Packaging&Presentation - How important is it to you?

How important is packaging/presentation of a knife to you?

  • I'm happy with a cardboard box, I just care about the knife.

    Votes: 90 67.7%

  • The more premium the knife, the more premium I want packaging.

    Votes: 43 32.3%
  • Total voters
    133
b00n

b00n

Joined
Dec 15, 2016
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So I thought this could be an interesting topic. I mentioned it in a different thread, and I suppose opinions differ.
But how important is packaging and presentation of a new knife to you? Doesn't matter, any kind of cardboard box will do? The nicer the better? Does a premium price play a role as opposed to a budget blade? Should any knife come in a package that makes it feel like the company put some thought into it and cared about how their product arrives?
A few examples:
- Simple Cardboard box ala CRKT (Or ZT)
- Cardboard Box with Sleeve ala Spyderco
- Sleeved Box with Pouch ala Kizer
- Pouch with spare parts ala Reate
- Hardcase ala Medford

What about adding certain things to a package, should some things always be included? Say Birthcards, Tools, Spare Parts, Swag (Cloth/Patches/Stickers..)

Do you have a favorite? Do you think certain knives should come with nice packaging or should the company just focus on the knife itself?

My personal opinion is, a knife above a certain price point should come in a nicer packaging, either with a pouch or just a baggy at least, spare parts are nice but not a requirement. To me a cheapening out on the packaging looks a bit bad, just in the sense that there seems to be less pride in their creation, which might sound pretentious, but if I were to built something, I wouldn't want it to just ship in a "blah" cardboard box. Although it doesn't make or break a knife purchase, as evident by me not minding ZT's packaging :D

The poll seemed tricky, so I leave it kinda simple for now. Discuss!
 
I bought a Ruike knife for $39 and I received a box that could have been for a $200 knife.
Thoiught it was kind of a waste , as I tossed the box in the garbage.

But getting something reusable, like a pouch or case is a nice touch. Especially if it's a higher end knife.
 
Clamshell? - no, thank you.
Basic box? - no problem.
Formed insert? - nice touch
Knife in fabric bag? - nice touch
Fancy box? - presentation points, appreciated on more pricey knives
Pouch or other container? - nice, but they add to clutter.
 
I don't really care as long as the knife is safely secured. I can't stand receiving a box with a knife in it bouncing all around in transit.
 
They can keep the box and save me five bucks.
ESEE, at the time called RAT Cutlery, took a poll from their customers and a knife box was voted down in favor of saving a few dollars.
 
My most expensive knife was a folder from Andrew Demko and it came in the huge nylon\canvas zip pouch which I guess is nice but I don't really use it for anything. That was wrapped in paper in a box. So not super fancy but it didn't matter because the knife is awesome. Fancy packaging is just something to keep and take up space.
 
Packaging expenses are passed on to the customer. It also sucks receiving a knife that comes in an awkwardly large box that won't fit in a small priority box or padded envelope. With that being said, the CRK boxes are a pretty nice touch I guess. Including the tools/lube/loctite etc. is really nice for these IMO, but everything else just seems to be stuff you have to keep up with in case of resale.

Spyderco boxes seem nice and cheap and get the job done. Benchmade boxes seem about bulletproof and don't seem to wear at all if you care about boxes. They are substantial enough to ship in a padded envelop alone without worries IMO. I've never had an issue with Spyderco boxes in padded envelops, though.
 
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Yes, but I do like something like a Spyderco box, as many of mine get stacked in box in my safe...that is, when I STILL had "many." :)
 
JPD1998 said:
Thoiught it was kind of a waste , as I tossed the box in the garbage.
Click to expand...
You throw the boxes away? I keep them for storage and any possible future resale. I'm all for a nice package/presentation- the additional cost to the retailer is minimal. I've even turned down potential purchases at knife shows (for certain more expensive knives) because the sellers didn't have any box or papers for the knives. It's all part of the "provenance" of the knife (and the same applies to cars, jewelry, etc.); gives you a little piece of history down the road to go along with the object itself.
 
hhmoore said:
Clamshell? - no, thank you.
Basic box? - no problem.
Formed insert? - nice touch
Knife in fabric bag? - nice touch
Fancy box? - presentation points, appreciated on more pricey knives
Pouch or other container? - nice, but they add to clutter.
Click to expand...
This mostly is how I see it but I will add that the higher the price point the more I expect in presentation/packaging.
 
bobobama said:
You throw the boxes away? I keep them for storage and any possible future resale. I'm all for a nice package/presentation- the additional cost to the retailer is minimal. I've even turned down potential purchases at knife shows (for certain more expensive knives) because the sellers didn't have any box or papers for the knives. It's all part of the "provenance" of the knife (and the same applies to cars, jewelry, etc.); gives you a little piece of history down the road to go along with the object itself.
Click to expand...

I don't think the box is going to make a huge difference for the resale value of a $39 knife...
 
Don't think I've ever given it much thought but then again, I'm not buying lots of Grimsmo customs and the like. I do like the tubes GEC supplies, with the old-timey labeling and waxed paper- that's a nice touch and pretty economical.
 
A small Spyderco or ZT box is nice as they can be stacked neatly on a shelf.
Pouches I dont understand as I never put my knives back in them, and they're a bit harder to store.
A hard case is nice if its not overly branded (like Brous cases are) as they could be repurposed for something else.

Spare parts or lube would be great. I have enough microfiber cloths that I don't know what to do with.
 
No interest at all in packaging except that it keeps my knife safe in shipping and that it will add to resell value down the road if I keep the packaging and ever decide to resell.

If there was an option to save $5 or $10 to buy a knife without the packaging, I would almost always go that route.

Even the nice bags that came with my Benchmades are still in their boxes. I haven’t even looked at them strangely enough.
 
For expensive/collection knives (let's say $1K+) I'd prefer to get something nice, even if I am in fact paying for it. The cost is already loaded into the price, so it's not like I am getting the option to get or not get the packaging/swag. I think it's crazy that I can pay $700ish for a new Strider and it comes in a ziploc essentially - so nothing for that price. I bought a discounted damascus Endura for a friend and that came with a zippered pouch. I think it's just out of whack when a big maker can't package an expensive knife well. It's actually why I love the MCK packaging. Or the hard case that came with the MOW that I sold.
 
jceckrosh said:
For expensive/collection knives (let's say $1K+) I'd prefer to get something nice, even if I am in fact paying for it. The cost is already loaded into the price, so it's not like I am getting the option to get or not get the packaging/swag. I think it's crazy that I can pay $700ish for a new Strider and it comes in a ziploc essentially - so nothing for that price. I bought a discounted damascus Endura for a friend and that came with a zippered pouch. I think it's just out of whack when a big maker can't package an expensive knife well. It's actually why I love the MCK packaging. Or the hard case that came with the MOW that I sold.
Click to expand...

Gareth Bull with his Zip Loc bags amused me as well. I mean yeah, the focus should be and is the craftmanship of the knife, but again it's like towing a Formula 1 car to the paddock with the worst looking and worst maintained PT Cruiser.
 
I don't care about the packaging itself, but I think the packaging says a lot about the company. Attention to detail, customer experience, quality of materials, etc. Because of that, I like to see nicer packaging, but in the end, it doesn't add anything to the product for me.
 
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