Buck "Survival" Knife?

I would pick the 110. I really like how compact the 110 is yet gets the job done. Plus it's easy to carry around. At least that's the experience I've had so far with my 110.
 
Interesting. So far, we have a tie between the 110 and 124. Two completely different knives. :surprise:


060 Hoodlum - 3
065 Punk - 2
070 Thug - 3
102 Woodsman - 1
103 Skinner - 1
104 Campadre Camp Knife - 1
105 Pathfinder - 1
106 Hatchet – 1
108 Campadre Froe - 1
110 Folding Hunter - 5
120 General - 2
124 Frontiersman – 5
184 Buckmaster - 2
192 Vanguard - 1
317 Trailblazer– 1
486 Bucklite Max Folder - 1
620 Reaper – 2
639 Fieldmate – 1
651 Nighthawk – 1
863 Selkirk - 1
888 Buck/Strider – 2
SwissBuck - 2 (Posthumous votes for Harvey Manning and Colin Fletcher based on their years of experience and published contributions to backcountry travel) :)
 
Every day, I use 110 Folding Hunter. It allways on my belt.
+
I take an additional Buck 192 when I go on the hunt.
or
I take an additional Buck 105 to any not hunt trip.
 
RBasil,

Should I put you down for a 110? Remember, you only get one knife - even though, I agree, it would be nice to have a Vanguard or a Pathfinder too. :)
 
I think the poll shows we all have different expectations. My expectation is that I will have to skin animals and build light shelters, building fires, food prep, and carrying the knife while carrying or contending with a lot of other gear. So, I chose the 103 because the blade is thicker at the spine, slightly longer than the 110, and broader than the 102 (my second choice). I do not foresee chopping down huge trees (though I might slice some saplings down) or killing zombie hordes. Obviously, other people have differing views of what they would expect to do with a knife and that is okay, too. It is interesting, isn't it?
 
DocT said:
My expectation is that I will have to skin animals and build light shelters, building fires, food prep, and carrying the knife while carrying or contending with a lot of other gear.
Click to expand...

All good points, Doc, and I agree small knives are very useful. However, under this scenario, the only other gear you would be carrying is a compass, firestarter, stainless water bottle and a tarp, so extra weight wouldn't necessarily be an issue. I still feel a larger knife, like the 124, would be more helpful and quicker in processing firewood and building shelter, yet still capable of skinning game.
 
The 119, it's a bit of a jack of all trades for camp chores and it's the fixed blade i'm most accustomed too.
 
A couple of decades ago I bought a book by Don Paul at the PX, title was Everybody's Knife Bible. It was an interesting read and influenced me somewhat in my choice of a "survival knife". During my ARNG career I carried an Imperial M-4 Bayonet my Dad had carried during his Army service, but I retired it when I retired. In Paul's book he doesn't just go with one brand of knife, but he heavily favored the Buck 120 General, which he modified a little for land navigation purposes. I think I will choose the Buck 119; same stout construction as the Buck 120, but a little handier to pack and use. OH

PS edited for picture of the magnificent Buck 119!

Buck_119.jpg
 
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And just like that, the 119 gets two back-to-back votes and the 110 pulls ahead as the leader. :eek:


060 Hoodlum - 3
065 Punk - 2
070 Thug - 3
102 Woodsman - 1
103 Skinner - 1
104 Campadre Camp Knife - 1
105 Pathfinder - 1
106 Hatchet – 1
108 Campadre Froe - 1
110 Folding Hunter - 6
119 Special - 2
120 General - 2
124 Frontiersman – 5
184 Buckmaster - 2
192 Vanguard - 1
317 Trailblazer– 1
486 Bucklite Max Folder - 1
620 Reaper – 2
639 Fieldmate – 1
651 Nighthawk – 1
863 Selkirk - 1
888 Buck/Strider – 2
SwissBuck - 2 (Posthumous votes for Harvey Manning and Colin Fletcher based on their years of experience and published contributions to backcountry travel) :)
 
I always carry a Buck 110 when I'm backpacking.
Sometimes a lighter one <4 ounces, sometimes a heavier one >7 ounces…depending on whether I'm out for a day or several months.
(I have carried a Vantage and I've carried a Paradigm, but the 110 is it for me)
I also have a very small one ounce knife with tweezers and scissors.
 
