2018 BF Knife Poll 5.301 - Materials Battle Royale

Which handle material for the 2018 BF Knife?

  • Ironwood

    Votes: 137 38.8%

  • Elk

    Votes: 179 50.7%

  • Burlap Micarta

    Votes: 37 10.5%
  • Total voters
    353
  • Poll closed .
skblades said:
You have to figure that the knife has appreciated as soon as you buy it. So you are getting a knife sub $100 that will retail higher. I'd like to be so accommodating as to take 250 plus photos for everyone to choose from, though as you said, it's not particularly practical. If I decide to refund knives, then I'm just eating dollar losses, which doesn't make sense.

I have a pretty good feeling that we can plug out some really nice elk, pending what Buck gives me for guidelines and parameters for acceptable knives. Unfortunately we just don't know enough yet on this elk deal. When the sample is done and I hear back there might be a more definitive answer. Keep in mind that this knife is not going to be built by the normal "mass production" cells at Buck, but rather the specialized cells that will pay attention.
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If it's an option, a polished sample would be nice to see. Maybe they could polish one side as a demo?
 
Sabercat said:
No disagreement at all about using up every part of a dead animal. I just think it's a great bonus to be able to use parts while the animal lives on to make more.
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Elk shead their antlers every year, and barring predation, getting squished by a truck, or a fatal injury or desease, they live on to make more antlers. :)
The elk covers will be from naturally shead antlers.
 
I don't have any elk. Can you get badly asymmetrical ones like stag? If so, I would want a picture of the one I am getting before it is mailed. I got two of the 2014 BF 77's, one symmetrical, one not. I was p o'd. I wonder which one I would have gotten if I only bought one.

I have not voted, but unless I could get the photo first guarantee, I would vote ironwood.
 
Since SK is doing all of this for no profit, I think that the knives should be “all sales final” as long as they pass some set standard of quality control. If you want more consistency, vote for ironwood or micarta. If you want to roll the dice on what you get, then go for elk!
 
My viewpoint, which is worth about 3 cents, is that SK is a humble volunteer, and any serious problems with mechanics or fit and finish should be addressed by the Buck custom shop making these knives for the forum.

If Buck does this as well as they normally perform, GEC might get nervous!

A successful forum slip joint from Buck with vast majority happy will sell so many buck knives its silly.

Has any final decision been reached on who can buy (such as must be a forum member before voting ends ?, etc.) and whether more than one per member (one for using and one for collecting?

Elk is not my first choice, but this is going to be a feature packed, value priced, high end custom slip joint from Buck and there is no chance I am passing it up.

Also, it is possible all micarta votes could switch to ironwood and push it over the top. The voting isnt over yet............
 
cbr1000 said:
Polished elk would be fairly consistent. Feeling like I'm the only one interested in this option so I'm going to leave it be after this post...
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Just chiming in that I'd be all about polished elk for the sake of more uniform consistency in texture and color. I also like smooth bone better than jigged. I don't care if the elk is white, chalky, gray or an other color. I'd rather have that than the barky kind that's more unpredictable in color, texture and thickness. As always, just speaking for myself and what I consider aesthetically pleasing and am not presuming that other folks agree. :)
 
cbr1000 said:
Polished elk would be fairly consistent. Feeling like I'm the only one interested in this option so I'm going to leave it be after this post...
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I would take polished elk any day, all day over super chunky elk.

I'd hate to see a great looking piece get polished down just for the sake of polishing - but for those slightly less desirable pieces....go for it!
 
Okay, just got back from Buck. Sorry for the prodigious pectoral muscle from my guy at Buck in the first photo.

I sat down with him and another rep that I deal with on all my projects and gave him the lay of the land for this project. I basically stated all the concerns that have been said with Elk and we talked about how this knife would be a representation of Buck to the greater Knife Forum community.

Here are a few notes from that:

Q: What would the thickness be on these elk handles.
A: Well we don't want a pregnant guppy, so we can make them nice and narrow.

Q: Quality control on each of these so that we have a good run of 250+ with happy customers?
A: We'll have Specials build this knife and keep a close eye on them as they come out.

Q: Can I assure the forum that these will look nice and not be fat?
A: Yes you can.

Q: Which part of the bark will you use?
A: Whichever you choose.

As to that last point, we went back into the factory to look at the elk. The first photo is just a shot of the antlers after they've been shed. The second are more elk parts, but the 3rd photo is important. This photo shows the two types of bark we can choose from. There is the darker bumpier stuff, and the white smooth stuff. I would vote dark all day, but that's just one man's vote, and as you can see looks super cool. The final photo is a knife they had on display right next to the antlers. Obviously that is a thick handle and has more white showing as they matched the bolsters.

Takeaway, I believe elk will be done right with very minimal unhappy customers. We can have them thinner and not so bulky and we can choose the bark. It was a nice get together with the folks over there.

20180524_143339-01.jpeg 20180524_143500-01.jpeg 20180524_143506-01.jpeg 20180524_143435-01.jpeg
 
It is ridiculous for us to think for a second that Stephen should be expected to refund the purchase price of a knife if the purchaser simply does not like it. He continued on with this exercise after learning that he could not make a profit. Most people would have walked away after that rude awakening. We are running him ragged with requests, and Buck is bending over backwards. The idea that he should suffer a loss if someone is unhappy with the appearance of their handles is really too much! Good Lord, we are only talking about a $100 knife!

