Buck Canoe, what steel does it use 420HC or 420J2?

B

Bob6794

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Apr 21, 2013
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I might pick up a Buck Canoe but there is a bit of confusion as to what steel this knife uses. Does it use the 420HC or 420J2 steel? On their website it lists 420J2, just about everywhere else I see 420HC. Than I keep hearing different things when I tried to search various forums. I just want to know for certain what it uses as I much rather prefer to get the 420HC as I have been trying to find an excuse to pick up a knife with it.

Sorry if it sounds weird to be asking this when the official website lists it as 420J2, but I learned a long time ago that even official websites don't always update their product page when they change something or always be accurate so I like to double check when I keep getting different information from various sources like this.
 
... I deleted my comment because memory is bad and couldn't find original reference....

The 389 Canoes were issued in a wide variety of handles.

389Canoe005_zpsf53c10f5.jpg
 
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The few I have seen in stores were 420j2.But that was back at Christmas time.
 
Bob, Welcome. Of the Canoes made under the foreign contract their steel is most likely 420j2. Of the USA made at Buck's plant those would have a blade of 420HC. Those of the foreign contract will use a steel closest to 420HC of the steels they have available. The two steels are close in elements. DM
 
I didn't realize there was US made canoes. I will have to keep my eyes open.
 
David Martin said:
Now, I'm thinking no USA stamped blades came out of A.G. Russell. DM
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The only USA made Canoe's that I am aware of are the 308 canoe which was an AG Russell SFO/collaboration. These have a Wharncliffe blade of S30V, and a spear blade of 154CM. There were some 70 odd units sold as build outs with Mastodon Ivory covers as well.



AG Russell 308 in sambar stag...
 
sitflyer said:
The only USA made Canoe's that I am aware of are the 308 canoe which was an AG Russell SFO/collaboration. These have a Wharncliffe blade of S30V, and a spear blade of 154CM. There were some 70 odd units sold as build outs with Mastodon Ivory covers as well.



AG Russell 308 in sambar stag...
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One knife with two different blade steels? I have never seen that before!
 
Yup I just seen one of those come up for auction when I started looking at Canoe's a few days ago, too bad it's way out of my price range.
 
That's the way my thinking goes. First I thought I remembered them being offered then I talked myself out of it. DM
 
These multi-steel 308 Canoes came in three scale flavors. The only one I have is a Mast. Ivory scale model that was a second, sold out quickly from the Buck factory sales area. If you weren't in the know you lost out. Mine was cracked at one of the spring rivets.

This model in it's pristine version along with two others were special ordered and sold out of the AGRussell catalog. And at least one is still available there. The other versions were stag and fancy abalone scales. As mentioned above I would really like to find them all at a garage sale for $5.00 each. In there regular AGR price, $$$, I am out of the running.....

As these had fancy steel blades and were assembled in the Buck factory, Lets call them USA made. All others NOT so.

300/ch
 
Craig,
I believe the one AG Russell Buck canoe actually had black lip pearl rather than abalone. I ended up getting one of them on eBay for a song as it was not well described and I knew what it was. I have had it for a couple years, perhaps three and it is a beauty.
Larry
 
Bob6794 said:
I might pick up a Buck Canoe but there is a bit of confusion as to what steel this knife uses. Does it use the 420HC or 420J2 steel? On their website it lists 420J2, just about everywhere else I see 420HC. Than I keep hearing different things when I tried to search various forums. I just want to know for certain what it uses as I much rather prefer to get the 420HC as I have been trying to find an excuse to pick up a knife with it.

Sorry if it sounds weird to be asking this when the official website lists it as 420J2, but I learned a long time ago that even official websites don't always update their product page when they change something or always be accurate so I like to double check when I keep getting different information from various sources like this.
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And the answer is?
 
In Bucks catalogs, they are listed as 420hc through the 2008 year. In 2009 the catalogs list the 389, and other China Buck's as 420j2...be that as it may...
 
A 'song'......I can only shake my head in envy. TL, this may be incorrect but "I" am going to go with, if is says China its NOT Bos 420hc. That will be the safe route. I will ask this question when I am face to face with Joe Houser and report back. 300
 
Thomas Linton said:
And the answer is?
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Short answer undecided. It's down to a Rough Rider Canoe, Victorinox Cadet, and a Queen Country Cousin. I started by looking at a Cadet, than I wanted to look at some traditional slip joints and asked for help on the traditional forum on where to start looking and the Canoe pattern and Country Cousin/Sodbuster pattern caught my eye.

I wanted to test out the 420HC steel in something more usable than the Buck Metro I lost a few years ago, but their Canoe is not using that so there is now no reason for me to go Buck and not the Rough Rider to test out that particular Pattern to see if I like it. Had I been able to pick up a new Canoe in 420HC my curiosity probably would have taken over and I pick one up.Than there is the Queen Country Cousin, I am still torn on whether I actually like the design of the knife but I know it would probably replace a lot of my dedicated work knives and being able to test out D2 steel both in how it performs and my sharpening skills on it has sparked my curiosity. And lastly is the Victorinox Cadet I just fell in love with that knife after handling one, it's not a question of if I am going to pick one up but when. I am planning a future purchase of a new knife before end of the summer, it would be sooner but my computer bit the dust within the last month so I had to rebuild it so funds are tight for now.
 
I have to say that as a collector and Buck enthusiast the issue of steel interests me. On the other hand, you are overthinking it if you care about which steel a sub $20 knife has as a condition of buying it. You will never have one for worrying about it. Just buy one and enjoy it! The BUCK 389 Canoes are very well made.
 
DeSotoSky said:
I have to say that as a collector and Buck enthusiast the issue of steel interests me. On the other hand, you are overthinking it if you care about which steel a sub $20 knife has as a condition of buying it. You will never have one for worrying about it. Just buy one and enjoy it! The BUCK 389 Canoes are very well made.
Click to expand...

Actually I have been wanting an excuse to try out the 420HC steel on something more practical for awhile but haven't found one yet, and I was really hoping this was going to be a good excuse. In general steel is one of the last things I think about unless I have options or there is something that sparks my curiosity. Such as testing out the 420HC steel or trying to find out what working with D2 steel is like as it sounds like it's completely different from what I am used to using. Curiosity has been getting the better of me this time around when I am looking at knives.
 
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