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Or to put it another way Trax, think about the skills the craftsman needed to make a knife that nice back when almost everything had to be done by hand.
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when was buck on morena blvd
- Thread starter steeley
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Yup. I be a lazy muggle; if I need to cut finger grooves in a 110, I order a 1 1/2" end mill. Cost ~$35, but it looks "factory". And it cuts down the time and physical work done by me.
Others do it by hand, with (I suppose) files and grinders. But I'm pretty anal when it comes to machine work. My time is limited; and any time-saving measure is welcomed.
On another Forum, there is a guy in Syracuse NY who makes beautiful automatic knives, all done on CNC machines. They are absolutely symmetrical, polished to a mirror finish, and too nice to carry (or even open!). But the only physical work he puts into them is clamping down the raw material. And torquing down the Torx screws that hold it together.
Something like the knife pictured above would be way beyond my patience. I have enough trouble concentrating on sharpening a 110, much less making one from scratch.
But I agree; any attempt to make that knife look "better" would only lessen its value. It is for that exact reason that I have not sent my PO USMC Buck 119 in to Buck for sharpening...I don't trust them to *not* buff out the PO's Iraqi inscription...
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CT,
You brought up a good point. Nothing against Hoyt, Al, Chuck or Frank but the knives of today are....not sure I can actually say this but...they are better. Tolerances are much tighter, components fit together better, and the estetics are way better.
It was a diferent time way back then though. No one thought of buying a Buck knife and collecting it any more than they would buy and collect a hammer. It was a tool and "minor?" cosmetic flaws did not matter because the knife was going to be used.
I love a line that is in a Buck catalog from the mid 1950's. It goes like this: "The emphasis is placed where it belongs, on the blade and not on engraving or gold or silver trappings on handles." I think Hoyt and Al poured everything into making sure the blade was good. They did experiment with various handle materials until they found something that would last. They tried masonite, Lucite, Lignum Vitae, then settled on Elk and Ebony.
Oops, this is turning into a history lesson, sorry about that!
You brought up a good point. Nothing against Hoyt, Al, Chuck or Frank but the knives of today are....not sure I can actually say this but...they are better. Tolerances are much tighter, components fit together better, and the estetics are way better.
It was a diferent time way back then though. No one thought of buying a Buck knife and collecting it any more than they would buy and collect a hammer. It was a tool and "minor?" cosmetic flaws did not matter because the knife was going to be used.
I love a line that is in a Buck catalog from the mid 1950's. It goes like this: "The emphasis is placed where it belongs, on the blade and not on engraving or gold or silver trappings on handles." I think Hoyt and Al poured everything into making sure the blade was good. They did experiment with various handle materials until they found something that would last. They tried masonite, Lucite, Lignum Vitae, then settled on Elk and Ebony.
Oops, this is turning into a history lesson, sorry about that!
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I for one appreciate history lessons...Here's a popular quote about history...
"The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Studying history is necessary to avoid repeating past mistakes. This
saying comes from the writings of George Santayana, a Spanish-born
American author of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries."
I would think this applies to Buck also...(and us as well)...
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Thank you all for posting.
the history on the buck was what i was looking for and the care of the knife.
no cleaning here. ill just keep as is, I never sharpen or try to clean it.
let alone use it. it was sharp when it was given to me ,just the sheath was a
little dirty and the clasp was tearing away .
knowing the history just make the buck more special to me .
steeley
the history on the buck was what i was looking for and the care of the knife.
no cleaning here. ill just keep as is, I never sharpen or try to clean it.
let alone use it. it was sharp when it was given to me ,just the sheath was a
little dirty and the clasp was tearing away .
knowing the history just make the buck more special to me .
steeley
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- Jun 30, 2006
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- 1,452
Boy, that cockeyed emblem would drive me crazy...
Just gotta tilt your head a little to the right and it looks fine
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I hate to admit it but I secretly want a collection of Spam cans!!! 
I love the stuff! I'm having baked beans and spam....(Sorry, I just had to!)
<Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.---->One of my favorite quotes as I found that it comes in very handy in most of life's experiences.
One last thing on that nice old Buck knife. Resist the temptation to snap the sheath, those straps are the first thing to wear out on a 50 year old leather sheath. If you want to carry it around, you might get a new one made up so you dont loose the knife. Just a thought.
I love the stuff! I'm having baked beans and spam....(Sorry, I just had to!)
<Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.---->One of my favorite quotes as I found that it comes in very handy in most of life's experiences.
One last thing on that nice old Buck knife. Resist the temptation to snap the sheath, those straps are the first thing to wear out on a 50 year old leather sheath. If you want to carry it around, you might get a new one made up so you dont loose the knife. Just a thought.