Buck Knives: the 1400-Mile Move That Saved America’S Most Copied Knife

The Buck 110 Folding Hunter is one of the most recognizable tools in American outdoor life, created by Buck Knives. But behind that familiar blade is a lesser-known story about a factory, rising production costs, and a company forced to change. This episode follows the journey of the Buck Knives factory, from the El Cajon factory in California to Post Falls, Idaho. As Chinese knife competition, retail price pressure, and rising operating costs reshaped the American cutlery industry, this American knife company faced a choice that many other names, including Schrade knives, could not survive. Buck Knives did not simply chase a cheaper label. It moved machines, process, and production knowledge to keep making Made in USA knives. What did it cost to keep the Buck name tied to a real factory? -------------------------- #industrialhistory #factoryhistory #buckknives #riseandfall #industrialstorytelling