Can any comment on the Buck Paradigm AUTO

zippo123

zippo123

Joined
Dec 11, 2020
Messages
735
Anyone own one if these? Thinking of getting one.

Good, Bad?

Blade Play?

Lockup?

Thumbs up, Thumbs down?

Thanks
 
I got a couple auto ones and assisted ones. newer models though, not the originals. good knives. feel bigger than they are, which I like. no real play. easy to use. good knife good design.
 
I've got two autos, if you pop them open a lot you'll have a callous in a strange spot in the palm of your hand.
I would prefer an ebony handle, I'm thinking of seeing if I can find someone who'll make some for me.
Other than that, no complaints.
 
zippo123 said:
Anyone own one if these? Thinking of getting one.

Good, Bad?

Blade Play?

Lockup?

Thumbs up, Thumbs down?

Thanks
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I have one. It is a different mechanism than usual, that is for sure. I am more of a collector than a user, so my opinion on its use would be worthless. What I don't understand is why the 2023 Paradigm legacy knife is so expensive. A MAP price of $600 seems very pricey. Is Damascus steel that expensive? It might be the most expensive knife Buck has in the 2023 catalog.

Edit: I looked at the price list and don't see anything that cost more. The knife coming in second place is the 110 Titanium, with a bargain basement MAP price of $475.
 
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Picked one up awhile ago. Haven't carried it but have it on my desk and have messed with it a good deal

The good:
Solid well built feeling
Quality construction and materials
Good size for my large hand
Razor sharp

The bad:
The bolster has to be swung pretty far to get it to fire
Never had it fail to lock open but doesn't fire as hard as I would like
Heavy

No blade play, locks up solid, thumbs up.
 
Happy Hippo said:
A MAP price of $600 seems very pricey. Is Damascus steel that expensive?
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Good quality Damascus blades often run $600 or more. But I paid under $200 for my auto with S35VN new locally.

Excellent centering. No blade play. It locks and unlocks easily and reliably so far. The bolster lock is cool. See if your friends can figure out how to open it. I think the bolster lock is easier to use than a back lock but not as easy as a button lock. Out of the box, the blade was not as sharp as my 110 but sharper than most of the knives I have tested--under 200 BESS. The handle is good but not as smoothly chamfered as the 110.

Some people like a hard kick on an auto. I don't. In an emergency, I absolutely do not want the knife to fly out of my hand. I think the Paradigm is fine in this regard.
 
Another Shepherd said:
Good quality Damascus blades often run $600 or more. But I paid under $200 for my auto with S35VN new locally.

Excellent centering. No blade play. It locks and unlocks easily and reliably so far. The bolster lock is cool. See if your friends can figure out how to open it. I think the bolster lock is easier to use than a back lock but not as easy as a button lock. Out of the box, the blade was not as sharp as my 110 but sharper than most of the knives I have tested--under 200 BESS. The handle is good but not as smoothly chamfered as the 110.

Some people like a hard kick on an auto. I don't. In an emergency, I absolutely do not want the knife to fly out of my hand. I think the Paradigm is fine in this regard.
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I have some old "customized" Buck 110 autos with kicks so hard they are scary to use. The new official ones are milder. But I think they should have been designed with some kind of safety.
 
Happy Hippo said:
I have some old "customized" Buck 110 autos with kicks so hard they are scary to use. The new official ones are milder. But I think they should have been designed with some kind of safety.
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Safety is between your ears, a 110 auto in a sheath doesn't need a safety.
 
Nebuchadnezzar said:
Safety is between your ears, a 110 auto in a sheath doesn't need a safety.
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Yes, that is true. The sheath is a good barrier, which I had not considered. But safety isn't just between your ears. Accidents happen unexpectedly. But if an accident happens due to a knife, it most likely is your own fault - unlike accidents with cars, guns, quail hunting with Dick Cheney, etc.
 
Happy Hippo said:
Yes, that is true. The sheath is a good barrier, which I had not considered. But safety isn't just between your ears. Accidents happen unexpectedly. But if an accident happens due to a knife, it most likely is your own fault - unlike accidents with cars, guns, quail hunting with Dick Cheney, etc.
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The simple quick deploy on the auto is its primary advantage.
Messing with a safety button or switch defeats the ease of deployment. Would rather have a button lock, flipper, axis lock etc over an auto with a safety.

Accidents do happen with all manner of things, with the autos I carry, I have faith in their design and operation that they won't deploy unexpectedly, and so far haven't. (knocks on wood):)
I would not toss a 110 auto loose in a pocket., but they carry great in a sheath and one hand deployment is a breeze.

The Paradigm bolster lock is secure and I would toss it in or clip it to a pocket without fear of accidental deployment.
 
Nebuchadnezzar said:
Safety is between your ears, a 110 auto in a sheath doesn't need a safety.
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What’s between my ears indicates a safety is needed with a side-opening button folder carried in one’s pocket. My uncle, a cop, and the newspaper both have reported impressive injuries by unintended opening switchblades. One guy on here had his open in his pocket while playing with his kids.
 
brownshoe said:
What’s between my ears indicates a safety is needed with a side-opening button folder carried in one’s pocket. My uncle, a cop, and the newspaper both have reported impressive injuries by unintended opening switchblades. One guy on here had his open in his pocket while playing with his kids.
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Were they carrying 110 autos in sheaths?
 
Of course not, that’s why I said button lock autos in your pocket. The 110 is a button lock auto you can’t safely carry outside of a sheath. Buck was pretty stupid saving money by not adding a lock. An auto snapped in a sheath hanging off your ass is not a real “quick deploy” carry.
 
brownshoe said:
Of course not, that’s why I said button lock autos in your pocket. The 110 is a button lock auto you can’t safely carry outside of a sheath. Buck was pretty stupid saving money by not adding a lock. An auto snapped in a sheath hanging off your ass is not a real “quick deploy” carry.
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Perhaps less of your mind should be spent supporting the site and more paying attention to context.

The only safety a 110 auto needs is shipped with it, it's called a sheath.
 
I carry an auto 110 in a slip sheath attached to my belt.
The knife is secure.
It's not going to open accidentally.
I can retrieve the knife as quickly as any knife clipped to a pocket, maybe quicker.
And it's definitely safer than an auto carried in a pocket.

I wouldn't want a safety on it.

I don't trust any automatic knife in my pocket.
But that's me.

A good thing about an auto knife accidentally opening is the only person you're going to hurt is yourself.
So to each their own.
 
I don't really like to carry a knife in a sheath if I'm being honest but I do it sometimes for various reasons. Because I prefer pocket carry, I like to have a safety switch on my autos. When they are properly placed, I feel that the delay in deployment they cause is negligible.

When they are placed right next to the firing button, like on a Buck Impact for example, it takes an extra nano second to unlock the switch and the firing button is right there too. I've never been in such a hurry that the extra nano second outweighed the desire for safety in the pocket.

I haven't handled a Paradigm Shift but I assume that I would feel safe carrying one in my pocket despite there being no safety switch.
 
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