buck crosslock

toolguyb · August 6, 2007, 03:31 PM

I have had a experience with buck that i would like your feedback on. kinda long but here goes. I have owned a buck vanguard and dressed many deer with it. i was so pleased with it that several years ago i asked for a buck cross lock for Christmas. I received it that year and didn't have a chance to use it till the following year. when i was cutting through the chest cavity with it for the first time the blade went back wards toward my hand. i thought that the bolt holding it together may have been loose, but that was not the case. this knife had two blades one single edge blade(the one that would go back out of locked position) and a bone saw with a gut hook on the other blade.(no problems with this blade) I put the knife up and meant to send to buck,but didn't until a couple weeks ago. I sent the knife to buck expecting they would repair the knife,( as the knife was several years old and discontinued) or send a replacement of equal value. the model of cross lock i had was 180-s1 and had two blades and camo finish with the 2 blades,(single edge and gut hook). I received in the mail today a new knife model 186-FL.
this knife has one blade and a black handle!? i look on their website and could not find this knife, so i googled it. first site pops up a price for it of $ 17 and change. most expensive i could find $32 and change for it. now my m-i-l who bought the knife said she thought she gave around sixty for the cross lock.

so it seems to me that buck replaced my knife with a knife of less value and not really identical. i know i waited to long to send it back, but still expected more from buck because of what I've heard of their warranty. i personally know that my b-in-law sent a knife to them that he had hammered the blade on a pelvic bone and broke it. he actually told them over the phone what he did and they repaired it for free!!!

What do you think? Am I justified in being disappointed by this or is this acceptable customer service?

FirstFreedom · August 6, 2007, 04:37 PM

Buck and Gerber have both gone down the tubes bigtime in the last 10 or 12 years, as has Schrade. Their names are now synonymous with feces. Inferior steel quality used is a good indicator of overall quality and attention to detail. (In part due to forces beyond their control - cheap overseas labor). So no surprise to me that they screwed you over, being the cheapskates that they are - they are in it for the quick buck (so to speak), not to build a customer base. Chalk it up to lesson learned and buy quality from here on out. Get spyderco, kershaw, benchmade, cold steel, etc. from now on. There are MANY quality knife makers, so no reason to buy the junk that is found in most big box stores. Do a little research here and elsewhere such as at www.bladeforums.com , and you'll figure out pretty quickly what's worth buying and what's not.

Having said that, I find Gerber fanny/hydration/back packs to be acceptable quality for the price. Their knives, tools, and lights, NOT.

But to answer the question, absolutely you are justified in feeling that way!

toolguyb · August 6, 2007, 08:33 PM

thanks for the info First Freedom. just glad i didn't buy another knife from them. after reading a post from Silocon Wolverine, that i searched here, i guess i am lucky to get anything. Lesson Learned

August 6, 2007, 03:31 PM	#1
toolguyb Member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Posts: 73	buck crosslock I have had a experience with buck that i would like your feedback on. kinda long but here goes. I have owned a buck vanguard and dressed many deer with it. i was so pleased with it that several years ago i asked for a buck cross lock for Christmas. I received it that year and didn't have a chance to use it till the following year. when i was cutting through the chest cavity with it for the first time the blade went back wards toward my hand. i thought that the bolt holding it together may have been loose, but that was not the case. this knife had two blades one single edge blade(the one that would go back out of locked position) and a bone saw with a gut hook on the other blade.(no problems with this blade) I put the knife up and meant to send to buck,but didn't until a couple weeks ago. I sent the knife to buck expecting they would repair the knife,( as the knife was several years old and discontinued) or send a replacement of equal value. the model of cross lock i had was 180-s1 and had two blades and camo finish with the 2 blades,(single edge and gut hook). I received in the mail today a new knife model 186-FL. this knife has one blade and a black handle!? i look on their website and could not find this knife, so i googled it. first site pops up a price for it of $ 17 and change. most expensive i could find $32 and change for it. now my m-i-l who bought the knife said she thought she gave around sixty for the cross lock. so it seems to me that buck replaced my knife with a knife of less value and not really identical. i know i waited to long to send it back, but still expected more from buck because of what I've heard of their warranty. i personally know that my b-in-law sent a knife to them that he had hammered the blade on a pelvic bone and broke it. he actually told them over the phone what he did and they repaired it for free!!! What do you think? Am I justified in being disappointed by this or is this acceptable customer service?

August 6, 2007, 04:37 PM	#2
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Buck and Gerber have both gone down the tubes bigtime in the last 10 or 12 years, as has Schrade. Their names are now synonymous with feces. Inferior steel quality used is a good indicator of overall quality and attention to detail. (In part due to forces beyond their control - cheap overseas labor). So no surprise to me that they screwed you over, being the cheapskates that they are - they are in it for the quick buck (so to speak), not to build a customer base. Chalk it up to lesson learned and buy quality from here on out. Get spyderco, kershaw, benchmade, cold steel, etc. from now on. There are MANY quality knife makers, so no reason to buy the junk that is found in most big box stores. Do a little research here and elsewhere such as at www.bladeforums.com , and you'll figure out pretty quickly what's worth buying and what's not. Having said that, I find Gerber fanny/hydration/back packs to be acceptable quality for the price. Their knives, tools, and lights, NOT. But to answer the question, absolutely you are justified in feeling that way!

August 6, 2007, 08:33 PM	#3
toolguyb Member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Posts: 73	thanks for the info First Freedom. just glad i didn't buy another knife from them. after reading a post from Silocon Wolverine, that i searched here, i guess i am lucky to get anything. Lesson Learned