Chrome
Firefox
Edge
Choosing the Right Buck Knife
Picking out the right knife can be overwhelming. It's best to ask yourself these questions when trying to make a decision on what to purchase.
What Do You Want in a Knife?
- How will you use your knife?
- What features are important to your activities?
- What materials are most critical to the use?
- What safety features do you expect?
What Features Are Most Important to Your Activities?
- Fixed blade - sturdy, dependable, always ready for use.
- Folding knife - compact, safe to carry. Most lock open for safe use.
- Blade Shape - what shape best serves your needs. See our blade shape section for more info.
- One-hand open / close - essential when one hand is occupied.
- Thick blade - heavy-duty tasks.
- Lightweight - feel unencumbered, easier in your pocket.
- Gut hook - field dressing / skinning game.
- Saw tooth - cutting wood or bone.
- Ergonomic design - fits your hand comfortably.
What Is it Made of? What Materials are Critical to Your Use?
Blade Steel
A good blade combines good edge retention, rust resistance and ease of re-sharpening.
- 420HC is a stainless steel that provides excellent rust resistance, ease of re-sharpening and medium edge retention.
- 154CM is a custom steel with much higher carbon content, giving it a higher hardness ratings and dramatically higher edge retention.
- S30V is a high vanadium stainless steel with even higher edge retention.
Handle Materials
- Rubber, Micarta and textured handles provide a superior grip in wet conditions.
- Wood and metal handles provide durability and aesthetics.
- Composite handles provide fit, grip and durability.
What Safety Features Do You Expect
- Would you prefer a knife that locks open? Locks open and closed?
- What type of locking mechanism makes you feel the most comfortable? See Fixed vs Folding for locking mechanisms
- For a fixed blade, would you prefer a larger blade guard?
- Also consider handle materials for a better grip depending on its intended use.
Fixed vs. Folding
First, you must decide between a fixed blade or folding blade. Fixed blades are heavy duty, easy to clean and easily accessed with a sheath. Folders are very safe; most lock open and won't accidentally open in your pack or close on your hand. They may be harder to clean and you have to be careful of keeping the folding mechanisms clean, but they are easier and more convenient to carry and conceal. Whether you decide on a fixed blade or folder, you also need to pick a blade shape and steel that best suits your needs.
Fixed Blades:
A fixed blade knife will never surprise you in use because it is a solid piece of steel. Fixed blade knives are one solid piece of metal that can have tang or full-tang construction at the handle end. "Tang" construction as a taper that disappears into the handle (wood or other material). Full-tang construction has a solid metal frame, to which "handle slabs" are attached on either side. Full-tang knives are stronger, but a little heavier. with a handle anchored to it. If you are looking for a blade you really trust for tough jobs, such as field dressing and tough camping tasks, a fixed blade is the best choice.
Folding Knives:
Folders combine the safety of a closed blade and the carrying convenience of compact size. Folding knives have different methods of opening and closing. Not all folding knives lock, but those that do are commonly referred to by their locking mechanisms.
Folding Knife Locking Mechanisms
Lockback
Locking folding knives have mechanisms that lock the blade in the open position, activated by opening the blade all the way. A lockback gets its name from a rocker (rocking "lock" bar) partially visible on top of the knife. Opening the blade causes the "rocker" to lock against the blade so it locks open. Pushing down on the rocker on top of the handle releases it and enables the user to close the blade. Lockbacks require two-hand closing, though some are one-hand openers.
Liner Lock
A "Liner Lock" (AKA "locking liner") is a folding knife that locks open via a tensioned metal liner inside the handle. Similar to a "Lockback," opening the blade activates the lock. Unlocking is achieved by placing the thumb on the front part of the liner and pushing to the left, which releases the blade. Liner locks are typically one-hand open, one-hand close. A blade thumb stud or hole enables one-hand opening.
Frame Lock
A frame lock functions like a liner lock, but the locking mechanism is a section of the handle "frame" on the side of the knife. The "frame lock" is a channeled lock arm that moves inward to lock against the blade when the knife is opened. Pushing outward releases it from its "locked position" so the user can close the blade. Benefits are fewer moving parts and lighter weight. Frame locks are typically one-hand open, one-hand close.
Button Lock
A push-button is usually located near the front of the handle. The push-button acts as a lock in either the closed or open position. Pushing the button unlocks the blade and allows you to open or close it. Button locks may be one-or two-hand open, one-or two-hand close.
