Buck Bones 870= Big Steaming Pile

H

husqyorange

Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
31
Birthday time again, so wife takes the kids to the store to pick out gifts for me. Yeah, I know, it's the thought that counts....

I like knives. My 9 year old son likes knives. He wants to get me a knife. He knows I have several Buck's. Even HE has a Buck 110. He likes to go on their website and pass the time making new creations with the custom knife builder.

So, they go to Academy Sports, and he picks me out a Buck Bones Model 870.

Come on, Buck. You can do better than this...

Uncomfortable handle, stupid blade design, solid steel spacer that adds an extra ounce of weight. For $5 more, you can get an Ontario Rat 1 that rivals other makers $50 knives.

This thing looks and feels like a $10 Chinese bargain bin knife, and looks it, too. It opens horribly, even after taking some tension off the frame lock, and slathering the thing in Break Free CLP.

All, I could do is smile, and thank my 9 year old son, who thought he was doing good, picking out his daddy a Buck knife.

Seriously, I wouldn't have any problem with him getting me a "cool looking" $10 quality Chinese knife that COST $10, but it irritates me that Buck takes a $10 piece of garbage, slaps their good name on it, and tries to pass it off as a $25 knife.

Look, I've got one of the $18 bone-handled Walmart Chinese Canoe Bucks. It's a perfectly decent little knife. Wish I could say the same for the Bones 870.....
 
Could be a lemon, I've never used that model. The difference between those models listed is the warranty. Forever vs. 1 year. Bargain bin knife is probably 30 day warranty. Give it some time to break in.
 
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Seems decent enough for the money. Here are some reviews.
Affordable ‘Tactical’ Blade from Buck Knives



Affordable, sleek, and solid-feeling in the hand, the new Bones line of tactical/survival knives from Buck are touted as viable replacements for blades that might cost three or four times as much. With prices starting at just $23, Buck Knives leads its promotion of the Bones line, which has four models, with claims of an “affordable answer” for anyone needing a no-fuss blade for backwoods tasks.



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Buck Knives’ Bones, 870 model


We got two Bones knives to test. The larger model, the 870 Bones, has a 3-inch blade that’s partially serrated and has a tanto tip. It’s made of 420HC stainless steel and has a cool cut-out handle design. In the hand, the knife is nicely balanced and easy to grip. It has a thumb stud to flick the blade up, where it locks in place.

The 870 model comes in black and a gaudier “Tiger Stripe camo,” and it costs $39. Closed up, the knife measures about 4.5 inches and weighs just under 5 ounces.

The smaller 869 Bones models, also in black and Tiger Stripe, have 2.2-inch blades with a tanto tip but no serration. They start at just $23 and weigh less than 2 ounces.



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Bones 869 in “Tiger Stripe camo”


The little 869 knives are made of the same stainless steel as their bigger brothers, and they have the same cut-out handle. But in the hand, the little ones are harder to hold and work with — they are made more for precision work, less for serious cutting tasks.

Any of the Bones knives are solid picks. They are a simple, strong product with a price tag that’s attractive for anyone not looking to empty their wallet the next time they go shopping for a knife.

—Stephen Regenold is founder and editor of www.gearjunkie.com
 
I got myself an 870 Bones after procrastinating the purchase for way too long. So far, I'm a big fan. I don't see this knife talked about much, so I thought I'd make a thread.

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The Bones isn't normally my style. Upon first looking at it, I had considered it "too tacticool for me". After handling it, I decided I wanted one.

The Bones is a very well-made knife for the price. Fit and finish is not absolutely perfect (the blade isn't perfectly centered), but is mostly very good. Everything about it feels solid and inspires confidence. There is no play in any direction, the lock bar is tight and features about 50% lockup, and the pivot is somewhat tight as well. The entire knife is made of steel.

Ergonomics are satisfactory, but not great. The handle isn't bad, but could be much more comfortable with finger grooves in the right places and a choil. There's decent jimping on the lockbar and the thumb ramp. The thumb ramp and the shape of the handle act as a small sort of cross guard, which is pretty cool.

