Buck Hoodlum

Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
4,067
I've seen this knife and I really like its looks. I've held this knife at a gun show and I like its fit, finish and ergonomics. It feels good in the hand, it feels lively. It feels like the kind of knife that would be great for a dual purpose role.

But so far I'm finding mostly complaints about it on youtube. Seems like most of the videos are people breaking their blades while batoning. That's easy enough to understand if they don't know what they're doing, and trying to take too big of a log, or trying to cut through knots. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the knife, just the fool who's using it.

But I'd like to hear from actual owners of this little model before committing to buying it. How good of a knife is it?
 
Never owned one. This issue has been discussed before. Yes, there are youtube videos showing blade failures thru the notch. I think the problem was limited and related to a heat treat issue. There hasn't been any recent discussion on this. I think like most product failures of any type, you'll hear a negative report from the few that had a problem and nothing from the thousands that didn't. It's got a LIFETIME WARRANTY. Go for it. Watch this video of factory testing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoxiHS0gHn0
 
Don't forget about Buck's warranty.

The ones that have broken them were probably trying to.
 
I think the notch is a bad idea. Why weaken the blade, especially right at the center of percussion?
 
I have one, actually 2 since I like them a lot. I think it's a great, well thought out design aside from the notch which I could go either way on.

Great value for the money. As you said in the OP, lively in the hand, it's a knife and not a sharpened pry bar as many that size are. I have used mine a good bit and think it's great if you have a need for such a knife.

Side note; I have no idea why so many are fixated on batoning, smashing cinder blocks, and other rather odd endeavors with knives. In almost a quarter of a century in the Army I never had the need nor reason to do any of those things with a knife.
 
I have one and I like mine a lot. I tried batoning without fear. It worked fine, but my axe does a better job. I got it for fun and have only had fun with it. I don't use a knife like that often, so mine doesn't get out much.

You can't beat the warranty.
 
The Hoodlum is one of my favorite big blades and the best one if weight is a top priority. You're right about the dual purpose role. The Hoodlum can handle tasks for large blades but also for medium or even small ones. The blade feels very agile in your hand and is best used with snape cuts for chopping. The Hoodlum lacks weight but it makes up for it with speed. I had the grind changed on mine from a flat grind to a nice smooth convex grind which improved the performance quite a bit. On the other hand, yes, the knife rattles in the sheath and the notch is a feature that most users wouldn't miss if Buck left it out. For me, it is part of Ron Hood's philosophy that he tried to incorporate into the knife and it makes the knife more special for me.

And the YT vids...I've seen many of them and neither do I understand their approach to usage of tools nor the goal that they are trying to achieve other than getting attention.
 
Never owned one. This issue has been discussed before. Yes, there are youtube videos showing blade failures thru the notch. I think the problem was limited and related to a heat treat issue. There hasn't been any recent discussion on this. I think like most product failures of any type, you'll hear a negative report from the few that had a problem and nothing from the thousands that didn't. It's got a LIFETIME WARRANTY. Go for it. Watch this video of factory testing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoxiHS0gHn0

A question has come up with respect to this test and that is whether the blade undergoing the test is representative of the production version of the Buck Hoodlum. The tested blade is clearly marked "milled", while there are rumors that the production blades being sold are actually made from laser cut blanks; that is not-milled. It would be helpful is someone could correct the rumor once and for all; and if there is a difference in production methods, run the actual production knife through the same testing to demonstrate that it does hold up under this level of loading.

n2s
 
does buck still make them? What do they do in regards to the warranty if it breaks and they no longer make them? Im sure the notch can make a weak spot vs the rest of the blade, but there is a lot of steel even where the notch is.
 
does buck still make them? What do they do in regards to the warranty if it breaks and they no longer make them? Im sure the notch can make a weak spot vs the rest of the blade, but there is a lot of steel even where the notch is.

The problem isn't the notch. It wasn't that long ago that we were all into sawback survival knives with far bigger and more numerous notches along the spine and most of those are still around. However, using laser cut blanks may cause heat damage (decarb and scarf) to the steel and that may be the real underlying problem, especially around the notch, where a lot of cutting takes place in a very small area.

n2s
 
Following are the steps that Buck Knives uses to make a knife:

1. Laser Cutting or Fine Blanking

First, the blade must be cut out of raw steel. Buck Knives uses raw steel in two forms--plates and coils.

Plate stock - used for the larger knives that typically require thicker blades or higher hardness and edge retention. Blades and metal knife components are cut out of steel plates through the use of a computer programmed laser.

Coil stock - used for the smaller knives that typically have thinner blades. Blades and knife components are cut out of steel coils through a process known as "fine blanking" that uses a specifically shaped die to press the blades out of the raw steel coils.

Information found here:
http://www.the-knife-connection.com/making-of-a-knife.html

n2s
 
the notch is indeed a deal-breaker for many. I'm sure the sales will double if they do away with it

it's an amazingly lightweight package for that much steel. My favourite big blade together with the bk9!
 
the notch is indeed a deal-breaker for many. I'm sure the sales will double if they do away with it

it's an amazingly lightweight package for that much steel. My favourite big blade together with the bk9!

I am also a BK7, BK77, and BK9 fan.:thumbup:
 
I would buy a notch-less Hoodlum if they were available, but I certainly wouldn't get rid of the notched ones I own.

The notch is an added tool to the knife. Ron designed the Hoodlum as a functional woods/survival tool using his personal experiences.

He was certainly more experienced with that kind of living than anyone else I've ever met.

Buck is one of the most experienced knife makers and heat treaters. I can't imagine they would be producing a knife that would fail under it's intended use. The Hoodlum been in production for over three now. I would think Buck would have made changes long ago if they had seen any kind of flaw in the knife.
 
I fully agree with Stumps!

No problems with the one I use.

I figure if anyone is breaking them, they are trying to, or wrong tool for the job.
 
I fully agree with Stumps!

No problems with the one I use.

I figure if anyone is breaking them, they are trying to, or wrong tool for the job.

Good. I have one of these on the way and I would like to think that they are safe to use.

n2s
 
I would buy a notch-less Hoodlum if they were available, but I certainly wouldn't get rid of the notched ones I own.

The notch is an added tool to the knife. Ron designed the Hoodlum as a functional woods/survival tool using his personal experiences.

He was certainly more experienced with that kind of living than anyone else I've ever met.

Buck is one of the most experienced knife makers and heat treaters. I can't imagine they would be producing a knife that would fail under it's intended use. The Hoodlum been in production for over three now. I would think Buck would have made changes long ago if they had seen any kind of flaw in the knife.

Buck Knives – Hoods Woods (Version)
HOODLUM
5160 Carbon Steel
*First 50 Buck made, laser notch, longer notch, some broke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l43Lh36vHAk

Buck Knives – Ron Hood
HOODLUM
5160 Carbon Steel
*Current ones Buck make are milled notch, shorter notch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGhIcFNFE3E
 
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