Where do new and unique pocket knife designs come from? Companies like Buck, Kershaw, CRKT, Gerber, Kutmaster, and Dako are coming up with new designs every year. They present them at trade shows, which I go to, as often as I can.
TOM Show Cleveland January 2016
This is a scene from last week’s TOM Show in Cleveland Ohio. This is where suppliers of promotional products show their new imprinted products and Engraved Pocket Knives that have just been developed. My main man for Buck, Leatherman, Gerber and Kershaw is Paul Rizzo. His partner, Kent Getsee owns the company Preferred Lines Marketing. They represent Rainkist Umbrellas, Pentel Imprint, Bay State, Compass Industries, Devara and Tervis at the trade shows. Shown in this picture is a new knife by Dako that is not yet on my website. Paul is also wearing the new engraved Leatherman Tread.
When you order Custom Engraved Knives for your business, to give to your best employees or customers for Christmas, here are some tips. These tips will help ensure that you will be happy with your purchase.
You get what you pay for! You already knew that. Get a name brand, like Buck Knives, Boker, Kershaw, Gerber, Case, Kutmaster, or Leatherman.
Pick the best type of imprint. Laser engraving is the most permanent. It will never scratch off. Acid etching doesn’t go very deep, so it can wear off in time. So can color imprints, which are “painted” on. The best epoxy paints are used, and sometimes covered with a protective clear coat, but still, the imprint can be scratched off by your adjacent car keys in your pocket.
Choose a company that has the best service. Sometimes you can judge by the
Kutmaster Compact Rescue Knife
quality of their web page. A neat, clean looking website that answers all your questions is good. It shows that the company is successful and cares about its customers.
Buy a quantity that is sufficient for your needs. If you need 1 or 2 more custom engraved knives later, after you received your order, you will pay more, or be subject to a “less than minimum” charge.
Engraved Leatherman tools have gained world-wide popularity in a mere 35 years. How did they do that? Here are some points about Leatherman tools that can help explain their popularity.
Warranty for your tools. The factory stands behind their warranty. They say, “Our warranty is simple. You broke it, we’ll fix it”.
Leatherman listens to your ideas for improvement. You may send them to info@leatherman.com.
All the tools are made of 100% high grade stainless steel. They are corrosion resistant.
The knife blades stay sharp longer than many other knife blades.
Engraved Leatherman tools with your corporate logo laser engraved on the handle make excellent gifts. For a quality Christmas gift that is long-lasting and appreciated, Leatherman is your best choice.
Logo pocket knives are quality gifts that can promote your company to your employees and to your customers. Here are 7 testimonials from happy companies. Some of them might be your competitors! Follow what your successful competitors do, and you will be successful, too!
An oil drilling company said: Thank you so much!!! The bosses all really liked the buck knives and they were able to hand them out to the field guys. I appreciate all of your help. Thank you again.
An outdoor clothing company said: The knives are great!!! Thanks so much
A large engineering company likes to give logo knives, and shared: Just to let you know the knives were delivered yesterday and they look great! Thank you and we look forward to working with you again.
A wire manufacturer had this to say about their knife-giving program: Dave just wanted to let you know that the Leathermen arrived and the logo looks awesome. Thanks a lot!
A big welding company uses engraved pocket knives in their employee gift program. They said: We loved the last batch of knives we received, and fast processing/shipping!
Thank you. My boss would like to order an additional 25 knives, with same
logo on blade. No deadline this time. Thanks again!
A national sheet metal company loves to use logo knives to promote their business. They said:
just wanted to say thanks and
to let you know we love the knives. so much
our LA office wants more;-)
its a good problem for sure.
any chance we could get another shipment
of say 25?
i know its nuts right now so
let em know if there’s any chance before
christmas and if not the new year
thanks again
A regional hydraulics manufacturer believes in using logo knives to give to their customers. They shared this with us: We received our knives today and they are absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much and we look forward to doing business with you in the future.
We went on our yearly tour of the Leatherman plant in Portland Oregon this year. It’s amazing how fast this company is growing. They had to increase the production area. To do this, they had to move the shipping department to another building 3 miles away. That new location is rented, and it houses the warehouse of the tools, the shipping area, customer service, and the custom laser engraving area.
Back to the main building, the small Leatherman museum is in the front office
Early Leatherman Prototype2
and open to the public. Here are a few pictures of the prototypes that Tim Leatherman made in his garage during the birth of his brilliant idea.
Early Leatherman Prototype
You know, necessity is the mother of invention. The Leatherman idea started when Tim and his wife toured Europe in the 1970’s, using a used car he bought there. It kept breaking down, and Tim would fix it himself. He really needed some pliers, but didn’t have any. It would have been nice if he had something like a Leatherman tool. Many months later, Tim perfected some prototypes
Early Leatherman Prototype3
in his garage, and started a very successful company. Too bad Gerber Knives turned down his proposal to produce his tools. Too bad for Gerber, but not for Tim.
Here are 2 stories of how a Leatherman tool came to the rescue.
Your customers will love a gift of a Gerber Knife. Here are 3 ways it will “strike” them……
The famous brand of “Gerber”. This fine company has a history going way back to 1939 with a mini order of handmade knife sets that were only given as Christmas gifts. Then thousands of retail stores started selling them all over the United States. Then in just 21 years, 1960, this knife company became very trusted as a manufacturer of “collectible legends”. Today, the Gerber name is well known in the knife world, even being sold in our nation’s Walmart stores. For business gifts, engraved Gerber knives with your company logo are available on the internet.
