My Grandfather’s Buck, by Z.P.

I have a small collection knives, ranging from switchblades to fixed blades. However, my favorite knife is a simple lockback Buck. It was given to me by my grandfather. A Vietnam veteran and career officer, he was my role model and the person I looked up to.

I was around the age of seven and like many young boys, I had a fascination for knives. It was to my joy that my grandfather presented to me a small black knife. I asked him if it was a good knife and he replied, “Of course it is, it’s a Buck.” It was with those words that I became a novel knife collector.

The years have passed and with them, my grandfather. But my Buck, scratched and worn, has stayed strong. People might say it’s a cheap knife, but it’s certainly skinned its’ share of elk. You’d be surprised of how far a plastic handled, 440C knife will go. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if it outlived me.