Buck history question

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EagleIH

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I noticed on the popular free online encyclopedia that it says that Hoyt Buck learned to make knives in 1902. It goes on to say that he is not known to have made knives until 1941 in Mountain Home, Idaho. I know Buck’s logo and yellow and black boxes say, “EST. 1902,” and, “THE MEASURE OF A KNIFE SINCE 1902.” The Facebook home page says, “WE’VE BEEN BUILDING THEM FOR 115 YEARS.” Is this sort of just marketing-speak, or is there a known history of Buck Knives produced between 1902 and 1941? Just curious. Thanks for your thoughts.
 
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I would say marketing-speak is an apt description.
It is a family business so they count the knife making history from 1902.
Interestingly, Buck Knives incorporated in 1961 and there was a 25th anniversary knife in 1986.
Along comes 2002 and celebration of the 100th year family anniversary.
Kinda hard to follow that up with a company 50th anniversary celebration in 2011 so that passed by silently.
 
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DeSotoSky said:
I would say marketing-speak is an apt description.
It is a family business so they count the knife making history from 1902.
Interestingly, Buck Knives incorporated in 1961 and there was a 25th anniversary knife in 1986.
Along comes 2002 and celebration of the 100th year family anniversary.
Kinda hard to follow that up with a company 50th anniversary celebration in 2011 so that passed by silently.
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We did get a 50th anniversary in 2014 for the 110 Folding Hunter, though ... and a 75th for the 119 Special a couple years later.
I wonder if they will do a 125th Anniversary Family Business knife in 2027 ...
 
If Hoyt built a few knives back in 1902 or 03. Then he was learning this trade. And I don't doubt he did. Then his family members could say, this activity can be traced back to such a date and they would stand on firm footing.
I talked to Chuck Buck about this in 2008 and that's essentially what he said. DM
 
Hmm, seems to me that it's a question which only Buck Knives "Senior Partner"
sitting way above from the start, can rightly say so...
 
If he started a business in 1902 they can always claim that date, regardless of the original business. I work for a company est. 1904. The first business was the old time phonogragh, I can't think of the original name of them? Then went into selling Harley Davidson's, then closed for a number of years. Reopened as a bike shop, by the son of original owner, then sporting goods and finally bicycles and locksmith services. The name of the business always stayed the same 3 generations going on 4...Est 1904....
 
It would be interesting to see any knives that were made by Buck prior to WW2.
 
dsutton24 said:
Hoyt Buck was a blacksmith. He would have made everything from door hinges to farm machine parts. There were probably a good many knives made too.
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Most blacksmiths were not cutlers; two different professions. Even today, blacksmiths don't make many knives if any at all. At the MO state fair, there is a state blacksmith group, mostly hobbyists, that sells things to raise money. There are very few knives for sale, and those few are all crude and usually barely serviceable. I've bought two over the years, and one I had to have a city cutler grind a "real edge" on it. Designing a blade, grinding blade and an edge plus attaching a handle are not really in the blacksmith skill set and take a fair amount of learning to do right.
 
brownshoe said:
Most blacksmiths were not cutlers; two different professions. Even today, blacksmiths don't make many knives if any at all. At the MO state fair, there is a state blacksmith group, mostly hobbyists, that sells things to raise money. There are very few knives for sale, and those few are all crude and usually barely serviceable. I've bought two over the years, and one I had to have a city cutler grind a "real edge" on it. Designing a blade, grinding blade and an edge plus attaching a handle are not really in the blacksmith skill set and take a fair amount of learning to do right.
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Maybe most blacksmiths weren't cutlers, but probably most blacksmiths made knives.

You can't make generalizations about what happened in 1905 according to today's definitions of who did what. My dad grew up in southeast Missouri, about a million miles, figuratively speaking, from here and now. Blacksmiths were busy and creative people. They built the stuff that people needed, and their customers didn't care that their new knife didn't have the fit and finish of a Marbles knife. Mail order knives cost money, blacksmiths would often work for barter. My dad's family ran a sawmill, they often traded firewood, labor and hauling for other goods.

Making blades and attaching handles isn't a black art, I made my first knife out of a piece of lath and a tailgate hinge when I was twelve. It cut just fine, therefore it was a knife. I'm not a cutler.

In any event, I have no idea what your post has to do with mine. Hoyt Buck was a blacksmith, he undoubtedly made knives. That's all. Write to the fine folks at Buck, and ask them if Hoyt made knives. I'd bet we all know the answer to that question.
 
dsutton24 said:
Maybe most blacksmiths weren't cutlers, but probably most blacksmiths made knives.

