Buck 250 Saunter

[ScottK]

I thought that I would start a thread for this 2022 Limited Edition Knife. Mine just arrived, I ordered it from BCCI. First impressions are very positive, the overall fit and finish of the knife were excellent. It comes with a nice leather pocket slip as well. The 250 Saunter compares very favorably to the BM 318. I put together a table comparing the two below. Most of the info is from the manufacturers web sites, although I did have to measure the Saunter to get a few of the dimensions. The Saunter is definitely a keeper!

	Benchmade	Buck
Model	318 Proper	250 Saunter Limited Edition
MSRP	$160	$159.99
Mechanism:	Slip-joint	Slip-joint
Action:	Manual-opening	Manual-opening
Blade Steel:	CPM-S30V | 58-60 HRC	CPM-S35VN | 59-61 HRC
Blade Length:	2.82"	2.5"
Blade Thickness:	0.090"	0.090"
Open Length:	6.65"	6.18" *
Closed Length:	3.85"	3.75"*
Handle Thickness:	0.40"	0.375"*
Weight:	2.28oz.	2.2oz.
Blade Edge	Plain	Plain
Blade Finish/Color	Satin	Satin
Handle Material	Micarta	Marbled Carbon Fiber
Blade Style/Shape	Clip-point	Drop Point
Where Made	USA	USA
		* my measurements

 

[jbmonkey]

nicely done there Scott.

 

[Tony_A]

Is there a difference in MSRP vs street price on the Saunter? Or is it pretty much $159 everywhere?

For instance the Proper in s90v and carbon fiber has an MSRP for over $200 but is sold for $159 at certain sites, the one in s30v and Micarta is $145-ish.

 

[Railsplitter]

I think the $159 for the Saunter is MAP price. MSRP is higher. Dealers are not permitted to charge less than MAP but they can charge more.

 

[Tony_A]

^ Thanks. So $159 is the lowest we'll likely see.

Also, not a big deal but I think the 319 Proper might be a better comparison than the 318 Proper. The 319 and the Saunter have very similar blade shapes. Though the Saunter looks to have more of a full flat grind vs ~sabre grind on the Proper(s)

 

[Railsplitter]

One thing that I really like about the Saunter is the blade to handle ratio. It appears to have a long handle and a short blade.

Many people probably wouldn’t like that but I think it would fit my needs very well.

I’m starting to get impatient for mine to arrive.

 

[Tony_A]

^ Yeah. I own a bunch of Propers and am planning on picking up a Saunter soon myself. It's the knife I'm most excited for this year.

The blade to handle ratio is...odd. Buck seems to have listed somewhat different handle specs at first compared to what people measure.

Would love to see a simple side by side pic of the Saunter aligned between Proper and a ruler.

 

[Daniel]

It is a Legacy Collection knife and you will not find it any cheaper.

 

[ohen cepel]

Wanted to bounce this up. Anyone else pick one up? Thoughts? I haven't seen one in person yet so am slow to order one without at least handling one first.

 

[MT_Pokt]

I love the one I have! I think a clip point version, or at least more of a point would be the only thing I would change.

FYI- "MAP = Minimum Advertised Price. Dealers can charge what they want. They just can't advertise below an amount determined by Buck.

This way the little dealers who have different margin goals/needs than the bigger volume retailers have some protection. Knife Center can't advertise lower than the hardware store on the corner.
It's a good model in a lot of cases. It keeps the smaller retailers competitive with the retail giants.

Obligatory photo

 

[mbkr]

I picked up a Saunter. Its got both good and bad.
The good:
It feels good in the hand. Walk is ok. Snap is excellent. Zero play. Nice solid pocket knife. Carbon fiber looks good, and handles are well fitted. Edge is ok. I like it.


The bad:
The blade is so off centered it looks krinked. Its not against the liner. A piece of printer paper will just barely slide between the blade and the liner.


The spring is flush when open, but not when closed. Not terrible, but there.


There are gaps between the liners and spring.


Finally, the slip which is very nice, is also extremely tight, tight, tight. Its tough getting the knife in and really hard to get it out. I tried a Buck 302 in it, which is narrower than the 250 in every dimension, and it went in ok, but was still hard to get back out. I don't want to struggle this much to deploy my knife. I have other slips and don't use one very often, so this is not a big deal to me. Just thought I'd mention it.


