I may be wrong here...but isn't this forum dedicated to people who covet Buck knives in general...and aren't they all hugely mass produced? 110, 112, 119 all being examples...only difference is that they're made is the U.S.A.
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Will a Chinese Buck ever become coveted?
- Thread starter Tracker2
- Start date
I may be wrong here...but isn't this forum dedicated to people who covet Buck knives in general...and aren't they all hugely mass produced? 110, 112, 119 all being examples...only difference is that they're made is the U.S.A.
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2003
- Messages
- 3,330
You are missing something and that something is called heritage. The 110 and 119 might be mass produced, but they are iconic Americana that would never be the same produced elsewhere.
IMO, Buck made a wrong turn in off-shoring. Getting out of Cali to Idaho was a necessary step, but taking the brand and slapping it on Chinese manufacturing is a step too far.
Buck should have leveraged its massive amount of brand image and got into reputable licensing arrangements like Victorinox has. Every true SAK sold in this country still comes from Switzerland. With license income in other sporting goods sectors, (where the licensee can go to China for manufacturing all it wishes to as long as the branded merchandise is of acceptable quality), Buck could subsidize all American knife manufacturing across the entire line as its core business.
Because, after all, that's essentially what they are doing now, only they have sort of license built their own lower market line. They could have done the same subsidy with camping and hunting accessories, clothing, and boots instead and subsidized an all American knife manufacturing effort across all segments or at least kept the worst of the off shoring/Wal-Mart whoring to Taiwanese concerns.
I have a friend who calls the Chinese made Bucks "Rucks." Looks at the blade at the Sportsman's Warehouse and asks aloud, "Let's see, Buck or Ruck?"
They will never be coveted.
The Harley Davidson business model (though obviously not on that scale) is the market opportunity Buck hasn't, or doesn't want to exploit to the fullest and should.
IMO, Buck made a wrong turn in off-shoring. Getting out of Cali to Idaho was a necessary step, but taking the brand and slapping it on Chinese manufacturing is a step too far.
Buck should have leveraged its massive amount of brand image and got into reputable licensing arrangements like Victorinox has. Every true SAK sold in this country still comes from Switzerland. With license income in other sporting goods sectors, (where the licensee can go to China for manufacturing all it wishes to as long as the branded merchandise is of acceptable quality), Buck could subsidize all American knife manufacturing across the entire line as its core business.
Because, after all, that's essentially what they are doing now, only they have sort of license built their own lower market line. They could have done the same subsidy with camping and hunting accessories, clothing, and boots instead and subsidized an all American knife manufacturing effort across all segments or at least kept the worst of the off shoring/Wal-Mart whoring to Taiwanese concerns.
I have a friend who calls the Chinese made Bucks "Rucks." Looks at the blade at the Sportsman's Warehouse and asks aloud, "Let's see, Buck or Ruck?"
They will never be coveted.
The Harley Davidson business model (though obviously not on that scale) is the market opportunity Buck hasn't, or doesn't want to exploit to the fullest and should.
Things become prized when it becomes rare.
One way to make a product artifically rare, is in having the said product marketed in very limited numbers. As in having made "limited editions".
And since it's going to be tough to judge the overall initial response of just how well such a product would take off in the market, it's probably not going to be the first way manufacturers would try to sell their wares. As production cost would probably not make it viable enough for a fast turnaround. However, having said it would be very interseting to see a very high-end and technologically superior product from China make it as a limited run from Buck Knives.
The Franklin Mint has been in the business of selling Americana collectables made exclusively in China for years....
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Mint
One way to make a product artifically rare, is in having the said product marketed in very limited numbers. As in having made "limited editions".
And since it's going to be tough to judge the overall initial response of just how well such a product would take off in the market, it's probably not going to be the first way manufacturers would try to sell their wares. As production cost would probably not make it viable enough for a fast turnaround. However, having said it would be very interseting to see a very high-end and technologically superior product from China make it as a limited run from Buck Knives.
The Franklin Mint has been in the business of selling Americana collectables made exclusively in China for years....
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Mint
Pack Rat
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2006
- Messages
- 4,843
transitive verb 1 : to wish for earnestly <covet an award>
2 : to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably
intransitive verb : to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another
I guess, for me, covet may be right in one verb, and not in another.
just sitting here mulling over my addiction...
. 6 Bucks this month.. but don't think I really coveted any of them.... Well, maybe transitive verb 1.
2 : to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably
intransitive verb : to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another
I guess, for me, covet may be right in one verb, and not in another.
just sitting here mulling over my addiction...
. 6 Bucks this month.. but don't think I really coveted any of them.... Well, maybe transitive verb 1.One man's "trash" is sometimes another man's "treaures".
No China Bucks ever here and never will be.
Used to feel the same way about my Harleys but so much of
piece parts are made in China now I am hesitant to even call
it American made.
I pray I wont live to see it but the writing is already on the wall.
China is on it's way to becoming the "tail that wags the dog".
The entire world will continue to feel China's ever present voracious appetite
for everything and its economy will dictate the world's financial future.
I used to have a neighbor who was from China. He is in the "importing" business and he can get ANYTHING you want made in China. He showed me some very nice doors, all wood with beautiful glass inserts. He can sell them all day long at half the price as Lowes or Home Depot and STILL make a killing in profit. Only problem is you gotta take a container load!
No China Bucks ever here and never will be.
Used to feel the same way about my Harleys but so much of
piece parts are made in China now I am hesitant to even call
it American made.
I pray I wont live to see it but the writing is already on the wall.
China is on it's way to becoming the "tail that wags the dog".
The entire world will continue to feel China's ever present voracious appetite
for everything and its economy will dictate the world's financial future.
I used to have a neighbor who was from China. He is in the "importing" business and he can get ANYTHING you want made in China. He showed me some very nice doors, all wood with beautiful glass inserts. He can sell them all day long at half the price as Lowes or Home Depot and STILL make a killing in profit. Only problem is you gotta take a container load!
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2007
- Messages
- 1,990
I use a Buck Trapper made in China and I covet it because it's mine. I think that Buck puts the same care and precision in making their Chinese models as they do their US models. My Chinese trapper is 420HC just like my US Alpha Hunter. Both hold a great edge and have a great fit and finish. I think Buck is keeping their China made blades in check and up to par with quality.