How can this be legal ?

Harbor Freight has been selling a 184 knock off for years.... the patent for the 119 has probably long expired, and they've changed it just enough to skirt that anyway by leaving off the guard and pommel spacers.

Over the years there have been clones made, Hattori (Japan) sold under the G96 brand, and the Hattori knives were also imported and sold by Valor of Miami.

Reviews of the knife on the HF website are positive, with one claiming "Totally equal to a Buck"... there's a store about 15 miles from me, I need to go satisfy my curiosity and take a look, I'm not at all interested in buying one.
 
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It might be legal, it might not, but either way I won’t be buying this knockoff. If I want a Buck 119 I’m going to get the genuine article. Even if I was a heartless, self-absorbed consumer interested in cheap approximations, I’d say this is no substitute; the 420HC heat treat is legendary on Bucks.
 
Every knife manufacturer used to make their version of the 110 and the average person called them "Buck Knives." In spite of that, enough people prefer the genuine article that it still sells today. I don't think that Harbor Freight will have an effect on Buck's market.
 
Its just the fact they copied an existing model from another manufacturer with a long history instead of a model they call their own. Ffing figures.
Another reason i will not buy China made products unless there are no options. Especially in this hobby.

So Buck has more China made knives in 2021 than years past. Kinda self serving China sells Buck clones thru Harbor freight. Hell maybe a 110 clone is next for $12.00.
 
I've seen the Buck 110 knock offs but was pretty surprised a retailer as big as Harbor Freight is selling these 119 clones. Why anyone would buy this stuff :poop: only to save a few dollars really blows my mind .😬
 
I dont know enough about trademark and patent etc laws and such or if even covers this topic......

its a political discussion, which isn't allowed here, but even bigger than that, if we are being honest with ourselves. ill sum it up to people as a whole always want cheaper and more......they got what they asked for in the end, even if they weren't educated or didn't undertand what they asked for...as in the whole results.

pointing a finger in one direction to blame won't work here. America as a whole, needs to stand in front of the mirror and point their own finger at themselves. everyone is guilty a little or a lot of what happened. everyone wanted their stocks and pensions to pay out well. wanted to live a higher standard. everyone wanted more stuff and cheaper and on and on it goes.....wanted to eat their cake and have it too. they got what they wanted just didn't understand what they asked for. I could type for hours on it, but this forum isn't the place.

did anyone send to Buck so they can do what they can, if they want to? I suspect but don't know that it isnt illegal, just ethically bad and crappy but we should be used to that by now considering everything we see going on around us....sadly.............
 
In conversations with all kinds of people including my family and friends a lot of them couldn’t tell you the difference between a quality product and a cheap knockoff.

Many of them go by looks and low price and not legitimate manufacturers. Some of them see the price of the original manufacture and they dis it as being absurd because they can find the same thing for much less on some online shopping club never mind it is a cheap knock off made with possible inferior materials. Most of them don’t know about the different steels and materials used or the heat treatment process or what it even means.

It’s a sad fact that most consumers don’t see value in quality products made by reputable manufacturers or see that knock offs are disingenuous or stealing a design or intellectual property. It’s not only in cutlery but many types of products. Things they might use a few times and then sell it in a garage sale. Consumers have been conditioned to take at face value that a product is genuine because of the look or advertising that says it is. Many laws have been passed that give way to less than genuine. It only has to meet a minimum standard to qualify and sometimes it’s only a fraction to pass.
 
It starts with setting the standard. Manufacturers like Buck dont have to buy china made knives. We consumers dont have to buy china made Bucks. Theres reasons JB doesnt wander the woods naked. He has standards. Lol. Just stick to them. Buck promoted bringing back production to the US. I dont know if that is happening or not. But every order of a China made Buck promotes another to be made. Stop buying thrm and Buck will bag it.
Shame on Harbor Freight for blatanly offering whats basically a clone of the 119. My standard is do not buy at Harbor Freight. I will buy us made as much as i can.
 