You can't make generalizations about what happened in 1905 according to today's definitions of who did what. My dad grew up in southeast Missouri, about a million miles, figuratively speaking, from here and now. Blacksmiths were busy and creative people. They built the stuff that people needed, and their customers didn't care that their new knife didn't have the fit and finish of a Marbles knife. Mail order knives cost money, blacksmiths would often work for barter. My dad's family ran a sawmill, they often traded firewood, labor and hauling for other goods.

Making blades and attaching handles isn't a black art, I made my first knife out of a piece of lath and a tailgate hinge when I was twelve. It cut just fine, therefore it was a knife. I'm not a cutler.

In any event, I have no idea what your post has to do with mine. Hoyt Buck was a blacksmith, he undoubtedly made knives. That's all. Write to the fine folks at Buck, and ask them if Hoyt made knives. I'd bet we all know the answer to that question.
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Don’t forget about horseshoes! This probably occupied quite a bit of a blacksmiths time back then. Any you’re right, anyone can make and attach a handle for a knife,(if I can anyone can, and I’ve done it plenty of times) it’s the heat treat that would require a smith’s Knowledge and forge to get right.
 
I know of the “four-strike” knives that he built in the early years. Even if he didn’t start making knives until WWII, the company’s history is still extremely impressive in my book, especially to still be a family business. The website FAQ page states, “For over 110 years we have been exploring the best materials, scrutinizing our designs and refining our processes.” and, “Of course, it doesn't hurt to have over 110 years of experience in the knife making industry under our belts, either.” Also, as I mentioned in the original post, the Facebook page states, “WE’VE BEEN BUILDING THEM FOR 115 YEARS.” I was just trying to connect the knife making history between 1902 and WWII. Buck doesn’t seem to be the kind of company to exaggerate their marketing, nor do they need to. That being said, it’s their company history, so they can add it up however they want. :)
 
dsutton24 said:
Maybe most blacksmiths weren't cutlers, but probably most blacksmiths made knives.

You can't make generalizations about what happened in 1905 according to today's definitions of who did what. My dad grew up in southeast Missouri, about a million miles, figuratively speaking, from here and now. Blacksmiths were busy and creative people. They built the stuff that people needed, and their customers didn't care that their new knife didn't have the fit and finish of a Marbles knife. Mail order knives cost money, blacksmiths would often work for barter. My dad's family ran a sawmill, they often traded firewood, labor and hauling for other goods.

Making blades and attaching handles isn't a black art, I made my first knife out of a piece of lath and a tailgate hinge when I was twelve. It cut just fine, therefore it was a knife. I'm not a cutler.

In any event, I have no idea what your post has to do with mine. Hoyt Buck was a blacksmith, he undoubtedly made knives. That's all. Write to the fine folks at Buck, and ask them if Hoyt made knives. I'd bet we all know the answer to that question.
Click to expand...

It's a common belief that blacksmiths made knives, but history shows that they mostly didn't. When they did, it was generally not routine business. Cutlers made knives. I have no idea about the Buck family's specific history, but these days they are not blacksmiths, but cutlers and that's great. :) Buck's website history says the cutlery firm was started in 1945. The famous heat treat was worked out in 1902 at age 13.
 
brownshoe said:
It's a common belief that blacksmiths made knives, but history shows that they mostly didn't. When they did, it was generally not routine business. Cutlers made knives. I have no idea about the Buck family's specific history, but these days they are not blacksmiths, but cutlers and that's great. :) Buck's website history says the cutlery firm was started in 1945. The famous heat treat was worked out in 1902 at age 13.
Click to expand...

I have no idea why you're so hung up on this, but enjoy it.
 
Blacksmith James Black made Jim Bowie's knife after he gave him a wooden pattern. Then through the years, Bowie had changes made to the knife approx.7 times.....I'm purdy sure these changes were done by a Blacksmith...
 
I believe there is a brief history on the Buck family on the companies website. There is an out of print book written on Buck family history also. You see them on the bay site for sale now and then.
The family had a long history of being blacksmiths and learning the trade of metal working from father to son. Knife making for them became serious when service men who had returned from early overseas battles talked about needing a good fighting knife. H.H. Buck was a minister that did a little metal work and even knife making in the basement of his church in Idaho.
Father to son the trade began. Hoyt and Al Buck continued after WW2 making knifes in a shed and sold them by word of mouth and then small ads in papers and outdoor magazines. I wish my father would have ordered half a dozen. In the beginning the Bucks were more blacksmiths than cutlers, now it is pure industrial level knife making, though Chuck began learning the trade in the shed he moved the company into being a manufacturer. His son CJ now runs a modern culterly plant and sells world wide. But, blacksmithing was part of their history. They actually started in Kansas before migrating to Idaho. Maybe my family knew of them. No telling......I have met the man who owns the original Buck Blacksmith shop in Kan. at a Buck collectors club event....300
 
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