Buck Bravo review

wh4f said:
Hows this Messy?

It fit O.K. but the tanto blade hit in the inside of the handle a bit, I had to remove a little material out of the inside...

I LOVE the G-10 handle, so I swapped it out with my S30V alpha deer hunting knife...
I prefer the pocket clip over sheath carry. This is my fav. deer hunting knife, now it is FOR SURE!!!!!
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Very cool Jim. I really like the way it looks with your Alpha blade. That would make a great hunting knife.
 
Great looking knife, I really like tantos. How is the liner lock? It looks a little thin in the photo, but it's hard to tell. If the locks good, I think I might have to go back up to New Graham and make another purchase this week!
 
clintg said:
Great looking knife, I really like tantos. How is the liner lock? It looks a little thin in the photo, but it's hard to tell. If the locks good, I think I might have to go back up to New Graham and make another purchase this week!
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I have been EDC'n one for 3 days....no hard use .... yet,lock is good
and G10 edges are smooth and donot catch or rub your clothing or hands raw if you need to access your pocket...carry mine in right front jeans pocket.
 
Evil Eye Earl said:
Just got a couple in the mail....Buckaholic" especially":D
Great feeling smooth knife....one hand operation.
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Man EEE, now I know I'm old...it's better than looking at porn when I see all your knives. Well...almost.

As stated in the "what pillockian thing did you do with your knife" thread, I cut my thumb within five minutes of getting my Bravo. Suckah is sharp. One of the sharpest outta the box knives I've ever handled. Like a straight edge razor on steroids.

Should state that I wasn't gonna get one at first. Was thinking it'd be a "wannabe" Strider Buck. I love my Strider Bucks….especially the 882/9 and 880.

That Besh Wedge gizmo got my curiosity up. That was a good ‘nuff reason (“excuse”) for me to order the Bravo. Ordered a partial serration and a clean (plain) edge.

One thing that I can’t do with this knife is clean my finger nails. Sirusly. Think about it…a basic function that reflects general use capability…getting a tip into fine areas. The geometry of the tip and blade means a different operational angle/fit when being used with either the left or right hand. Note that this knife is sharpened only on one side (like the old BuckCotes).

Jim, great observation on the handle shape being similar, if not dead on, to the Alpha folder. The ergonomics of the handle is pretty good. Would’ve have said “great”, but the liner lock extends just enough outside of the handle recess in use that you feel it on the index finger when gripping the knife tight. But that might just be pilot error that will adjust as I get more used to the grip.

And, speaking of the liner lock; recently there was a post or two about the Strider Buck folders having a blued tip on the actual liner lock tip. This was due to heat treating the liner lock tip for strength. Don’t see the bluing on the Bravo…but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been treated as the bluing could’ve been cleaned off in manufacturing.

REALLY like the manner in which Buck beveled the G-10 scales as opposed to the abrupt right angles of the Strider Bucks. And, speaking of the area of the liner lock…it is a decent radius and depth on the handle to the point it acts like a choil. Nice also how they did the lanyard hole.

Would be cool for someone (besides me) to remove the G-10 scales and see this as a skeleton knife with just the steel liners.

Thinking of getting a couple of knives as gifts. The guys I want to get the knives for need a one hand opener so it’s another reason I thought I'd check this Bravo out.

After handling the two Bravos that arrived...I think I’ll keep ‘em. The plain edge will be my EDC for at least a few days and the serrated goes into the closet. So, those gents may just end up getting a six pack of beer to share between ‘em.

Thinking that my 880 has met it's match...or EDC replacement.
All in all, so far, too cool. :cool:

880 Strider Buck, 850 Bravo, 882/9 SBMF, 110NS Damascus Koa for scale…
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Note the bevel of the Bravo handle…cool.
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Buckaholic said:
From the article Joe linked: "The scales on this folder are made from a black G-10 glass filled polymer or "Micarta". "

G-10 is Micarta???

Jim...so the point is blunt (same width all around as opposed to blending into a sharp tip - like the 881 Tanto you have)???
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While similar, G-10 and micarta are NOT the same.

The Bravo has G-10 handles - I will have to ask around to find out precisely how G-10 is made. I do know that G-10 is a little more difficult to machine because the material (whatever it is) is more abrasive than Micarta. (As machinig goes, however, the worst to machine would be carbon fiber - it eats cutting bits for breakfast).

Micarta on the other hand, is cloth or paper laid up with resin. There are varieties of canvas, linen, and paper micarta.
 
Buckaholic said:
That Besh Wedge gizmo got my curiosity up. That was a good ‘nuff reason (“excuse”) for me to order the Bravo. Ordered a partial serration and a clean (plain) edge.

One thing that I can’t do with this knife is clean my finger nails. Sirusly. Think about it…a basic function that reflects general use capability…getting a tip into fine areas. The geometry of the tip and blade means a different operational angle/fit when being used with either the left or right hand. Note that this knife is sharpened only on one side (like the old BuckCotes).

Jim, great observation on the handle shape being similar, if not dead on, to the Alpha folder.

And, speaking of the liner lock; recently there was a post or two about the Strider Buck folders having a blued tip on the actual liner lock tip. This was due to heat treating the liner lock tip for strength. Don’t see the bluing on the Bravo…but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been treated as the bluing could’ve been cleaned off in manufacturing.

