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SpyKers

SpyKers

Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Messages
476
I'm typically not the type to rant about a product or brand, but after much frustration, I feel like this a well earned gripe.

I've purchased 5 buck knives over the past year and a half. I love the brand, but I am fed up with the out of box issues I've been dealing with. Now, before anyone ask, "Have you contacted Buck?" or "Have you sent the knife in for warranty work?", the answer is no.

Let me start at the beginning. I purchased a Buck Vantage Select initially as my foray into the brand. Out of box it was touching the liner on the non locking side. After many tear downs and reassembling the knife to my hearts content, I was able to get the blade off the liner. From that point on, great knife. A frustrating albeit well spent $25 bucks.

I liked the design so much I purchased 2 more vantages, but this time the Small Avid and Small Pro models. Wouldn't you know it, same issue. None of my bucks were centered, all far from it, but they weren't touching the liners anymore after a lot of elbow grease.

Then, enter my purchase on a whim last night. I picked up a Buck Slimline from that Wal store thinking it was a lot of knife for $30 bucks. That knife will go down as the single worst purchase I've ever made. Let me list the issues:
-Blade touching scale
-Lots of vertical blade rock
-Pivot MOVED in it's hole during blade rock. I've never seen that. It was actually too big of an opening for the pivot screw.
-Almost no blade retention. It almost fell out of the handle simply by pointing the blade down.
-And to top it off, it was dull. That was a first for a buck knife for me.

Needless to say, I returned this knife. I had no faith in that model moving forward. It was at this juncture I decided to give the Buck 110 it's long overdue time to shine. I'd been considering this classic beauty for a long time, but always hesitated on pulling the trigger. I needed my faith in the brand restored and figured a knife they've been making for decades was the cure to my misfortunes. I gleefully purchased the knife after exchanging the Slimline and briskly opened the package ready to be impressed. But then, it happened. BLADE SLAPPED RIGHT UP AGAINST THE LINER. Physically rubbing right out of the box (clam). To say I was annoyed is really selling it short. To make matters worse, it was the last 110 in their inventory at the Wal Store.

I'm at a loss Buck. I want to love you and your commitment to USA made blades, but this is just a very sour taste in my mouth. I don't want to spend $6 bucks to ship you guys a knife every time I purchase a new Buck. That's absurd. I'm going to consider myself to be THAT unlucky. Otherwise, your QC is really missing the mark.

Sincerely,

A disgruntled but committed fan
 
Some don't take criticism of their favorite brand well. My way of thinking is that, if a person has a valid complaint about a product, it is in everyone's interest that the issues be brought out for others to see. Especially the company that made the product...

Five knives that each have issues, is not good. We all know one can slip through the cracks every now and then. We are all human, and far from perfect. It is when a problem becomes a common issue, things really need to be evaluated.

That's why I think threads like this are a good thing, as long as the conversation stays constructive, and civilized. The folks in the offices, probably aren't involved much in the day to day manufacturing, and probably aren't aware that there may be issues. Buck has built a reputation on offering quality products at an affordable price. That is why they have been around so long.
It doesn't take long for quality issues to destroy a good reputation, even though their CS is outstanding. People don't want to buy a knife, and have to send it in for repair.
Especially five of them...

In all fairness though, and not to defend the issues with your Buck knives, they aren't the only large knife company that is having QC issues right now.
I don't understand why they are having these issues though. These companies have put out quality knives for years, so something has changed.
Normally I would say you were just an unfortunate buyer, but not with you having purchased five different knives, and each having issues.

It will be interesting to hear comments from others.
 
I have 4 new Bucks: 309 companion, 340 small vantage, 345 large vantage, 110 ecolite. 2 used: 302 solitaire, 444 buck lite.

They have all been good knives. I'm sorry our experiences are so different. I would stop buying Bucks from Walmart.
 
dogstar said:
I have 4 new Bucks: 309 companion, 340 small vantage, 345 large vantage, 110 ecolite. 2 used: 302 solitaire, 444 buck lite.

They have all been good knives. I'm sorry our experiences are so different. I would stop buying Bucks from Walmart.
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I have never had a problem with any of my Bucks either, even those made overseas... I don't think Walmart is the problem though. Buck doesn't make different knives just for their stores.
Hopefully like Tom said, he just has bad luck. Very odd that he would have issues with 5 different knives though.
 
I buy collector knives online, user knives from Buck store or a place I can have them in my hand. Don't do clear plastic bubble boxes.
I once was kindly let look thru twenty plus Vantages in cardboard boxes, to find one with a scale color I liked. And centered good at the same time. Have found a few at knife and gun shows also. Now granted the bubble packaged ones need as good a quality control as one you pick out of a herd of boxed knives. But, its one way of being assured your getting a knife you want, that is to handle it before the transaction.

