many confronting nuances and yet they all come together in very round and full way.

Toilet water is so strong that in every day life I often wear just deodorant version of Knize ten and it's enough for whole day.

10/10

Imagine a truckstop washroom that has been cleaned a few hours ago. As you sniff the air you can smell the oil from the fumes of the trucks just outside mixing in with the florals from the cleaning.

A few bikers come in wearing their leather jackets which they take off to wash their oily hands. The smell of the truckstop washroom is now one of oily leather and powdery soapy florals from the soap and the cleaning a few hours earlier.

A few hours later the manager of the truckstop wearing a suit pops into the washroom to freshen up and his cologne of amber and sandalwood is quite strong and is mixing in with the leathery oily soapy floral of the washroom. This is Knize ten for me.

I can see why this is a love it or hate it scent. The opening florals mixed in with the oily leather do give it that truckstop washroom vibe. But at the sametime the worn in leather can be quite compelling as well as the complex drydown.

This scent is complex and chaotic with notes that you can love and hate at the same time. It's worth trying just for the experience and to see if you love it or hate it. Or both.

Even if high quality fragrance (centuries long last, big silage, interesting and rich development) for my it is a soapy nightmare for guys like Huge Hefner or Jack Nicolson.

5/5 great...

I am not an expert, only a (new) lover of the perfume's world. But this is a really great fragrance, very masculine and refined. it's not easy become familiar with its strong leather/rubber taste, the first impact is so apparently rude. but the dry down is a smooth delight

The more I wear the more I love it. Incredible. It's one of those that once it's seduced you, will never let go. I wish I could smell other people wearing it; last week I smelled somebody wearing another fave, Dior Homme, and dag, man, he smelled great. It would be nice to have that same experience with Knize.

I thought I'd do a Marlene and give Knize Ten a whirl (to be honest, I wasn't aware of the association until I read it here today).

A definite petrol vibe on first application, not unpleasant but certainly unusual. On my skin it quickly morphed into a soft sweet floral with the sharp leather of a brand new briefcase. At this point it reminded me of a watered-down Bandit - nice but not remarkable.

It stayed like that pretty steadily, until somewhere around the two hour mark, when I suddenly became aware of a concentrated cognac note and some pretty potent carnation. Mmmm, heading into the realms of remarkable now.

The drydown was a dry, spicy amber with just a hint of booze and leather. All in all, very nice indeed.

all the other comment have explained basically what i intent to say..i love it...got to get a bigger bottle..

Pull the nozzle on this and it's true, you do get a bit of gasoline. Definitely masculine and butch. Interestingly, I detect almond extract or that liquid candy in the wax sticks I would get when I was a kid. It's made in Germany and perhaps there's a trace to the famed Kirschwasser from black morello cherries. There's depth and substance here and can only imagine how Rudolph Valentino smelled while driving his 1920's Duesenberg or Falcon Lair smelled from his trail. This is manly golden era Hollywood. Very Nice and Very Elegant! JG 082112

Rating: 9/10

I love Knize but I can see how someone could be put off by it. It is reminiscent of many cheaper cruder mall fragrances of my childhood. But that is only superficial. And it does suggest gasoline but the good parts of gasoline. Also very strong. Bought a 125 ml bottle and I will surely die before I use it up. The best thing is that it fits perfectly the image of Marlene in Knize suits and tuxedos. Her daughter described her as "her own superior product" and Knize Ten lets you groove deeply on that thought. Wonderful.

This is like the pink disks that men use for target practice in porcelain wall-mounted plumbing mechanisms. What once was considered natty is now considerably nasty.

“Falling in love again…never wanted to….what am I to do? I can’t help it.” The indelible glamour of Marlene Dietrich is legendary. Her style unique and daring in the early 1930’s was groundbreaking. In a smoky nightclub she sang and flirted with Gary Cooper and kissed a female extra wearing a man’s tuxedo in “Morocco”. Marlene in that tux had more magnetism and sensuality than she would ever have if she had been singing in a Travis Banton gown. Off the screen she picked up on Chanel’s appropriation of men’s clothing and took it to a new level with slacks, loafers and men’s shirts. And what scent did this sexy gender bending star sport? Knize 10 for Men.

Launched in 1920 Knize 10 is considered one of, if not the top of the line in the Leather groups for Perfume. I personally love it though I do favor Chanel’s Cuir de Russie just above it in subtly of opening notes. (Both were launched in 1924) I find Knize 10 also to be reminiscent of the wonderful Versace L’homme another great leather scent.

