No respect for Buck?

E

EDCanAdamas

Joined
Sep 8, 2013
Messages
520
Buck Knife Co has been one of my favorite manufacturers since I bought my first 110 a long time ago. That being said, I don't understand why Buck products are rarely mentioned/promoted in the "versus threads" or "recomend me ____ knife discussions". Buck makes a variety of traditional and tactical knives, many of which are made in the USA, can be re-bladed for a fee, and have a lifetime warranty. Due to the higher prices of many of the other companies (one of which recently raised their prices significantly), Buck products are also quite affordable. So why isn't Buck getting as much attention or respect as some of the other brands? Thoughts?

(Perhaps the relative lack of attention is a good thing in that it keeps the prices and values of Buck knives reasonable in a market in which the other big companies seem to be raising their prices to suit the hype around their products:D)
 
Last edited:
I believe you hit the nail on the head . . . HYPE. Most of the other brands are hyped to no end and they produce their products according to what is the current rage, whereas Buck stays the course and dances with them that brought them to the dance . . . so to speak. And hype doesn't always translate to quality. As a result, the Buck brand is often looked upon as being passé or out of date. I believe for the most part, those of us who support Buck do it for one of two reasons (or both), either we were brought up around Buck knives with our fathers or grandfathers using them and passing them on to us, or it is out of respect and admiration for the Buck family and company, and their Godly, moral, and ethical values. The fact that they are an American company that produces good quality affordable knives with a customer service that is tops in the industry, is icing on the cake.
 
I recommend the Vantage frequently, especially in the "best value for the" ... um, ... "buck" type threads.
 
I try to mention Buck products when they apply to the someone's request. Yes, a few other companies have more expensive knives that are highly touted on BF, but I see no reason to try them. I like to keep my purchases to under $30, and several Bucks fit under that bar, are well made (in the USA), practical knives. I'm thankful that Buck is around doing what they do.

Just conjecture, Buck has been around a long time; perhaps they aren't as fashionable because of that. Also, a handful of folks who have had bad experiences love harping on Buck like a broken record. I purchased a Case knife, was not impressed with its design, quality or value, and probably won't buy Case again, but you don't see me posting this every time someone mentions Case knives.

BF is comprised of knife owners that Buck doesn't really cater to. A lot of them seek out the extremes of one or more features in a knife: the most exotic steel, the biggest, the most tactical, the most expensive, the coolest blade shape, the strongest, etc. I see Buck as making practical knives for the average person who needs a knife, but doesn't obsess over it.

In the end, enjoy what you like. Life's too short to worry about what other people think of your knives.
 
dogstar said:
bf is comprised of knife owners that buck doesn't really cater to. A lot of them seek out the extremes of one or more features in a knife: The most exotic steel, the biggest, the most tactical, the most expensive, the coolest blade shape, the strongest, etc. I see buck as making practical knives for the average person who needs a knife, but doesn't obsess over it.
Click to expand...

Bingo!
 
dogstar said:
I try to mention Buck products when they apply to the someone's request. Yes, a few other companies have more expensive knives that are highly touted on BF, but I see no reason to try them. I like to keep my purchases to under $30, and several Bucks fit under that bar, are well made (in the USA), practical knives. I'm thankful that Buck is around doing what they do.

Just conjecture, Buck has been around a long time; perhaps they aren't as fashionable because of that. Also, a handful of folks who have had bad experiences love harping on Buck like a broken record. I purchased a Case knife, was not impressed with its design, quality or value, and probably won't buy Case again, but you don't see me posting this every time someone mentions Case knives.

BF is comprised of knife owners that Buck doesn't really cater to. A lot of them seek out the extremes of one or more features in a knife: the most exotic steel, the biggest, the most tactical, the most expensive, the coolest blade shape, the strongest, etc. I see Buck as making practical knives for the average person who needs a knife, but doesn't obsess over it.

In the end, enjoy what you like. Life's too short to worry about what other people think of your knives.
Click to expand...


I obsess over my buck knives. :)
 
Personal experience and observation in one spot.

The Blade Show in Atlanta is the worlds largest knife show. If you Buck people live within a couple hours (2 or 3) drive and have never gone you are missing a life's experience. A smaller but good show happens in Oregon also. I go to show my 300 collection and just stand in the massive room full of knife companies and knife 'folks'. You can see amazing sights. Not many places do you feel comfortable having people carry swords walking around. How does this apply to this thread?

The companies alluded to above have large fancy areas, hold knife drawings, bright lights, have tight fitting clothing blonde's behind the counter and make lots of noise. The Buck Knife COMPANY and a very few other quality companies have smaller company displays, maybe a couple of tables in length. No blonde's just CJ, Joe, Bill and Other top Buck employees. Chuck will be there if possible signing your knife blade. I could name a couple of other companies that are about the same.