The handle is otherwise slick, so it's good that there's something to keep my fingers off that partially serrated edge. The 870 only comes part serrated, which is fine with me because the serration pattern is awesome. This knife came sharp out of box, great job on the edge, Buck!

The Bones is pretty heavy for its size, but considering it's an all-steel knife, it's at a fairly good weight. It carries well in the pocket and it's the thinnest folder of its size that I own. It's very impressive that Buck packed all this strength and reliability into such a thin folder. The pocket clip is good, does the job well and isn't gaudy.

For the price, I think the Bones is a great buy, and I recommend it to anyone on a budget who would like a strong, partially serrated tanto. The value is astronomical.
 
Well I think it is ugly, but I'm sure that it cuts stuff and won't break. I'm not a fan of tanto blades or any other modern looking features. That's not Buck's fault. The knife looks like the stuff kids like these days (I'm 61, most of you are kids to me!). So in my opinion Buck made a knife that appeals to kids and your kid bought you one. Looks ugly, so don't pull it out in front of your friends, that's why you carry a couple of knives! But please use it enough to put some wear on it.
 
Sorry, guys. I'm not gonna be a Buck fanboy just for the sake of being a fanboy. I'm gonna call junk "junk" when I see it. Feel free to actually purchase one and handle/use it before commenting.

I'm just trying to warn folks that this knife is not up to normal Buck quality standards, even at a $25 price point. The thing feels like it's made out of Zamak alloy, it's so chunky (no, it's not Zamak).

I'm not trying to push Rat 1's, or Esee Avispa's (Lord knows, the Avispa has its' issues), but at a similar price point, they are MILES ahead in quality. I've got a little Chinese Kershaw Hotwire, which at only $10, puts this knife to shame.

Like I said, Buck has other OK China production knives. The canoe knife is plenty decent for $18.

Rant off.
 
Yep, my daughter bought me a very similar knife, (junk knife with reputable name), I still have it in the side pocket of my not so often used knife duffel. Now that she is older and a little more discerning I wish she'd give me another gift.
 
I bought this last year when it was on sale - I can't remember exactly how much but it was under $10. My first impression was more-or-less positive; despite not being a fan of the tacticool style, I figured it would be a good beater knife for prying etc. But my impression over time has changed and I agree with its description as a junky knife.
 
dont know big steaming pile is what id call it but its not a buck i want or need. sure someone does though hence why its made.

nice your boy got ya a gift and a buck to boot even if not one ya wanted.

10 years from now he'll be here reading this thread of yours and wonder why you didnt appreciate his gift.:)
 
I can't believe what I'm reading here? Me and my wife were unable to have kids, but if we did and one them went out and purchased a gift for me regardless of the quality, appearance I would be proud that they thought so much of me to purchase something that they knew that I was interested in. So what it's not perfect or one you'd go out and buy yourself it was a gift from your son...Maybe you should have given him 100$ and told him what you wanted, would that make you feel better? My Dad bought me a cheap Chinese Barlow with wood grips he took a wood burner and inscribed my name on it, 6 mos later he died, I carry that knife every day and I am proud of it because he gave it to me, I have even posted it on this forum.

Maybe next year he'll get you a bright yellow tie with green stripes?

I'm curious, what would you say if your son found out what you said about his gift?

Don
 
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I now avoid Chinese Buck knives as their US models are dirt cheap compared to other manufacturers and I love the dozen or so I own.

I did own a Mini Iceman that was terrible. Stripped pivot screw and the liner lock doesn’t work. I just threw it out. Not worth the effort of mailing it back to Buck. At even $12 it wasn’t worth the $$$.
 
So I have knives in all price and quality ranges from Buck and last summer my Wife and Son took a small trip to the coast. He brought me back an inexpensive knife made in china that he picked out for me.
It is one of the best knives I have. Bought for me by my 24 year old Son out of the goodness of his heart. I have never used it. It is proudly displayed in a small display case I have with a few of what I call
my best and favorite knives. They were knives that were given to me by friends and family members and one that belonged to my Father in law. All the other Buck knives I have are stored away in boxes
out of sight. The meaning behind the knives that were given to me makes them priceless and nobody will ever hear me complain about them in any way. At times I proudly explain to anyone who
notices them where they came from and I have never had anybody say anything but great things about them.

