Buck Reaper 620 review

L

LG&M

Joined
Dec 19, 2005
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The Buck Reaper specs are
Blade: 6 3/4" 420HC steel with Black Traction coating
Length: 11" overall
Thickness: 0.150"
Weight: 8.5 oz.
Handle: Injection molded nylon in Viper Snakeskin
Sheath: Heavy-duty Nylon
Made in USA
I bought this knife mostly because I liked the style and wanted to check it out.
I have a Benchmade Bushmaster with similar design and a 11” blade
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It chops good for a 7” blade if you can snap cut. Something I need work on.
I compared it to my Bushmaster , Condor Lochness , Breeden Tessa & CS Kukri.
Each photo shows the same number of cuts per knife. 30 in the first and only 10 in the second.
All the wood was dry most was seasoned
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As you can see all but the Breeden are larger.
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The edge from the factory was very good and the 420HC held it longer than I expected.
It could shave fuzz sticks but I had trouble getting them long & thin. It might be the grind or just me.
I wish Buck would have used a flat/ saber grind I am not a big fan of the hollow grind and it seems wrong
for a knife like this. Still I don’t think it would affect the making of shavings.
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I cut and chopped with the Reaper for about 2 hours enough to “clear a path, set up camp & feed a fire”
The edge held up well.
I did get two blisters form the handle. The slabs do not fit prefect also I am not use to chopping this much.
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I put some rubber from a old inner tube over the hot spots and used my gloves (Why didn’t I think of the gloves earlier?)
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Before I sharpened it I did a little more work with it
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With the edge I could still make a bow drill set.
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I love the design I would like to change a few things.
Remove the swedge
Use a flat grind (not that the hollow grind was a problem)
The 420HC was better than I expected and Buck knows what they are doing. Still I would like a nice carbon steel like 5160 , 1095. Then again that would make it the Buck/Hood thug.
I paid well under MSRP for this knife. I intend to keep using it / playing with it.
I think it would make a great knife for a Go bag. Good overall size it can chop and do finer work also. All in a good stainless steel.
 
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Thank you, I am happy you thought it was good. I find reviews harder then they should be.
Yes Tessa is a keeper.
 
Thanks for the review! It looks like it performs well, and I can easily fix the handle fit. I have been looking at this one for a decent knife for a friend who likes kicking around in the southern coastal plains. The geometry looks right for it, Buck definitely knows how to heat treat their 420HC, and the prices I'm seeing around in different places aren't bad at all.
 
Great review! I love buck and their 420hc outperforms a lot of much more expensive steels. Think this will be my nect purchase. Thanks
 
Superb review, I appreciate it. This knife IMHO will be a winner based on aesthetics alone. While lackluster, I do believe it's at home, on an affordable, harder use fixed blade. It's a pretty, attractive knife.
 
Thanks all,
The more I use this knife the more I like it. I want to get the TOPs DART but honestly I am not sure it will be three times the knife for three times the money. The Reaper is in my bag now ready for a hike I have planned.
 
Great info, but I am wondering about shock when chopping. I see you mentioned blisters, and I am wondering about the feel as you were chopping concerning vibration or shock absorption.
 
The blisters were from ill fitting handle slabs. I do not think the shock is bad it is a light knife. With good gloves it is even less.
I went out and did some chopping on a seasoned log I do not know what kind of wood it was but it was hard and it had a knot right where I was chopping.
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As you can see I took a good bit of wood off the log with no gloves & no hand pain. YMMV.
The plastic handle is light even so the balance is right where they meet the blade. Even behind the choil.
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I would like to see where the Buck/Hood thug or TOPs DART balance. I would like a little more weight on the blade.
 
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