The top notes of orange lemon petit grain bergamot blast out of the bottle on first spray and sock you in the face. It is almost a motor oil-gas smell you get when you kick start a motorcycle. This in your face and not unpleasant assault dissipates very quickly to reveal the up front rich leather that is the dominating note all the way to the end of the life of this fragrance. The patchouli and musk do there part to support this very masculine and sensual leather. It is like wearing a well broken in leather motorcycle jacket with out a shirt in the summer on a Harley racing down highway 1 from Big Sur to Cambria. The wind in your face and the blending of the smell of the tar up from the asphalt and the leather and sweat out from the jacket, it is Man Smell heaven. There are some flowers whipping past in the heat of the ride, rose, iris and a smidgen of carnation. But they are very light in their passing. The woods along the road come to play on an occasional curve you are hit with the summery warmth of cedar and sandalwood, luscious and intoxicating as they blend in with that musky leather. In the dry down the amber notes and oak moss do there best to keep up with the leather and it all dies out in a lovely last breath at about 8 hours after the journey began.

This old school classic is anything but old. It is vibrant and modern in the most wonderful and unique way. And it is a pro at projecting with fine silage that garners some attention. Mature is the order of the day with Knize 10, it is not for little boys to pay with matches like these. They could start a fire that is too hot to handle. "If their wings get burned I know I'm not to blame."

I read somewhere just recently that James Dean fancied Knize 10 as well as Marlene. If a Hollywood Rebel and The Scarlett Empress worked this sexy juice to their advantage then that tells you just how special it is.

Five gold stars *****

I'm really floored by this fragrance's quality. There really aren't many corners cut here. It's sharp, it's plush, it's smooth, it's sparse, it's complex, and it's gorgeous throughout ots development. It opens with a sharply herbal and smokey leather, which lasts a short while. As the heart unfolds, you're treated to the main character of the fragrance. It's certainly distinctive, though extremely familiar at the same time. Many facets of the leather combine with the spicy floral heart in a way that is quite distinct in a fragrance. Cool iris creeps into the picture and begins to dominate the fragrance. These basenotes are very similar to Chanel's Cuir de Russie. Smooth leather that feels very comfortable and lived in. The fragrance lasts a ridiculously long time on my skin - easily 3 times as long as Cuir de Russie, and that's with only 2 sprays of Ten! An excellent fragrance appropriate for any time of the year. A new favorite of mine.

I have a vintage bottle of eau de cologne with a green cap. It's very rich and complex and miles ahead of any leather I've ever used.

Knize Ten is intensely complex and magnificent..! Same with Grottola! Keep it up…with the huge thing!

Well well well - when I first tried this it was all aldehyde and gave me a splitting headache. But I always persevere and am so glad I did. This is KLASSICHE mit a kapital K!! The burst of citrus opening reminds me of Acqua Di Parma Colonia and the aldehydes evoke an older Guerlain fragrance (these are compliments!). On me the leather is evident but not overpowering. It definitely has a personality all its own - it is retro but not in a self-concious sort of way - it's just good taste! I don't discern any "skankiness" to it - though, on occassion, I have added a little of my own by layering Brent Leonisio's Untitled #8. Knize 10 is great for meetings too - distinct, a little aloof (because it's not a coolwater/eternity-alike number and keeps them guessing) but charming. I have had many compliments. I love its complexity as it unfurls over the course of the day. A definite keeper.

Tepid mop water identical to English Leather (not a good thing). Does not in any way deliver on the promise of its fantastical reputation, or even make the wearer smell good. Grottola is absolutely correct in the "public restroom" description.

Initially Knize Ten is a disturbing fragrance, which harmonizes a number of discordant elements to create something chaotic but beautiful. My initial experiences were less than agreeable, the opening was too intense, too troubled, but once I discovered that a small amount goes a long way, it unlocked the genius within this mercurial fragrance. Scarcely have I extracted so much from such a small application.

