Does it bother you ?

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

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Feb 11, 2016
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Today someone was looking for some info on an old Buck knife and it was marked solingen Germany

So does the generalization and IMHO ignorant use of " buck knife " bother you at all ? Because it definitely annoys me.
I'm the same way with " Swiss army knife ", " Stanley knife ", " leatherman " , " crescent wrench " ," channellocks ", " sawzall " ,and " skillsaw " but BUCK is a biggie, because there's just something special about a BUCK knife, and with the 110 being the most copied specific folding knife in history I just don't like hearing this legendary name being generalized and used to describe just any knife, because a BUCK knife is not just any knife it's " the measure of a knife ".
I understand that buck is so awesome that they almost became the new word for knife, but not all knives are created equal.
 
Yes it does bother me as well. It's a keyword when selling.
 
It bothers me alot especially when its used in the description of a chinese POS, or a pakistan freedom fighter made from some old bumper off of a yugo.
 
Yes it does bother me also. Another thing that bothers me is when I see a knife that is an almost identical clone of a Buck model.

A few years ago at a Big box "W" store I seen what I thought was 301's in clam shells. Come to find out when you got up on it, it was just a Chinese knife. It even had the shield located in the same place but instead of the Buck logo it had the name of the company. Then they hardware stores around here where selling a brand ( I cant remember the brand) that made 119 clones. I mean from a distance they looked exactly like a 119. It wasn't until you were up on them that you could tell.
 
kyhunt said:
Yes it does bother me also. Another thing that bothers me is when I see a knife that is an almost identical clone of a Buck model.

A few years ago at a Big box "W" store I seen what I thought was 301's in clam shells. Come to find out when you got up on it, it was just a Chinese knife. It even had the shield located in the same place but instead of the Buck logo it had the name of the company. Then they hardware stores around here where selling a brand ( I cant remember the brand) that made 119 clones. I mean from a distance they looked exactly like a 119. It wasn't until you were up on them that you could tell.
Click to expand...

G96 I believe was the the name of the knockoff
 
no not really.

if i understand what they are trying to communicate i'm fine with bad terminology. i am also the king of improper word usage, but communication is really about understanding someone. much more so than proper grammar, semantics, or proper brand usage and identity, etc.
 
jbmonkey said:
if i understand what they are trying to communicate i'm fine with bad terminology
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How do you know that you understand if the terminology is wrong. That's one thing that keeps lawyers in business.

Bert
 
bertl said:
How do you know that you understand if the terminology is wrong. That's one thing that keeps lawyers in business.

Bert
Click to expand...
in this particular case it wouldn't really apply...... as the op thought it was a buck until he saw it wasn't.....

in general, if folks are confused and aren't following then i know my communication skills have failed and badly. if they get what i said and then do it or whatever the case may be..... i know my communication skills worked.

lawyers are usually in contract disputes and with paperwork backing etc, not so much everyday regular and unimportant face to face conversations...which is more what i'm talking about, not so much legalise stuff......
 
It depends on how it is worded. If the ad is worded as saying the knife is actually a Buck knife, then it would bother me. But, Buck is synonymous with the 110 style knife that was copied by Boker, Puma, Gerber, Case, and many other companies. 'Buck knife' became the name of that style of knife. When someone asked for a buck knife, the response was always, "What brand?" It was the same in my part of the USA (I still remember the famous, and stupid court case). The word "coke" is used for all soft drinks. Coke is so ubiquitous it has replaced the word soda and other such words. People will ask, "What kind of coke do you want?" The reply will be with a flavor (grape, orange, etc.) or with a brand (Coke, Dr Pepper, Pepsi, RC, etc.).
It is like that with many things. Santa Claus was a real bishop in what is now Turkey. Through a long process, he became associated with Christmas. The reason we tell our kids he wears a red and white outfit is because of a Coca Cola advertisement. He rides a sleigh and comes through the chimney (the chimney partially based on the real guy giving money to the poor buy tossing it down the chimney so he would not be known) is because of a poem that we all recite, called Twas the Night Before Christmas. So, again, the ubiquitous style and symbolism colors our vocabulary.
 
I think I get what you're saying Hickory and I have to agree. I think people that don't know all that much about knives use "Buck" to describe any large lockback with wooden scales. Almost like it's the name of a pattern and not the name of a company. It's annoying when the Buck name gets thrown around in my opinion. Buck has taken care of me as a customer and I love their products. On top of that I love that they are a family company with strong moral beliefs. Every time I've had a question or needed to send a knife in for repair, I've felt like Buck has taken a personal interest in addressing any issues. That's the way it should be. However, if I need to talk to people that have the same understanding and respect for the company, I come here with you guys....
 
Tanker 1/66 said:
G96 I believe was the the name of the knockoff
Click to expand...

I remember G96 knives. A gun shop used to advertise them on the local country music station, back in the late 70's. I clearly remember the words, "...looks like a Buck, lasts like a Buck." This cash-strapped teenager never bought into it. I just kept saving up my money for genuine Buck Knives. (and 40 years later, I'm still 'cash-strapped'!)

Jeff
 
In this instance it was your typical stag handled carbon steel German import fixed blade made by various factories and imported by dozens of us companies . I'm sure you know the type, with a ball end gross guard and flat nob pommel which bears no resemblance to any buck knife ( case Kodiak maybe, but not buck )
If the knife is at least similar to a a buck knife like if it's a folding hunter it doesn't bother me as much ,especially if it's quality and not pak/chin.
 
All the time guys come on this forum and half describe a Buck knife wanting information. Many times they are misinformed. After we quiz them we
find it's not even the model Buck they thought. Then we can give them accurate information once we establish what they Really have. To me this is different than a sell on flea-bay. A seller should take the time to educate themselves before offering it for sale with the wrong description. Saying it's something it's not. All to inflate the product for the dollar. This occurs all too often and the site looks the other way as long as the money keeps rolling in. This type of selling bothers me. If this is what you're meaning. DM
 
Sure it does but only because I'm a knife enthusiast. It doesn't bother me if someone refers to a tissue as a "Kleenex" because I don't care about tissues. The people referring to every hunting knife as a "Buck" don't care about knives and that's OK. People like me need to see those moments as fun teaching opportunities. As long as you are not acting like an overbearing know-it-all (which I need to be careful of), it's an opportunity to be a knife ambassador.

I'm much kinder to muggles than I am to, say, Bladeforums members, who should know better. ;)
 
There is a knife Brand by the name Buck Creek from Solingen Germany. I received a used one as a present once because it sounded like Buck and it was cheap on the bay. They didn't know the difference and I was okay with that.

Non knife people know the name. Most companies like that brand recognition.
 
But Buck Knives probably lost a sale because of that. It's hard for an American company to keep its doors open when a German company buys knife blanks from china and uses a play on the Buck name to sell knives.
 
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