strategy9
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4,234
So I've been spoiled by better blade steels then 420hc since learning more about steels, knives, and the likes thereof, long since my days of ignorance when I thought knives were knives, and Buck knives were some of the best there is...
Not saying Buck us bad, by any stretch, they are capable and serviceable, and do make a fine knife, but I'm talking about the days when I didn't know about Benchmade, Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, and higher; elmax and s35v, n690 and what have you. The days where the brand recognition ruled all, and the only "quality" brands I recognized by name were Swiss Army (didn't even know them as Victorinox yet), Gerber, KaBar, Case, and Buck... The typical stuff you see in a case at a big box store... The days when I thought S&W knives were actually made by the same folks who make the guns, and when I thought the "s30v" stamp was a special way to process Steel, not actually a type of Steel.
So that all said, I just received a Buck Quickfire I purchased specifically for a "one knife challenge" coming up in March, since I never carry sub 3" blades in locking folders.
1st impression, this is a really nice knife for the $35 I paid for it shipped...
At 2.75" it has all the feel of a 3" knife. Actually held it next to a few to make sure, and yup, it is significantly smaller:
The handle isn't one of those dinky handles that comes with many smaller knives, but fits and feels good in the hand, and 3.5 oz. gives it a solid heft to it, but not too much. I love the additional locking mechanism 100% better then the tiny switch on the Leek, and it locks the blade closed TIGHT! It is very easy to manipulate one handed, (great design Buck), and is supposed to aid in locking the blade in the open position as well, but I'm not spine whacking to find out. I can say it doesn't impede the mid-lock from disengaging if you want to close the blade manually and forget to disengage the secondary lock.
Which brings me to another point I like, the mid-lock design, inherently stronger and more reliable then frame or liner locks by design, and as it is indented and located dead in the soft spot of your palm while gripping, there is no chance of a user under a normal grip, even very firmly, accidentally disengaging it. Not as convenient as a liner or frame lock, but that is fine by me.
One more thing I took note to is the Buck ASAP assist snaps open smooth. Very pleasantly, as to date, KAI's speedsafe is the only assist I've found to enjoy. SOG and CRKT's assisted mechanisms have left me unimpressed. They've all found new homes, and I've been hesitant to try any others: the whole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory.
The first negative I noticed was the blade centering was off:
Not the biggest issue, seems a more common mistake on cheap Buck production knives, but while I managed to get it a bit better with a turn of the pivot screw, it's still not perfect, as it appears the blade itself might not be perfectly true, which I'm sure Buck would replace, but honestly it doesn't affect function in the slightest, and I wasn't expecting a "perfect" knife for $30, and made in USA which typically drives prices up...
*(added) Additionally, the handles do feel like cheap plastic, not the best grip, much like the Bantam line, but if anyone knows the Bantam line, those cheap feeling handles are actually pretty tough and durable, and that's without any liners in place, just the plastic, so I imagine this to be even sturdier for an entry level knife.
All in all, it's not a great knife by any means, Bos 420hc entry level steel, gets wicked sharp, but requires constant touchups to stay that way, cheap feeling plastic handles, fit in finish can be spotty, blah blah blah.
But, it is a great knife for $30! Made in USA, easy smooth a/o action, tough blade lock option in closed position, sturdy mid-lock design, nice deep carry clip, and backed by the second to none Buck warranty.
Final assessment, obvious design differences aside, the Buck Quickfire is essentially an assisted Bantam BBW with Steel liners (the bantam line's biggest downfall), and a well designed easy to operate secondary lock. For an entry level knife, this is a winner in my book.
If they would make a larger version, say 3" - 3.25", I'd buy it.
If they would make a model in bos - s30v, I'd buy it in heartbeat!
Sprint runs with different steels? Yup, provided I was in a position to, and it was a Steel I respect, I'd certainly consider buying it for a fair price.
If they would start coming out in different handle colors so folks could pick their favorites, pink, green, plaid, the Mossy Oak, Bone Collector, and Real Tree camo's they offer in the bantam line, and not just limit the Quickfire to black or blue, I could really see them being a huge hit!
-if they do all 3, color options and Steel upgrades, this could be Buck's "Blur" if you will, where folks get hooked on trying to collect them all!
(Anyone from Buck out there paying attention? You're welcome... I'll accept a complimentary reaper and bone collector Quickfire with an s30v blade as a fair thank you
)
If you're OK with a 3" blade (as I mentioned earlier, despite 2.75", this thing feels every bit like a 3),
and are okay with assisted opening (day one, it's every bit as smooth and snappy as a Kershaw)
And are looking for a $30 knife made in the USA, I would absolutely recommend the Buck Quickfire as an option to consider.