The opening is astringent, and with the citric elements clashing, the initial moments are relatively subdued. A bitter tsunami of geranium, rose and carnation are doused in a dark petroleum aura, with the resulting potency softened slightly with the presence of sandalwood and cedarwood. Within ten minutes, one is subjected to the full intensity of Knize Ten, a cacophony of diversity. A chaotic tapestry of petroleum, floral and leather notes create a thing of beauty by finding the perfect balance of ingredients. On paper, this should never work, but in reality, this taps into something deep inside the brain. This fragrance makes no sense whatsoever, but that is why it is either revered or reviled by those that experience it. There are a multitude of notes, each adding something different, and nothing appears superfluous. As the potency of the middle notes diminishes, things soften considerably. There is still the camphoric seam, with its floral hue to drive it on, but a degree of comfort is afforded to the wearer, with soft amber and vanilla notes. Beyond an hour, it has found its range, and it merely varies the intensity of its components, ensuring that the dry down is wonderfully engaging.

Rating: 4/5 Excellent

extremely masculine? nah. Most defintely both sexes can wear this. It starts off very strong with all kinds of things going on..leather, hint of gasoline, citrus, perfumed english type soap, flowers, a lavender type of note. Then after about 20 minutes, I get alot of that rosemary/floral/musky soapiness. It is truly unisex at this point. Underneath that soapy scent is a classic car leather scent..a clean leather. Leather is not in the forefront on my skin. Once it's at this point, about 20 minutes in...this smells exactly like my grandparents apartment in NYC back in the day. When I would ride the elevator and walk down the hallway and opened the door to their apartment..this was the smell. Wow. How strange that Knize Ten would bring me right back there spending weeks with them in the city every summer watching spanish soap operas ( my grandma would translate) and yelling at people from the balcony. I might need a full bottle of this.
This scent lasts a long time, and is really lovely
for a man or woman.

I bought this for my husband - but really I want to wear it! It's a fantatsic ambery leather that smells old-fashioned in the best possible way. It smells incredibly expensive and rich without being too refined - that smokey edge makes it a bit dangerous and slightly decadent. Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes would wear this - or maybe it's better on Adele Adler. Fabulous!

Normalmente non sono per le fragranze floreali, soprattutto quelle maschili.
Devo dire d'aver cambiato opinione dopo aver sentito Ten, tantochè me lo sono comprato:
PROFUMO DI ALTO LIVELLO!

it is a great fragrance...imagine a brand new tire, that lovely rubber type of smell and then a fragrant cologne scent added on almost reminds me of a brand new michelin tire that is wearing english leather cologne..lol... very unique, have never smelled a fragrance like it. but it is manly, a leather jacket would be approriate for this one. not sure i would wear this one very often , but it is a special fragrance that i would want to have it in my collection.very nice fragrance, i can see why the accolades over the years..of the highest quality...recommended to sniff..

Perfect leather scent, neither sharp, nor heavy. Subtle, well balanced, a bit oily. Best for winter or rainy days when the fragrance shows off all its beauty. Definitely with a character as every perfume should be but in nowadays usually is not. Rating 10/10 without a doubt. Highly recommended at least for testing.

Knize Ten is definitely the king of dirty, oily, restroom leathers. I wouldn't call it animalic (although there's definitely some resinous castoreum in there), but it's definitely outgoing and has character.

Knize Ten is the fragrance you'd wear when you want everyone to know you have a huge dick.

Remember when Oppenheimer remarked, "Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds", after testing the first atomic bomb? The bringer of death that he helped to create?

Well, I can only imagine the thoughts of François Coty and Vincent Roubert after they create Knize Ten. It's the strongest, skankiest leather I've ever smelled, and while it doesn't smell animalic by any means, it does have that "porta potty" smell I get from other leathers like Royal English Leather. Meaning, it doesn't smell like urine or feces, it smells like the pink aroma of the restroom itself.

I'm going to have to revisit this one a few more times, but so far Knize Ten is definitely peaking my interest. I want to get to know it even more.

Yes, yes, yes! Here is a real, 1920's smoky leather. Knize Ten smells properly leathery and smoky, rounded out by an ambery, floral heart that reminds me somewhat of L'Heure Bleue. Knize Ten is nostalgic in the best sense of the word. If you wear it while dancing the waltz, your partner will want to get even closer, I promise!

E' proprio come lo descrivono ma io sono una che desidera profumi cattivi, intriganti, che ti stendono senza essere volgari.O sono io oppure tutto sto gran dire dei profumi finisce sempre per essere "una sveltina"...scompaiono sulla mia pelle. Ottimo profumo, sillage=0 !!!!

