Kudos to Buck for a USA budget blade. Bantam

Yeah, Buck should have coated the plain black plastic ones in enamel too. I have noticed the enamel pattern makes it more solid and does not flex as much. The plastic used on the Bantam is spongy when compared to the harder plastic used on the Bucklite and Rival series. As soon as I noticed the difference in hardness I now only purchase the ones with patterns.

Also on the ones I own I have noticed two different kinds of blade machining on the Bantams. The black ones have the machining marks very noticeable on the blade in vertical lines. You can run your fingernail over it and feel it. Looks really sloppy. All of mine are made in USA by the way... And the patterned ones tend to have a smoother more polished blade that looks a lot nicer, like all the ones pictured on this thread. Why Buck does this? I have no clue. If I were on the Bantam assembly line I would want every blade to look consistent.
 
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The blade on mine looks stone washed.. No ridges etc.. I LIKE it!! And I like my Bantam.. Best 15.00 I ever spent on a knife.. I never feel under knifed with thisun!!! John:thumbsup:
 
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I've decided that this one will be the test bed. It's "the bad one" of the four.

This one has a production flaw. I can see nothing in the gap or on the blade but, if you hold it tip up and open it, when the blade gets to about 1 o'clock it hangs up pretty good. Best I can figure is, there is a burr on the lock bar and when the blade reaches it, it creates a little more resistance than the others.

I did some scientific testing with the high tech, super expensive tool seen in the photos and the "pull" at the thumb stud is ~2.5 lbs.

The other three break at just over 1 lb.

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So far, all I've done is reduce some cardboard to bite size pieces for the recycle bin.

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The heavy cardboard that the TV came in readily accepted the challenge of knocking the edge off. I think I'll sharpen it with the crudest stones I've got too:p.
 
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Rupe, I wouldn't think so. But I would think it is polishing compound worked into the pivot. We don't know w/o taking it apart. Still, I have found and read about compound being the culprit many times. Keep using it and opening it & use hot soapy water and work it under the hot water. If it improves quickly I'd say that compound was the malady. DM
 
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