*(will update in March how it is holding up, as the edc challenge ensues, and this thing becomes my sole primary edc knife for 31 days straight.)
Not saying Buck us bad, by any stretch, they are capable and serviceable, and do make a fine knife, but I'm talking about the days when I didn't know about Benchmade, Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, and higher; elmax and s35v, n690 and what have you. The days where the brand recognition ruled all, and the only "quality" brands I recognized by name were Swiss Army (didn't even know them as Victorinox yet), Gerber, KaBar, Case, and Buck... The typical stuff you see in a case at a big box store... The days when I thought S&W knives were actually made by the same folks who make the guns, and when I thought the "s30v" stamp was a special way to process Steel, not actually a type of Steel.
So that all said, I just received a Buck Quickfire I purchased specifically for a "one knife challenge" coming up in March, since I never carry sub 3" blades in locking folders.
1st impression, this is a really nice knife for the $35 I paid for it shipped...
At 2.75" it has all the feel of a 3" knife. Actually held it next to a few to make sure, and yup, it is significantly smaller:
The handle isn't one of those dinky handles that comes with many smaller knives, but fits and feels good in the hand, and 3.5 oz. gives it a solid heft to it, but not too much. I love the additional locking mechanism 100% better then the tiny switch on the Leek, and it locks the blade closed TIGHT! It is very easy to manipulate one handed, (great design Buck), and is supposed to aid in locking the blade in the open position as well, but I'm not spine whacking to find out. I can say it doesn't impede the mid-lock from disengaging if you want to close the blade manually and forget to disengage the secondary lock.
Which brings me to another point I like, the mid-lock design, inherently stronger and more reliable then frame or liner locks by design, and as it is indented and located dead in the soft spot of your palm while gripping, there is no chance of a user under a normal grip, even very firmly, accidentally disengaging it. Not as convenient as a liner or frame lock, but that is fine by me.
One more thing I took note to is the Buck ASAP assist snaps open smooth. Very pleasantly, as to date, KAI's speedsafe is the only assist I've found to enjoy. SOG and CRKT's assisted mechanisms have left me unimpressed. They've all found new homes, and I've been hesitant to try any others: the whole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory.
The first negative I noticed was the blade centering was off:
Not the biggest issue, seems a more common mistake on cheap Buck production knives, but while I managed to get it a bit better with a turn of the pivot screw, it's still not perfect, as it appears the blade itself might not be perfectly true, which I'm sure Buck would replace, but honestly it doesn't affect function in the slightest, and I wasn't expecting a "perfect" knife for $30, and made in USA which typically drives prices up...
*(added) Additionally, the handles do feel like cheap plastic, not the best grip, much like the Bantam line, but if anyone knows the Bantam line, those cheap feeling handles are actually pretty tough and durable, and that's without any liners in place, just the plastic, so I imagine this to be even sturdier for an entry level knife.
All in all, it's not a great knife by any means, Bos 420hc entry level steel, gets wicked sharp, but requires constant touchups to stay that way, cheap feeling plastic handles, fit in finish can be spotty, blah blah blah.
But, it is a great knife for $30! Made in USA, easy smooth a/o action, tough blade lock option in closed position, sturdy mid-lock design, nice deep carry clip, and backed by the second to none Buck warranty.
Final assessment, obvious design differences aside, the Buck Quickfire is essentially an assisted Bantam BBW with Steel liners (the bantam line's biggest downfall), and a well designed easy to operate secondary lock. For an entry level knife, this is a winner in my book.
If they would make a larger version, say 3" - 3.25", I'd buy it.
If they would make a model in bos - s30v, I'd buy it in heartbeat!
Sprint runs with different steels? Yup, provided I was in a position to, and it was a Steel I respect, I'd certainly consider buying it for a fair price.
If they would start coming out in different handle colors so folks could pick their favorites, pink, green, plaid, the Mossy Oak, Bone Collector, and Real Tree camo's they offer in the bantam line, and not just limit the Quickfire to black or blue, I could really see them being a huge hit!
-if they do all 3, color options and Steel upgrades, this could be Buck's "Blur" if you will, where folks get hooked on trying to collect them all!
(Anyone from Buck out there paying attention? You're welcome... I'll accept a complimentary reaper and bone collector Quickfire with an s30v blade as a fair thank you
)If you're OK with a 3" blade (as I mentioned earlier, despite 2.75", this thing feels every bit like a 3),
and are okay with assisted opening (day one, it's every bit as smooth and snappy as a Kershaw)
And are looking for a $30 knife made in the USA, I would absolutely recommend the Buck Quickfire as an option to consider.
*(will update in March how it is holding up, as the edc challenge ensues, and this thing becomes my sole primary edc knife for 31 days straight.)
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