Strong Lock Systems (SLS)
This is a newer locking mechanism and may be referred to as "Strap Lock" by others in the industry. Utilized on our 830 Marksman model, the SLS uses a metal "strap" along the spine of the knife as a lock bar. Using a flipper to engage the blade, the strap lock bar snaps into the blade lock recess at which point the strap and blade are aligned linearly providing a configuration similar to a fixed blade knife. It has proven to be one of the strongest locking mechanisms available. To disengage the blade, simply lift up the strap with your thumb and use your other hand to rotate the blade closed.
Assisted-Opening
A "Liner Lock" (AKA "locking liner") is a folding knife that locks open via a tensioned metal liner inside the handle. Similar to a "Lockback," opening the blade activates the lock. Unlocking is achieved by placing the thumb on the front part of the liner and pushing to the left, which releases the blade. Liner locks are typically one-hand open, one-hand close. A blade thumb stud or hole enables one-hand opening.
Pocket Knives
Pocket knives are still high on the list of favorites - great to carry in your pocket for all the times you might need a blade. The blades don't lock open, but that's not critical for their utilitarian use. When a non-locking blade is opened, generally a spring holds the blade in the open position. Typically, pocket knives are two-hand open/close and have nail notches to aid opening.
Blade Shapes
Another thing to consider when choosing a knife is the blade shape. What shape will work best for your needs? Below are the most common blade styles.
Drop Point
This blade is full bellied with a strong, thick point for heavier tasks. The top of the blade drops down toward the tip, which minimizes accidental punctures. The drop point blade is strong and versatile.
Modified Tanto
Holding many of same features as the regular tanto blade, the angled point is modified between the front edge and the bottom edge on this particular blade. Holds up to piercing, scraping, and prying with tough materials.
Tanto
This blade is full bellied with a strong, thick point for heavier tasks. The top of the blade drops down toward the tip, which minimizes accidental punctures. The drop point blade is strong and versatile.
Skinner
Best suited for skinning game. The tip is narrow, while the wide curved belly gives a nice skinning sweep that aids in getting through thick layers. The downward angled, more blunt point makes it harder to make an accidental slice through the hide.
Pen
This is a smaller version of the larger "spear point" blade. Pen blades are usually on pocket knives as a handy, all-purpose blade.
Coping
A narrow blade with a sharp, angular point, it is designed to be used for cutting in tight spots or curved patterns, much as you would with a coping saw, only without the teeth.
Clip
The crescent tip makes the blade thinner with a sharper point. This shape provides good control for detail work and cutting in tight places. It is also well suited for intentional punctures like new holes in your belt, etc. While the point of the blade is effective for detail work, it's not as strong as the thicker points on drop points and skinners.
Caping
Almost scalpel-like in shape, it has a mild drop point, with nearly a spear tip that is used for the delicate removal of the hide of the face of a trophy animal. The shape makes caping knives perfect choices for birds and small game. Caping knives tend to be slim and very light duty so they are not always a right choice if you only intend to carry a single knife.
Serrations
Serrations give your Buck blade greater cutting power. Especially useful when cutting line and/or cables.
Gut Hook
For great performance when field dressing game, a gut or skinning hook is an ideal tool. We’ve paid careful attention to the angles on the sharpened edge, shape and size of the entry opening and location of the hook on the blade, making a Buck gut hook the best.
Types of Blades Steels
No matter how good the blade steel, there are always trade-offs. Corrosion-resistance vs. edge-retention. Edge-retention vs. sharpening ability.
Take S30V Steel. It provides the very best in edge retention and tensile strength, but is more difficult to re-sharpen and needs proper care. 17-7PH Steel resists extreme corrosion like salt water, but can’t match the edge retention of harder steels.
5160 Steel
Commonly known as spring steel, 5160 has excellent shock absorbing properties making it resilient to shattering and extremely durable as a knife steel. We harden to 57-58 Rc to maximize its performance.
13C26 Sandvik
Provides great edge retention and hardness for wear resistance and strength. Also difficult to resharpen yourself, but is a great steel choice. For best performance, we harden to a standard Rc 58-60.
420HC Steel
This is Buck's standard blade material because it approaches the wear resistance of high carbon alloys while delivering the corrosion resistance of chromium stainless steels. Add our exclusive heat-treat process and you have a very user-friendly combination of superior corrosion resistance with excellent strength for wear resistance and durability. You also have a blade that is easy to resharpen. For best performance we harden to a Rockwell hardness of Rc 58.
S3OV Steel
This advanced steel, S30V, contains carbon as well as high amounts of Chromium, Molybdenum and Vanadium. This steel combines fantastic edge retention and high ductility combined with corrosion resistance. Double-tempered - it can be hardened to a Rockwell hardness of Rc 59.5-61.
154CM Steel
This steel is ideal for excellent edge retention, great corrosion resistance and for heavy cutting applications. For best performance, we harden to a standard Rc 59-61.
Learn More About Buck Knives
