Buck Steel question -again

G

Giuliano

Joined
May 24, 2007
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This is about the Buck BU371 stockman with wood scales made in China .
I've read several descriptions on the web today .Most refer to the blade steel as 440C and some as 420HC .
Now I have a suspicion that the steel on this model is 420J2 but in my 10 minute search today I've seen no mention of 420J2.
Which description is correct ? Thanks in advance .
 
Rsmith_77 said:
All the Chinese made bucks -I- have seen are 420j2.
For whatever that's worth
Click to expand...

Thanks but I believe there was a cut off date before which Chinese made Buck slipjoints were 420HC.it may be 2007.


I just checked up again on Buck 371 knives for sale on the Internet and yet again have come across more instances of Chinese 371's with 440C steel including listings on that well known auction site by prominent sellers .Could they all be wrong and therefore guilty of mis-representation ?
There is one located in Finland that I may contact .
 
I googled "buck 0371BRS-B" and you find a link tto Bucks site where it says 420j2.
Google buck BU371 and you get mixed results 440C and a few say it;s 420 but Bucks site doesn't show up in the results?
Type BU371 into Buck's web site and you get no results.
There are some buck experts around here that should be able to answer this.
 
Moving this to the Buck sub-forum.
 
Thanks Gary .I've Emailed a vendor in Finland for their confirmation that their sales information is correct .There could well be others .
 
All of the 37- slipjiont knives were and are made with 420j2, Buck hasn't used 440 in over 20 years.
 
420j2. Basically the bottom of the barrel of 420 ,usually reserved for making liners in knives..I have several china bucks that were gifted to me,all are useless in gems of holding an edge,but they fill a hole in the market place,I guess that's what matters nowadays.
 
Giuliano said:
This is about the Buck BU371 stockman with wood scales made in China .
I've read several descriptions on the web today .Most refer to the blade steel as 440C and some as 420HC .
Now I have a suspicion that the steel on this model is 420J2 but in my 10 minute search today I've seen no mention of 420J2.
Which description is correct ? Thanks in advance .
Click to expand...

The BUCK website lists the steel for the 371 Stockman as 420J2. I would take that the be the defining answer.
I have older ChinaBUCK slipjoints in clam packs that list the steel as 420HC which has always confused me. I read once that 420HC was only available to BUCK in the United States which makes me wonder if BUCK was supplying the blades to China early on. I would love to hear a definitive answer to this.
 
RAZORBLADES said:
420j2. Basically the bottom of the barrel of 420 ,usually reserved for making liners in knives..I have several china bucks that were gifted to me,all are useless in gems of holding an edge,but they fill a hole in the market place,I guess that's what matters nowadays.
Click to expand...

A while back someone here posted a link to a video, where a guy with a wood handled china made buck saved the life of a child with the knife.
Would the guy have had a knife if it cost more do to being american made? Who knows, but that china buck was used to cut the seatbelt that was strangling the kid, so it was worth every penny and a whole bunch more!
 
I never had a issue with the edge retention of the chinese made slippies, nor do I have an issue with putting an edge on one. All of the knives I have bought have had a razor sharp edge and hold it for a good long time.
 
To my limited knowledge, the only overseas Buck stockmen that might not be 420J2 were a very tiny few of the very first ones made. Before someone blows in here and starts waving the Red, White and Blue and shooting off fireworks let me state what I believe in my heart. I believe if certain members of top Buck ownership were sitting in the Idaho woods with you, they would say "Yes, we wish we could make everything in the U.S. and still make the company the same money." To answer questions, once again let me say, the small folding knives made overseas were started because one very large 'American' company required knives at a certain price point and overseas was the only place you could get those made. The amount of business that provided could not be given a cold shoulder. As time has passed several models processed overseas have been brought back to U.S. production. Buck kept as close a thumb on that overseas production as they could. Every overseas knife I have handled has been as good and most much better than some other stateside companies. There are always bad examples, even with Buck factory productions. If the guy with the overseas Buck could only afford or could only find a Buck knife in one of those big name stores then more power to him. He bought a Buck knife for the name and low price and ended up saving a kids life. Not everyone likes or can afford to get a knife of high craftsmanship. My rancher brother-in-laws buy theirs at the feed store from a $2.00 each plastic bucket, a hand full at a time. Because they are constantly breaking the blades prying and leaving them lay who knows where. I don't even get them a overseas Buck for Christmas because those would be better knives than they deserve.

I will agree with all those above and believe what the Buck catalog states - 420J2, I have several men I know who carry them and don't complain to me about them,and I wear a Buck cap all the time. So, good or bad I think they are here to stay awhile.

300Bucks
 
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300Bucks said:
To answer questions, once again let me say, the small folding knives made overseas were started because one very large 'American' company required knives at a certain price point and overseas was the only place you could get those made. The amount of business that provided could not be given a cold shoulder.
Click to expand...

Could you say more about this? Stores like Walmart and Amazon are notorious for this sort of price point pressure on manufacturers.

Did the retailer involved *demand* that Buck deliver cheap slipjoints as a part of the agreement to carry Buck stalwarts like the 110 and 119? Or was Buck given a business proposal too good to pass up to sell a bunch of profitable units at that price point and just decide to dance with the devil, so to speak.

I note that Victorinox is carried by retailers like Walmart and Amazon but from what I can tell, Victorinox hasn't gone the route of producing special, low cost "retailer make ups" for them. But that's what I would expect from Victorinox since they are arguably the best in business at brand management. They won't cheapen the brand.

Can you imagine a Victorinox made anywhere other than Switzerland? I can't. Opinel made anywhere other than France? Mora made anywhere other than Sweden? Buck made anywhere....
 
Pinnah, As I have said in the past, I have no inside Buck connections, only BCCI behind the knife show display stories. When you are moving your factory and a giant retailer wants you to provide some knives at certain prices you may have to look around to see what you can do to get that business. The staggering numbers wanted draws you into the web to catch you in providing what is necessary. As I said I only listen to stories so don't write it in a book. As people who work in those positions all across our nation know, business is business.......as someone with some knowledge stated the other day. 'Buck is making in the high 80s per centage of their knives in the USA and climbing'....300
 
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The one 371 I have, was a gift from my neighbor, and I like it.

I shaved with it.

So 420J2 definately can take a good edge ;)



 
Regarding price points and overseas stuff:

I'm getting ready to make a run of mid tech small, edc style fixed blades. I've looked into China production out of curiosity. What costs me $75/piece to make in the US would cost $25/piece in China. That's for the same quality product, minus the sheath. My US made sheaths are top notch and a whole heck of a lot better than the Chinese made ones, but other than that the product is identical.

Basically, it's pure economics sometimes why companies do things.

Different people require different piece points. I'm going to produce my first knife in the US with 100% US components. It is also going to be well over $100 retail. I might end up producing another later on in China, but it's for a different market segment, and would retail for around $40-45. There are people who just won't or just can't spend $125+ on a knife. Business is about choice, and capturing as much of the market as possible.
 
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