According to the Walmart website, they already sell Kershaw Knives. According to “Promogram”, an ASI newsletter, Walmart announced in mid August 2017 its Walmart PromoShop, an online way to sell imprinted items such as T shirts for family reunions. They also reported to have pens, mugs, and bags.
Will they be proficient in handling the detailed art problems in engraving business gifts? Screen printing T shirts is easy. Every town has 3 or 4 screen printers that do T shirts. Laser engraving expensive stainless steel items is an art and science. The imprinters that do those items, specialize in them. They don’t do shirts and pencils.
Will they be able to assist customers in designing a layout that is easy to read, and attractive? The current Kershaw Knives distributors are experienced in these details.
The famous Barlow Knives are well-known by people who appreciate a well-made, quality business gift. They were originally made in the USA by Barlow, a company that was based in Los Angeles CA from 1930 to 2005. Barlow made pocket knives, key chains, and money clips and imprinted the customer’s logo on them. This was very popular for businesses to promote themselves to their customers. Barlow products had a lifetime Warranty. If the if the items broke, or failed, the end user could just mail it to Barlow for a repacement. The shipping both ways was paid for by the end user. After 12 years, we still get inquiries about this warranty, which is no longer available.
Barlow Consort Knife
In 2005 the promotional product industry giant, Norwood bought them. Production was kept in China, where Barlow transferred it in 2003, just 2 years before the sale.
Then in June 2009, the Great Recession forced Norwood Promotional Products Holdings, Inc. to declare bankruptcy. So the Barlow Knives brand was once again sold. This time, BIC Graphic North America, another giant, bought Norwood at auction for $162.5 Million. BIC kept the Norwood brand and the little Barlow brand.
Probably the inability to make enough profit forced BIC to sell in June 2017. HIG Capital bought BIC Graphic North America and its Asian sourcing Division for a mere $80 Million. The sales at the time were over $300 Million, according to Bizjournals.com. So this is the third time that the Barlow brand was sold. HIG Capital of Miami FL is a huge company with $21 Billion in equity capital under management. Promotional products are not new to them. They bought Halo, a promotional product distributor, in 2003, and sold it in 2007. The selling price was $62.5 Million. So the $80 Million price it paid for BIC was a real bargain.
It is expected that HIG will continue the same service and products, and do well in this market. Hopefully, the Barlow brand will continue.
A fruit knife can do more than sample fruit and vegetables. It can do more than carry your company logo to all your customers. Here are some fun samples of tricks that people have done with fruit knives. This makes fruit knives great promotional items. They are useful, long-lasting, and appreciated. What other type of advertising can be described like that?
Carved Watermelon Fishes
Carved Apple ButterflyCarved OwlsCarved FishesApple With Carved HeartsCarved OrangeCarved Fruit
Fortunately, you don’t have to do the searching yourself. The people that do the engraving look for knife materials that will engrave well. Not all stainless steel is suitable for laser engraving. Some steel is not consistent enough to give good results when you laser engrave it. It may be a great blade or handle component of a knife, as far as durability and appearance. But it might not be suitable for laser engraving.
Here are engravable knives, pocket knives that have been tested for engraving. They all have passed the test for beautiful laser engraving.
Impress your workers………Give personalized knives as safety awards.
Personalized knives are engraved knives with a person’s name on each knife. They are designed to be personal custom gifts to each special recipient. Everyone likes to see their name on their possessions. Why not take advantage of this human trait, and advertise your company on the knives, too.
Choose a quality stainless steel knife with an attractive handle.
Order from a reputable online knife company.
Pick out your best, simplified corporate logo.
Prepare a list of your personalized names on an Excel worksheet.
Order a few extra knives without a name, for recipients that pop up in the near future.
Hot-tips When Buying Pocket KnivesKershaw and Kutmaster knives Come Sharp and Ready To Use
If you decided to give custom engraved knives to your employees, here are 5 tips to help you get the biggest bang for your buck.
Shop early. Rush jobs sometimes bring unpleasant surprises. If you give yourself time and the knife engraver time, you will see better results.
Pick a knife company with good service and quality engraving.
Keep your logo and other imprinting simple, so it can be large and memorable.
Ask for an email proof, to make sure you get what you have in mind.
Pick the highest quality pocket knives that you can afford. High quality is appreciated by your employees. Low quality knives will leave a lasting impression.
Are you thinking of ordering engraved Buck knives with your corporate logo and a tag line? Here are a few tips to help.
Don’t settle for just lettering. And don’t settle for just logo engraving. Choose a company that can laser engrave your corporate logo AND lettering.
Get your engraving done in the USA.
Art file: Furnish your best high resolution art file. Better yet, furnish a vector art file. Vector art is the best art. Examples are .ai files and .eps files, with the art created, not pasted, in Adobe Illustrator. If you cannot furnish the best art, a reputable company can convert it for you, at a small fee.
Speed. How long is the production time? Ask the company. 10 business days is average. 5 days is real good. If you have a deadline, some companies can meet your deadline.
Service. Deal with an engraver that answers your questions promptly and accurately.
Be a great boss and give your employees the newest Gerber Knives
The New Gerber Instant Knife 752 is designed to be light weight, but big and powerful. If you get your company logo on these engraved Gerber knives, you will be an Instant Success with your employees and customers. Gerber keeps up-to-date with the preferences of knife enthusiasts. This year, they want a tactical design, and the assisted-opening feature. Light-weight handles with cutouts are a big hit, also. The stainless steel blade is in the form of a modified tanto style and 3 1/4″ long. The knife is 4 1/2″ closed, which is a large pocket knife. To keep the weight low, Gerber makes the handle out of a composite material. Can you open this knife with one hand? You bet.
To keep it simple, here are just 4 misconceptions about company logo knives. I’m sure you can think of others.
The best price is what you need.
Knives are just for men.
A color imprint is the best imprint.
Chinese-made knives are junk.
Here are the answers….
This statement is an easy one to figure out. The best price may mean the worst service, or the worst imprint on your company logo knives.
Surprisingly, many females like to carry a pocket knife for protection, and to open boxes, just like men do. My pastor’s wife appreciated the multi-tool I gave her, because she does all the fixing around the house.
A color imprint may look the nicest, but laser engraving is the most permanent imprinting method. Color imprints can scratch off in time, especially if your car keys are rubbing against them in your pocket.
The quality of pocket knives coming from China is very remarkable. They are using good stainless steel, and the workmanship is very good. The price is low because of the low cost of labor in that country. Dako and Gerber and Starline knives are my favorite Chinese-made pocket knives.
