SAMPLE .. Josef Kniže, Kniže Ten, Knize Ten, DECANTED SAMPLE from Flacon, Eau de Toilette, 1924, 1980, Paris, France ..

Kniže Ten by Josef Kniže is a Leather fragrance for men. Kniže Ten was launched during the 1920's, and it was created by Vincent Roubert and Francois Coty.

Kniže was founded in 1858 by the Czech tailor Josef Kniže. He specialized in making sportswear, riding clothes and liveries. After his death in 1880, his son Josef Jr. (1851–1888) together with Johann Kallina took over the store, which was then located at Am Hof 3. In 1885, Albert Wolff, who came from Neumarkt in Pomerania, joined the company.

In 1873, Kniže was awarded the "Progress Medal" at the Vienna World's Fair. From 1874 he was allowed to use the Persian as well as the Ottoman court title. His customers included the Dukes of Mecklenburg and Oldenburg, Prince Liechtenstein, and the Jockey Club.

In 1886, Kniže applied for the title of Viennese court supplier, but was refused. It was not until 1888 that Kniže received the title of "k.k. Court Tailor." Josef Kniže died in the same year, and Albert Wolff became sole proprietor. After his death in 1902, his widow Gisela and their four children Anna, Auguste, Fritz and Susanna took over the business. From 1904, the company was called Kniže & Comp. Since the court title was personal, she had to apply for the title again and pay the tax.

The creative birth of the traditional brand took place in the age of the Belle Époque. In 1910–1913, the current store at Graben 13, one of the most famous Viennese business streets in the city center, was designed by architect Adolf Loos and remains almost unchanged to this day. Loos also designed the branch in Karlovy Vary (1921), the store on Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin (1924) and the annex at 149 Champs-Elysees in Paris (1927–1928). The Prague branch was designed by his collaborator Heinrich Kulka.

Kniže Ten, a classic and a unique scent, is considered to be one of the best leather compositions in the history of perfume. It was launched in 1924. A founder of the House is Joseph Kniže, the Viennese tailor of the Royal Court. The design of the bottle is attributed to the Viennese architect Adolf Loos. Number ten in the name symbolizes the polo game as this leathery fragrance was associated with horse riding and saddlery.

"Every perfume genre has its pioneering, benchmark classic, a fragrance by which all others who follow it are judged. The leather category might be the only one which has two leaders: Chanel‘s Cuir de Russie which came out in 1924, and the Austrian fragrance which followed it a year later from Kniže called Kniže Ten. One was inspired by the Russian treatment of leather and Coco Chanel’s affair with a Romanov prince; the other by the sport of polo as an emblem of aristocratic refinement. Both fragrances are centered around the use of birch tar leather, but they are very different.

"Kniže Ten is one of those legendary fragrances that leather lovers often hold up as the very best leather around. (Naturally, Chanel Cuir de Russie lovers don’t agree.) I decided to give Kniže a whirl after hearing something about the company’s history which encompassed famous architects, figures who worked with Klimt (one of my favourite painters), and clothing clients who ranged from Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich, to King Juan Carlos of Spain. Knize Ten, in specific, was allegedly the scent of choice for both James Dean and David Niven."

"Kniže Ten opens on my skin with a burst of crisp, zesty, cool lemons, bergamot, and the bitter wood, twiggy note of petitgrain. The citrus cocktail is infused with smoky, dry cedar, a touch of rosemary, copious amounts of oak moss, and leather. For an instant, the leather note smells like new shoes, but it soon takes on the tarry, phenolic aroma of smoky birch tar. It’s raw, rubbery, a tinge industrial, and quite smoky. The birch tar smells sharp and dark, but also woody with a hint of chilled, piney elements evocative of a dark, wintery forest. A forest infused with lots of latex rubber and some Michelin tires." Kafkaesque Blog.

"The fragrance opens up on a peppery bergamot and green leafy note, hinting at the Mediterranean pantry with its medley of aromatic basil, thyme and lemons. The tangy leather is immediately obvious, and as the initial freshness is toned down, the darkness overtakes the composition. It is the scent of a well-worn leather jacket, with a hint of tobacco and musk. The rose and iris add a subtle softness; their delicate sweetness soothes the roughness of dark and smoky notes. A lingering spicy bite of carnation lends an exotic flair to this elegant, but austere perfume." Bois de Jasmin.

This extremely masculine fragrance contains notes of leather, tar, citruses and flowers.

Top notes are Petitgrain, Orange, Lemon, Rosemary, and Bergamot
Heart notes are Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Rose, Iris, Carnation, Cinnamon, and Clove
Base notes are Castor Oil, Ambergris, and Oak Moss

Available as toilet water of 30 ml., 125 ml., and 225 ml., and 125 ml. in the aftershave lotion and deodorant spray. Offered here is a lovely bottle of the Kniže Ten fragrance in the 225 ml. Eau de Toilette version. Batch codes are not shown. Never opened or used. Smells wonderful!