- Joined
- Apr 14, 2010
- Messages
- 64
This thread's about how Buck knives were introduced to countries outside the USA. When did Bucks first appear in your country? How well were they received by your countrymen? How much has Buck affected your local knife culture?
This is mostly apocryphal, with oral histories and my grandpa's ramblings providing most of the info, but here goes:
My country, Singapore, was first introduced to Buck Knives during the 1960s, when US military personnel on R&R from the Vietnam War would make a stop here because the locals all spoke English (and we had beer that was actually good). When soldiers couldn't pay for beer and booze, they'd trade their Bucks instead. These knives were different from the cheap imported knives of the time; they had attractive brass bolsters, they cut better and lasted longer, and their popularity spread. For a time after that, Buck became the only American-made knife brand imported into Singapore. Consequently, a "Buck" became a colloquialism for any brass bolstered pocket knife. It was a status symbol to own a Buck pocket knife, much like Louis Vuitton bags and wallets are today.
As the years went on and other companies made their presence known here, knife laws became progessively tighter, and Chinese Manufacturing made cheap knives attractive, Buck lost its popularity and became a relic of a bygone era. Buck knives became novelties sold in specialty knife stores at ridiculously inflated prices for the collectors market. By the late 90s, Buck effectively disappeared from Singapore. Today, the only way a Singaporean can get a brand new Buck is through the internet. This is how I started collecting Bucks. My first Buck was a Stockman my grandfather owned, and I was impressed at the quality and craftsmanship of that little knife. It's heartening to know that Buck knives today have not skimped on the quality even after 50+ years.
This is mostly apocryphal, with oral histories and my grandpa's ramblings providing most of the info, but here goes:
My country, Singapore, was first introduced to Buck Knives during the 1960s, when US military personnel on R&R from the Vietnam War would make a stop here because the locals all spoke English (and we had beer that was actually good). When soldiers couldn't pay for beer and booze, they'd trade their Bucks instead. These knives were different from the cheap imported knives of the time; they had attractive brass bolsters, they cut better and lasted longer, and their popularity spread. For a time after that, Buck became the only American-made knife brand imported into Singapore. Consequently, a "Buck" became a colloquialism for any brass bolstered pocket knife. It was a status symbol to own a Buck pocket knife, much like Louis Vuitton bags and wallets are today.
As the years went on and other companies made their presence known here, knife laws became progessively tighter, and Chinese Manufacturing made cheap knives attractive, Buck lost its popularity and became a relic of a bygone era. Buck knives became novelties sold in specialty knife stores at ridiculously inflated prices for the collectors market. By the late 90s, Buck effectively disappeared from Singapore. Today, the only way a Singaporean can get a brand new Buck is through the internet. This is how I started collecting Bucks. My first Buck was a Stockman my grandfather owned, and I was impressed at the quality and craftsmanship of that little knife. It's heartening to know that Buck knives today have not skimped on the quality even after 50+ years.
