Would you buy a Chinese-made Buck?

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Makael said:
I own Bucks, Spydercos, even a Schempp, ZTs, Hinderers, Reeves, Ruanas, Busse, Beckers, KaBars, Helle, Opinel, GEC, Saks, Gerbers, Kershaws, Ontario and Swamprat.
I'm definitely not stuck in old ways.
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I own Bucks, Case, and one Randall. I'm stuck. :D
 
I long for the days of a dial up phone with only one ring tone a B&W TV ( 0ne) and 23cents for a gallon of gas.
That said we all have a lot of choices and thats a good thing ... i think?
Like the minimum wage,cheaper Chinese Bucks can be a good starting point, but maybe the stepping stone to a nicer U.S. made Buck? JMHO.
 
Makael said:
I do own some. Selkirk, and some 300 series, there's nothing wrong with them. The Selkirk has always done very well for Buck. The comment that people wish they were us made pops up alot. I know Buck needs the Chinese models in their lineup. Christmas tins for big stores etc, whoever watches over the import line does a great job making sure they meet Bucks standards.
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I'll agree on the Selkirk Series...that was a good idea for them to be China made.If you think about the 835 small folding Selkirk on craftsmanship.materials,design, you're looking at a $60-$70 knife to be USA made.Takes the product outside the Select level price range and puts in in Avid level.You then have to ask the question 'will people pay that price for a 420HC bladed folder...and how many"? It's a dicey investment to do the Selkirk Series USA made in a time where people look at a steel grade to be the prime shaper of the dollar cost versus the effort put into a design.China helps make that happen.

Here's the bad thing...
Buck's Edge 2X technology isn't so proprietary or exclusive once to see how darn sharp the Chinese are making these blades.You notice Edge 2X isn't indicated on the blister packs but you see the results.Second thing is no BOS Heat/Cryo Treatment indicated, but they claim a hardness of 58rc on the blister packs of the 420HC bladed models indicating an equivalent heat treatment.This tells people that the Chinese can't be running 420HC that hard OR they find similar performance and find the BOS Heat Treatment to be marketing fluff.

All I can say on my 835 small Selkirk is I'm still feeling out the 420HC/5Cr13MoV on this one out if the performance is identical to the USA models and it's not easy digging through my USA blades in 420HC to compare it to.Buck doesn't do flat-grinds really and this blade has a lot more meat behind the edge.
 
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One thing I’ve noticed. When a company goes offshore. There seem to be a lot more knockoffs flooding the market and they are the kind of knockoffs that are almost impossible to differentiate.

When a company stays American. The knockoffs are made but are easy to recognize as such.
 
Yes and no...though I may be looking in a different direction than you are.A lot of Benchmade stuff that was USA made became copied by Ganzo.The Buck Nobleman I'm not sure if Buck designed it themselves or Sanrenmu did.6 or 7 years ago I saw a knife by Sanrenmu that literally was a Buck Nobleman and the angular machining/faux bolster impression was reversed.Can't remember the model# but it was a same numbers for the Nobleman in a different configuration.So this raised questions who whipped up this design first.Same for M-Tech though.Some of their factory models have been relabeled for other companies that pick something from their catalog.It's funny when other people see the more familiar name on the blade and say "M-Tech made a knock-off of this design".M-Tech has a poor business model but the brand has been doing these projects for companies for a long time.
 
eveled said:
One thing I’ve noticed. When a company goes offshore. There seem to be a lot more knockoffs flooding the market and they are the kind of knockoffs that are almost impossible to differentiate.

When a company stays American. The knockoffs are made but are easy to recognize as such.
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This is what I don't get, with the technology they have why their fakes aren't indiscernable from the real ones to the point even the factory couldn't tell.
 
There are only 2 or 3 factories in China Making all of the knives...Buck maybe an exception, but I don't know...I have heard Buck sends the material to China for their knives...Not sure about that though...
 
Just as an aside.
The new smokey mountain catalog has the Selkirk listed as USA made. So perhaps
manufacturing of that model has been moved to the US.
 
Buck isn't cranking out the dough to ship 420HC overseas...why would they spend the money?

When Taiwan wants to use 420HC they 've been go through Aichi in Japan and get AUS-4 Stainless Steel or go through Thyssen Krupp in Germany and pick up 4034 Stainless Steel. 420HC is an international steel made from different manufacturers and within reach. Buck uses 5Cr13MoV as their alternate for 420HC through going the China route.They aren't going to say the element code steels China uses because it confuses people...it's easier to say 'it's 420HC'.

Now you may not believe me on that but look at Buck their Select level made in the USA consisting of imported parts.They don't buy Zytel by Dupont because the higher fiberglass content version of the original patented material cost more.Lots of companies that turned to a cheaper and lower fiberglass generic substitute internationally for the past 15 years...except for the occasional Grivory advertised by Cold Steel.Take the Bantam by Buck-originated as a fully China made model by Sanrenmu when it first came out in 2007.Being that it's considered USA made now it's still wearing the imported parts notification.It's apparent Buck is either buying the generic FRN from China and using it here for their injection molding use in the states...or Sanrenmu is still doing the injection molding for them and shipping the parts over.

Maybe we need to hear some responses from Buck Knives on this.
 
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Went to the local Academy to check out their selections of cheaper knives(They only have two high end knives, a spyderco and a benchmade, and those are the only two theyve had for over a year now), shooting for a new SAK or something, but grabbed a buck 379. They have surprisingly few American made bucks, considering i live in the South. Feel like theyre missing a market.

Anyways

Nice enough little knife.
51071830_2137014213029926_7979179414896246784_n.jpg
 
DrRollinstein said:
Went to the local Academy to check out their selections of cheaper knives(They only have two high end knives, a spyderco and a benchmade, and those are the only two theyve had for over a year now), shooting for a new SAK or something, but grabbed a buck 379. They have surprisingly few American made bucks, considering i live in the South. Feel like theyre missing a market.

Anyways

Nice enough little knife.
51071830_2137014213029926_7979179414896246784_n.jpg
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The 379 is 8.00 dollars at the factory sale. nice knife for the money.
 
Makael said:
The 379 is 8.00 dollars at the factory sale. nice knife for the money.
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I agree. Im amazed at how sharp it is, being such a cheap chinese Buck, shaved hair off my without any kind of trouble.

Its also likely the smallest knife i own.
 
My first post here so for my $0.02, Im not enough of a metallurgist to argue with you if theyre as "good" or not, I bought a Chinese made 110 many years ago at Wally World for like $24.95 just to have a spare camp knife at the lease. I could not tell the difference in it from my 1976 model USA 110. In fact the factory chinese edge was much sharper.

With that said I now gladly pay more money to support USA made products. I dont need to save a few dollars on a product Im going to use for 20-30 years, yeah I know it all goes in the same corporate account but its like Starbucks coffee, I just wont spend my money there due to my beliefs and principals.
 
^didnt think the 110 was ever not made in America? you sure about made in China?
 
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