Gerber Titanium Nitride Paraframe 8446
The variety of knives and multi-tools. Gerber not only makes folding pocket knives. They make multi-tools, in the fashion of Leatherman Tools. Key chain multi-tools are the newest addition to their line, with the Gerber Shard Key Chain Tool.
Gerber® Shard Key Chain Tool 1769
The economical price of Gerber knives. Their knives are reasonably-priced, in the 20 to 30 dollar range. This is due to their global sourcing of raw materials and finished materials. Some assembly is being done in the Gerber Portland Oregon plant.
Leatherman started their advertising campaign in late
831998 Leatherman Tread-Engraving
2014, and drew a lot of interest. Everyone wanted a Leatherman Tread, but couldn’t buy one. The production of this new and exciting multi tool was lagging behind. Cabela’s wanted to sell them to their camping and hunting customers, but they couldn’t get enough inventory on time. Now, in September 2015, production still is slow, but we have some in stock NOW. As soon as we get some in, they go out right away.
So don’t hesitate. Order yours today. Order with your logo laser engraved, or just blank.
This new fashion tool should be popular with
Leatherman Tread-831998_Packaging
campers, hikers, hunters, bikers, and fishermen. You now have the ability to “wear” your multi-tool, and have it handy for immediate use.
Let’s say that your boss wants you to be in charge of ordering Christmas presents for all the employees, or all the customers. This could be a huge task. Fortunately he has narrowed down the gift idea to custom engraved knives. Great. Now you have to go online and find the perfect pocket knife or hunting knife that will get the job done. If he hasn’t given you a list of criteria, I’ll help you make that list. Here are the points that he should want you to look for. If you and he can narrow down your wish list, then you will be able to find the perfect Personalized pocket knives:
Price. Which knife will fit into your budget? This is a good place to start your list. Knives sell for a range of $5 to $200 each. So you can narrow down your search using this parameter.
Tech Colors by Case
USA-Made. Is the country of origin important in your decision? This is something to keep in mind when you are looking for the perfect gift knife.
Size. Would an 8 inch hunting knife become a cherished gift? Or would a small “Every Day Carry” (EDC) pocket knife be the answer.
Brand. Some brands have universal recognition, like Buck, Case, Gerber, Leatherman, and Kershaw. How important is the brand name in your giving campaign?
Color. Knife handle come in different colors of bone and synthetic. Also stainless steel and wood. Does your corporate logo require a certain color combination? Would Laser Engraving your logo into the blade work for your purpose?
Method of Imprinting. Laser engraving is the most permanent, and most popular. It can be done on metal and wood. If you need a color imprint, Case offers the imprint colors shown above.
Production Time. How soon does your boss need the knives? Production times vary from 24 hours to 5 weeks, depending on the brand and current availability.
If you can help your boss with the answers to these 7 things, you will make him happy. And one step closer to a Promotion (I hope). At least the two of you will be able to promote your corporate name to a group of key people.
Pocket knives make great corporate gifts because they:
Last a long time
Display your logo to your customers and employees
Have a high perceived value when presented as a special gift
Engraved pocket knives
There are about 13 major manufacturers of engraved pocket knives in my opinion. That’s why they are on my website.
Barlow Norwood
Bear & Son
Boker
Buck
Case
Dakota
Gerber
Kershaw
Kutmaster-Utica
Leatherman Tools
SOG
Starline
Swiss Army
These fine companies are listed in alphabetical order, so as not to give preference to any one.
Barlow Norwood imports economical pocket knives from China, and engraves them with your logo at a reasonable price. These knives are good for mass distribution, and don’t break the bank.
Bear & Son is an American knife company with a fine reputation. Our favorite is the wood handled barlow knife.
Boker is an old knife company with world-wide presence. They have major manufacturing facilities in all corners of the globe, and use the finest steel. Everyone in the knife business knows Boker.
Buck knives are made in the USA and some are made overseas, to compete with other knife companies. When someone asks for a Buck knife, he is asking for the USA-made Buck 110, folding hunter knife.
Case knives are all USA-made, and have a fine history that is enjoyed by many Case knife collectors, and Case knife clubs around America.
Dakota pocket knives are made in China, but don’t let that bother you. They have a good quality and are worth every penny of the price. Many of them are around the 10 dollar amount, with a perceived value higher than that.
Gerber Knives are made in the USA and some are imported from China, because of the competition. Gerber has been a favorite for many years. They have some unique styles available.
Kershaw Knives are mostly made in the USA, but some are being imported from China. They are made of the finest steel, and both the imported ones and the domestic ones are a fine piece of work. You’ll like the feel of a Kershaw knife.
Kutmaster, or Utica Cutlery has a nice collection of modern and traditional designs. For top quality custom engraved knives, you can count on Kutmaster.
Leatherman Tools is now making a few pocket knives again. Your logo can be quality laser engraved on the blade or the metal handles. Leatherman is a Class A knife and multi-tool manufacturer. All products are American-made, or American asssembled.
SOG is a knife company that got started by supplying the military with knives. The people that ask for a SOG knife know its history.
Starline is an American supplier, not a manufacturer of engraved pocket knives. They import the knives from China. These pocket knives are well built. Don’t let the low price fool you. Starline chooses some new and unique styles when they add knives to their catalog.
Swiss Army, Victorinox, is a very familiar name in the knife world. Although not as sought-after as Buck or Case, everyone has heard of Swiss Army. They are high quality, and many have scissors, tweezers, and other tools included.
All of these engraved pocket knives are engraved or imprinted in the United States.
