Canoe - Buck or Case?

Buck is my favorite knife company. I own more of them than any other brand. I understand that they make a lot of knives in China to remain competitive. They are solid built and have Buck's great warranty. Their steel is bottom of the barrel 420J on these Chinese knives. That's bad, but I'm sure it is as good as bad steel gets. I'm not a steel snob, but don't want 420J2 or whatever they call it. I admit there are a few American made Buck Canoes out there, but they are well over $100 if not several hundred, as has been noted.

I have one Case built knife. It's a C Platts brand built by Case. It's a good knife.

I know this is in the Buck forum, I love Buck as much as anyone, but I would buy the CASE Canoe. They have more choices and they are American made. They will be worth something some day, whereas the Chinese made Bucks will never be worth anything. China doesn't make collectibles. So I would go with a CASE. You will pay a little more, but it will be built as well or better, have superior steel than Buck, and go up in value over time.

I wish Buck had a USA made Derlin for around $30. Then I would change my recommendation.
 
Last edited:
I have just received one of the red bone canoes pictured here:

BuckCanoePhoto.jpg


And I also have one of the build-out Canoe Moose knives that were done for A.G.Russell..s30v & 154cm blades & Mastodon Ivory handles shown here:

B6wJlQBWkKGrHqQOKiwEwPuEU43BMPgyjKgg_3.jpg


No contest, the AG Russell build-out is by far the better knife. It's sleeker, more precision in fit and finish, not to mention the obviously superior steels. It's a totally different design, with slender flat ground blades, it has a better in-hand feel and has a sturdier though seemingly lighter construction. I think it is worth the extra price, though the limited edition A.G. Russell Canoe Moose knives in Sambar Stag and black Pearl are way above my price range.

The red bone canoe, made in China, has some dings on the bolsters left from manufacture and does not have the quality in-hand feel that the AG Russell build-out has.
 
Last edited:
I agree about the buildout being a better knife (I have one also), but we're talking apples and oranges here. At their price point at this time they dang well should be better, the best price I could find on one is $130+. We don't even want to discuss the ones that are in Russell's catalog at $355 and $395!

If I were buying a gift for someone who isn't a real knife nut, I'd still go with one of Bucks imports over the Case.
 
Plumberdv said:
I agree about the buildout being a better knife (I have one also), but we're talking apples and oranges here. At their price point at this time they dang well should be better, the best price I could find on one is $130+. We don't even want to discuss the ones that are in Russell's catalog at $355 and $395!

If I were buying a gift for someone who isn't a real knife nut, I'd still go with one of Bucks imports over the Case.
Click to expand...

The Buck import would be a good gift for a boy scout or girl scout, or like you said, someone who isn't a knife aficionado. We are talking apples to oranges in terms of price, but both are canoe designs, so I was trying to characterize the reason for the difference in price.

I wish I could afford an AG Russell limited edition canoe moose. I imagine they are like jewelry pieces. I do like the blades, which are the same as on the build-out version.
 
I have 4 Buck canoes. Wood, fake black pearl, Bone, and stag. I have 8 Case. Case are obviously the better knife. And if wanted to give one as a gift, I would go with the USA Case instead of the Chinese Buck. Of course I am assuming the recipient is a adult. A kid I would go Buck. Of course the only reason I say it that way, is I would not feel right giving a Chinese knife to someone. But that is me. The average price of my Bucks is about $18.00. My Case's have averaged about $40.00. I could post a bunch of pictures, but I will only do that if requested. So all this to say again, Go Case. Great American made knife at a fair price.
 
I might add here that the red bone China Buck canoe is really a nice color. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I do like that color red in smooth bone.
 
I have seen the red bone Buck on ebay, but the color looks unattractive. But I have thought it maybe the pictures. Maybe it is. Do you have your own pic of your red Buck canoe?
 
These are sorta 300s so I have talk,

The Buck/AGRussell canoes are a different critter than the other Buck canoes. I have not handled the latter as they have always been in clampacks in places I go in.

The M. Ivory canoe that was sold in the Buck store were knives not let go to AG because the ivory was cracking at the rivet. I knew this when I bought mine but wanted it anyway. A 303 I had Leroy rescale using a single elephant ivory .45 grip I was given had cracks from the beginning. To see the other two canoes provided to AG go to their website and search Canoes. The prices rival a Yellowhorse 110. These sorta seconds M.Ivory canoes are still being sold by someone on the bay. C-Note range. If you have a mind to get one look at both sides to know what your getting.

The lower priced Canoes look well fitted. But my collector mind wants to know, did Buck use offshore liners and bolsters and apply onshore scales and blades to create these AG canoes. Or are they all USA made. The bolsters appear to me different in the AG versions.......those details are not important in context with most posts of this thread but that is my comment.......maybe someday AG will put one or both of the others on sale and I might be able to afford one of the abalone scaled ones........(if I sell some blood).....300Bucks
Canoe5.jpg
 
Last edited:
The AG canoe moose says USA on the blade and "Made in the USA" here:
http://www.agrussell.com/product.asp?pn=BUAG308S
Note that it also says the knife was designed by AG Russell and produced in the Idaho factory.

The liners of the standard catalog canoe (China) are brass and the bolsters are not a part of the frame. The bolsters and liner/frame are the same piece on the AG and build-out. They are very different components (comparing the China made standard catalog knife to the AG and build-out). The China made blades are thicker and have a different geometry than the AG's. Also the China canoe has the blade at an angle to the handle when open, like a long arc, whereas on the AG the blade is straight out when when open, more like the configuration of a 110.

These are totally different knives.

Sorry, I can't post photos right now.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top