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- Oct 11, 2013
- Messages
- 21,695
Hey gang, just recently got my new Buck Vantage Force Pro in hand and thought I'd do a review.
Short version:
Just like the title says, this knife features grabby, almost jagged G-10 scales and a black/dark ash colored "black oxide" coated S30V blade. Makes a pretty great EDC, and at the price point, I recommend this knife for those who want a semi-rugged EDC with a tactical flavor that's not a huge ZT or other heavier knife.
Long version:
Alright, so bear with me. I don't normally do reviews, so I don't have a specific format, and I have a real problem with rambling when I write. Ok, so, here goes. Also, full disclosure: I have had a Buck Vantage Avid before, with the smooth Dymondwood scales and the Sandvik steel blade. I loved that knife, which had super smooth ergos, fit and finish, and was sharp as a razor. I ended up gifting it to a good friend as their first "good" knife and my bud still carries that knife today. So, I knew that I'd have to replace it. So, I had watched a Youtube vid that gave a breakdown of all the different models, and decided on the "tactical" model. The Force Pro.
Let's get started:
The Buck Vantage line, I have to say, is pretty neat. This line features multiple blade steels, multiple handle materials, and even multiple blade shapes; all at affordable prices and they come with a fairly decent level of fit and finish. I won't go into the differences of the line because I know those breakdowns are elsewhere on the 'Net for your consideration.
So, I will post up several pictures at the end, but here are my impressions in bullet list format. I like bullet point lists.
- Upon first opening the box (which proudly displays the American flag as it was made here, a MAJOR plus one for me!) and sliding the knife into my hand, I immediately notice the rough, almost unfinished nature of the G-10 scales. These things are seriously unsanded. The second thing I notice is that the scales have a very pleasing blue and black color patterning, and a very nice inset Buck icon, which shows the anvil logo of theirs. It gives the knife a slightly more upscale feel which feels about right for the price (I got this this knife for about $68 shipped from a non-vendor). My example came nicely centered, and it's a very solid feeling little knife.
- The Force Pro (like the other Vantage models) has two methods of deployment, an elongated Spyderhole-like opening hole cutout on the blade, and the flipper. Now, this knife DOES flip very well...when it's properly taken apart, cleaned, and oiled (My Avid did, thanks to the cleaning efforts of my friend Erik whom I got it from). Out of the box, however, I'm afraid it takes a slight bit of wrist action in order to effect a solid deployment with the flipper. So, I'll be taking this knife apart probably tonight in order to clean that up. If you buy one, you'll want to also. That said, when you DO get open it with the flipper, it CLACK!s open with a decent sound, and once deployed the blade is 100% firm with no wiggle or play in any direction. Additionally, the rough G-10 scale absolutely locks this knife into your hand. I will say that the liner lock is very thin, and I'm not sure that I'd trust this knife for super heavy duty use, but to be honest, I don't feel that that level of use was really the designers' intent either. See the pics for the liner lock.
- The blade on the Force Pro makes it one of the most inexpensive ways I know that you can get some S30V into your pocket. It came shaving sharp, and it has what the manufacturer calls a "Black Oxide" coating on it, which I would say isn't bad. It has a very light matte texture to it, that makes me think it'll probably mark up if you cut through some tough cardboard. At this price point, I am not expecting a Busse level blade coating, to be fair. The blade's shape has a pleasing drop point that will honestly lend itself to EDC chores very well, and features a small thumb ramp that helps the G-10 to lock this blade into my hand.
- Dimensions have this knife listed with an OAL of 7.625 inches, and the blade when deployed is 3.25. That makes sense, because in all honesty this knife's dimensions trend toward the smaller, thinner side of things. The Zero Tolerance 0770 has a similar size to this knife, to give some idea. I admittedly scoffed at the idea that this knife is supposed to be Buck's "Tactical" version of this knife because honestly, its small blade, light weight, speak much more to EDC carry than any sort of defense role.
- This knife actually makes a really good knife for those who want an office carry knife, but do not want a lesser steel. To help you in this regard, it has a deep pocket carry clip that works fantastically. It's like the Hinderer ZT 0562 clip in that the entire knife disappears into your pocket! That is a great feature which I wish more knives had.
Overall, I have to say that I would recommend this knife. It's American made, I like the way it looks and the way it fits into my hand. It came razor sharp, and its small, slim size, grabby G-10, and attractive S30V blade all combine to make this knife a winner in my book. One recommendation I will make is to shop around when looking for this knife to get the best deal possible. Some of the various online shops (this includes some of our vendors) have this knife at a higher price than I feel that I would personally pay, just because you start running into a lot of other good deals in the knife world at the $90-$100 range. That is my opinion only, and it's worth what you paid for it.
