Knize Ten fragrance notes
Head
- Bergamot, Lemon, Orange, Petitgrain, Rosemary
Heart
- Geranium, Cedarwood, Rose, Orris, Carnation, Cinnamon, Sandalwood
Base
- Leather, Musk, Moss, Amber, Castoreum and Vanilla
Where to buy
Latest Reviews of Knize Ten

Nevertheless few months ago I ordered a full 50 ml (1.7 fl. oz) bottle from an auction. I can't really tell what year exactly it was produced but it smells way different from what I rememebered. The scent itself consists of two parts: flowers and leather. It seems to be much sweeter, a bit more complex and definitely more unisex than Knize Ten I got to know years ago. It's not necessarily a bad thing but my first impression was: dissapointment and let down. Despite this I tested, tested and tested further.
Longevity is 9-10 hours, sillage is good. I rather think it is an option for fall and winter, rather formal occasions than casual. I like to wear it when I'm wearing a suit, however fits to the leather jacket and a t-shirt as well.
I have to admit I appreciate Knize Ten for what it is, overall. The batches vary, but that's okay for me. Generally it's rather an unisex leaning towards masculine. However, fits well for women who like leather accords in perfumes and for men who like florals mixed into their leathers.
Few weeks ago I bought Dior's Cuir cannage and I'd say for some it might be a modern hommage to Knize Ten "from good, old days".

The dry down reveals for more of its animalics and quinolines, but remains aromatic and round. There also seems to be, while not listed as a note, a shade of violet in the heart that is a lovely accompaniment that counterbalances the tarry and jagged qualities of the leather accord.
Knize Ten is a beguiling piece of history and a real pleasure to wear.
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Both were created around the same time (TB in 1919, KT in 1925), and both have the same devil-may-care, androgynous Jazz Age vibe that mixed traditionally masculine (leather, smoke, musk, woods) and feminine (flowers, specifically, carnation) elements in a way that initially must have been unusual and even a little shocking.
Although I haven't smelled Tabac Blond's recent incarnation (in that gorgeous new bottle!) my extrait from 10 or 12 years ago (bought from Lucky Scent when they were still selling most Carons), smells pretty darn good—but in an outsized, cos play kind of way. It's why I don't wear it out in public very often.
Knize Ten has that retro vibe, too. There's definitely leather and smoke and gasoline in there, along with carnation, a flower that can read as either aw-shucks old-fashioned or funereally suffocating. It's tamed a bit in Knize Ten, whose dry down is more minerally than TB, more your dad after the shower and less Clara Bow on a bender.
I haven't completed the full test drive yet. I have no idea how it performs in the heat or during a night out. While I imagine it might be a bit suffocating in the former, I can see it as being exactly right for the latter.


Nothing wrong with that - except the smoking...

Opens with some tan leather, mechanics rag note, flowers, and powder. Gets powderier as it dries. Kind of butch to me, but my wife said it smelled like her grandmother. Lol. It smelled moreand more like talc the further it went. Nice roundness and density. I like the fragrance, but its juat not quite all together a winner for me. Im going neutral.