No more nylon zipper cases?

[celticrogues]

I just received the WE Beacon + WE Elementum that I ordered and neither of them came in the nice black nylon zipper case that my other WE knives have come with, just a cardboard box.

I'm kind of bummed as I really liked the nylon case.

Is this a new thing across the board?

-Mike

 

[AF]

Shrink-flation?

 

[Random Dan]

I like the trend of zipper cases over boxes in general because they are acually useful. WE's zipper pouches are my favorites because they hold two knives. Hopefully they are not gone for good.

 

[elde66]

Yep. The zipper cases appear to be gone for good. (Unannounced, by the way.) I was a big WE fan, with over 20 in my collection, but the price creep over the past twelve months coupled with the zipper case deletion feel to me like a simple money grab. Any of my future WE purchases will come via the secondary market.

 

[Chronovore]

Yep. The zipper cases appear to be gone for good. (Unannounced, by the way.) I was a big WE fan, with over 20 in my collection, but the price creep over the past twelve months coupled with the zipper case deletion feel to me like a simple money grab. Any of my future WE purchases will come via the secondary market.

Inflation is a fact of life. (It shouldn't be but that discussion falls out of bounds on Blade Forums.) Prices have been going up on lots of things and knives are no exception. Spyderco just raised their prices too.

Overall, recent WE knives still seem competitively priced for what they are. The same is true of their budget lines. In fact, their Sencut knives are probably the best bang for the buck market-wide. Will I be disappointed if the zippered cases are a thing of the past? Yes, but I'd like to hear from WE on this.

 

[elde66]

Inflation is a fact of life. (It shouldn't be but that discussion falls out of bounds on Blade Forums.) Prices have been going up on lots of things and knives are no exception. Spyderco just raised their prices too.

Overall, recent WE knives still seem competitively priced for what they are. The same is true of their budget lines. In fact, their Sencut knives are probably the best bang for the buck market-wide. Will I be disappointed if the zippered cases are a thing of the past? Yes, but I'd like to hear from WE on this.

Well aware of the CPI and the root causes of increase. The business model of creating a budget line to move existing product lines upmarket coupled with a perceived (at least by me) value reduction of those very lines smacks of reducing the “bang for the buck” your response seemingly supports. These “opportunities“ for sellers will continue until the acceptance by the consumer diminishes. I choose not to accept it and will allocate my funds to those manufacturers who provide true product value, whether in the primary or secondary market. And, by the way, simply because one manufacturer raises prices in no way validates the actions of another…..unless one is simply an apologist. I respectfully disagree.

 

[Chronovore]

Well aware of the CPI and the root causes of increase. The business model of creating a budget line to move existing product lines upmarket coupled with a perceived (at least by me) value reduction of those very lines smacks of reducing the very “bang for the buck” your response seemingly supports. These “opportunities“ for sellers will continue until the acceptance by the consumer diminishes. I choose not to accept it and will allocate my funds to those manufacturers who provide true product value, whether in the primary or secondary market. And, by the way, simply because one manufacturer raises prices in no way validates the actions of another…..unless one is simply an apologist. I respectfully disagree.

My comments about the Sencut Snap stand. It is the same price as the original Civivi knives were in the same steel a few years ago. Fit and finish seems similar. The heat treatment is the same and absolutely fantastic. They don't have the pretty gold or blue liners but they did upgrade from steel to ceramic bearings. Given all that versus how much value the dollar has lost since Civivi first launched, matching that price with their new entry-level products is actually an increase in "bang for the buck".

 

[elde66]

Okay.

 

[NG VI]

Okay.

He's right, and you really don't seem too familiar with WE's pricing and offerings if you think they have been raising prices. Civivi and Sencut still make the same high grade inexpensive knives in the same price ranges they did when they came out, but now they also offer shinier models through Civivi.

Those don't come close to approaching the cost of any WE from five years ago. Five years ago of you wanted a WE for under $225 (on sale) you had to wait for Massdrop to do another batch of Crux or Falcons. Today one of their easiest knives to recommend is the Kitefin, available for a hundred dollars less than their original lineup, with a far superior grind and numerous style options.

And it isn't just a couple of entry level framelocks like the Kitefin, they're releasing excellent small batch knives like the Fornix and Seer with prices that are fifty dollars lower than the new knives they introduced five years ago.

I'm just unclear what about their current catalog lead you to claim they're raising their prices. Because in the context of the knife market we all participate in, they're definitely not raising prices.

 

[Jim O'Young]

I just received the WE Beacon + WE Elementum that I ordered and neither of them came in the nice black nylon zipper case that my other WE knives have come with, just a cardboard box.

I'm kind of bummed as I really liked the nylon case.

Is this a new thing across the board?

-Mike

Hello Mike & other concerned WE/Civivi fans!

Thank you so very much for your support of the brand and input & concerns regarding the taco pouch. It's nice to have your feedback.

The WE Beacon, Elementum & Smooth Sentinel have been packaged in the new gray slip top box with gold foil embossed WE logo and model specific custom die cut foam insert. This packaging scheme has been used in the past to distinguish & add a nicer, more premium presentation to our higher-end limited editions (e.g. Tyche, Eschaton. 704DS, etc.) The factory changed to this packaging scheme to extend that premium presentation look to the new WE models.

