Packaging&Presentation - How important is it to you?

[sabre cat]

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.

Very close to how I feel. The only small advantage for a clamshell (in my mind) is that you can see the product when it's locked in a display case. Given a choice between a box and a clamshell, I'll take the box every time unless it's been crushed.

A stiffer box like Benchmade is now offering is more to my liking than Spyderco's thin cardboard slider style box. Although, Sal's offering of zippered pouches on some models is a huge step up from BM's microfiber bag. But, I admit, I love the idea that a bag or pouch are even offered at all.

Victorinox offers a slightly nicer box on their limited run products and I enjoy that. Personally, I would like to see that box & foam insert on all their Alox offerings. I'd pay a little extra.

On a high-end knife, I'd better get something more than just a plain cardboard box. An extra clip, tools, bag, pouch, letter....something. Many years ago, CRKT started using a stiffer cardboard box than their competitors. They were years ahead of most everyone else. If a budget company like CRKT can do it and make money, so can all the other knife manufacturers.
Their margins can't be that tight.

The one thing that I love is when a really nice quality belt sheath is included with a knife. So many times you purchase a nice blade and the company cuts corners with the sheath or doesn't offer one at all. To me, a quality sheath is just as much a work of art as the knife it came with.

 

[basmca]

I think that we should start seeing nicer packages at 150$+, and definitely at 200$+. I know this isn’t the case, but considering my hard upper limit is 200$, I kind of want to feel special. I would image there are people who think the same thing at lower/higher prices as well. That doesn’t mean I need a singing box made out of magical wood, but there are ways to even make cardboard boxes look high quality

yea on second thought i will agree that ZT is pushing it by not doing anything more than just a box. but i won't call it unacceptable at that price range.
a formed insert and a box that flips open would be a small change for ZT, but add a lot to the unboxing.

i've had 10 euro knives that had better packaging than ZT.

 

[BladeScout]

Like you said, thats a YMWV area. I pay 9K for a watch, I'll take all the goodies I can get. It would be nice if for that price they made the packaging a winder though...

This is a tangent and this will be my last comment on the OT watches (which I myself brought up).

Id rather have just my GP, PAMs and other assorted watches without the boxes. At some point, the boxes were stacked in a closet and took up loads of room. No thx.

Im of course in the minority on that one (my Rolex watches left me cold as well and they were sold off - as mentioned; in the minority), as especially watch afficionados like the big presentation - to each his own.

Dont get me started on winders; Id never buy a used watch knowing it had been on a winder.

Back to the regular schduled programming ..


Sooo, how about them knives ...

 

[sabre cat]

I think that we should start seeing nicer packages at 150$+, and definitely at 200$+. I know this isn’t the case, but considering my hard upper limit is 200$, I kind of want to feel special. I would image there are people who think the same thing at lower/higher prices as well. That doesn’t mean I need a singing box made out of magical wood, but there are ways to even make cardboard boxes look high quality

I think it should start lower than $150. Make it just below one-hundred. Say, $80-90 bucks. Especially now that we have MAP pricing. There are so many knife owners that would never dream of spending a C note. Maybe better packaging could change that.

 

[Dfunk1210]

I’m a collector so I keep absolutely everything. I’m not a big fan of clamshells but will buy those if I have to. I prefer a reusable box. But what I hate the most are presentation tins that require the knife stored with blades out.

 

[sabre cat]

I’m a collector so I keep absolutely everything. I’m not a big fan of clamshells but will buy those if I have to. I prefer a reusable box. But what I hate the most are presentation tins that require the knife stored with blades out.

What about boxes that force you to store fixed blade knives in the sheath?

 

[Dfunk1210]

What about boxes that force you to store fixed blade knives in the sheath?

For that, it depends on the knife. Like the type of steel, whether it has dlc, handle material, sheath material.

 

[jbmonkey]

dislike packaging. just takes up space. used to keep it all...now it goes straight to the trash or used for something else. prefer as mentioned the ziplock bag and money saved over fancy boxes and inserts and whatnot.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I voted cardboard box but that's not always the case.

For me it really depends, I don't exactly give lots of thought to the packaging but I have really liked the packaging of knives a few times.

The knife really is the most important part, but a nice touch in packaging is pleasant and says something about the company.
It's a pleasant surprise sometimes but I won't be unhappy with run of the mill cheap packaging if I like the knife.

 

[PirateSeulb]

A lot of the question depends on the price point of the knife and while I mostly agree with hhmoore my view differs on the pouch I like them and for how I store my knives currently they actually help with storage plus its nice addition when you buy something with a more premium price.

 

[Mr.SATism]

I’m a collector so I keep absolutely everything. I’m not a big fan of clamshells but will buy those if I have to. I prefer a reusable box. But what I hate the most are presentation tins that require the knife stored with blades out.