300
 
Besides a couple of collectors knives that I bought that (for the money) could have been nicer I have no qualms with any of the 40 plus knives a bought last year. I guess I just have good luck or I am not as picky as others.
 
Of he bucks I have bought, 2 have come from the Wal Store, one from Dicks, another from Bass Pro, last one from Amazon. I've spread the love. I typically like to check out a knife before I buy it, but there just aren't many local knife shops around Charlotte.
 
I first started accumulating a group of knives to carry rather than just one everyday knife with Buck knives about 10 years ago. I was pleased with the quality of my early knives. When I got a Pro Vantage, I really liked that knife despite some f and f issues that I corrected with some adjustment. It is still in my edc rotation. About 3 years ago I wanted a back up Pro Vantage when I saw them for sale at Bass Pro. I handled about 5 knives they had for sale and picked the one with the least lock rock and best finish. Despite my adjustment, I still can t get it to open smoothly because I have to tighten it so much to correct blade wiggle. There is no sweet spot. And this was the best of the five I handled. I don t expect great fit and finish in a relatively inexpensive knife with s30v and g 10, but I think that qc at Buck may be a little weak . I want to like these knives but my experience is making me wonder.
 
SpyKers said:
Of he bucks I have bought, 2 have come from the Wal Store, one from Dicks, another from Bass Pro, last one from Amazon. I've spread the love. I typically like to check out a knife before I buy it, but there just aren't many local knife shops around Charlotte.
Click to expand...

I feel for you, man. I've bought all mine from the auction site; they all came in boxes. I keep wondering when I'm gonna get a lemon like you did, but it never happens. I hope your luck changes soon.
 
I try not to get too worked up over complaints regardless of the brand. It kind of goes with the way our society is progressing. Knives are tools at the most basic level. My brand new anniversary 110FG arrived today. It's perfectly centered, well sharpened, nice bevels and well fitted scales. It opens and closes perfectly and has a small amount of blade play when locked. I'm perfectly happy with it. It is in fact a tool and not a precision surgical instrument. The minor amount of blade play should not be there and were I given the option of having it or not having it I would prefer there not be any but as I already stated it has no effect on the function of the tool.

Had the blade not been centered I would still not be concerned. A perfectly centered blade has been the bugaboo of the knife forums as much as the need to pass a "spine wack" with ever folder one gets. It's more obsession than necessity. Now if the blade is actually rubbing the liner when closed and in fact dulling the edge then that is effecting the intended use of the tool and should be corrected by the maker. None of the fuss about these discrepancies is going to go away and if by some miracle every knife was suddenly a blemish/fault free work of art a new and equally devastating flaw or QC lapse would spring forth from the interweb to be concerned over.

I'm not talking about knives or any other tool that is found to be unsafe in it's design or manufacture but most of the "flaws" in todays products aren't unsafe, just bothersome to some. I've seen posts regarding un-centered blades where the difference side to side was stated in .001". That's just ridiculous IMO.

I'm positive that Buck as well as most manufacturers intend to provide a quality product at a competitive price. The problem is what I find acceptable an other will find as totally unacceptable. You can please some of the people all of the time and you will please all of the people some of the time but Buck nor anyone else will ever please all of the people all of the time. It's simply a fact.

If there was a company that made a perfect knife every single time without exception there'd only be one company making knifes and I would find that pretty boring even if that company was BKI.
 
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SpyKers I know this is the last thing you want to do BUT, if I were you I would put all 5 knives in a USPS small flat rate box and send them to Buck attention Joe Hauser. Tell them of your problems and you want it fixed right. No one deserves this kind of product. The postage should not be to much. And maybe Buck will see there are some issue and fix it. Also ask to get your postage reimbursed. I for one like to get what I hard earned money for.
 
I'm very happy with the other Vantage's. A blade being off center doesn't get me all riled up. They operate as intended. If the 110 had a torques pivot I would have corrected the blade on my own as well. Rubbing the liner and having no recourse other than shipping was definitely a frustration. Had that been my only experience, it wouldn't have crossed my mind. I do like the knife and will be sending it in. But felt it was necessary to send a shout out in regards to my experience thus far. Knives are as another poster mentioned, just a tool. I've sent blades back from every company I've purchased from at some point for various reasons. No person or company is perfect. I get that. I've just never had this much consistency off the bat from any other brand regardless of price range or country of origin.
 
Definately don't hesitate to send them in. They will come back looking great.
My experience with the repair/warranty department has been excellent!
 
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