Hunting knife used as bushcraft knife?

[Samon]

I've got a Buck Vanguard. Brilliant knife, but I'd say the steel is a little soft for bushcraft tasks like cutting into wood. But it's not really designed for that. It's designed for bushcraft tasks like hunting (skinning etc.), so it doesn't have to be a hard steel. It was recommended to me by a Canadian hunter in the Rocky Mountains who tracks and kills grizzlies (epic) and it's served me well for years. Buck USA knives are (apparently) of a much higher quality than the ones manufactured in Asia. I was told to check they said USA on the blade.
I've got a Buck Omni Hunter too, and that's a great little folding knife. Neither holds its edge well when used for cutting wood though. I'd choose them for skinning, but I can skin almost as well with my Condor Bushlore, which is great for wood work too.

The Buck 110 folding hunter is made in the usa, and mine was made under supervision of Mr.Hubbard the main quality control guy and it was still crap. It developed blade play in minutes and the tip did what it did.

And it really doesn't matter where it's made, aslong as it's made to a certain standard - instead of a certain price. Having an over paid american put it together makes it no more appealing to me. Infact, it seems to make the patriotic ones want them more and pretend that they aren't as terrible!

 

[BearInTheWoods]

A friend of mine bought one of the latest Buck 119s and it was very poor (American made). Loose and rattly with a nasty fabric sheath - looks as if Jesus may be napping on the job.

 

[Will_]

That's a shame. Mine have been absolutely spot on.

 

[Hibrion]

I have to say I like buck knives. I have a 110 that is my back up hunting knife and a prince folder that has lived in my pocket for years and has served me very well. There is no blade movement, they lock solid and tight and rarely need a sharpen beyond a quite strop.
They give a lifetime warranty and will replace a blade for next to nothing. I know a fella who used his 110 so much that it resembled a needle, he was a professional deer stalker. He sent the blade to buck in the US and they put a new blade and shipped it back for the cost of shipping.

 

[Bladeophile]

I would imagine that the shop wanting you to buy one of each also plays a part. I use my Frost Mora for hunting and my Buck 119 (designed with the assistance of Jesus himself, according to the leaflet that came with it from Buck. Not sure whether or not Jesus is a greater authority than Ray Mears), for bushcraft.

Just to confirm - He is
Simple reason.......Uncle Ray might just save your ***
But only Jesus can save your soul.............Apologies Ray, but that's just the way it is.

 

[Bladeophile]

A friend of mine bought one of the latest Buck 119s and it was very poor (American made). Loose and rattly with a nasty fabric sheath - looks as if Jesus may be napping on the job.

So sorry to hear about your friend's 119. This again points to rushed and inconsistent QC. No excuses for that period! Not when they're up against the likes of CS. Everything I've had from them has been well thought out and well put together (even if it did come from Taiwan).

But back to the 119 - mine has the wooden handle and made in USA stamp and great leather scabbard. Put tape over the back of the rivet to save the edge when withdrawing the knife. Other than that its dealing with the gnarliest hedgerow woods in bushcraft tasks and retaining its edge. No squeaks or rattles. So far very happy with this awesome looking blade. Just I would have liked a lanyard hole.

 

[BearInTheWoods]

Yep, mine is equally good. Bought in 2006.

 

[Will_]

They give a lifetime warranty and will replace a blade for next to nothing. I know a fella who used his 110 so much that it resembled a needle, he was a professional deer stalker. He sent the blade to buck in the US and they put a new blade and shipped it back for the cost of shipping.

They do seem very good with their warranties. I sent away my folding Omni Hunter because one side of the bolt must have come loose and fallen off. Even though there was nothing wrong with the knife apart from a bolt which was not tight enough, they replaced it and returned it free of charge. I think Whitby Knives dealt with their UK warranty issues.

 

[Samon]

This again points to rushed and inconsistent QC. No excuses for that period! Not when they're up against the likes of CS. Everything I've had from them has been well thought out and well put together (even if it did come from Taiwan).

I agree, Cold steel is a fine example of 'made in..' but still far better than other brands made at home.

Buck does have a great customer service.. but does that really substitute poor quality products? No, not in my opinion. Their good customer service is a way to shift their products with the knowledge they are bad to begin with, but hush money/compensation in more cheaply made products is far from enough to please myself.

 

[ozzy1977]

My 110 was a great bit of kit, bought secondhand in 1998 or so, regret it to this day getting rid of it

 

[santaman2000]

The Buck 110 folding hunter is made in the usa....