Speak of the devil. For those who voted for the 110, I just stumbled upon this brief write-up on a survival website. Don't get all cocky now. :D

Buck-Folding.jpg


Knives like the Buck 110 are rarely discussed in conversations about the best survival knives; despite the fact they have many of the same features as there fixed blade hunting counterparts and are more compact. On rare occasion that someone does mention a folding hunting style knife for survival use, the strength of the locking mechanism is immediately called into question. While it is true the strength of a fixed blade full tang knife should be stronger than a folding knife of similar quality, people tend to underestimate the strength and level of abuse these knifes can take. Furthermore, these knives can be packed in the folded position on a belt or slipped into a large pocket and are often easier to pack than a fixed bladed knife.
 
Thanks, Donna. It's always good to have a woman's perspective. :thumbup:


060 Hoodlum - 3
065 Punk - 2
070 Thug - 3
102 Woodsman - 1
103 Skinner - 1
104 Campadre Camp Knife - 1
105 Pathfinder - 1
106 Hatchet – 1
108 Campadre Froe - 1
110 Folding Hunter - 7
119 Special - 2
120 General - 2
124 Frontiersman – 6
184 Buckmaster - 2
192 Vanguard - 1
317 Trailblazer– 1
486 Bucklite Max Folder - 1
620 Reaper – 3
639 Fieldmate – 1
651 Nighthawk – 1
863 Selkirk - 1
888 Buck/Strider – 2
SwissBuck - 2 (Posthumous votes for Harvey Manning and Colin Fletcher based on their years of experience and published contributions to backcountry travel) :)
 
Old Hunter said:
A couple of decades ago I bought a book by Don Paul at the PX, title was Everybody's Knife Bible. It was an interesting read and influenced me somewhat in my choice of a "survival knife". During my ARNG career I carried an Imperial M-4 Bayonet my Dad had carried during his Army service, but I retired it when I retired. In Paul's book he doesn't just go with one brand of knife, but he heavily favored the Buck 120 General, which he modified a little for land navigation purposes. I think I will choose the Buck 119; same stout construction as the Buck 120, but a little handier to pack and use. OH

PS edited for picture of the magnificent Buck 119!

Buck_119.jpg
Click to expand...

OH, that *IS* a stunning knife.

I surely wish that Buck would put a Selkirk style blade (drop point, full flat grind) into the black phenolic style handle. I'd be on that like a bee on honey.
 
TAH said:
Speak of the devil. For those who voted for the 110, I just stumbled upon this brief write-up on a survival website. Don't get all cocky now. :D

Buck-Folding.jpg


Knives like the Buck 110 are rarely discussed in conversations about the best survival knives; despite the fact they have many of the same features as there fixed blade hunting counterparts and are more compact. On rare occasion that someone does mention a folding hunting style knife for survival use, the strength of the locking mechanism is immediately called into question. While it is true the strength of a fixed blade full tang knife should be stronger than a folding knife of similar quality, people tend to underestimate the strength and level of abuse these knifes can take. Furthermore, these knives can be packed in the folded position on a belt or slipped into a large pocket and are often easier to pack than a fixed bladed knife.
Click to expand...


TAH, I agree with that quote with respect to easier packability of a folder compared to a fixed blade. Also much easier for me to carry a pocket knife than anything on my hip when I'm carrying a pack (and if I'm in the woods, I have some form of pack on).

I think strength of the lock mechanism (with respect to closing) is not the right question. Strength of the lock and pivot under hard cutting is the issue. I think it's hard to argue that the lock back mechanism is very strong in terms of hard cutting forces or that the flat peened pivot of a tradtional folder is very strong in terms of lateral forces. IME, there are designs that withstand both strong cutting/opening and lateral forces much better.

Perhaps more accurate to say the traditional lock back design is strong *enough* under most circumstances. Given the number of lock backs I've wrecked over the years, I wouldn't go beyond that.


[Aside: I wish Buck would add a Cold Steel style stop pin to their lock backs and would move to adjustable screwed in pivots.]
 
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