I'm disappointed by these f&f issues on what is a limited edition Legacy knife. It's definitely not a $160 slipjoint. F&F is more acceptable on a $40-50 Case or Buck. I didn't pay anywhere close to the advertised price, so I'm still deciding about whether to keep it, or return it to the vendor. As a user it's a solid pocket knife, and I like it. That said, I have multiple other pocket knives in this size category (Buck's own 501 and 284 just to name a couple). None of these are "defects" per se. It's a perfectly useable knife. OTOH, given the price and marketing, I expect more.

 

[buffalo45]

This latest post makes me nervous. I have one on the way. Should be to me tomorrow.
I am excited about this slip joint.

 

[GPyro]

I resurrected this thread rather than start another.

I'm curious to see some of the new versions of these.
Other than being very stiff, mine is very well done.
I've oiled it and used some 1 micron powdered moly and have worked the blade, loosened the pivot screw a bit.... it's getting better. Thanks S SteveFord

I've sorta found some of my carbon fiber handle knives tend to be stiffer than others.

If you have a newer version of these maybe you could ad some input.
The clip point blade is intriguing.

Here's mine.
View attachment 2104983
View attachment 2104984

Thanks.

 

[hunterjrg]

I

I resurrected this thread rather than start another.

I'm curious to see some of the new versions of these.
Other than being very stiff, mine is very well done.
I've oiled it and used some 1 micron powdered moly and have worked the blade, loosened the pivot screw a bit.... it's getting better.

I've sorta found some of my carbon fiber handle knives tend to be stiffer than others.

If you have a newer version of these maybe you could ad some input.
The clip point blade is intriguing.

Here's mine.
View attachment 2104983
View attachment 2104984

Thanks.

I resurrected this thread rather than start another.

I'm curious to see some of the new versions of these.
Other than being very stiff, mine is very well done.
I've oiled it and used some 1 micron powdered moly and have worked the blade, loosened the pivot screw a bit.... it's getting better.

I've sorta found some of my carbon fiber handle knives tend to be stiffer than others.

If you have a newer version of these maybe you could ad some input.
The clip point blade is intriguing.

Here's mine.
View attachment 2104983
View attachment 2104984

Thanks.

 

[hunterjrg]

GPyro I have held a couple of the new clip/micarta ones so far and love them. The blades were centered and have a great feeling pull. I will add one to my carry at some point.

 

[yamsi12]

I bought one for $89 on sale. Blade came off center and the anvil logo on the knife was crooked. I took it apart to fix it, couldn’t get the blade centered and the pivot is D shaped so I couldn’t straighten the anvil. Knife should not have gotten through QC with an improperly stamped pivot. Sent it back and got another and all is fine. Bucks QCs is so hot and miss. I’ve gone through 5 of the 120th anniversary 110s in the tin from a local retailer and EVERY SINGLE ONE had substantial side to side blade play. Something not found on my older 110s.

I have a 124 in the mail from Buck….keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Kvk09]

I bought one for $89 on sale. Blade came off center and the anvil logo on the knife was crooked. I took it apart to fix it, couldn’t get the blade centered and the pivot is D shaped so I couldn’t straighten the anvil. Knife should not have gotten through QC with an improperly stamped pivot. Sent it back and got another and all is fine. Bucks QCs is so hot and miss. I’ve gone through 5 of the 120th anniversary 110s in the tin from a local retailer and EVERY SINGLE ONE had substantial side to side blade play. Something not found on my older 110s.

I have a 124 in the mail from Buck….keeping my fingers crossed.

Now I am nervous. Why can’t I get a knife to work out. Ugh

 

[MT_Pokt]

Now I am nervous. Why can’t I get a knife to work out. Ugh

Why nervous?
I liked the LE! The only thing I would have changed would have been a clip point. I got one several weeks ago and I've had it in my pocket since.
Love it!

 

[pat9198]

I bought the new version with 154CM and I love it. Just about perfect fit and finish. No gaps, blade is centered, springs are flush open and closed, and a nice strong pull with good snap. What I did not notice until I read this thread, was that the anvil logo is crooked. It doesn't bother me since I didn't even notice it, but would have been nice to see it lined up better. I really like this knife and I'm going to get another in green micarta very soon.

 

[Railsplitter]

I like mine but my first one did have a pretty major issue. I didn't notice it in the store but I got back to work and discovered some serious blade rap. Upon further inspection I discovered that the stop pin was not installed during assembly. It simply wasn't there. The only thing stopping the blade upon closing was the edge contacting the backsping.

Fortunately, I bought it on my lunch break and was able to exchange it for a flawless Saunter after work that same day. The only one they had left was the display model and it is flawless. I could not be happier with it.