Would be cool for someone (besides me) to remove the G-10 scales and see this as a skeleton knife with just the steel liners.
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Let me see if I can speak to all of the comments.....

The Besh wedge blade is an unusual choice for Buck to produce, and it doesn't completely function like a typical blade. As Goose pointed out above, it does not have normal tip and therfore is not suited to finely detailed work.

The purpose of the Besh wedge blade is spelled out in the shape and grinds of its blade. The whole concept of the Besh wedge is to get rid of the tip, since long, pointed tips are weak and can break off. To pierce, the besh wedge relies on what looks like a small (1/4") chisel tip on the end of the blade. Rather than poking thru material, it is designed to shear - it is just small sharp cutting edge. The other idea behind the besh wedge is that the blade maintains full material thickness for its full length - it only thins down about 1/4" from the end of the blade. This knife is not meant for finely detailed work - it is designed to be tough.

It is also only sharpened on one side - this is the result of the one-sided chisel grind. Interesting to note is the fact that the edge on the Besh Wedge blade received some of the highest scores we have ever seen when testing it for initial sharpness and edge retention. In other words, the customer gets a knife that holds an edge extremely well. Remember, edge holding ability has as much to do with edge geometry as it does with the composition for the blade steel.

As to the similarities to teh alpha folders. A much as we don't want to advertise this fact, the Bravo frame is the same as an Alpha fram with one key difference - the steel frame sides on the bravo have been thinned out to .075" - the steel side on the Alpha are .100" thick. The handle frame is still plenty strong, but it creates a significant weight savings and slims out the overall package. The other difference from a standard Alpha would be that the liner lock on the Bravo has been beefed up form .040" to .050".

The liners are made on the same tooling as the Alpha, and therefore, if you have ever taken the handles off of your alpha, you know what the Bravo frame looks like underneath the G-10.

The liners on the Bravo (and all other Buck liner locks) are fully heat treated steel. The liners on the 880 and 881 Buck/Striders were actually made from titanium, and because of the properties of titanium, only the tip of the liner lock (the part that engages the blade) needs to be heat treated. This is why only that small part of the liner is blue - when the titanium is torched, it colors it. (By the way, the 882 and 889 series Buck/Striders have steel liners, not Ti)

On our other Ti knives (think Buck Mayo 171 and 172) the same thing is done, but acter heat reating the tip of the lock bar, the handle is bead blasted. This hides the heat coloring.
 
Maybe this should be in the "What did I cut today" thread.

Like I said, and confirmed by Ron, this knife is sharp.

About 10 min ago, the Bravo slipped out of my mitt and, of course, I tried to grab it.
As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a maroon!".

Click the pic:
 
Buckaholic said:
Maybe this should be in the "What did I cut today" thread.

Like I said, and confirmed by Ron, this knife is sharp.

About 10 min ago, the Bravo slipped out of my mitt and, of course, I tried to grab it.
As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a maroon!".

Click the pic:
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Brother Goose,

I suggest you visit your eye doctor for a new set of spec's. You seem to be missing what you are trying to cut and nicking yourself a lot:eek::eek::eek:. Concerned BBF.....:D.

jb4570
 
Messersmith said:
...
I wonder how it would look with a regular Alpha blade (if it would even fit)?
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Messy...
Who the hell would do something like that??? ;)
Well, at least Jim and I :)

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Jim...are you leaving the Alpha gut hook blade with the G-10? Is that what you meant by your new fav hunting knife?
I was thinking of leaving the 420HC blade in the G-10...I like the ease of sharpening that steel...at least, I'm guessing, until I get some diamonds for the Lansky. But I wanna see how the Besh Wedge works for a week or so first before I decide.

And, DOH!!!! I may not be the sharpest crayon in the box, but I just got it...Alpha...Bravo.
 
Yes Sir Goose! She is staying as a Bravo handled S30V guthook alpha blade ;)

JB has the alpha handled Besh wedge blade with rosewood grips! (alpha Bravo ;) )

I really love the handle and G-10!!! and the Alpha guthook blade ;)


WARNING THE BRAVO BLADE IS EXTREMELY SHARP!!!!!!!!!!! :D
 
Yes indeed there my BBF's. I truely love that Alpha Bravo Charlie knife that WH4F built for me :). I see brother goose that great minds think alike. Other than your fingers...what else have you cut with your Alpha Bravo Charlie Mike????....LOL.

I seem to like a knife with a built in wedgy ;)....when I first looked at this knife style...it did not apeal to me at all....I did not "get it"...no stores around here had any to see and hold. Once I had it in hand I was sold...this is one sweet tool that you must have in hand to "understand" what it is. Now that said....I may need to get another one....so I can use it :)....My WH4F Custom is the very first Alpha Bravo ever made and thus is priceless. It will be in my Alpha display; it's my first Rosewood Alpha folder
 
Great review Goose and nice additional comments by Jimmer :thumbup:

Goose: The "bravo hunter" switch that you and Jim did looks great. What's not to love about an Alpha hunter blade in a thinner/lighter frame, thicker lock, G-10 scales and pocket clip? :)
 
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