Not Passing (Up) The Buck...

...the Buck knife that is, especially since I have had two gift cards for Dick's Sporting Goods in my wallet for what seems like forever now. (Now for that last sentence being yesterday as now today, I only have one of them remaining). For my birthday, several months ago, my son and wife gave me a $100 gift card for Dick's SG. Then for Christmas, my son gave me another one for $50. Between my birthday and just a couple of weeks ago, I really did not feel all that much up to going to Dick's to do any shopping. I tried once, in that time frame, maybe a month and a half ago but did not really feel up to shopping once I got there. So I left, back then, empty handed.

Yesterday, I went there after getting a few other things done. I went to the bank to have an amendment to my pistol license application notarized. Then I went to the police department to drop off that amended paperwork. Then I went to a doctor's office to drop off some other paperwork. After that, I was still feeling spunky enough to do something else, so I figured why not go to Dicks and spend those gift cards that were still burning a hole in my wallet. When I got there, I noticed they had done a rearrangement of much of the store and had moved many departments around including the shoe department and the hunting and firearms departments that I wanted to visit. no big deal,. just through me off for a second or two. I looked through the hunting department, then looked for 2 3/4" shotgun slugs (none there at all except for Sabot Slugs), then looked at some rifles and almost asked to see one or two of the rifles in .22LR. I figured an inexpensive toy rifle might be just the ticket to cheer me up and to take to the range with myself and Brendan, Then I thought, heck I am going to a gun show tomorrow (meaning today) so why bother with guns now. Now that I have been to the gun show, I wonder why I did not buy a .22 at Dick's yesterday when I was there but the gun show is another story. As it turned out, I turned away from the guns and too a gander at the knives. I recently lost a Buck bantam, maybe it is out in my back yard and hopefully I will find it before it sticks someone (yes it is a folder but is probably open) like me. So, as it was, I needed a new folder as I really do not like the Gerber I have been carrying in place of the Buck bantam. The Gerber I have is not terrible but I do not like partially serrated blades and it has one. I got the knife from work years ago, and free is free, so I really cannot complain. I carry it when I need it as when I lose a knife I prefer more.

I looked at this knife and that in the counter, under and behind glass. None of those caught my eye. Then I looked at knives on the shelves sealed in plastic packs and one of them did catch my eye. It was a Buck Boone and Crockett Club Collector's Series 110 Folding Hunter. Basically what that translates to is that it is the old time classic Buck lock back folder with wood handle, brass bolsters, brass and nickel pins, with about a 3 3/4" steel blade that is (laser?) etched with a Boone and Crockett Logo.

It is quite the bit bigger than either the Buck Bantam that I lost or the Gerber gator that I used as a temporary replacement. One other thing about the new Buck knife is that it was made in the USA. The Buck bantam I lost was not so patriotic but I must admit my Gerber Gator was also made right here in the US of A. I was pretty surprised to see the Buck 110 Hunter was made here. I note, that on the packaging it showed a small American flag and said: "KNIFE MADE IN USA".

I am guessing though that the packaging, and the nifty metal collectors box, which was included with it, were not made here; that probably also goes for the belt sheath that came with it. A close examination, in a moment I just paused from typing, revealed a tag on the back of the sheath that had this on it: Buck 110-BK. A closer exam revealed a stealthily concealed second tag, sewn on so as to be completely covered by the tag I just mentioned. That concealed tag had this on it: SHEATH MADE IN CHINA". Was the brass at Buck to cowardly to let this be seen up front since the knife that went into the sheath was made here? I have to wonder. Regardless of whatever reason, they can come up with, for having that tag sewn on under and completely concealed by the other, I find that despicable and cowardly. If you are going to have your products made foreign, then at least show it up front. My guess, that the tin collector's box, blazoned with the Boone and Crockett Club logo and with a picture of and a quote by Theodore Roosevelt (founder of the Boone And Crockett Club), was also made in China, was upheld as right on the money when I found a small sticker on the back of the box indicating just that. Oh well, at least the knife was made here, one out of three is not the best but not the worst either and the knife comes with a lifetime warranty.

As for the knife, it may be part of a collector's series, I think third in issue but I am not going to keep it in the package as a collectible. As you can see it is already out of the package. I will be carrying it in my pocket and using it as a day to day tool as needed. If it had been labeled 1 of 1,000 or something like that, I may have considered buying it as a collectible. As it is though, all the collector's stuff seems to me to just basically be a marketing ploy. I paid $40 for it, not because it was marked " but because I liked it and because it was made here. Now maybe $40 was too much but it seemed a decent price, then again maybe the regular Buck model 110 Hunter is less expensive than that but that's okay by me. After all, I did get the tin box into which I can throw ammo for which I no longer have any additional empty tin boxes. What ammo? You know - the ammo you pull out of your pockets after a day at the range or a day afield hunting for which you already tossed the cardboard ammo box. I have a couple of full tins already and a full cardboard 9mm case box too. So this other tin will come in handy and will look good sitting on a piece of furniture in the man cave.

The best thing about the knife, out of everything, is that it was in essence a gift from my son. I showed it to him a little while ago and he liked it. Someday, if I do not lose it first, it will be his.

All the best,
Glenn B