Buck, the Mag light of pocket knives?

[iowatollah]

I have been looking for reviews or mention of any Buck folders and have yet to see anyone bring up Bucks on these threads. Benchmade, Spyderco and others I know are highly regarded and quite well designed and seem to be the folders of choice. I picked up a Buck Tempest (420 steel) and am really quite pleased with it though for around $80 maybe I could have made a better choice. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Anyone?

Thanks, Scott

 

[carrot]

I'm curious, what do you mean the Maglite of pocketknives? Underappreciated? Overhyped?

 

[iowatollah]

Hi Carrot,
Underappreciated or overlooked possibly as I have haven't seen any mention of their knives on this forum. My webtv won't let me on the blade forum so thought I would ask here. I own a Kershaw Onion but wanted a bit bigger blade and was impressed with the Buck Tempest and bought it.
Just wondered how it compares with other fine folders as I am fairly new to knives.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Topper]

I just do not like the steel years back they called it 420M (M for modified)
also year back they had a lifetime warranty a you break it we replace it kinda thing but I have heard that is no longer the case. I got that second hand from a life long Buck fan. Now back to that 420 steel I never could get it sharp too much Chromium in it I think. I just use diamond hones these days and have no problem making D2,ATS-34 A2 154CM ( basically same as ATS-34 only not vacuumed smelted) even 440C sharp (440C will not hold an edge as well as others) but 420? I have never liked. AUS-6 is in the same boat for me.
Case knives have been going down hill as well and not exactly sure of that Mag remark so perhaps Case is the in that Boat. Just my thoughts, I am sure other people have had excellent results with 420 steel and Buck and Case.
Scott

 

[chmsam]

The 110 (folding hunter) is a true classic, but the steels are soft. That means that they tend to not hold an edge for very long.

On that note, if you let any knife get too dull, no matter how hard or soft the steel, it can be a bear to get the edge back. Much easier to keep an edge than remake one. Short of running it on a grinder belt, best to find a professional knife sharpener to send it to, if the edge goes that dull.

 

[xochi]

No, Buck and Mag are very different.

Buck sells at a variety of pricepoints and the value for the money differs.

I will say that the Buck Mayo TNT is an absolutely fantastic knife. They have other higher end knives that are very highly reguarded as well as some collectors grade hand finished knives that are very beautiful. For awhile there Buck even offered customers a build your own Custom Buck 110 and allowed the buyer to choose handle and bolster materials as well as blade steels. I wish I'd gotten in on that as the Buck 110 is practically an american icon and the first knife of many of my friends while I was a boy scout.

420 is a consumer grade steel that is quite a bit softer than higher end steels, the softer steel is much easier to sharpen and a wicked sharp edge can be put on it but it won't hold it long and it's easier to end up with a foil edge. Only very hard steels and perhaps ceramic knives benefit from diamond stones, I'd use a finer grit arkansas or crock stick setup and try to maintain the edge with a little bit here and there since it can be easy to really botch up the edge angles if you let it get too dull and have to remove a bunch of steel to get the edge back.

The Tempest looks to have some nice features and a very useful blade shape. I think you could have saved a good bit of money by looking around but we all win some and loose some and if I add the time I've spent making some purchases into the final cost of some of my bargain finds, well, let's just say that really fattens up the final tally .

Buck is a good company with good products that are worth evaluating on a case by case basis and as soon as I find a Buck Mayo TNT for around a buck and a quarter, I'm gonna jump all over that puppy to replace the one I regret selling.

 

[guyg]

420M was very difficult to sharpen. Alot of people will disagree with that, but I've had enough Bucks to know.420HC is the replacement for 'M' This started in about 1994.
As far as the warranty, Buck used to offer a warranty for the lifetime of the original purchaser. They changed that years ago to their "forever" warranty.As long as the knife is not abused, they will do their best to fix it.

 

[guntotin_fool]

Buck sold out quality for quantity.


IMHO only. The old trademark logo of a guy driving a knife blade thru a mild steel bolt was true. The older steels, the old union heattreaters, the care and presentation of a quality product died when they went to "blankable" steels and chinese labor.


They may make some good knives, but they quit making great knives when they went overseas. I have a bunch of older buck black handle hunting knives, all hold great edges, and all are knives you can rely on. The new ones, are cheap and cheaply made.

 

[NeonLights]

Out of the 15 or 20 knives that I own, only two are made by Buck, but they are towards the top of the line (for Buck). Both of my Bucks are collaborations with higher end knife makers, basically a way to get some of the quality and features of high end knives to the masses at a lower price. As mentioned before, the Buck Mayo TNT I have is a really great knife, and is my EDC most of the time. The Buck Strider I own is also a very good knife, very heavy duty and capable of taking a lot of abuse.