Lesknife said:
In conversations with all kinds of people including my family and friends a lot of them couldn’t tell you the difference between a quality product and a cheap knockoff.

Many of them go by looks and low price and not legitimate manufacturers. Some of them see the price of the original manufacture and they dis it as being absurd because they can find the same thing for much less on some online shopping club never mind it is a cheap knock off made with possible inferior materials. Most of them don’t know about the different steels and materials used or the heat treatment process or what it even means.

It’s a sad fact that most consumers don’t see value in quality products made by reputable manufacturers or see that knock offs are disingenuous or stealing a design or intellectual property. It’s not only in cutlery but many types of products. Things they might use a few times and then sell it in a garage sale. Consumers have been conditioned to take at face value that a product is genuine because of the look or advertising that says it is. Many laws have been passed that give way to less than genuine. It only has to meet a minimum standard to qualify and sometimes it’s only a fraction to pass.
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It took me years to bring myself to by a Buck fillet knife at the top dollar compared to many that I have from $3-6. And likely wouldn't have if I weren't a fan of Bucks. Sadly, I like my $3 knife far and above any of the Buck fillet's.

Well said JB, though I was being partially sarcastic, that's why I said America is buying. I am guilty myself, I try to avoid it but sometimes just can't seem to justify the higher price.
 
st8yd said:
It took me years to bring myself to by a Buck fillet knife at the top dollar compared to many that I have from $3-6. And likely wouldn't have if I weren't a fan of Bucks. Sadly, I like my $3 knife far and above any of the Buck fillet's.

Well said JB, though I was being partially sarcastic, that's why I said America is buying. I am guilty myself, I try to avoid it but sometimes just can't seem to justify the higher price.
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I think the main point being that it’s the attempt to copy a popular model and either pass it off as being a Buck 119 to make money off of the design . Or at least try to compare it to the 119. He did say the original advertisement said it was comparable to the 119 but then took it off so they knew very well what they were doing.

I know there are other lower priced knives that do perform well and maybe even better but that’s not what this is about. Are the filet knives similar looking ? And did they use the name Buck as some have ? Why can’t they use their own unique design and name to sell their goods?
 
Lesknife said:
I think the main point being that it’s the attempt to copy a popular model and either pass it off as being a Buck 119 to make money off of the design . Or at least try to compare it to the 119. He did say the original advertisement said it was comparable to the 119 but then took it off so they knew very well what they were doing.

I know there are other lower priced knives that do perform well and maybe even better but that’s not what this is about. Are the filet knives similar looking ? And did they use the name Buck as some have ? Why can’t they use their own unique design and name to sell their goods?
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No I was just getting off topic.
 
st8yd said:
It took me years to bring myself to by a Buck fillet knife at the top dollar compared to many that I have from $3-6. And likely wouldn't have if I weren't a fan of Bucks. Sadly, I like my $3 knife far and above any of the Buck fillet's.

Well said JB, though I was being partially sarcastic, that's why I said America is buying. I am guilty myself, I try to avoid it but sometimes just can't seem to justify the higher price.
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In fairness we ended up in a world where we can't not be involved in buying from China made completely anymore. there isn't enough or even any choices to avoid it completely. not talking cutlery. more everything else.

we can avoid this harbor freight copy knife as we still have Buck making affordable American knives...for now anyways. long as we keep buying new products they make.
 
I just take comfort knowing that Buck has plenty of top quality knives that they stand behind with unbeatable warranty’s and service at a price point that is very competitive in various materials low to high end. I’ve checked other brands both foreign and domestic in comparable models and materials low to high end and I’d rather buy Buck.

Just this week J Hubbard made special effort to get me the screws on my marksman I needed to replace a lost one at no charge. And that’s not the first time, I’ve lost count the times Buck has fixed me up with warranty service and parts at no cost to me. I haven’t done business with other companies to know if they are as accommodating as Buck but I’ve heard others say of some of those other brands that things didn’t go well and cost them even more.
 
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