The Captain has had two Buck knives for many years. Both were his favourite,  the 110 Folding Hunter, a very popular model. The knives were well used and needed some repair. One had a broken spring and damaged blade, and the other had a broken blade tip.

On the way to Montana we stopped at Post Falls, Idaho, and visited the factory where they make Buck knives. While we did the tour of the factory, the man in charge of the warranty section repaired  the Captain’s two Buck knives.

This is the lobby of the building that houses the factory, a store, and a museum for the Buck knife business. That “chandelier” is made from elk antlers.

As we sat in the lobby’s soft leather chairs, waiting for the tour of the factory to begin, I noticed three flags flying outside the building; The US flag, the flag of the state of Idaho, and the flag for Buck Knives.

This company was started in 1902 by Hoyt Buck, and five generations later it is still thriving.

Here is a small sample of the Buck knives you can buy in their store.

Over time the packaging has changed. If you are lucky enough to own one of these quality knives, you may recall it coming in one of these boxes.  These are samples from over the years.

In the museum upstairs, they had a grinder that was probably used for sharpening blades many years ago. They have much more modern machines for doing that now.

Also in the museum, they had an old Rockwell machine that measured the hardness of the metal. If it did not measure up, the knife was sent back to be made again.

They don’t allow photos to be taken inside the factory, so I can’t show you the many machines and processes involved in turning a piece of metal into a knife, but like most factories, it was hot and noisy and very busy.

I was impressed though, that in spite of the many materials and types of work involved, the place was clean and organized, with safety being top priority. The workers all seemed to be in good spirits and were deservedly proud of their product.

The monument below reflects the loyalty of the workers in this tribute to one of the Buck family.

By the end of the tour, the warranty man had the knives repaired and looking like brand new. Here they are in the photo below.

And the cost of the repair? No charge. I would say that is excellent service.