Now, onto the pics! For reference, I have large hands and wear either an L or XL in gloves depending on the manufacturer. Also, I took all the pics in direct sunlight so that blue in the G-10 would really stand out:
Thanks for checking out my review, guys! :thumbup:
Short version:
Just like the title says, this knife features grabby, almost jagged G-10 scales and a black/dark ash colored "black oxide" coated S30V blade. Makes a pretty great EDC, and at the price point, I recommend this knife for those who want a semi-rugged EDC with a tactical flavor that's not a huge ZT or other heavier knife.
Long version:
Alright, so bear with me. I don't normally do reviews, so I don't have a specific format, and I have a real problem with rambling when I write. Ok, so, here goes. Also, full disclosure: I have had a Buck Vantage Avid before, with the smooth Dymondwood scales and the Sandvik steel blade. I loved that knife, which had super smooth ergos, fit and finish, and was sharp as a razor. I ended up gifting it to a good friend as their first "good" knife and my bud still carries that knife today. So, I knew that I'd have to replace it. So, I had watched a Youtube vid that gave a breakdown of all the different models, and decided on the "tactical" model. The Force Pro.
Let's get started:
The Buck Vantage line, I have to say, is pretty neat. This line features multiple blade steels, multiple handle materials, and even multiple blade shapes; all at affordable prices and they come with a fairly decent level of fit and finish. I won't go into the differences of the line because I know those breakdowns are elsewhere on the 'Net for your consideration.
So, I will post up several pictures at the end, but here are my impressions in bullet list format. I like bullet point lists.
- Upon first opening the box (which proudly displays the American flag as it was made here, a MAJOR plus one for me!) and sliding the knife into my hand, I immediately notice the rough, almost unfinished nature of the G-10 scales. These things are seriously unsanded. The second thing I notice is that the scales have a very pleasing blue and black color patterning, and a very nice inset Buck icon, which shows the anvil logo of theirs. It gives the knife a slightly more upscale feel which feels about right for the price (I got this this knife for about $68 shipped from a non-vendor). My example came nicely centered, and it's a very solid feeling little knife.
- The Force Pro (like the other Vantage models) has two methods of deployment, an elongated Spyderhole-like opening hole cutout on the blade, and the flipper. Now, this knife DOES flip very well...when it's properly taken apart, cleaned, and oiled (My Avid did, thanks to the cleaning efforts of my friend Erik whom I got it from). Out of the box, however, I'm afraid it takes a slight bit of wrist action in order to effect a solid deployment with the flipper. So, I'll be taking this knife apart probably tonight in order to clean that up. If you buy one, you'll want to also. That said, when you DO get open it with the flipper, it CLACK!s open with a decent sound, and once deployed the blade is 100% firm with no wiggle or play in any direction. Additionally, the rough G-10 scale absolutely locks this knife into your hand. I will say that the liner lock is very thin, and I'm not sure that I'd trust this knife for super heavy duty use, but to be honest, I don't feel that that level of use was really the designers' intent either. See the pics for the liner lock.
- The blade on the Force Pro makes it one of the most inexpensive ways I know that you can get some S30V into your pocket. It came shaving sharp, and it has what the manufacturer calls a "Black Oxide" coating on it, which I would say isn't bad. It has a very light matte texture to it, that makes me think it'll probably mark up if you cut through some tough cardboard. At this price point, I am not expecting a Busse level blade coating, to be fair. The blade's shape has a pleasing drop point that will honestly lend itself to EDC chores very well, and features a small thumb ramp that helps the G-10 to lock this blade into my hand.
- Dimensions have this knife listed with an OAL of 7.625 inches, and the blade when deployed is 3.25. That makes sense, because in all honesty this knife's dimensions trend toward the smaller, thinner side of things. The Zero Tolerance 0770 has a similar size to this knife, to give some idea. I admittedly scoffed at the idea that this knife is supposed to be Buck's "Tactical" version of this knife because honestly, its small blade, light weight, speak much more to EDC carry than any sort of defense role.
- This knife actually makes a really good knife for those who want an office carry knife, but do not want a lesser steel. To help you in this regard, it has a deep pocket carry clip that works fantastically. It's like the Hinderer ZT 0562 clip in that the entire knife disappears into your pocket! That is a great feature which I wish more knives had.
Overall, I have to say that I would recommend this knife. It's American made, I like the way it looks and the way it fits into my hand. It came razor sharp, and its small, slim size, grabby G-10, and attractive S30V blade all combine to make this knife a winner in my book. One recommendation I will make is to shop around when looking for this knife to get the best deal possible. Some of the various online shops (this includes some of our vendors) have this knife at a higher price than I feel that I would personally pay, just because you start running into a lot of other good deals in the knife world at the $90-$100 range. That is my opinion only, and it's worth what you paid for it.
Now, onto the pics! For reference, I have large hands and wear either an L or XL in gloves depending on the manufacturer. Also, I took all the pics in direct sunlight so that blue in the G-10 would really stand out:
Thanks for checking out my review, guys! :thumbup:
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