I realize that this topic is a bit dated now and everyone has moved on but I need to comment because I may be able to shed some more light on this subject, since I was there and may even be partially responsible for the misunderstanding in the first place.
I've been on the road almost constantly since that show and haven't had the time to sit down and write anything but I really do feel that Rick is getting a bad rap here and that he truly has nothing to apologize for.
I'll explain:
I was at that show. I was set up in the same room, directly across on the opposite wall from the Buck table. We were about 30 feet apart, well within earshot of each other.
Being a major buck dealer, I know both Rick and Randy well, having dealt with them for years. They are both fine people who have a full understanding of customer relations and the foolishness of blurting out derogatory remarks toward anyone in either a public or private setting. I did not hear that kind of talk from either of them during the entire three days of that show.
Early in the day in question (Saturday) Rick was at my tables looking over my Buck selection and checking to see if I needed anything. In other words, acting like a manufacturer's representative. (Doing his job.) We discussed the move to Idaho and the immediate effect on product availability and what to expect in the near future.
During the conversatiion, the subject of Buck joining the ranks of other knife manufacturers going "offshore" (particularly, China) for some of their production came up. Rick asked what I thought the effect of that decision would have on my business.
I told him that, while they would probably be successful in the discount market like WalMart, K-Mart, Big 5, etc. it would not do my business any good and that I didn't plan to stock much, if any, of what I refer to as "The Chinese Collection". He asked why and I explained to him that in my market as in most of the specialty knife shops that carry higher end products those knives wouldn't sell very well.
He asked why I was so sure of that and I explained that In my 12 years of experiance with the knife enthusiast market I have found that there is a very strong traditionalist attitude that extends to the origin of the knives as well as the materials, makers and methods used in their production. Most of the people who go to the trouble to seek out the smaller shops that specialize in quality cutlery aren't shopping just for price but are, generally, more interested in the quality over all and that knives made in China and Taiwan aren't seen as products that meet the standards they expect.
He commented that the Buck name should make the difference and I told him of the many times that customers come into my store and ask where the knives are made before the ask anything else and that because of that I have great difficulty selling Gerber, and Columbia River Knives because almost all of them are made in China or Tiawan. I used the example of the Winchester knife brand now made by Carolina Knife & Tool, (a division of Gerber). Customers notice them because of the name and they are nicely made but, invariably, with the knife enthusiasts they will see that it is from China and won't buy it.
This is why I think I may be responsible for the misunderstanding because I used almost those exact words
"He'll see its Chinese and won't buy it" That's what I told Rick and That is what I heard Rick repeating to Randy a short time later when he went back to his table. I believe that this is also what HC Leo heard. Those were my words, not Rick's.
There was no racism involved in the conversation, unless it is now considered racist to not like products from a particular region, even when it is demonstrated that those products don't live up to the standards or expectations of those who spend their money to purchase them.
There has been a lot of contentious discussion about the proliferation of knives from Pakistan, China and Taiwan that has occurred in the last few years and that's not going away anytime soon. These things are particularly looked down on by the folks who patronize knife shops and knife shows simply due to the nature of their interest and most of the ones I know aren't too shy about expressing their opinions. It's not racism, it's passion and enthusiasm and knowledge about their chosen interest, not to mention good, old fashioned patriotism ("I only buy American").
I think what was heard was taken out of context and mis-interpreted and that's unfortunate because I know where it was coming from.
Notwithstanding all of the nonsense from that other thread, it all comes down to the old adage: "If you're going to evesdrop...pay attention"
