Kudos to Buck for a USA budget blade. Bantam

I have been buying these to give to the local Scoutmaster as awards or to make sure ever scout has a knife on a campout. I just bought five and had the Troup number engraved on the blade.
Be aware that Buck can not engrave anything that states BSA, Boy Scouts or even Scoutmaster on a non-specific knife not licensed by the Scouts. So with Bantams you can have a name, town or Troop number just not something 'scouts'.

Everyone knows I am not a employee, and now not a Board member of BCCI so if I see a factory issue I shoot straight. The engraving on these knives seems especially light. I would have liked to see a little more depth. I will take a photo and attach. I was buying these as more can be bought for money invested, color was good and if one doesn't obey the Scout law and takes it to school and loses it maybe we can start over with a lesson learned.

Anyone know how to make the etching jump out. ? Its on the blade. If you tilt them in the light a little more shows up. But, I think it should show at any angle. Not going to send them back, they are not official or collector pieces. If they ever get a Eagle he will get the high dollar deal. I am certain that etching on the scales of the official BSA knives will show up much better.
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Bought mine for like $15 it's not a good knife but good for the cost. If it wasn't 420hc Bos heat treatment I'd never had bought it. I'd compare it to a Chinese made knife but the Buck actually has decent steel/ht, so a slight step up. The handle does not inspire confidence in cutting what so ever. I don't feel like it was a bad purchase though but not very happy with it either.
 
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Those stencil engravings cannot have much depth as the force is not in the mechanism. Especially when attempting to engrave on heat treated
hardened steel. A true hand engraving could get deeper but the cost would go up as well because of the cutting equipment and know how behind it. DM
 
Mo2 said:
Bought mine for like $15 it's not a good knife but good for the cost. If it wasn't 420hc Bos heat treatment I'd never had bought it. I'd compare it to a Chinese made knife but the Buck actually has decent steel/ht, so a slight step up. The handle does not inspire confidence in cutting what so ever. I don't feel like it was a bad purchase though but not very happy with it either.
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i dont find the handle to be worrisome while cutting. i use mine for cutting insultube off old copper pipe, minor trim use on ductboard, cutting plastic tie straps and panduit straps or really thick and big zip ties as folks often call them here. also normal stuff such as breaking down boxes, other cutting tasks at work. at home normal yard and home type tasks.

what are you cutting that makes you feel that the handle doesnt inspire confidence?
 
Mo2 said:
Bought mine for like $15 it's not a good knife but good for the cost. If it wasn't 420hc Bos heat treatment I'd never had bought it. I'd compare it to a Chinese made knife but the Buck actually has decent steel/ht, so a slight step up. The handle does not inspire confidence in cutting what so ever. I don't feel like it was a bad purchase though but not very happy with it either.
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I use mine for some heavy duty ranch and timber harvesting work. I've never had a problem.
 
jbmonkey said:
what are you cutting that makes you feel that the handle doesnt inspire confidence?
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Anything really. It feels like soft foam.
Its great it works for you. I rather use something that I have more confidence in.
 
Before becoming entrenched in the knife obsession, my daily use knife was a Gerber LST Magnum Jr. Same riveted, FRN, linerless construction as the Bantam. I abused that little knife for a good long time with no issues.

I might have to take one of mine and do some testing. Nothing stupid like batonning or throwing. Just down and dirty use.
 
All my kids have had a Bantam. To be honest I think it may have been the first folder I've bought each of them through the years. Your exactly right. For the price its hard to beat.

On the flip side I also think the 110 is a great economic folder. Since most WM carry them around $25-$30 its a lot of knife for the price imho.
 
Mo2 said:
Anything really. It feels like soft foam.
Its great it works for you. I rather use something that I have more confidence in.
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interesting. feels like hard plastic to me. which aint real comfy in general for most folks. doesnt bother me though.

are ya cutting hard stuff that requires lot of torque? not criticising just trying to understand. thanks.
 
They're good knives at a friendly price point. I have noticed the newer ones 2015-17 are being made better. A lot of the earlier ones had quality control issues. Something else I have noticed is that the ones with the patterns (camo, orange, kryptek, etc.) have a sturdier plastic handle. I own a few with pattern and a few without (black) and the patterns are coated on with some sort of enamel that hardens the plastic a little more. The black ones have more flex.
 
^ahhh..that makes sense. so Mo2 Mo2 it feels like foam in the regard of the handle when squeezed closes the gap? feels weak to you?
 
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