My two bits.....

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bertl said:
This is off the subject, but it's been brought up so it's fair game. In reality and in the long run, working for the sewer department may be more important than what most of us do for a living.
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Yes but most folks know crap runs down hill. It’s the guys that know how to sell that crap before it accumulates.

All joking aside I believe Buck is interested in knowing what the buying public wants and are willing to pay for. The decisions they make internally as a company is going to include the company viability and their employees well being. Adjusting to the market has always been a must and continues if those adjustments were wise. I’m hoping this will turn out for the better and it’s better to survive for another day.
 
Interesting thread. Now for my random two bits Mike...

Buck did recognize that WalMart's price for the 110 is a problem for other sellers. The origin of the curved bolster 111 was an attempt to create a identifiably different product for the rest of the market.... unsuccessfully it would seem.

I suspect that WalMart's business with Buck outweighs all other sellers combined, probably Buck's most important retail partner.

I also suspect that the profit margin on the China Buck product line is just fine, the problem is more of an 'anti China' sentiment in America than a business one.

Ain't it great that we can all join together on this forum and discuss things we know absolutely nothing about....
 
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The collector market for Buck knives is different from the EDC knife market..Even if some of us use the Bucks we buy from them. If I 'needed' a 112 size knife I sure would not spend the $120.00 I gladly paid for the new Aluminum framed take apart and only wish Buck would give me the opportunity to buy extras upgraded blades and handles. And even if we the 'Collectors' are only 5% of the market we still buy a lot of knives and are perfectly willing to pay more for the 'basic' knife.
The Buck knife company has grown and changed quite a bit since the late 50's early 60's to what it is now. It's had to just to stay in business. The move from California is a perfect example. Thru it all Buck has cared about the small group of fans and collectors and supported them and the BCCI even if it didn't make much economic sense to do so. I personally don't understand the business of knife manufacturing and decisions Buck has made on size of runs or who can order what or when but I do know they care about us..that small group of fans and collectors..
 
I feel like collectors and knife fanatics are like youe car junkies or even race car drivers. They may not be the primary market all of the time for profits but they help justify pushing the boundaries of tech and capabilities that can lead to improvements in products or processes down the line. If you fan do R&D and get someone to help pay for it or even make money at it, that's pretty nice.

I've actually enjoyed some of the stuff buck has been putting out lately. I would like to see the leather handled fixed blades make their way back through the line.

I believe there was an article at some point when Buck moved their shop that that are strong followers of lean manufacturering so they are capable of making profits from low prices because their processes are solid.

I think if buck is making money with the 110 then they are pricing it well. I almost wonder if it's a compliment item, buy one when you need to get camping gear, hunting gear, etc. I think the only thing they're missing is the bushcraft crowd but I think the pursuit seriss is close. It seems there is a solid trend for bushcraft within the US and the selkirk being imported is a drag. The compadre is close but not quite there, IMO. I think they could really take a shot at mora if they wanted to with their phenolic handles and 420HC or 5160 with a different blade grind. And US made to boot. Maybe even give the fixed blades the LT treatment from the 110 and 112 LT.
 
This is interesting to me. If someone with a post count of, say, 10 were to complain here about Buck to this degree a lot of you folks would be throwing beer bottles.
 
L
dsutton24 said:
This is interesting to me. If someone with a post count of, say, 10 were to complain here about Buck to this degree a lot of you folks would be throwing beer bottles.
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LOL.

I've seen that inumerable times. Most folks here are good people.

I like the guy that ALWAYS shows up on the really high horse.
 
Makael Makael The 110 may well be "worth" $79.95/call it "$80", retail, or even more.
However, if they did cost that much, I can assure you that I, and a lot of other folk who don't have that kind of money to lay out for a knife, would not own a single 110, let alone several of them.
I'd still be carrying a Old Timer 7OT for $20 some odd dollars, that does everything a Buck 110 can, if I carried a lockback at all.
Even with Walmart's current call it "$40" price point, a new standard production 110 is once again out of my price range, for at least the next 2.5 to 3.5 years..
Fortunately, I already have more Buck 110 "users" now, than I could ever hope to wear out to the point they needed a SPA treatment, so I don't need to worry about buying more of them.
 
afishhunter said:
Makael Makael The 110 may well be "worth" $79.95/call it "$80", retail, or even more.
However, if they did cost that much, I can assure you that I, and a lot of other folk who don't have that kind of money to lay out for a knife, would not own a single 110, let alone several of them.
I'd still be carrying a Old Timer 7OT for $20 some odd dollars, that does everything a Buck 110 can, if I carried a lockback at all.
Even with Walmart's current call it "$40" price point, a new standard production 110 is once again out of my price range, for at least the next 2.5 to 3.5 years..
Fortunately, I already have more Buck 110 "users" now, than I could ever hope to wear out to the point they needed a SPA treatment, so I don't need to worry about buying more of them.
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I agree the 40.00 price point is great. It's when every other US manufacturer has their bread and butter knife coming in at over 100.00. The 40 price tag devalues the legendary 110. When the majority of your production is stemmed around a low margin product other services and or products suffer. Brass, Ebony wood, history, leather sheath etc. Seems like their should be more value to the 110 is all I'm saying. The 112 costs more than the 110 and has less materials. The 110LT is almost as much as the standard model. If 2020 Chevy trucks were 10k new. People would buy them running the plant into the ground until Chevy raises its white flag surrendering. Meanwhile sales are at an all time high.

There might be 8 dollars in material costs. That doesn't include marketing, commissions, packaging, shipping, warranty costs etc. The low margins and low numbered commitments result in what SK Blades, C&C etc are experiencing. Next are layoffs, new product development goes to near zero. Free SPA service could be affected. Buck needs to make a profit. If they were there would be surplus offerings from all kinds of vendors and from the factory. I want to see Buck around for another 100 years, they need to make a profit to do so.
 
Makael said:
I agree the 40.00 price point is great. It's when every other US manufacturer has their bread and butter knife coming in at over 100.00. The 40 price tag devalues the legendary 110. When the majority of your production is stemmed around a low margin product other services and or products suffer. Brass, Ebony wood, history, leather sheath etc. Seems like their should be more value to the 110 is all I'm saying. The 112 costs more than the 110 and has less materials. The 110LT is almost as much as the standard model. If 2020 Chevy trucks were 10k new. People would buy them running the plant into the ground until Chevy raises its white flag surrendering. Meanwhile sales are at an all time high.

There might be 8 dollars in material costs. That doesn't include marketing, commissions, packaging, shipping, warranty costs etc. The low margins and low numbered commitments result in what SK Blades, C&C etc are experiencing. Next are layoffs, new product development goes to near zero. Free SPA service could be affected. Buck needs to make a profit. If they were there would be surplus offerings from all kinds of vendors and from the factory. I want to see Buck around for another 100 years, they need to make a profit to do so.
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I agree. I don't want Buck to go the way of Schrade and family, or even Utica for that matter. (Utica is a shadow of what they once were, even as recently as three or four years ago.)
Nor do I want to see any of their dealers that specialize in Buck SFO's have to shut down.
 
Maybe lock this one . Good debate but Buck knows best.
 
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