At the same time the Buck Collectors Club dominates the collectors area. We actually have to allocate tables. We display four full rows of members hard earned collections. In fact I may give up space to someone new this year just to be a good guy.

I think this and other displays in public forums show part of a Buck knife answer to the OP. I hope the future continues to show these values represented, "Make a good knife and stand behind it." Glitter and hype are a negative to me. If Buck wanted to impress me they would not spend money on 'fancy' peoples support but would interview some of you guys that constantly cut stuff, hunt every season and sharpen their blades with craftsmen efforts. My opinion anyway.

300
 
Last edited:
These comments ^ and I think there is a general lack of knowledge on Buck items. Even though the company has been building knives for over 65yrs.. I run in to guys all the time that don't know Buck was one of the first mfg. to began utilizing a cryogenic treatment on there blades. They started using high carbon steel and moved to 440C. Knife nuts can't believe that Buck ran with 440C steel for 20yrs.! Now, are putting out blades of powder metallurgy. Plus, are still making most of there knives in the USA. I don't know how they missed these goings on. But at shows folks will flock to my table just to ask questions about the company and their models and may only own one or two knives. So, the word is getting out. We need more collectors displaying, not just at the big shows at big cities but at the smaller cities too. DM
 
Ive always liked many of Buck's offerings. You still see piles of guys carrying 110's around here..I like the 110 a lot myself. Ill agree they certainly deserve a lot more respect than they get. I understand why knife buyers gravitate towards the things they do. Bladeforums has many members who just don't look towards the common knife that can be had at walmart. They want what everyone else "dosnt" have. Nothing wrong with either way, that's just the way it is. I think a general lack of knowledge about buck plays in as well.
 
Last edited:
I'll admit it. I never thought of trying out Buck. I had my collection of super steels and fancy designs. I was also paying more and more for that next one.

Then it happened. Life. Money. Kids. More and more over time the budget was lower and lower. I wanted to get the most for my money, and now I was starting to look into this 420HC stuff. Would this steel have the ability to cut with awesomeness?

The Vantage was a gateway to Buck. This is where I found the Select model which I wanted as it was 25 bucks and I wouldn't be out anything if it sucked. Well,....it just blew my mind. This 25 dollar knife kicked butt. Then the Avid model. I had a few lemons, but Jeff at Buck who is really active in this forum went well beyond what I expected to make it right.

Recently again as I'm on limited spending right now, I thought every collection needs a 110. I wasn't particularly excited, I just thought the collection has to grow, so I got one. Holy cow!!! For 28 bucks, this has to be hands down the best value for the money that I have ever seen. Country of origin, materials, fit and finish are all 100 percent perfect.

So now I find myself more and more eyeing buck for my future purchases. They have earned my business, and they are great people.
 
If you have ever been to Buck's Idaho headquarters you know that what everyone says here (above) is the case. It's not fancy, nor "glittery." As I recall the counter from which you could buy their products was not large at all. Like Randall Knives in Orlando, FL, Buck seems to self-consciously resist the hype mentality; and I appreciate that.
 
I grew up in El Cajon CA about 4 minutes from the old Buck headquarters. Buck is well respected in this area with outdoor types to this day. The first knife I ever carried when I became an EMT was a Buck folder. It was awesome, nice clip point single blade, thumb stud and hard plastic handle with a tough pocket clip. I have searched to try to find what it was and I cannot find it. When I became a Fireman/Paramedic I switched to a Benchmade Mel Pardue auto and for the past 12 years have carried Benchmade or Spyderco. I still love Buck knives it just seems that there was a good stretch there that their pocket clip style folders just did not hit the mark for what I was looking for. I will say that the Vantage line has perked my interest back into Bucks. My dad has always been a huge Buck knife fan and after checking out his collection I started adding some of my own. Just recently I have snagged a 119, Pathfinder, Woodsman, 110, 112 and a Vantage select. The vantage line is awesome, nice thin profile, single clip point blade and pocket clip. Buck is a great company with good people working there and I look forward to buying more Bucks.
 
Honestly, I've always respected Buck, but I don't see too many of their products that really appeal to me. That said, I am unabashedly excited about the 830 Marksman. If Buck puts out more products like that they will certainly have my attention.
 
I like Bucks a lot. But its a mixed bag. Many models are plebeian or plain ugly. There are some models in the lineup that are solid but haven't chaanged in a long while. While they were learning to heat treat steel in the 80s they screwed up a whole bunch of knives and either wouldn't admit it or Buck fanatics just covered it up with revisionists history. That said I have a vantage small that I just waved. It was a mediocre edc before I put a zip tie nub on it and now its an excellent edc.

