About Buck Knives
"Buck knife" is the name of the popular and convenient type of knife that features a folding lock-blade. These are larger and more useful as practical knife tools than pocket knives, but just as handy to carry around. The name refers to the company that invented and makes buck knives, and also to the general type. Buck knives are now made by a variety of manufacturers.
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History
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The buck knife was invented by Hoyt Buck in 1964. He started a knife company with his son in San Diego in 1947. In the late 1990s, they relocated H.H. Buck & Son to Idaho.
Identification
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The buck knife's principal features are its folding blade with lock. That the blade folds into its own handle makes it similar to a pocket knife. However, the locking mechanism holds the extended blade firmly in place until release, a feature not used in standard pocket knives. Buck knives are typically larger than pocket knives, as well, but some are pocket knife-sized.
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Misconceptions
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"Buck knife" is a term that now means just about any folding, blade-lock knife design. However, not all of these types of buck knives are made by the Buck Knives company, but all knives made by that company are Buck Knives. There is, therefore, a difference between Buck Knives as a registered trademark of the Idaho-based manufacturer, and the term as it is commonly used.
Benefits
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The buck knife design offers the compact advantages of the pocket knife with greater safety. The typical pocket knife lacks a locking mechanism, which often means it either must be used for light cutting, or the finger must be extended to keep the knife blade in place during heavier use. The locking mechanism on the buck knife allows it to be used as a regular straight knife, but stored in the pocket.
Expert Insight
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This kind of knife is an excellent, handy tool. It is popular with outdoorsmen, farmers and people who need a compact, handy cutting tool on the job (carpenters, carpet layers).
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