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Buck Mayo TNT Review
Introduction
I have owned and carried a Buck Mayo TNT for about two years. It is my go-to knife when I want something small, slim, and light. Buck http://www.buckknives.com has long been among America’s premier knife companies and collaborated with legendary custom knife maker Tom Mayo http://www.mayoknives.com/ to produce a production version of his flagship TNT model. The TNT is made in the USA.
My TNT is Buck’s Model 172 with a 6AI-4V titanium handle and a 3.125" blade of S30V steel, Bos heat treated to 59-60 Rc. MSRP is $336 and it retails for $215 or so at our favorite online retailers. A limited edition 250 piece carbon fiber sprint run was available last year at an MSRP $450.
The TNT is hard to find at most retailers. As I write this in July of 2011, it is no longer available on the Buck website.
Size & Weight
One of Tom Mayo’s design signatures is a series of holes milled through the scales. They look good, improve grip, and lighten the weight of the knife without sacrificing strength. Here’s how the Buck Mayo TNT compares to some of my favorite smaller knives in terms of size and weight:
What’s not represented in the table is how flat the TNT is. It compares to a stainless steel handled Spyderco and makes for easy carry in the pocket.
Ergonomics & Performance
The Paul Bos heat treated CPM S30V blade on the Buck Mayo TNT is hardened to RC61. There is an interesting page on Paul Bos on Buck’s web site here: http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=bio.paulBos
The hollow grind on the drop point blade is perfect, finding the balance between a thick, strong, spine and a thin, razor-sharp, cutting edge. In the two years I’ve owned this knife, it has never needed sharpening other than a couple of passes on a ceramic rod. Admittedly, though, I don’t cut much with it. An oblong hole near the pivot makes for easy one-handed opening.
The scales are milled from 6A1-4V titanium in a bead blasted finish. As with all similar knives, the titanium shows scratches and after some pocket carry mine shows marks from keys, coins, etc. The action on TNT is incredibly smooth and incorporates a strong frame-lock, well-blended contours. There is no jimping, though. It also has a lanyard hole and titanium pocket clip. The clip seems like an afterthought. It isn’t ideally placed and isn’t terribly tight. The only carry option is right-side tip down.
Conclusions
I think the Buck Mayo TNT is one of the best “gentleman’s knives” available. I like it for days that I wear a suit. It carries in the pocket as well as any knife I’ve owned, but the titanium frame lock and S30V blade put it in a different class than most easy-to-carry folders. It’s made by a great American knife and comes in a very nice wooden presentation box, which makes for a great gift.
Introduction
I have owned and carried a Buck Mayo TNT for about two years. It is my go-to knife when I want something small, slim, and light. Buck http://www.buckknives.com has long been among America’s premier knife companies and collaborated with legendary custom knife maker Tom Mayo http://www.mayoknives.com/ to produce a production version of his flagship TNT model. The TNT is made in the USA.
My TNT is Buck’s Model 172 with a 6AI-4V titanium handle and a 3.125" blade of S30V steel, Bos heat treated to 59-60 Rc. MSRP is $336 and it retails for $215 or so at our favorite online retailers. A limited edition 250 piece carbon fiber sprint run was available last year at an MSRP $450.
The TNT is hard to find at most retailers. As I write this in July of 2011, it is no longer available on the Buck website.
Size & Weight
One of Tom Mayo’s design signatures is a series of holes milled through the scales. They look good, improve grip, and lighten the weight of the knife without sacrificing strength. Here’s how the Buck Mayo TNT compares to some of my favorite smaller knives in terms of size and weight:
What’s not represented in the table is how flat the TNT is. It compares to a stainless steel handled Spyderco and makes for easy carry in the pocket.
Ergonomics & Performance
The Paul Bos heat treated CPM S30V blade on the Buck Mayo TNT is hardened to RC61. There is an interesting page on Paul Bos on Buck’s web site here: http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=bio.paulBos
The hollow grind on the drop point blade is perfect, finding the balance between a thick, strong, spine and a thin, razor-sharp, cutting edge. In the two years I’ve owned this knife, it has never needed sharpening other than a couple of passes on a ceramic rod. Admittedly, though, I don’t cut much with it. An oblong hole near the pivot makes for easy one-handed opening.
The scales are milled from 6A1-4V titanium in a bead blasted finish. As with all similar knives, the titanium shows scratches and after some pocket carry mine shows marks from keys, coins, etc. The action on TNT is incredibly smooth and incorporates a strong frame-lock, well-blended contours. There is no jimping, though. It also has a lanyard hole and titanium pocket clip. The clip seems like an afterthought. It isn’t ideally placed and isn’t terribly tight. The only carry option is right-side tip down.
Conclusions
I think the Buck Mayo TNT is one of the best “gentleman’s knives” available. I like it for days that I wear a suit. It carries in the pocket as well as any knife I’ve owned, but the titanium frame lock and S30V blade put it in a different class than most easy-to-carry folders. It’s made by a great American knife and comes in a very nice wooden presentation box, which makes for a great gift.
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