-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Buck ATS-34 folder?
- Thread starter rowdy27
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2005
- Messages
- 1,725
buck striders (priced ~or above$100) are ATS-34 too
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2004
- Messages
- 1,500
I have one of those, with Kraton handles rather than wood, and the usual 420HC blade steel.
It feels extremely solid; the handle frame is beefy as all git-out, enough that it makes the blade seem a little underwhelming by comparison. The scales, too, are very thick, making the handle overall very wide, round, and comfortable in extensive use, but so thick that pocket carry is out of the question.
The one you link to has a guthook, which I have no use for. But I sometimes wish I'd gotten mine with the wood scales; the rubber gives an excellent grip, even when wet, but it's so tacky that it's very difficult to sheath or unsheath the knife!
I've always felt that the locking liner seemed awful thin for a beefy knife like this, but to be honest, it's never been a problem. It doesn't look like much, but it's sturdier than it looks, and I've never had any issues with it slipping under load. As usual, of course, YMMV.
As for ATS-34, the only Buck I have with that steel is a Buck/Strider 882 Police knife, with heat treatment by Paul Bos. It's a bit tough to sharpen, like most hard steels, but it takes and keeps a very sharp edge. ATS-34 doens't seem to be as popular as it once was, but my 882 shows that it's an excellent steel, with proper heat treat. And heat treat is one thing Buck seems to do very, very well.
It feels extremely solid; the handle frame is beefy as all git-out, enough that it makes the blade seem a little underwhelming by comparison. The scales, too, are very thick, making the handle overall very wide, round, and comfortable in extensive use, but so thick that pocket carry is out of the question.
The one you link to has a guthook, which I have no use for. But I sometimes wish I'd gotten mine with the wood scales; the rubber gives an excellent grip, even when wet, but it's so tacky that it's very difficult to sheath or unsheath the knife!
I've always felt that the locking liner seemed awful thin for a beefy knife like this, but to be honest, it's never been a problem. It doesn't look like much, but it's sturdier than it looks, and I've never had any issues with it slipping under load. As usual, of course, YMMV.
As for ATS-34, the only Buck I have with that steel is a Buck/Strider 882 Police knife, with heat treatment by Paul Bos. It's a bit tough to sharpen, like most hard steels, but it takes and keeps a very sharp edge. ATS-34 doens't seem to be as popular as it once was, but my 882 shows that it's an excellent steel, with proper heat treat. And heat treat is one thing Buck seems to do very, very well.