The foam packaging they came in worked well, but the thin cardboard that wrapped them fell apart in transit. I thought they said they were powder coated but it's obviously paint. This is good because some of them stick the threads together and cause errors. You'll need to run a tap or an old screw through each bolt before threading them onto the wheel studs to avoid getting frustrated with snagging. I couldn't be sure if the flaws I saw on the threads were pure patches of color or in the threads themselves as I didn't have the patience to pat on each one after deciding to send them back as the Length not quite what I needed. after all. The kit comes with a nice solid socket to fit them in, but oddly it didn't have a hole in the middle to push out a nut stuck in it. They look sharp, including a knurled handle on the end for hand carving, and appear to be decently made on the outside, so hopefully your carving precautions will help overcome the crappy coloring.