I believe he is referring to the 5,000 Bits Bitcoin Savings Bond, which were issued in shrink wrapped packs of some quantity (5 I think).  This was supposed to be a less expensive version of the satoshi note.  The encrypted private key is in clear text, and the password is behind some sort of sticker or scratch off material.  I can understand why someone might have trouble with this.  The paper quality is probably not good enough to withstand something abrasive to remove whatever is covering the key.  Might require a razor blade instead? 

Here's a picture of one: