Four Steps to Buying
the Right Knife
1. How will you use it?
- Everyday: Are you opening boxes or cutting twine?
- Outdoor (Backpacking/Climbing/Hiking/Camping): Does your
activity involve using rope?
- Hunting/Fishing: Are you field dressing game or cleaning/filleting
fish?
- Tactical/Survival: Do you need a heavy-duty knife that
won't fail?
- Limited Edition/Custom: Are you a collector?
2. What features are important to you?
- Fixed-blade: Always ready for use and dependable.
- Folding knife: Compact, safer to carry; improved dependability
with locking blade.
- One-handed opening: Has a thumb stud, blade hole or other
feature to facilitate one-hand use. Some models are one-hand opening
and one-hand closing as well.
- Gutting/skinning blade: For field dressing game.
- Thick Blade: For heavy-duty tasks.
- Light weight: Use of composite or other materials to
minimize weight.
- Saw edge: For cutting wood or bone.
- Sharpness: Stays sharp and is easy to sharpen.
3. What is it made of and why?
Blade Materials
A good blade combines good edge retention, ease of re-sharpening
and rust resistance.
- S30V is the best blade steel available. It is a high
vanadium stainless steel with even higher edge retention.
- ATS-34 and BG-42 are two custom steels with much higher
carbon content, giving them higher hardness ratings and dramatically
higher edge retention.
- 420HC is a stainless steel that provides excellent rust
resistance, is easy to re-sharpen and has good edge retention.
Handle Materials
A good handle should feel solid and well constructed when you hold
it. We suggest you consider a handle style and material that meets
your needs and suits your preference.
- An ergonomic design provides comfort.
- A rubber or textured handle provides a sure grip in wet conditions.
- A wooden handle adds beauty to the knife.
- Plastic/composite handles are durable under extreme conditions.
4. Does it offer an unconditional lifetime warranty?
You want a knife that is crafted from high quality materials and
will deliver reliable performance. If it should ever fail you, be
sure the maker stands behind it. Buck
Knives has been making knives for over 100 years and still backs
all products with an unconditional lifetime warranty that is rock
solid.
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