Not in years now.

 

[santaman2000]

A friend of mine bought one of the latest Buck 119s and it was very poor (American made). Loose and rattly with a nasty fabric sheath - looks as if Jesus may be napping on the job.

They (all Buck knives) can be had with either the leather or the fabric sheaths. The quality has gone down since production (as for as I know, ALL production but I could be wrong) was moved to China several years ago. That said, even the Chinese made ones I've seen (admittedly only one) have been pretty good.

 

[hog]

At the end of the day though a knife is a knife and the one on your belt is the best to have at the time.

 

[bushwacker bob]

At the end of the day though a knife is a knife and the one on your belt is the best to have at the time.

Yep,so always carry a good one in case eh?

 

[hog]

Agree with that.

 

[BlueTrain]

When a seller or maker of knives categories their line of knives and other sharp things, they sometimes put one item in more than one category. The categories aren't hard and fast. The thing is, what's the knife going to be used for? Instead of something that might do better, like an axe, for instance? Or a hammer? Or for peeling potatoes? I have two drawers full of knives. The ones in the kitchen drawer get used all the time; the others not so much. Here is an irony. I was raised in a family that had virtually nothing. Now that I can afford stuff, I buy stuff--but I don't use it so much because I never got used to having anything. The things that I bought always seemed to be "too good" to actually use, though that's a slight exaggeration, of course. The one knife that's been used the most and for the hardest used was a large "Bucklite" folder and I'm surprised others have had troubles with their Bucks knives. I've used mine extensively to cut carpeting (don't have a carpet knife). Maybe you fellows got hold of a Doe knife.

 

[Uilleachan]

There isn't a one size fits all knife. Simple as that. There are well made knives and poorly made knives but thats a different issue.

Of all the tasks I could put a knife to I don't own a single knife that can do it all. Shucking a scollop or cutting up a multi ply car tyre are both very different jobs, a hunter or a bushy would be poor at either, where as an improvised knife made from a hacksaw blade will handle both and handle both well, provided you've some soap oil or grease/fat to act as lube on the thick rubber and have a long enough length in the blade to allow it to bend round the concave shell of a scallop

If a well made knife breaks, 99% of the time it's down to the user putting it to a task it can't handle, it's all a question of learning the limits and compromising accordingly, IMVHO In that regard, yes, a hunter can double for a "bushcraft" blade and vice versa, neither will excel but with a little care one would get by, if one had to.

I have a 110c I bought for $36 in the states in 96. The lock is still as good and tight as the day I got it although I got it specifically as a dedicated fishing (angling) knife. It doubles as a priest on account of the weight as well as handling all the cutting chores on the banks and braes, or in about a small boat, on the fresh or the brine.

A pig to sharpen on the go, so if there's a lot of cutting required it's the wrong knife for the job. I wouldn't use it to batten, anything, or use it as a lever/screwdriver etc, those tasks are beyond it's spec. But as a small sturdy fish club and useful edge it's perfectly suitable for the limited range of tasks I ask of it.

A bit of a gimmick and rural fashion accessory now relegated to the bottom of the bag rather than belt on account of modern laws driven by the murderous behavior of the few, mainly residing in west central scotland. One man's "chib", is another's useful tool.

 

[santaman2000]

.....I have a 110c I bought for $36 in the states in 96. The lock is still as good and tight as the day I got it although I got it specifically as a dedicated fishing (angling) knife. It doubles as a priest on account of the weight as well as handling all the cutting chores on the banks and braes, or in about a small boat, on the fresh or the brine.

A pig to sharpen on the go, so if there's a lot of cutting required it's the wrong knife for the job. I wouldn't use it to batten, anything, or use it as a lever/screwdriver etc, those tasks are beyond it's spec. But as a small sturdy fish club and useful edge it's perfectly suitable for the limited range of tasks I ask of it.

A bit of a gimmick and rural fashion accessory now relegated to the bottom of the bag rather than belt on account of modern laws driven by the murderous behavior of the few, mainly residing in west central scotland. One man's "chib", is another's useful tool.

A 110c? I gotta ask just what that is? Do you mean the Buck 110?

 

[Uilleachan]

A 110c? I gotta ask just what that is? Do you mean the Buck 110?

Yes, buck 110c.

 

[Uilleachan]

santaman2000; here's the 110c, c = the cut away handle version of the 110;