I have been on a quest - for the proper bushcraft-lite - or woods-walker - knife since seeing the Bayley knife Mr. Grylls uses of late. I started innocently enough - I never knew a Vic SAK wasn't appropriate - or my Buck 110 - or, later, my Buck 192 Vanguard. I have been enlightened. I now have a myriad of fixed blade candidates, including some excellent Bark Rivers (Fox River and Gameskeeper). Still, the quest goes on. I thought my first BRK&T, the Huntsman, would suffice as a day-trip/hiker, realistically all I am interested in these days, as allergies & age conspire to limit such excursions. Anyway, last year I got a glimpse of the Buck 005LE 'Skinner'. That beaut had a 154CM blade, brass fg, and snakewood handle - with an aged leather sheath. Neat, but at $300 US, gads!
This year, they promised a 'basic' 005GY - the same basic knife, but in their 420HC steel, with a charcoal-wood handle, and horizontal carry nylon sheath. Buck's heat treating, by the famed Paul Bos, makes an otherwise pedestrian steel like 420HC keep it's edge, yet one can return said edge without hi tech sharpening tools. All of the US-made Bucks, except for a few specialty variants, use this steel.
The knife has a hollowground drop-point blade, with a .125" spine. The edge is 3"/7.6cm, while the overall length is 7.9"/20 cm. It has a small choil, followed by a sustantial finger guard that is either nickel-silver or, more likely, highly polished Al. The grip has a single finger groove and a fairly curved, with eased edges, handle. It is comfortable in use, with a minimal thickness of spine for your thumb pressure (Any less would be painful!). The knife is made in Idaho, while the sheath is nylon and from the PRC. There is a 'dress-up' version due out later - rosewood handle/brass fg/154CM blade. The version shown below was $50 + $5 postage here. It lists for about what the Buck 110 does - which is heavily discounted here (Wally Worlds have them for $25!).
In use, it felt good in the hand - and de-barked green or dry maple twigs & small limbs with relative ease, although the dried ones became tough as they got bigger - and cuts became deeper. Battoning with this little knife might work with a green twig... but the hollow ground doesn't favor that. Drilling with the drop point isn't as productive, either. Supposedly a 'skinner', I suppose it would excell at that - or parting out a bird, tree rat, or mouse. I will take it out on my next adventure - away from the garden trains - and give it a real test.
Stainz
This year, they promised a 'basic' 005GY - the same basic knife, but in their 420HC steel, with a charcoal-wood handle, and horizontal carry nylon sheath. Buck's heat treating, by the famed Paul Bos, makes an otherwise pedestrian steel like 420HC keep it's edge, yet one can return said edge without hi tech sharpening tools. All of the US-made Bucks, except for a few specialty variants, use this steel.
The knife has a hollowground drop-point blade, with a .125" spine. The edge is 3"/7.6cm, while the overall length is 7.9"/20 cm. It has a small choil, followed by a sustantial finger guard that is either nickel-silver or, more likely, highly polished Al. The grip has a single finger groove and a fairly curved, with eased edges, handle. It is comfortable in use, with a minimal thickness of spine for your thumb pressure (Any less would be painful!). The knife is made in Idaho, while the sheath is nylon and from the PRC. There is a 'dress-up' version due out later - rosewood handle/brass fg/154CM blade. The version shown below was $50 + $5 postage here. It lists for about what the Buck 110 does - which is heavily discounted here (Wally Worlds have them for $25!).
In use, it felt good in the hand - and de-barked green or dry maple twigs & small limbs with relative ease, although the dried ones became tough as they got bigger - and cuts became deeper. Battoning with this little knife might work with a green twig... but the hollow ground doesn't favor that. Drilling with the drop point isn't as productive, either. Supposedly a 'skinner', I suppose it would excell at that - or parting out a bird, tree rat, or mouse. I will take it out on my next adventure - away from the garden trains - and give it a real test.
Stainz