Thank you to everybody who has given me a knife. I am proud to have them.

To the OP. Be proud of the knife your Son picked out for you and be proud to either carry it or display it. It's all in how you look at it my friend. Nothing would make your Son prouder than for his Dad to pull the knife out of his pocket when you need it and if you don't want to carry it than proudly put it on a shelf or something on display and tell your Son how special it is to you.

Everything in this case has been given to me by good hearted people some of whom have passed away except for the 119 which belongs to my son.
Out of all my knives this is the only ones out on display.

The multi tool in the plastic case sitting up in the left rear corner is the one given to my by my son as well as the obsidian blade one sitting in front of the case.

WyNE55S.jpg
 
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gedlicks said:
So I have knives in all price and quality ranges from Buck and last summer my Wife and Son took a small trip to the coast. He brought me back an inexpensive knife made in china that he picked out for me.
It is one of the best knives I have. Bought for me by my 24 year old Son out of the goodness of his heart. I have never used it. It is proudly displayed in a small display case I have with a few of what I call
my best and favorite knives. They were knives that were given to me by friends and family members and one that belonged to my Father in law. All the other Buck knives I have are stored away in boxes
out of sight. The meaning behind the knives that were given to me makes them priceless and nobody will ever hear me complain about them in any way. At times I proudly explain to anyone who
notices them where they came from and I have never had anybody say anything but great things about them.

Thank you to everybody who has given me a knife. I am proud to have them.

To the OP. Be proud of the knife your Son picked out for you and be proud to either carry it or display it. It's all in how you look at it my friend. Nothing would make your Son prouder than for his Dad to pull the knife out of his pocket when you need it and if you don't want to carry it than proudly put it on a shelf or something on display and tell your Son how special it is to you.

Everything in this case has been given to me by good hearted people some of whom have passed away except for the 119 which belongs to my son.
Out of all my knives this is the only ones out on display.

The multi tool in the plastic case sitting up in the left rear corner is the one given to my by my son as well as the obsidian blade one sitting in front of the case.

WyNE55S.jpg
Click to expand...

This is so spot on!! Nice Post!!! John
 
Maybe you guys don't get it. It's not ingratitude to my son that I'm trying to express. If he'd bought a $10 quality knife for $10, no big deal. What irks me is that Buck essentially duped my 9 year old son (and likely many others) into buying a $10 knife for $25, because it has what SHOULD be a "quality name".

PS He got me this last year. A $10 knife for $10. No complaints....

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/ga...fe-with-skinner?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051
 
I haven't handle the bones but on looks alone it doesn't do it for me.
My brother got me a buck neck knife a few years back. NOT something I would by for myself . definitely not bucks nicest work. But it one of the few times that some actually thought of something that I would actually like . Most times people by what they want you to have. I keep it hanging on my bedpost. Would never get rid of it.
 
husqyorange said:
Maybe you guys don't get it. It's not ingratitude to my son that I'm trying to express. If he'd bought a $10 quality knife for $10, no big deal. What irks me is that Buck essentially duped my 9 year old son (and likely many others) into buying a $10 knife for $25, because it has what SHOULD be a "quality name".

PS He got me this last year. A $10 knife for $10. No complaints....

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/ga...fe-with-skinner?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051
Click to expand...
I guess my problem is a $10 knife at Walmart or wherever is a knife I wouldn't pay .50$ for at a fleamarket. I didn't realize any knife made in China cost over $20 so thank you for bringing that to my attention. Maybe you need to talk to your son about American made, that might be better in his teens, but you can never start growing something in the right direction too young. It's tough in a society where 95% of our piles come out of China and is just that, piles.....With that said I do own one China buck that was a gift from my wife's uncle. We had each other in the gift exchange and I ended up with a limited edition Buck 373, because he knew I like Bucks, he ended up with a stag 475, because I like Bucks. The 373 is on display like all the rest and would be one of the last to go......
 
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