And anyone that says the flipper or thumb hole on a vantage small is usable is 100% drinking buck koolaid. Yet they have knives like the 110 which is iconic but old school and good users like the cadet which is highly reminiscent of fill in the blank schrade models. Its not that they aren't decent. Its just that they are a mixed bag and you gotta accept it for what it is.
 
Last edited:
I have no problem whatsoever using the small Vantage as is. I must have superstrong fingers, no doubt enhanced by years of Sony Playstation obsession.
 
for many years all I carried was a buck 112. I really like this knife. however back in may the small vantage came on sale at a local hardware store ,so I decided to give it a try. I'm hooked . Since I bought this knife I've carried it at work every day. I have worked this thing like a rented mule, used and abused it. this is one of the best tool purchases I've made in a long time .I don't use the the thumb hole much , although yes it work fine in my hand. mostly I use the flipper and it works for me .
 
The brand advocacy among knife nuts that you're noticing isn't a coincidence. I know this is the Buck forum, but I don't think one can adequately answer your question without mentioning some other brands. I have come across various valuations over the years, and I have worked in marketing for a couple years - but I'm missing a lot of insight and information so I'm going to try and fill in those blanks with logic.

I would say Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, Benchmade, and Kershaw are the brands that enjoy the reputation and advocacy you're noticing. On the other hand, Buck's lineup is varied and their patronage is more similar to Boker and Gerber.

Buck, Boker and Gerber use cheaper materials and cater to the larger segment of the market, which happens to be the average joe. The average person wouldn't spend $200 on a knife, and these brands know that. They started their business before there was a specialty market, and their production capacity is a remnant of that era. If they can't put them out for <$50, they can't sell them at Wal-Mart. If they can't sell them at Wal-Mart, they automatically lose access to a huge segment of the market.

The 'hype' brands you're referring to meet the market demand that is fueled by knife nuts - they won't sell near as many, but they have brand loyalty, repeat buyers and in the process have developed a brand persona that permeates the market. People that have never even handled a Spyderco will tell others "yeah, those are high quality knives".

A group of 1000 average men, nearly all of them will have some experience with knives. The vast majority will scoff at the prices we pay for knives though. However, if you get 20,000 knife nuts in a group (which is essentially what Bladeforums is) the majority will gravitate toward the brands that cater to their preferences. There is always going to be a strong following of Buck fanatics (Case is the most collected knife not because knife nuts love them, but because the average person recognizes the brand, and sees knives in general as a collectible), but their product line as a whole doesn't do as much to inspire brand loyalty as the fact that you can get the iconic Buck 110 in thousands of different variations.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Vantage Pro, and there are a handful of other modern models I'm intrigued by; but they represent a very small percentage of Buck's offering, and some of those models are starting to approach the specialty market prices - the more Buck puts in to capturing the market share of the specialty market, the more they take away from the offerings that reach the masses. From a business standpoint I would think that any of those 'hype' brands would trade their lineup for a lineup and distribution network that mirrored Buck's. Then again, there will come a time that Buck will look to expand their sales, and capturing a share of this existing market may seem more promising than creating new market among average Americans.

Case in point: Boker recently put out a collaboration with Bill Coye's Ridgeback, which was very popular last year in the specialty market. If they were wanting to target the specialty market, they would have used a more expensive steel. Since they used 440c it seems to me like they were looking to leverage a design that was proven to be popular with the buyers in the specialty market to a lower price point to compete for average buyers. I think Buck would pump a lot more R&D into tactical folders if they were that concerned with expanding their business with knife nuts, although their new offerings in the last 10 years is proving that they're at least listening.
 
Buck and case fall into the same category for me. Both have plenty of respect but on the low down. Time tested designs and good steel for the money. Carried by most non-knife average guys that I have known. I wish they would evolve a bit more and I would actually buy something new. That said, I love the 110 and the slip joints that they make. Super sharp blades and boy , do those lock backs cut and pierce amazingly. I feel the old designed lock backs work and lock up much better than those crazy new aluminum things. Just a point of view from a guy who is not in the buck community.
Matt
 
Last edited:
Down my way it's actually common to see a Buck 110 worn with pride on a belt. Last year I was waiting at a tire shop and started talking with this young man that had a 119 on his belt.He said it was a gift from his Grandfather. He pulled out a blade with lots of beauty marks from use.It had the Idaho stamp and I told him the details about it.He was very interested to learn the story about the knife he was gifted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top