The offensive opening reminds me of being in a car garage smelling petrol, tar and rubber and then suddenly the garage changes into a shop where they sell lots of leather shoes! Really amazing though I can understand its dislike.
After that it changes again in a very very distinguished, sophisticated, not offensive and manly scent with perfect sillage and longevity.
The dry down is a perfect original smell of (mainly) leather, amber, a touch of vanilla which makes you feel like a real man. Genuine leather!!
Classic warm old scent that is still perfectly wearable these days (35+).

Knize Ten lives up to all of its hype, and then some. It has become my favorite leather fragrance.

Knize Ten smells like the interior of a brand new luxury car with leather upoholstery. We're not talking about black leather, like in Fonzie's leather jacket. This is a soft, tan-colored leather smell that is also spicy, no doubt acheived by the presence of cinnamon. The addition of iris to the leather gives Knize Ten a hazy, dusky smell, adding to its allure and giving the scent great depth. It has a wonderful oily glow to it that the best leathers have, without smelling like gasoline.

Knize Ten's biggest artistic virtue is how amazingly elegant, refined and perfectly balanced it is. It's so multifaceted, evolving by the hour ever so slightly, yet never losing its leather focus. It is a fragrance that smells better and better the longer you wear it, and you will wear it for a long time since the scent lasts for well over 12 hours.

The best fragrances are those where all of the ingredients fit and work together in perfect harmony. Balance is a quality that is hard to acheive in creating a perfume, but is particularly hard in a leather perfume; leathers often smell off-kilter or overpowered by smoky notes or a petrolieum smell. Knize Ten, howver, acheives perfect equilibrium with all of its various smells. It smells debonaire and dashing. This fragrance is so comfortable to wear and is so good, wearing it brightens even the most miserbale day.

MY RATING: 10/10

A love or hate scent and possibly one of the best masculine fragrances ever produced. Knize Ten It's a typical example of the concept "expensive doesn't always mean good" as it is very reasonably priced and at the same time better than almost any other expensier male leather fragrance available on the market.



An archetypal leather fragrance and one of the very few pre-WWII leather compositions who carefully avoided disastrous reformulations. Made by Franoise Coty and Vincent Roubert, Knize Ten is a pillar of the early 900 perfumery and something we all should preserve from oblivion.



The opening is litterally shocking (to me in a good way, but can be challenging to someone) with a severe and breathtaking explosion of leather. If you like it, fine, if you don't, just try to survive for a while as in the drydown Ten turns into an incredibly comfortable and wearable scent. A magnifically rounded amber smooths the ever dominant animalic leather adjusting the initial severity and harshness with an incredibly delightful warmness. Flowery patterns (ylang-ylang and jasmine), some spices, woods. Everything smells so rich but incredibly blended and balanced. Absolutely distinctive.



Knize Ten became the benchmark of masculine leather fragrances and after eighty years it's still one of the most successful compositions ever. An all time favourite and a great example of how an older classic perfume can be tremendous in its modernity.



Like it or not, there's only one like it.



Rating: 10/10

Yes, definitely the definitive leather fragrance hands down. Its packaging is somewhat dated but there is something endearing about it. The perfume itself is complex, subtle, slightly soft and powdery yet strong at the same time. It's the smell of an old world composition where attention to detail is executed with precision and intent.

With the right marketing, it should have been a runaway success. But it is still produced by a small german company in very limited quantities. But in these times, ain't nothing wrong with that!

OMG - NOW I know why Luca Turin gave this 5 stars. This is amazing stuff. I tried the sample and absolutely would not to choose to wear it BUT it is so leathery with very little sweetness and no animalic smell. I cannot detect any citrus either. Just a hint of musk and patchouli in the drydown, but these are barely detectable and do not distract one's nose from the big picture. Totally different from any other leather I have tried. It smells as if you are standing in a tyre shop - that tarry, leathery, rubbery smell. I can see this suiting bikers and their chicks. It gets five stars from this perfume dabbler too.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have to add to this. I have been wearing it all day (8 hours +) and can still smell it on my wrist, now without the rubber just some musk and sandalwood, in fact totally unrecognizable from when I put it on and somewhat easier for me to wear. However, when I said above I would never wear it, I have changed my mind. I WOULD...by myself at home, in secret, and feeling guilty because..well...I never thought I would admit to liking it. But that hot rubber proved to have a haunting effect and I couldn't stop sniffing it. How can someone like sweet stuff such as Payard Lychee Mousse, and THIS one? Hard to get my head around!Today has been an epiphany for me and knocked down a lot of pre-conceived prejudices. I have to say this can never be called a perfume, a scent or a fragrance, it's a SMELL. Experience it, just once, even if you think you will hate it. You may be surprised, too.

