Seven Buck knives in my collection, and now these two will join...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
3,989
The seven Bucks I own (in fixed and folding style), are made in USA. The current two I am going to add, are made in China. Here is the short story of how and why I chose to buy them and to include them into the collection.
Starts out today with a visit to that biggest of U.S. big box stores... my perusing what is left of their knife and ammo section. In the display where they have their ammo, I see some clearance priced knives. And a sign above the knives stating an extra 50% off the already lower clearance prices. Hmmm... let me take a better look... Lookie here, a Buck labled knife box, some sort of combo deal. Okay, I ask to look at it, hoping it would be their standard made in USA knives... But no... these two are imports. Okay, but wait, let's take a look. Hmmm, not bad... and real jigged bone :) Okay, the price is 15 bucks on clearance... but half more off, equals $7.50! Wait, but that's for two knives... so that's $3.75 per knife! Okay, SOLD! I don't know how much of Buck product is planned to eventually end back to being made stateside, but these two will stand as representations of Bucks outsourced product... my diversity in knives continues :)
I found this pic online, but it's the same combo pack :)
25ako05.jpg
 
SAK Guy said:
:thumbup: Let us know how you like them!!!!!
Click to expand...

My initial inspection was that they compare well to Bucks USA made pocket knives. I imagine with Buck having such a recognized name in the knife industry, they likely have quite a few checks and balances in place to make sure their outsourced products don't tarnish that name. I could be wrong on that assumption, but these two knives are of decently made quality, imo :)
 
The 30x knives are made in the USA but the 37x knives are made in China.
 
Actually, it seems the higher percentage of Bucks were still made here in the USA. But, many of the outsourced models are supposedly now either being made here again, or slated to be made here again. My inclusion is twofold... one is obviously a Buck product at ridiculously low price, and secondly was to add a couple specimens that are Buck brand, but made overseas. Keeping that diversity going, and representing Buck in various ways in my collection. As for some Bucks being made elsewhere.... that is now very old news, but the news of them reshoring some products, that is something a bit more recent within the past few years :) Their bread and butter classics, like their Buck Special fixed blade, and their 110 and 112 folders, have been only made here, never outsourced overseas.
 
Last edited:
2ilhiqg.jpg

This is a picture of the actual two knives I purchased. I gotta say... they look really good in overall f&f. I know I did not steal them, but at the price I paid, one can almost say I did! lol! ;) Real bone, and the jigging is well done, and pins well installed with zero cracks. Liners are made of stainless steel, as the blades and backsprings are. The bolsters, shield, and pins, all have a yellow tint, which is almost certainly brass. Overall, nice looking pieces that seem to be built like little tanks! :)

Oh, btw... if you are wondering why they were being sold at such a ridiculously low price... It was because they did away with the store's knife display, and now are hanging their knives up in clamshell packaging. The boxed up knives don't fit into that equation, so out the door they go. I hate clamshell packaging anyway, so it was totally a win win situation for me :)
 
Last edited:
I thought the 110 was made in China for a brief period.
The hew & cry, & high prices of USA made knives on the secondary market helped convince them to take production back to USA.
I could be wrong.
 
Hey Jimmy, it just hit me! If you have six brothers, you've got the makings of a musical!

"Seven Bucks for Seven Brothers"! :D
 
SAK Guy said:
Hey Jimmy, it just hit me! If you have six brothers, you've got the makings of a musical!

"Seven Bucks for Seven Brothers"! :D
Click to expand...

LOL!... Well, for one, too few brothers... and secondly, my singing is not good, though sometimes I may think so when mess'in around at the local karaoke bar... but it's the red wine that helps me believe such nonsense! ;)

Guys, if you like Buck, and want to add these in, take a peek at your local big box store... Even at the regular clearance price of 15 bucks for the combo, it is an amazing bargain. If you also get half off of that, like I did, you'll be grinning from ear to ear the whole day! :)
 
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
Actually, it seems the higher percentage of Bucks were still made here in the USA. But, many of the outsourced models are supposedly now either being made here again, or slated to be made here again. My inclusion is twofold... one is obviously a Buck product at ridiculously low price, and secondly was to add a couple specimens that are Buck brand, but made overseas. Keeping that diversity going, and representing Buck in various ways in my collection. As for some Bucks being made elsewhere.... that is now very old news, but the news of them reshoring some products, that is something a bit more recent within the past few years :) Their bread and butter classics, like their Buck Special fixed blade, and their 110 and 112 folders, have been only made here, never outsourced overseas.
Click to expand...

Yep. At one point Buck had moved much of their production to China. But in 2004 CJ Buck announced a move from California to Idaho and a corresponding move of production to that facility. The plan was to gradually move production from China back to the USA and they have been doing that. The vast majority of Buck knives are now made in Idaho. As of 3/12/13 88% are made here and 12% in China. Plans are to fully move 100% of their knives home in the next few years. They announced the goal year, but I can't recall when. Maybe 2017? Not sure, but soon.

And 100% of their hunting knives are produced in Idaho already. :)

Edit:
Cool knives and a fantastic price. :thumbup:
 
Thanks :) Ahh.... hearing that they plan a 100% bringback of their production, is good to my ears :) And, the two specimens I just purchased will be the two buck offshore representations in my collection of what once was for them :) Still grinning at the price I paid... what a baugh'gin! ;)
 
Bob W said:
Doesn't look like brass to me. Some nickel silver does have a more gold-ish tint.
Click to expand...

The chinese nickel silver seems to have a yellowish tint and yellowish oxidation. The Chinese "invented" nickel silver as "Paktong," which is typically about 75Cu-25Ni. German silver or what we know as nickel silver has a bit less copper at something like 65Cu-25Ni-15Zn. Brass varies a lot in composition, but is about 60-65Cu and balance Zn. All very similar metallurgically, but with pretty different appearances.

And the Chinese seem to make as good/bad a knife as QC allows. This seems to be true of a lot of what they make: manufacture for a US company with standards (Buck, SMKW, Apple), the product is good; left to own devices, pretty wretched.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top