Knife boxes

I have very few knife boxes. Most everything gets carried and used until I reach an assessment of the pluses and minuses of that particular knife. Then it goes into the knife drawer or the "short list" drawer.
 
I don’t keep tool packaging

I have found that if I keep the box, I baby the knife “ just in case I want to sell it”. So at this this point in life the knife goes into the pocket for a day, the next morning I decide if its my knife or not. If no I sell it that day, if yes back into the pocket it goes and the box goes into the trash. I just did it again this week with a new XM-18 ( I even tossed the packing peanuts!). When I dropped my Mnandi into my pocket in ‘19 I tossed the box and card!
If you want to really watch heads spin….I also toss the cases that Glocks come in!!!!!
 
I keep the boxes and prefer to buy used knives here with boxes. If a person does not have a box I might not buy it or will not pay as much as when there is a box. For me a person that keeps the box gives me the impression he/she took better care of the knife or whatever I am buying.

You never know what you are buying if it is going to be rare or collectible. I have ported Glock 17L BNIB and the box and all of the contents make it worth a lot more money. I never thought it would have been collectible, but I am glad I have the box and the contents now.

If I like something I usually have a couple where one is a user and the other is not used.
 
Spey said:
I recently sold knife that came with one of the best constructed boxes I received.

Interestingly, buyer did not want to pay a few extra dollars to have box shipped with knife (White River FC 3.5 Pro).View attachment 1727406
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I have a box just like that...came with my wonderful Sendoro Pack knife. It is an amazing box, and have never come across
another box of that quality in hundreds of knives. Of course, that tells you how they feel about the product, and I agree.
Note that original boxes for many modern handguns sell for up to $100 at gunshows.
 
Unfortunately there isn't only one answer. For some it is a way to tell authenticity as already mentioned. Scammers and copy cats often make mistakes on the packaging so that can help authenticate a real deal.

For others, flipping knives is a thing they do regularly. When you buy a knife with the idea of flipping it you are obviously going to be holding onto all the shipping materials to get max return on flipping it. (I dont do this just stating the reality of the secondary market for some limited run knives out there)

Finally, recently there are plenty of manufacturers that invest time and money into the presentation to their knives. The box and the experience of opening it etc and that matters to some customers otherwise companies wouldnt bother. Keeping the box and the presentation around in case you sell it might make the difference in finding a buyer or not.
 
CHNeal said:
I don’t keep tool packaging

I have found that if I keep the box, I baby the knife “ just in case I want to sell it”. So at this this point in life the knife goes into the pocket for a day, the next morning I decide if its my knife or not. If no I sell it that day, if yes back into the pocket it goes and the box goes into the trash. I just did it again this week with a new XM-18 ( I even tossed the packing peanuts!). When I dropped my Mnandi into my pocket in ‘19 I tossed the box and card!
If you want to really watch heads spin….I also toss the cases that Glocks come in!!!!!
Click to expand...
I was with you.....until you stated you threw out the tactical peanuts. You really should talk to someone bud, you need help! 🤣
 
Food for thought. Lots of really nice knives come without any special packaging at all. Just a plain old cardboard box and paper. I hate paying extra for fluff.

I feel like we need to update the famous saying. “Buy the knife not the story or the packaging”.
 
Keeping the box is a collector's thing that transcends the knife scene.

Antiques Road Show frequently talks about the enhanced value or desirability of some old watch or bit of jewelry that is still associated with the box it was sold in.

In the world of camera collecting, I have seen instances where THE BOX was more valuab le than the camera it was meant to hold.
 
Best part about saving knife boxes is that they are small, so you can store them in a big box... and keep increasing the size of the box, or use an additional box.
But it can become a puzzle trying to find the correct box for a knife !

I have an O-gauge model train layout in my basement... most all the older trains, cars, and accessories that I accumulated over the years are missing the boxes.
Who knew to save those boxes way back then, unless you had so many trains that keeping them in boxes just helped to protect them.
I don't consider myself a model train collector... but after going to train shows and building my son's train layout starting around 1995, I quickly learned that "collectors" wanted the original boxes.

So I pretty much kept every box on any train item that I bought new, and have them stored in a large cubby-hole behind my bedroom.
Wait until my wife finds that treasure trove of boxes !
 
I have drawers full of boxes. I keep everything that comes with the knife, even small booklets, catalogues etc.

I don't buy a knife without the original box.
 
I keep all my knives in a wood tool box, none are in manufacturer boxes unless im getting ready to sell them.
The knife boxes are pretty small, i save almost all of them and they go in another large box in the basement label side out so i can find them somewhat easily if i want to sell.
 
jp9mm said:
I keep all my knives in a wood tool box, none are in manufacturer boxes unless im getting ready to sell them.
The knife boxes are pretty small, i save almost all of them and they go in another large box in the basement label side out so i can find them somewhat easily if i want to sell.
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I also keep my knives in a wood tool box... mine is a walnut Gerstner tool chest box that I bought in the ealy 1980s, originally to keep harmonicas in, but I ended up with too many of them, and prefer an easier to carry "box"... so it was perfect for my knives... I like being able to easily pick a knife up out of it to look it over... much easier than picking it out of it's original little box.

I'm always looking at the old Gerstner tool chess that I see at antique stores, etc... may need another one !
Gerstner-Walnut-Tool-Chest-Knives.jpg
 
If I knew then what I know now . . .

Until 2018 or so, the thought of actually selling one of my knives was inconceivable! A long term stint of unemployment changed all of that. Now I am more selective about what I acquire, but I do look at almost everything as though it might need to go in the future. So now I keep boxes (most of the time) and I try to minimize cosmetic damage that was immaterial to me in the past. I don't dwell on why people want the original box, I just realize that it's a typical expectation that I can accommodate moving forward.
 
I only keep boxes/cases for knives that come with special pivot tools or certificates of authenticity, easier to keep track of stuff that way.
 
Really nice walnut case!

A low-ball option: Look for cigar boxes from "ACID" brand AKA "Drew Estate". I find them in cigar stores, often for free or a buck or two. Find them on E-Bay too at a higher price point (but you stay at home).

Made from heavy gage Mahoghany with finger joints. The labels are glued on stickers, not carved into the wood. They refinish really niced. Works great for most folders. They look nice on the shelf and are sturdy.
 
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Boxes of boxes! Because, why not? Simply put, if you ever want to sell one, the box means something ($) to quite a few potential buyers.


A3D951CF-FF7A-435F-8E38-8B1B996BE2E5.jpeg
 
When I buy a knife off the exchange, I prefer the original box and accessories (paperwork, baggy, etc). If I move the knife along at a later time, I think it helps to sell it. If it doesn't come with the original box, it isn't a deal breaker necessarily like my sig line mentions.

As for storing them. No big deal imo. Like elde66 elde66 above, I have a small tote of knife boxes in the basement.

My wife says "is it because you are anal retentive/mildly OCD?". Perhaps....
 
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