A raw scent. No wonder that famous Manolo Blahnik use this as his signature. It's sophisticated, elegant and classy. I thought there was nothing to compete with Colonia Intensa in classic category, but there is...this one. As Colonia Intensa, Knize is for a serious man who wears a suit or a nice blazer well combined with the other clothes. Classic black suit for a gentleman - there is nothing to complain about. Classic parfume - there is nothing to complain about. But, this perfume hasn't usual smell. It is well balanced. Opening is sharp, spicy and strong for the nose. Rosemary was the most sensible to me. It needs about 10min until the main notes are gone and then the perfume is developing into the heart. The heart prickles the nose. I wondered what it could be...and yes, I was right - that is patchouly which is strong and really spicy. There are no traces of the rose, only a woody composition which dominates. Cinnamon gives the spiceiness to the whole story. After some time, the base is coming out but leather is recognizable from the opening until the end, but now it takes a main role with the wood. The drydown of the parfume is classic for such composition. It is elegant, it prickles the nose but it is not assailant. Very long lasting perfume. It has not a big aura, it is intimate, but it has its own personality...anybody who comes closer, it will recognize that personality. Elegant and classy, like Blahnik itself!

I had been waiting,impatiently I might add,for this to come back on the market. I finally found it at Lucky Scent and received my bottle on 1/10. It was well worth the wait. Knize Ten is a stylish gentlemen's leather that smells like none of the other leathers in my wardrobe. It's in a wonderful leather world all by itself.
It's already made it into my top five,bumping Cuir Pleine Fleur (Heeley).

5 stars easy--this one has no faults that I can detect.

I read an article featuring the portly Manolo Blahnik who was wearing dandified house-slippers and professing that Knize Ten was his favorite scent. Hmmm, interesting, I'm gonna get it! I was sure it would smell of violets, or something limey-citrusy. Wrong! Nothing dandy about this scent. It's weird, wild and fabulous. I envisioned him walking across a room, the sillage leaving a waft of carbolic soap, doll plastic, ginger and cloves, a bit of citrus, powder, and warm salt dough. Go Mr. Dandy!

The dry down on my skin reminds me of Wella Balsam's Shampoo from the late seventies, but watch out, on fabric you've been to the gas station after the shower!

A raw, "meaty" leather singes the nostrils and lasts a couple of hours or so, then gives way to a nice blend with a strong spice note. It's a bit powdery and the leather is in the background. If there is vanilla in here it is very minimal, and the animalic notes are not offensive (compared to Kouros, for example). Longevity and projection/"sillage" are excellent. I can certainly understand why some don't like this one, and I didn't at first either. However, I decided to keep trying and as often occurs, my "nose" adjusted to it and I was able to enjoy the blend, especially once the strong leather in the opening subsides. If you like strong leather and spice with a nice cast of background notes (including powdery iris), you should try this one.

There is no doubt that this is a leather scent. The leather is right up front, first thing out of the sample vial, taking up at least half of the olfactory stage. It’s not a rough ‘n tough, ripped-straight-off-the-animal leather, it’s a fairly refined natural leather, the kind that might be used to make an old-fashioned briefcase. Along with the leather is a soft, slightly spicy, woody, peppery and powdery floral backup, perfectly blended and in complete harmony. None of the backup notes is so strong that it pops out against the leather; they simply hum together as a unit while the leather does its thing.

As the perfume dries down, the leather finishes its solo and blends with the rest of the notes to create a luminous whole that is absolutely gorgeous. The floral notes become a bit more prominent, but they are so well blended that individual notes remain obscure, and a new flower is created. The leather-petaled flower that some other perfumes have tried unsuccessfully to achieve is blooming in all its glory in Ten. Sillage is good, and the scent lasts 5-6 hours, not bad for an EdT.

This is among the best leather scents I have smelled. It’s certainly the most “leathery”. It is definitely decant-worthy and regular rotation-worthy. It’s supposed to be a “man’s” perfume, but I’m sure it would be just as appealing for a woman as a man - different context, different scent. If you don’t like leather, this scent is not for you, but if you do, or even if you think you might, it’s a must-try.

Note: The "castor oil" mentioned in the notes here is almost certainly castoreum. The two are very different things.