Case knives are (in my humble opinion) one of the best gifts you can give someone. Whether the person is a collector, or just needs a knife to use, Case is THE way to go.
But every day I see it: Someone looking to buy a knife as a gift, but they have no idea where to even start! Our store has a massive selection on display and I'll admit, for someone who isn't knife savvy, it can be quite overwhelming.
This is where I come in and try to help them narrow down the choices. I use the same method with almost every customer and it's really been an effective method to helping choose the right knife.
Essentially, I don't "Sell" a particular knife. I use a series of questions to help narrow the options to the knife that best fits the customers gift idea.
Question 1: Is the person going to collect this knife or use this knife?
Knowing the intended use for the knife will help guide you to a handle and blade material. Customers who think the knife will be used rather than collected, may want to start by looking at the Yellow handles, Amber Bones, and CV blades.
Question 2: Is there any particular pattern or number of blades preferred?
In some cases you may know right off the bat: "Oh yeah, they're really into Muskrat knives." Other cases it won't be so simple. But getting a blade count can help you narrow it down to a particular pattern(s). 3 blades? Stockman. 2 blades? Trapper, mini Trapper, Muskrat, etc.
Question 3: How old is the person?
A touchy subject? Maybe. But I've found that more often than not, older gentlemen prefer to carry a smaller knife. "It doesn't weigh down my britches."
Question 4: Any particular handle material and color?
Combine the answer to this question with the first 3 and you should be able to narrow the list of choices down to a handful of knives. Making the decision MUCH easier.