ANY knife can disappoint regardless of the material. I have read complaints about Ironwood not having a nice pattern, or being too dark, or a little boring, or having some scratches, or whatever. Burlap Micarta has been criticized for being too dark, or having too much texture, or having too little texture, or having frayed edges, or whatever. Stephen cannot and should not guarantee that everyone will be perfectly happy with their knives. As picky as we are, it is impossible for everyone to be satisfied. Anyone who is that concerned should just pass or be prepared to sell the knife on the exchange. Buck will be responsible under their warranty for defects. Stephen has promised that the Elk will be carefully chosen by select workers. Just be brave and do not take counsel from your fears! If you like Elk, then vote for Elk by golly! We asked for unique didn't we?

At the end of the day, if your Elk, or Ironwood, or Micarta is not perfect, it is not the end of the world.

@meako , I think I need a break. Can I join you in Porchensburg?
 
skblades said:
We can have them thinner and not so bulky and we can choose the bark.
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Fantastic update and great news all around, thank you! Your legwork and dedication is greatly appreciated. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Regarding the bit of your post I've quoted, might it be possible (if elk is chosen) to allow purchasers to select between two broad options, such as "thin and mostly white" and "knobbly and mostly dark" at the time of purchase, and then have Buck make X of one type and Y of the other to match those orders?

No individual photo of your knife, no special requests, no refunds, no "I'd like mine kinda thin and kinda dark" -- that way lies madness. But with as hands-on as Buck wants to be with these knives -- which, again, is so fantastic! -- it seems like "A or B, understanding that this is a hand-finished natural material and variations will occur" might be something they'd consider.
 
Dadpool said:
Fantastic update and great news all around, thank you! Your legwork and dedication is greatly appreciated. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Regarding the bit of your post I've quoted, might it be possible (if elk is chosen) to allow purchasers to select between two broad options, such as "thin and mostly white" and "knobbly and mostly dark" at the time of purchase, and then have Buck make X of one type and Y of the other to match those orders?

No individual photo of your knife, no special requests, no refunds, no "I'd like mine kinda thin and kinda dark" -- that way lies madness. But with as hands-on as Buck wants to be with these knives -- which, again, is so fantastic! -- it seems like "A or B, understanding that this is a hand-finished natural material and variations will occur" might be something they'd consider.
Click to expand...

The best compromise for this will be to create an A and B sample for everyone to see. "A" being white and smooth and "B" being dark and knobbly. If Elk is the winner, then vote on those two options to have one winner, either A or B.
 
skblades said:
The best compromise for this will be to create an A and B sample for everyone to see. "A" being white and smooth and "B" being dark and knobbly. If Elk is the winner, then vote on those two options to have one winner, either A or B.
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That makes an awful lot of sense. Thanks! :thumbsup:
 
skblades said:
The best compromise for this will be to create an A and B sample for everyone to see. "A" being white and smooth and "B" being dark and knobbly. If Elk is the winner, then vote on those two options to have one winner, either A or B.
Click to expand...

Give me dark and knobbly over white and smooth all day every day. When I look at those elk pieces you posted I just don't understand how anyone could want something else. But hey, that's me, and plenty of folks disagree.

However this shakes out, I have a hard time expressing how excited I am about this knife. I can't wait to send you my money.
 
skblades said:
Okay, just got back from Buck. Sorry for the prodigious pectoral muscle from my guy at Buck in the first photo.

I sat down with him and another rep that I deal with on all my projects and gave him the lay of the land for this project. I basically stated all the concerns that have been said with Elk and we talked about how this knife would be a representation of Buck to the greater Knife Forum community.

Here are a few notes from that:

Q: What would the thickness be on these elk handles.
A: Well we don't want a pregnant guppy, so we can make them nice and narrow.

Q: Quality control on each of these so that we have a good run of 250+ with happy customers?
A: We'll have Specials build this knife and keep a close eye on them as they come out.

Q: Can I assure the forum that these will look nice and not be fat?
A: Yes you can.

Q: Which part of the bark will you use?
A: Whichever you choose.

As to that last point, we went back into the factory to look at the elk. The first photo is just a shot of the antlers after they've been shed. The second are more elk parts, but the 3rd photo is important. This photo shows the two types of bark we can choose from. There is the darker bumpier stuff, and the white smooth stuff. I would vote dark all day, but that's just one man's vote, and as you can see looks super cool. The final photo is a knife they had on display right next to the antlers. Obviously that is a thick handle and has more white showing as they matched the bolsters.

Takeaway, I believe elk will be done right with very minimal unhappy customers. We can have them thinner and not so bulky and we can choose the bark. It was a nice get together with the folks over there.

View attachment 912118 View attachment 912119 View attachment 912120 View attachment 912121
Click to expand...

I honestly can't think of better news for not only those of us who are in favor of elk but for those who are on the fence as well.
 
Leslie Tomville said:
It is ridiculous for us to think for a second that Stephen should be expected to refund the purchase price of a knife if the purchaser simply does not like it. He continued on with this exercise after learning that he could not make a profit.
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Absolutely , that would not be reasonable. Honestly to have this knife priced at around $100 with the specs we've suggested is pretty amazing. I'm wondering how the purchase process will work because I have a feeling a 250 piece run will go fast .
 
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