Shrink-flation?

Andy-

When all is said & done, the overall cost of the gray presentation box w/ custom insert is probably MORE expensive than the generic white box and taco pouch. It is no secret that, with the current situation worldwide & especially in the US, inflation is taking its toll and the price of materials & labor have risen significantly. WE/Civivi, like ALL manufacturers (not just those in the cutlery industry) are doing their best to control costs & deliver quality products that provide their customers value. That being said, the WE presentation box is NOT a cost reduction effort. It was done for the reason stated above.

Yep. The zipper cases appear to be gone for good. (Unannounced, by the way.)

I like the trend of zipper cases over boxes in general because they are acually useful. WE's zipper pouches are my favorites because they hold two knives. Hopefully they are not gone for good.

elde & Dan-

The Civivi knives will continue to be packaged in the white box & taco pouch. As for the WE knives, there will be a survey on our Facebook page to see which packaging our customers prefer. If you would like your opinion to be known, please participate in the survey.

Thanks again for your input & feedback.

Jim

 

[Chronovore]

Okay.

... Civivi and Sencut still make the same high grade inexpensive knives in the same price ranges they did when they came out, but now they also offer shinier models through Civivi.
...

Curiously, there is a damascus version available for at least one of the Sencut knives. The regular stuff though is right around that $40 mark. Besides liner colors, they've also gone with plain pivots. Thankfully, they're still using T8 body screws. That's a plus. Plain hardware and wood is as fancy as I need.

The other main difference is that I don't think the Sencut knives come with zippered pouches. I hadn't thought about that until now but keeping the quality where they have on these for the price, I can't complain.

I mentioned that the Snap is good enough for EDC. As I've been using and carrying mine more often, I've noticed some nice ergonomic touches. The jimping is grippy without being sharp. The edges along the spine are beveled and that feels great with the tumbled finish. I just got some Skiff bearings to try out. This knife is definitely a candidate.

The WE Beacon, Elementum & Smooth Sentinel have been packaged in the new gray slip top box with gold foil embossed WE logo and model specific custom die cut foam insert. This packaging scheme has been used in the past to distinguish & add a nicer, more premium presentation to our higher-end limited editions (e.g. Tyche, Eschaton. 704DS, etc.) The factory changed to this packaging scheme to extend that premium presentation look to the new WE models.

The packaging on some of the recent models has been beautiful. However, it still feels like packaging. I understand saving the box for possible trade or resale value, but I'd honestly rather just store my knife in one of those zipper pouches. I don't care about stickers either. If every WE and Civivi knife came in a plain box with a nice zipper pouch, I'd be a happy camper.

Coincidentally, Kizer takes the opposite approach. Their more expensive knives do have fancier boxes but only the premium knives come with a nylon pouch. One of the things WE had over Kizer was offering pouches at all price levels. It'll be a real shame to lose them on future WE models.

That said, the WE and Civivi knives already were distinguished by their pouches. The Civivi pouches are less fancy. They're basically a fleece-lined nylon taco with a zipper and a logo application reminiscent of event T-shirts. The WE pouches are nicer. They have actual pockets and the logos are embroidered.

 

[celticrogues]

Thanks J Jim O'Young for weighing in and clarifying!
I do really like the taco pouch more than the new box and I hope it comes back.

The packaging on some of the recent models has been beautiful. However, it still feels like packaging. I understand saving the box for possible trade or resale value, but I'd honestly rather just store my knife in one of those zipper pouches. I don't care about stickers either. If every WE and Civivi knife came in a plain box with a nice zipper pouch, I'd be a happy camper.

Coincidentally, Kizer takes the opposite approach. Their more expensive knives do have fancier boxes but only the premium knives come with a nylon pouch. One of the things WE had over Kizer was offering pouches at all price levels. It'll be a real shame to lose them on future WE models.

That said, the WE and Civivi knives already were distinguished by their pouches. The Civivi pouches are less fancy. They're basically a fleece-lined nylon taco with a zipper and a logo application reminiscent of event T-shirts. The WE pouches are nicer. They have actual pockets and the logos are embroidered.

What Chronovore said are my thoughts exactly so I'll add my +1 to all the above.

-Mike

 

[lmcq784]

I, too, appreciate the usable pouches over a fancy box. I do like the WE pouches a lot more than the Civivi pouches.

 

[awjones]

Love the WE taco pouch…

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Yah, got a feeling they are a thing of the past, but they will be missed I think, they were a nice bit to have, I'd like to see them come back, maybe send me one for the WE Beacon that just arrived in it's coffin box

The lanyard post works pretty good on this, glad they included it !

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2

 

[King of the Cheese]

I guess I’m in the minority here, but I hate the taco pouch. I mean, really? It isn’t a custom knife, I don’t want to open a box, and then have to open a zippered pouch to take out a $50-$250 knife. I like the foam cutout. Keeps it simple. Open the box, take out the knife.