Would you buy a Chinese-made Buck?

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Vorpal, if you google Buck ecco you will find lots of info on this knife,
apparently a collaberation between Buck and a Japanese knife manufacturer.
Originally made in Japan and later in the U.S.
There have been a few threads on blade forums about it dating back to at least 2001
Check it out it makes interesting reading
 
Pg 16 of the 2001 dealer catalog. I can't imagine someone making a counterfeit of the Ecco, so I'm going with "legit".

2001 WHOLESALE CATALOG 16.jpg
 
The ECCO were made in Japan for a short period of time. We then brought them in-house for a short period of time.
 
Just bought a replacement 371 with G-10 covers. :)
The first one was stolen by the poltergeist that lived in the OTR Box Truck I drove before retiring. :mad:
 
Well yes i i have a Stockman a Canoe and darn if i didn’t just an hour ago purchase a very nice Selkirk. Could have bought a new 110 and lunch for what i paid but i have 10- 110’s 2 newones unopened so wanted something different. Plus the history bof Selkirk perked my interest.
 
I prefer to buy USA made and don't mind paying a little more for it. That being said I do have a couple of very nice name brand knives that were made in China and they've been excellent, so I would give consideration to any Chinese blade that Buck has spec'ed out.
 
You won't pay a little more. You'll pay at least twice the price, and probably closer to three times the price.

It's the American entitlement tax.
 
I never had any real interest in the China made Bucks until I decided to buy my 9 year old nephew a knife. I figured a 420J2 trapper would be perfect. Not too big, not too small, extremely stainless, easy to sharpen (and would need to be sharpened often enough to keep him in practice).

Turns out his mom (my sis) thought it was a fine idea but his dad didn't. After some discussion they said it'd be fine, but I decided his first knife should probably come from his parents anyway. I packed the knife back up and brought it back home figuring I'd give it to home later. Then I decided "Meh, I can swing an extra $20 bucks or whatever to pick up a USA made 420HC stockmen or something" and decided to keep the little trapper.

I carried it around yesterday and today and really quite like it. Fit and finish seem just fine and aesthetically I find it quite pleasing. I can think of way worse things on which to spend $20 bucks or whatever. While 420J2 isn't my idea of a decent cutlery steel it gets sharp, and I know how to sharpen a knife, so whatever. It's not like I'm going to be using it to build a log cabin or something.

Knowing that you can get anything made in China to any quality standard, I have no problem with Buck offshoring certain designs (assuming they've spec'd an appropriate quality standard). I would assume pocket knives are high volume, they get lost, traded, stolen, or forgotten about. Many people don't care what steel is used so long as they can occasionally cut some tape, butterknife dull or not. Being able to sell them cheap has to be a bonus.

Besides, the Selkirk is a fine looking general purpose knife.
 
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If there are two same knives, one made in U.S.A., one made in China, of course I would buy the American one. But if I like a knife and it is only offered made in China I would buy Chinese product.

Haebbie
 
I'm happy to pay the "Entitlement Tax".

American steel, American labor, and American dollars that stay in our economy versus communist steel, communist labor and communist dollars staying within their communist borders? If we were talking about a "friendly" or allied nation, it's a different story.

I concentrate my money on the U.S. economy first, allied economies second, friendly economies third, and the coffee can buried in the back yard 4th.

Would you buy a knife made in North Korea?
 
J Hubbard said:
The ECCO were made in Japan for a short period of time. We then brought them in-house for a short period of time.
Click to expand...
Hi Joe, does Buck plan to bring any off shore production models back to Idaho considering a more favovable tax climate made possible by President Trump?
 
MT_Pokt said:
I'm happy to pay the "Entitlement Tax".

American steel, American labor, and American dollars that stay in our economy versus communist steel, communist labor and communist dollars staying within their communist borders?
Click to expand...
Ummm ... Buck (a USA company) has them made to their specifications, (just as their in-house knives are) and are selling them at a profit. Buck also backs their imported knives exactly the same as those produced in-house.
Yes, they are imported.
This creates more jobs in the US than making the knives in-house would.
Consider those hired to unload the container ships, those involved in warehousing, trucks to deliver the product all need drivers ... (the trucks and trailers also create jobs for those who build the trucks and trailers, and those who make the components for them), and those who work for the railroads on the cases where rail transportation is used.
How is that hurting the American economy?
An American company is making a profit. American workers are making a good living receiving and distributing the product.
None of the jobs involved are minimum wage.
Yes, the company that Buck contracted with to have the knives made is also making a profit. So what?
The situation in China has changed since the 1950's. The government does not own or even manage most of the businesses and factories anymore. They have had a capitalistic economy for decades now. ... Pretty much ever since they got Hong Kong back from the British.

I cannot comment on the differences in the steel used in a USA made or offshore made knife, regardless of the brand.
My Opinel and Mora (both carbon steel) seem to hold an edge just as well, and are as easy to sharpen as my USA made Schrade/Imperial/Ulster 1095 bladed knives.
With the heat treat Buck has on the 420J used on some of their offshore knives, I can say that based on my experience, the 37x and 38x knives I have are just as easy to sharpen and hold an edge just as well as any of my 425HC knives. And, I have nothing bad to say about 425HC. :)
The same can be said for my US made Old Timer's with 440A and the imported Taylor or BTI Schrade's I have with 440A or one of the xCRxx metals.
 
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