"Buck Knife" as a synecdoche

oic0

oic0

Joined
Jun 16, 2012
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368
Here in Louisiana a tissue is a kleenex, a canned soda is a coke, etc... I've also heard knives called "buck knife". Not as a brand, but as a kind of knife. EX: "That scary dude had a big ol buck knife" from people that probably don't even know buck is a brand. Never been quite sure what aspect of the knife makes them decide to call it a buck knife, but it seems to usually correlate to being larger than normal and maybe being a bowie design.

Just wondering if anyone else has ever encountered this elsewhere.
 
Yep. Not uncommon at all.

I've also heard any modern looking folder called a "Benchmade", not referring to the brand but rather the style of knife.
 
Knife used for butter, spreads or whatever in a normal utensil placement for meals has always been a "case" knife for me.
 
FYI, Synecdoche is a figure of speech meaning part for a whole or whole for a part, like: step on the gas, meaning gas stands for the accelerator. It is a subset of metonymy, meaning one thing standing for for another. Brands try to fight things like this, because other companies don't want all tissues called Kleenex. Except for the makers of Kleenex. Pepsi does not like all soft drinks being called Cokes.

Sorry, I was an English major, it is a disease.
 
From the Wikipedia page on "Buck Knives":

Buck Knives is an American knife manufacturer founded in San Diego, California and now located in Post Falls, Idaho. The company has a long history through five generations of the Buck family from 1902 to the present day. Buck Knives primarily manufactures sport and field knives and is credited with inventing the "folding hunting knife" and popularizing it to such a degree that the term "buck knife" has become synonymous with folding lockback knives, including those made by other manufacturers.
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Far be it from me to argue with wikipedia:rolleyes:, but in my own mind, when I think of buck knife other than brand name, I think any fixed blade hunting knife. It seems that people(esp on popular auction site) like to refer to all or at least larger folders(locking or slippie) as a jack knife. JMO
 
pinnah said:
From the Wikipedia page on "Buck Knives":
Click to expand...

I would agree Buck popularized the folding hunting knife but certainly didn't invent it. The 110 design took into account features that were liked and disliked in other folding lockback knives of the time.
 
Any traditional in my area, be it Frost, Schrade, Case, Queen, Hen and Rooster, or what have you, is a "Case knife". What is referred to as a "Buck knife" around here is exactly what you said, large fixed blade hunting knife. Honestly I feel it started with the Buck 119. So that's my $.02.

BTW I'm from North Georgia, maybe it's a country thing.
 
If you all have an issue with Wikipedia, I'm sure they would welcome your edits.

While various locking knives predated the Buck 110, including the Spanish Navaja with it's ratcheting lock, where there any "lock back" designs prior to the 110 that anybody is aware of? My recollection from other sources (like Levine perhaps, I'm forgetting) is that Buck invented the lock back but didn't bother patenting it, feeding into it's widespread replication. But, I could have that wrong.
 
Found this in the general forum with an email from Bernard Levine.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...A-the-original-Buck-110?p=3194599#post3194599

Various sorts of knife locks were already common in the 18th century. The oldest type of
lock is the Barry Wood swing lock type, which was made in the 17th century, and possibly
earlier -- it does not need springs. Versions of this mechanism were patented by 10
different Americans and 10 different Brits, some of whom simply traced 18th century
drawings for their 19th century patent applications.

The Buck 110 was introduced in 1963. It uses a rocker bar and music wire spring, which is
completely different internally from a traditional lockback (which uses a two-part
backspring), despite looking the same externally. Shown in Levine's Guide to Knives. Buck
used it because it is simpler to make, but it is also stronger and more reliable. I don't
know if Buck invented this, but they did not attempt to patent it, so practically everyone
has copied it since then.
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Clear as mud.
 
Locutus D'Borg said:
FYI, Synecdoche is a figure of speech meaning part for a whole or whole for a part, like: step on the gas, meaning gas stands for the accelerator. It is a subset of metonymy, meaning one thing standing for for another. Brands try to fight things like this, because other companies don't want all tissues called Kleenex. Except for the makers of Kleenex. Pepsi does not like all soft drinks being called Cokes.

Sorry, I was an English major, it is a disease.
Click to expand...
Now THAT's my kind of post. :thumbup: :)
 
Yup, my old man will refer to any traditional lockback as a Buck knife, regardless of brand. To be fair, though, he carried Buck knives exclusively for years before I finally got him and A.G. Russell one hand knife and a Boker Subcom Titan.
 
Heck I'm from Shreveport too! It seems we like to call everything by some sort of brand! We certainly don't have the smartest people in the world but you gotta love s'port! It's great to see another Louisiana man on the forums!
 
ddml said:
Mods: please rename thread "'Buck knife' as a proprietary eponym."
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Yes, I agree with this. ONe of my majors was English as well and I would have Never used that word to talk about a 'Buck Knife' let alone any knife. It doesn't strike at the point of the subject and lends much confusion??? DM
 
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