Quick answers
History
Knize Ten comes from Knize, a tailoring house founded in Vienna (Austria) in 1858. Its shop at Graben 13 was fitted out by architect Adolf Loos from 1910 and survives almost unchanged.
In 1922 the Wolff family, which owned the business, hired graphic artist Ernst Dryden. The house says that “the fragrance KNIZE Ten, an exclusive range of toiletries for men” appeared in that period.
The name comes from polo. The Vienna Tourist Board explains that ten goals is the highest handicap in the sport, and that the figure stands for the highest elegance.
The exact year is unsettled. Perfume Shrine dates it to 1924 and Parfumo to 1925; the house and the City of Vienna say only the 1920s.
The composition is attributed to Vincent Roubert, who worked with Coty on L’Or and L’Aimant. Parfumo adds François Coty; the house credits no perfumer.
Knize still trades as a men’s outfitter, with bespoke workshops on the Graben. Knize Ten remains on sale there, alongside a later Golden Edition.
Fragrance notes
These are the notes Knize publishes on its official Knize Ten page, split into top, heart and base.
The list Perfume Shrine published in 2010 adds clove, patchouli and ambergris, and leaves out vanilla.
Scent profile
The house sums it up through its “tart character” and its “rare leather note”. The opening sets leather against citrus, petitgrain and rosemary, a sharp, dry entrance.
The floral heart of carnation, iris and rose softens that leather. Perfume Shrine likens it to a watchband or a fine shoe rather than the boot of a Russian leather.
The base of amber, musk and castoreum is animalic but restrained. Osmetheca files it under leather, as one of the 1920s landmarks with Tabac Blond and Cuir de Russie.
“As dryly authoritative as a sharply-cut gabardine suit.”Carmencanada, Perfume Shrine, 23 November 2010
Key characteristics
When and where to wear
As an eau de toilette it is lighter than an extrait, but the animalic base is pronounced. Its classic leather register works by day or night, best in cool weather. Osmetheca does not publish a longevity figure.
Similar perfumes
Five perfumes published on Osmetheca place Knize Ten in the history of leather.
| Perfume | House | Why related |
|---|---|---|
| Tabac Blond | Caron · 1919 | The tobacco leather that precedes Knize Ten by a few years. |
| Cuir de Russie | Chanel · 1927 | Another 1920s leather, more floral and more tarry. |
| Bandit | Robert Piguet · 1944 | A greener, more radical leather chypre. |
| Tuscan Leather | Tom Ford · 2007 | A modern leather over raspberry and saffron. |
| Cuir Ottoman | Parfum d’Empire · 2006 | A floral leather over iris, more resinous. |
Frequently asked questions
See also
Sources
- Knize, official Knize Ten Toilet Water page (notes, sizes, description), accessed 4 November 2026
- Knize, “KNIZE schreibt Modegeschichte, seit 1858” (house history, Ernst Dryden, Knize Ten), accessed 4 November 2026
- WienTourismus (Vienna Tourist Board), “Düfte aus Wien” (name and polo), accessed 4 November 2026
- Wien Geschichte Wiki (City of Vienna), “Knize Herrenausstatter” (Graben 13, Adolf Loos), last edited 30 June 2025
- Carmencanada, “Knize Knize Ten: fragrance review”, Perfume Shrine, 23 November 2010 (1924, Vincent Roubert, notes)
- Parfumo, Knize Ten (Toilet Water) entry (1925, François Coty and Vincent Roubert), accessed 4 November 2026