The most American Knife

Buck 110 I had mine with me while deployed to the country of TURKEY before/during 9/11.

or Buck Vanguard... It has beautiful wood and the brass shines so beautifully in the sunlight!
 
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killgar said:
Buck 110.

I think "bowie knife" is a rather generic term that people use in reference to a variety of knives. And I'd wager that far more people own, and carry a 110, than own and carry a bowie knife.

And I believe that more people in the US could identify a Buck 110 over a Marine KABAR. As someone who carried a 110 on my belt for several years, I've encountered many people who knew virtually nothing about knives, but they immediately recognized my knife as a "Buck knife" ("Is that a Buck knife?"). And again, I'd wager that far more people in the US own and are carrying a Buck 110 today than own and are carrying a KABAR.

To many, the Buck 110 is a boring, outdated, and even unattractive knife. But it is iconic, highly recognizable, often copied, and lots of people have owned them, carried them, used them, and continue to do so to this day. It has survived the test of time. How many other individual knives have experienced the same level of popularity in the US as the Buck 110?

People in the US must still be buying the 110, because Buck is still making them.

I also know that many Buck 110's saw use in the Vietnam war. So it also has a history of service.
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+1 with three thumbs up! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I believe there's been over 20 million Buck 110s sold in it's 52 year model history.
 
Buck 110 easy. People call any folding hunter style a 'Buck Knife' but Buck was the first with that style and gets all credit for it. I'm going to throw a monkey wrench in the discussion though. Even though Victorinox is a Swiss company, they sell more knives in America than anywhere else. The 'Boy Scout Knife' and Swiss Army Knife' labels are used to cover any utility knife which are seemingly but for a very few made by Victorinox. What are you going to give a kid for their first knife? A Buck or a Vic. Some might give a Case or a cheap Chinese pocket knife, but if it's meant to be used and have some true meaning as a step up for a youth, I bet most give a Victorinox. Also the way they faced their situation after 9/11 just seems so American, so just felt a need to throw that brand into the discussion.
 
Just a quick follow up. The harmonica is practically considered American, good luck finding a company outside of Germany, where they originated, or Japan, which arguably matches Germany in quality. It's in that sense I put up Victorinox for consideration.
 
bt93 said:
Just a quick follow up. The harmonica is practically considered American, good luck finding a company outside of Germany, where they originated, or Japan, which arguably matches Germany in quality. It's in that sense I put up Victorinox for consideration.
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That's true, there have probably been as many HONER marine band harmonicas sold in America than there have been Ford f-150's ( I don't really play yet, but for us M. HONER is a household name )
 
killgar said:
I think "bowie knife" is a rather generic term that people use in reference to a variety of knives. And I'd wager that far more people own, and carry a 110, than own and carry a bowie knife.
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You are probably right. Even though my first thought was "Bowie knife:, its not terribly American. Really its just a variant of Mediterranean daggers/South American puñales.
 
While reading over this thread, a lot of questions came to my mind. The founders of America came from another nation, and used what they had to set things in motion for America to become possible. Maybe it would be appropriate to look at a foreign made knife that's imported to the country, and has become readily adopted by a great many people for what it can do?
 
Russell Green River Hunter. Made by the same American company since the mid-1800s and still in production:

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Here's one I recently did up with teak handles and red liners:

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pinnah said:
Brash. Overweight. Able to skin a deer, or at least pretend to be able to...

The Buck 110.


Seriously though... Buck should really figure out a way to put 110/112s into the POCKETS of those of us who can't abide sheath carry on a belt.

Thinner and lighter while still unmistakenly looking like a 110/112. How hard could that be?
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Big Agree here!!!
Insipid Moniker said:
Folder Buck 110.
Fixed Buck 119.

You can argue about their marketing strategy, the direction they're going, whether or not they're competitive in the modern market all you like, but Buck Knives say Americana like no other blades.
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killgar said:
Buck 110.

I think "bowie knife" is a rather generic term that people use in reference to a variety of knives. And I'd wager that far more people own, and carry a 110, than own and carry a bowie knife.

And I believe that more people in the US could identify a Buck 110 over a Marine KABAR. As someone who carried a 110 on my belt for several years, I've encountered many people who knew virtually nothing about knives, but they immediately recognized my knife as a "Buck knife" ("Is that a Buck knife?"). And again, I'd wager that far more people in the US own and are carrying a Buck 110 today than own and are carrying a KABAR.

To many, the Buck 110 is a boring, outdated, and even unattractive knife. But it is iconic, highly recognizable, often copied, and lots of people have owned them, carried them, used them, and continue to do so to this day. It has survived the test of time. How many other individual knives have experienced the same level of popularity in the US as the Buck 110?

People in the US must still be buying the 110, because Buck is still making them.

I also know that many Buck 110's saw use in the Vietnam war. So it also has a history of service.
Click to expand...
Carried mine in the USCG
 
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