Alpha series

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Ruger 44 Redhawk

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Feb 19, 2021
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Buck's new Alpha series looks like a winner. Saber grind with flat grind (not hollow) drop point and in 420HC, S35VN or Magnacut. The last two might be too steep for me, but the orange handle large Alpha in 420HC is being offered at Copper and Clad for $69. Might have to pick one up. Wish the Selkirk was made in the USA with our heat treat rather than China's. Does anyone know what the Selkirk tang looks like?
 
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I have a few knives in S35VN & I like that steel. For my purposes, it seems the be just the right balance in edge holding & toughness. It's fairly easy to sharpen too. I'd like to try something in Magnacut. It seems to be the latest craze in "super steels" , and as Buck describes it, it was developed specifically for knife blades, and has none of the trade-offs of other "exotic" steels.

But, I really don't need another knife.
(Which is what I usually say just before buying another knife.)
 
Yeah, I don't really need one either. But isn't that what they say about all the super "duper" steels every time they are released. I remember when S30V came out and the same was said "it's a knife steel made for knife makers" or something to that effect. I scored the now discontinued Kabar Snody Big Boss in S35VN last month for $50 on clearance which was totally worth it. So that's my only super steel fixed blade. The rest are 420HC, 1095, 1095 CroVan and 5160. But this Alpha line does look kind of nice.
 
Ruger 44 Redhawk said:
Buck's new Alpha series looks like a winner. Saber grind with flat grind (not hollow) drop point and in 420HC, S35VN or Magnacut. The last two might be too steep for me, but the orange handle large Alpha in 420HC is being offered at Copper and Clad for $69. Might have to pick one up. Wish the Selkirk was made in the USA with our heat treat rather than China's. Does anyone know what the Selkirk tang looks like?
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Actually, the Select series in 420HC is hollow ground. The Pro series in S35VN and the Elite series in Magnacut are flat ground.
 
I just recently got the Alpha Hunter Pro to use as a prep knife for occasions when I wanted something more substantial than a paring knife, but didn't want to get out a 9" chef's knife.

It's great in the kitchen. Nice size for a lot of different jobs, and I love the texture of the Richlite. I'm thinking about picking up an orange guide, but that's about the same size and would fit the same function as my 104. The 104 is a fantastic knife.

I also don't really need another knife.
 
marantz said:
Actually, the Select series in 420HC is hollow ground. The Pro series in S35VN and the Elite series in Magnacut are flat ground.
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Damn it! You're right. Why the hell can't they just keep them all the same. Don't think I will get one now. I was sold on the flat grind. Nobody else does hollow grinds. Why the hell does Buck feel like everybody wants that when they don't.
 
Ruger 44 Redhawk said:
Damn it! You're right. Why the hell can't they just keep them all the same. Don't think I will get one now. I was sold on the flat grind. Nobody else does hollow grinds. Why the hell does Buck feel like everybody wants that when they don't.
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Personally, I love and prefer hollow ground 425Mod and 420HC. I get them sharper than any other steel/geometry combination. AEB-L, too, but that’s not a Buck steel in this conversation.

As to why they do it that way, my guess is that the new-fangled powder metallurgy steels with Vanadium carbides need a thicker angle with more matrix metal behind the edge to hold the carbides in place.
 
I'm gonna guess hollow grind is a cheaper faster process for the 420hc. also this is kinda a game cleaning knife set and maybe some light outdoor tasks for most of the series. hollow grind allows for alot of material removal in softer mediums like meat and skin. also the thin body allows for good slicing and keeping the edge sharp geometry wise without having to reprofile as often due to the thinness of the stock above the blade a ways compared to other grinds.

why the upgraded steels are fg, I do not know. maybe higher cost of materials and steel allowed for higher cost of grind and still hit price point objective? maybe marketing shows folks who like s35vn and magnacut prefer fg geometry. maybe folks who like 420hc shows they like hollow grind for the reason i stated above?

who knows.....
 
I was just reporting what the knife descriptions say. And hollow ground 420HC is Buck's standard process for almost all their knives. I'm sure all the knives, hollow or flat ground, will be good cutters. Yes, Buck's 420HC tougher than Magnacut, or any other powder steel, since it has less carbide volume. That's also why it doesn't hold an edge as long, but is easier to sharpen. They're optimized for different things.
 
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marantz said:
I was just reporting what the knife descriptions say. And hollow ground 420HC is Buck's standard process for almost all their knives. I'm sure all the knives, hollow or flat ground, will be good cutters. Yes, Buck's 420HC tougher than Magnacut, or any other powder steel, since it has less carbide volume. That's also why it doesn't hold an edge as long, but is easier to sharpen. They're optimized for different things.
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Yes. And without Vanadium carbides, 420HC can be sharpened without diamonds. Not so for S30V, S35VN, MagnaCut, etc. People who sharpen those steels without diamonds are really just dislodging the carbides and leaving a moon crater surface of matrix metal. They are not realizing the full potential of those steels.
 
Yes. And without Vanadium carbides, 420HC can be sharpened without diamonds. Not so for S30V, S35VN, MagnaCut, etc. People who sharpen those steels without diamonds are really just dislodging the carbides and leaving a moon crater surface of matrix metal. They are not realizing the full potential of those steels.
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Seriously? None of you can afford the ~$25 for a Fallkniven DC4 diamond stone to toss in the pack or fanny pack for the field in the event you need to sharpen a knife?
My EDC is a Hogue Deka in Magnacut that I abuse every week at work opening and cutting down boxes and packing straps. Every Friday I just take it to a leather strop to get it back to razor sharp.
If it's been an especially nasty week, a minute or two on the DC4 and then the strop gets the edge back in shape.

I like it because it's cheap for a Magnacut blade, thin so it slices well, not coated in anything that induces drag, and is a hell of a lot cheaper than the comparable Benchmade Bugout in S30V.
The only gripe about it I had were the sharp edges on the scales but after taking it apart and smoothing those down, it's no longer an issue. Took all of 15 minutes.

In the field I take a 112 in its pouch & a 119 on a dangler on the belt - both in Magnacut. Both work well and are fairly easy to keep sharp with a DC4 and field strop. I don't do silly YouTube click-bait "review" stunts with either.
If I need to split wood for a fire or building something, well that's what the Council Tools Wood-Craft Camp Carver 16" axe is for. With just that axe and a ferro rod I can easily build a fire and save the blades on the knives for what they were intended for.
(Council Tools is located about an hour from where I grew up and the family has always used their axes at the farm so I went with what I know. It's perfect for what I need. Buy once, cry once.)

I do try to not abuse my knives but I also don't want to worry too much about rust outside of the axe and Magnacut is perfect for that. Wipe 'em clean, put 'em away. Done.
Probably going to pick up one of the new Alphas in Magnacut next paycheck just to have another full-tang Magnacut blade besides my Demko Freereign and can just keep in the truck as a backup and not have to worry about it rusting away.
 
Culprit99 said:
Buck Knives Inc. Buck Knives Inc. , please offer the Alpha Guide in 420HC, Walnut scales, and brown leather sheath. Preferably without the stone washed finish (is that what it’s called?), but that might not be a deal breaker.
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All of the pieces on the new Alpha Elite, Pro and Select lines are interchangeable including the sheaths. After our initial launch we should have sheath available and sold separately on our Website or through Customer Service.
 
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