For the lower end Buck knives its just like a lot of flashlights, you get what you pay for. In some ways I guess you could say Buck is like Mag, good name recognition, and decent quality for a fair price, but there are a lot better knives (and lights) out there, generally speaking.

-Keith

 

[iowatollah]

Thank you all for the good information and help getting me pointed in the right direction. There is a lot to learn and should have asked before my impulse purchase. Turns out to my favor that the blade is not 420 but the 154CM and why the knife cost $20 more than the other Bucks.

Cheers, Scott

 

[Manzerick]

I can see it like mag as it is a recognized brand and sold everywhere. Like the Mag, to the "unenlightened" one is led to believe it is the #1 knife in the world!

IMHO

 

[BIGIRON]

When I was growing up, every boy wished for a Winchester rifle, a Heddon reel and a Buck knife. Times do change.

 

[RebelRAM]

Yes times do change! I think buck knives are the only one in that list of three that are still in production. It was sad to see that Winchester closed down it's plant earlier this year. No more Model 70s or lever actions. I think they are still going to produce their shotguns overseas though.

As to Buck knives, I own quite a few. Are they the best of my collection? No. But they are very good compared to a lot of other knives out there. My father-n-law has a couple buck knives that I know he is really attached to.

 

[xochi]

Buck sold out quality for quantity.


IMHO only. The old trademark logo of a guy driving a knife blade thru a mild steel bolt was true. The older steels, the old union heattreaters, the care and presentation of a quality product died when they went to "blankable" steels and chinese labor.


They may make some good knives, but they quit making great knives when they went overseas. I have a bunch of older buck black handle hunting knives, all hold great edges, and all are knives you can rely on. The new ones, are cheap and cheaply made.

I pretty much agree. Wal-Mart and China , partners in relocating planet earth to a landfill near you.

 

[LSlugger]

Turns out to my favor that the blade is not 420 but the 154CM and why the knife cost $20 more than the other Bucks.

I just picked up the ATS-34 version of the Rush, the Tempest's little brother. I hadn't looked at knives in years, so I had to do a little research. It's my first spring assist, my first liner lock, and my first blade harder than 420.

I'm pleased with the purchase. The spring assist works well, there's no play when the blade is locked, and it's a great size and weight for EDC. If I had been looking for a bigger knife, I would have considered the Tempest.

 

[PolishSumgai]

A Buck will not hold an edge compared to a Spyderco or Victorinox, at least that is my opinion. I sharpen my daily use folders and kitchen knives 3x a month - I hate a dull knife. BTW - I use paper wheels on a reverse mounted grinder and finish them off on a strop.

Paper Sharpening Wheels

 

[Spudman]

A Buck will not hold an edge compared to a Spyderco or Victorinox, at least that is my opinion. I sharpen my daily use folders and kitchen knives 3x a month - I hate a dull knife. BTW - I use paper wheels on a reverse mounted grinder and finish them off on a strop.

Paper Sharpening Wheels

I would have to disagree. In my experience the better Bucks hold an edge as well as any good knife with the same steel. Paul Bos does the heat treating on these knives and is well regarded for his expertise. Even the non-Bos Buck's I own hold an edge well. I am not referring to the China imports. Those knives are priced differently and aimed at a completely different market. I understand Buck's decision to import some low end knives to keep afloat but it has caused them some problems too.


Buck's customer service is still one of the best. I sent an ebay-purchased 112 back to them that looked like it had been used as a hammer. They reprofiled the blade and fixed the handle to where I could see no sign of the abuse it had taken. I don't remember the cost but it was cheap, or maybe just the cost of re-sharpening the blade. They knew it came from ebay too and didn't give me a problem.

 

[Cliffnopus]

Very simply, for me, the Buck knife has never held an edge well and I have never recieved a Buck knife that was really sharp right out of the box. So I stopped using and buying Bucks many, many years ago. Maybe they've changed but that's not the opinion I'm getting from these posts.

Cliff

 

[NeonLights]

My Buck Mayo TNT and Buck Strider were both very sharp right out of the box, and hold their edges quite well. FWIW the steel used on my TNT is S30V and on my Strider is ATS-34, and both have the flame symbol and "BOS" indicating that Paul Bos has done the heat treating.

-Keith

 

[Topper]

snip of a post..."Paul Bos does the heat treating on these knives and is well regarded for his expertise."
I am well aware of Paul Bos and yes the word "expert" is a word to use. I am not aware Buck sends blades to Mr. Bos and tells him; "do what you think is best" that may be the case but I doubt it (if it were he might request a good steel to start with). I guess they send them with what they decide they want. For me 420 is undesirable to start with so as great is he is Mr. Bos would have a tough time changing that. Now on the other hand if a company started with a good steel then sent the blades to Mr. Bos with instructions to "do it right" well then you would have something much better than a 420 from Buck.
Just my thoughts on it. EDIT I just noticed you posted "with the same steel"
there you have it.end EDIT
Scott