Buck Knives Is Still Family Owned. Here's What That Means for Your EDC

In September 2026, Buck Knives sold its first 110 without a lockback, sixty-two years after the Folding Hunter came out, and the company is still owned by the Buck family. This one is for everyday carry people who want to know what that ownership means for the Buck knife in their pocket, or the one they're about to buy. I walk through Buck's history as six decisions the family made, and each one still shows up in the knife. The Paul Bos heat treat is why Buck's 420HC holds up better than cheap steel with the same name. The Buck 110 stayed the same knife for decades while the steel and the wood changed underneath it, and the date codes on the blade let you work out how old yours is. In 2003 CJ Buck chose to take the factory to Post Falls, Idaho, instead of turning Buck into an import brand. There were also the China years in the 2000s, when about half of Buck's knives came from overseas, and the move to bring most of that work home. The Forever Warranty asks whether your knife has sentimental value. And the newest Buck knives, the Range and the 110 Crossbar Elite, put a crossbar lock and MagnaCut into a brand most people still think of as a hunting brand. Then comes the part for urban EDC: which Buck knives actually work as a daily carry knife in a city. The 112 Slim Select is my pick. After it come the 110 Slim Select, the Spitfire and the Range Pro, plus why the classic ebony-and-brass 110 belongs on your belt or in a drawer rather than in your work pants. You'll also see why an imported Buck Nobleman costs about the same as an Idaho-built Buck, and how to tell them apart in the store. Carry smart, know what you're buying, and own gear that lasts. So what's the date code on the oldest Buck knife in your house, and whose was it before it was yours?