Oh man, you’re going to LOVE how the Spyderco mule is packaged haha. But that is truly proof of you get what you paid for. Simple box, simple knife, at least it has their tip protectors (not a fan of seeing the round ones, but that’s just personal preference)

 

[hhmoore]

A lot of the question depends on the price point of the knife and while I mostly agree with hhmoore my view differs on the pouch I like them and for how I store my knives currently they actually help with storage plus its nice addition when you buy something with a more premium price.

I don't necessarily dislike pouches...but most of the one's I've received haven't been a good match to the size of the knife. I don't have a lot of knives with them; so it isn't a huge deal to store them...but I would like them better if they weren't so oversized. Maybe I'm in the minority, there? (I get that it would be less than cost effective for a company to stock/supply too many sizes; but the oversized ones get to be a hassle once there are more than a few of them.)

 

[MSchott]

Like you said, thats a YMWV area. I pay 9K for a watch, I'll take all the goodies I can get. It would be nice if for that price they made the packaging a winder though...

I believe Patek Philippe gives you a winder if you buy a perpetual calendar. They should for about $80k.

 

[Shotgun]

I don’t care about the packaging as long it protects the product and is easy to recycle but I do want whatever package it comes in to not look like a S show. Labels and tape straight, packing list folded and not just shoved in, etc. These little things signal to me how the company operates.

As far as swag and spare parts, I HATE that. Swag is just promotional garbage and something new shouldn’t need spare parts.

 

[MSchott]

This is a tangent and this will be my last comment on the OT watches (which I myself brought up).

Id rather have just my GP, PAMs and other assorted watches without the boxes. At some point, the boxes were stacked in a closet and took up loads of room. No thx.

Im of course in the minority on that one (my Rolex watches left me cold as well and they were sold off - as mentioned; in the minority), as especially watch afficionados like the big presentation - to each his own.

Dont get me started on winders; Id never buy a used watch knowing it had been on a winder.

Back to the regular schduled programming ..


Sooo, how about them knives ...

If you ever sell those watches you’ll be glad you kept those nice boxes (and papers). Papers and packaging for higher end knives are not as important but still add credibility if you sell.

 

[basetta70]

i vote "The more premium the knife, the more premium I want packaging."

William Henry docet.
I like also to have a pouch in cordura or better in leather.

 

[Mr.SATism]

As far as swag and spare parts, I HATE that. Swag is just promotional garbage and something new shouldn’t need spare parts.

For the most part I do agree, I do really want a CRK cloth (but not the knife, it’s a weird relationship), but I don’t need a triad lock bottle opener, Spyderco facemask, or Benchmade earings (although they would be a great present). I really do worry about proprietary screws though, and find it unfortunate that companies don’t include them for free with the knife. (Fingers crossed for Kershaw’s new toy)

 

[BladeScout]

If you ever sell those wTches you’ll be glad you kept those nice boxes (and papers).

Im fully aware

My point was simply, that one group of afficinados was even more anal in regards to presentation/packaging than most knife buyers.

 

[gazz98]

I'm content with a cardboard box from ZT, BM, Spyderco, etc. I am more concerned about the knife inside.

Considering I've never paid more then $150 or so for a knife, I don't expect much in way of packaging. At that price point, it's not cost effective to expect more really.

If I'm dropping $2k on a knife ... I might expect a little more.....

 

[midnight flyer]

I think if the "goodies" have some utility value, the it could be a good thing. Or if they could be used later, repurposed. Thinking here of the cold Crown Royal bags.

The extras mentioned here in some cases add only pennies (such as a small square of "microtech polishing cloth" or "branded drawstring bag") so it is a nice touch to see them. A quick Google search reveals that small draws string bags can be purchased a 100 at a time for as little as .49 each, so the the silk screened logo on the bag is probably as much as the bag itself. Then figure they are probably purchased in lots of 10,000 and it makes it a very inexpensive touch. Found the microfiber polishing cloths and it works out to about .03 cents for a 2"X4" swatch. So the bag and swatch probably add $1 to the price of the knife. Sitting here typing this... I wonder why they don't do that more.

OTOH, I am not a collector, so I only keep the box/packaging long enough to decide if I like the knife. If I do, it goes in rotation and the package goes away.

I don't buy knives over a couple of hundred dollars and have plenty under that ceiling, so I don't see presentation boxes or packaging (not really practical for users anyway) for the knives I buy. I apply the same logic I learned about 40 years ago from an older fella when I was starting to smoke premium cigars and drink better whiskey. "Don't buy the package."

I do agree though, that if I bought a several hundred dollar knife I would like to have a snazzy box for it.

Robert