Too many clamshell packs.

RAZORBLADES

RAZORBLADES

Joined
Aug 14, 2006
Messages
2,247
Why are so many buck knives coming in clamshell packs?i do not purchase any knife if I can't handle it first,including fixed blades,how are you supposed to see if it fits your hand properly?lots of people ,especially older folks wont but them in a clamshell,there are so many knives I'd be interested in if they came in boxes like they should.i know it's easier ,but it won't sell any more knives I bet,people don't like the fact they can't handle a knife before buying,at least I know I sure dont...end off rant.
 
I don't like them either, but most retailers do. The clamshell packaging probably reduces theft, and of course for the manufacturer, it is cheaper.
 
In the old days you had to get a store clerk to assist you. All knives were kept in a display case for viewing and all the knives for sale were in boxes under lock and key. The display case took up space and the clerk's time to assist you cost money. So these day's in an effort to save money you have the knife you want hanging on a hook self-service style. The whole knife buying experience has changed, in most places it's now impersonal. You may as well just order the knife you want on-line from the comfort of your own home! The times they are a changing:o
jb4570
 
The thing I hate about clamshell is they are so hard to open.

I dont mind not handling a knife before purchase because most manufactures make knives that will perform well for the right application. With social media nowadays its pretty easy to find out what other people like and if its the right choice for you.

I purchased a knife a few years ago and loved the steel and how it felt in my hand. Only problem was it was slippery when wet with blood. Handling a knife in the store is not always a good indicator on how it performs in the field.
 
Yeah they should have at least one display knife. They can do it with, rifle scopes, fishing reels, power tools.

I don't have trouble with a clamshell. It pulls apart at the top.
 
About clamshells, and I don't like them either. People keep saying, "I want an American product!" I am with them. But Chinese labor is cheaper than dirt. Manufacturers are making American products competitive by taking out as much labor as possible. My guess is someone has built a machine that takes two reels of flat plastic and molds them just before assembly. So you have Buck knives, or whatever other product, coming down a line and just as it gets there "Plop, Plop" two halves are molded, the knife goes in and "Whoosh" it gets sealed. No American is needed to put it in the package.

Saw blades (like for circular saws and sabre saws and other types) came back to America from Asia a few years ago, always in blister packs or other easily automated packages. Knives are following them.

Why did the manufacturers invent those skeleton fixed blade knives that are all one piece of metal with no handle? "To make them lighter", they say. Nope. A big roll of steel gets laser cut into knives, ground on a machine, heat treated and then packaged, no human touches at all, after the setup is complete. "Made in America", and it is true. No labor.

I am not complaining, this is the end state of many repetitive jobs. Lamplighters got replaced by one guy with a master switch who got replaced by light sensing relays.

Theft prevention is another nice aspect of them, and the harder they are to open the better. Notice they are too big to slip into your pocket, even the ones that contain tiny knives? And anti-theft chips can be added by a machine.

That is my theory, anyway.
 
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I wish they would at least put the factory Buck box in the clamshell so i have a place to store it
 
bertl said:
I don't like them either, but most retailers do. The clamshell packaging probably reduces theft, and of course for the manufacturer, it is cheaper.
Click to expand...

Right - and depending on where you buy it from, the clamshell might not be used because theft isn't as big a concern.
 
I am sure you are all pretty much correct on why some stores have so many clam shells. There is also the visual side that anyone without even touching the package can get a good visual look at the knives. I am also sure there is a liability factor as far as customers cutting themselves on the knives which is eliminated when the knives are in clam packs.
 
I recently went to the big "Pro" Fishing Shop with a coupon to get 10% off any purchase. After going through all of the 303 "CB Signature" series knives they had to find one that was assembled properly, we gave up. None of the examples behind the counter had a sheepfoot that had a nail nick that was above the scales/liner so you could open it without digging. To his credit, the guy that was the head of that department took all of them (about 5) off display and out of the counter for sale.

No doubt some machine somewhere got out of adjustment. But with that in mind, if I can't handle a Buck, I'm not buying.

On the clam shell issue, if I buy something that is clam shelled so that I cannot look at it in the store, I simply buy it, open it in the truck and look at it there. If it is defective or something that doesn't fill my needs or expectations, I simply walk back in an return it.

I understand why they clam shell products, but I look at it this way; the manufacturers and retailers do what they need to do and we consumers do what we need to do. All part of the game.

Robert
 
Christmas is coming; many people think the OPPOSITE; they want to SEE what they are buyinig you for Christmas and don't have time for someone to dig out a b ox
and try to cut themselves handling it; so expect a lot of them the rest of the year folks.....
 
The 2014 Buck catalog does not list a single knife model that is sold exclusively in a clam shell. Most can be ordered either in a box or a clam shell, and each method of packaging has different Buck catalog order numbers. However, a few models are listed exclusively in boxes and are not offered in a clam shell. As noted above, retail distributors request and prefer that manufacturers package in clam shells for the simple reason that it deters theft. It's easy for a thief to remove a knife, especially a smaller one, from a box and place it in a pocket, but we all know the attention it would attract for said theft to remove that same knife from the clam shell.
 
Tin Sue said:
The 2014 Buck catalog does not list a single knife model that is sold exclusively in a clam shell. Most can be ordered either in a box or a clam shell, and each method of packaging has different Buck catalog order numbers. However, a few models are listed exclusively in boxes and are not offered in a clam shell. As noted above, retail distributors request and prefer that manufacturers package in clam shells for the simple reason that it deters theft. It's easy for a thief to remove a knife, especially a smaller one, from a box and place it in a pocket, but we all know the attention it would attract for said theft to remove that same knife from the clam shell.
Click to expand...

When I open a clam shell package the swearing and blood are usually enough to attract the attention of even the most inept store employee.
 
Tin Sue said:
. It's easy for a thief to remove a knife, especially a smaller one, from a box and place it in a pocket, but we all know the attention it would attract for said theft to remove that same knife from the clam shell.
Click to expand...

When I open a clam shell package the swearing and blood are usually enough to attract the attention of even the most inept store employee.
 
Don't know about all the clamshells, but with the 110 you can see well enough through the side of the plastic to tell if the blade is centered and whether or not it has the second design 50th Anniversary tang stamp. OH
 
I don't like clamshells especially for lockblades. Two reasons: 1) I like to check the lock up. 2) I'm picky about the wood scales somewhat matching. Number 2 could easily be fixed by adding a clear window on the back to make the scale visible.
 
Given modern security measures and the huge problem of garbage disposal clam shell packaging should be banned. As a customer I like to look over and feel the product, and secondly clam shell packaging produces a huge volume of bulk, totally inconvenient in all manner. If security is an issue the product/knives could be kept locked in the display.
 
For better or worse, clam shell packaging minimizes distribution costs.

The distinction between on-line and brick and mortar purchasing is diminishing. In this light, IMO the winners are and will be those manufactures who can deliver utter consistency out of the clam shell, to minimize return processing costs and customer dissatisfaction.
 
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