Lightweight but stout?

Old Hunter

Old Hunter

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Jul 12, 2012
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I have several Bucklite 422 lockbacks (I'm experienced with them) and one recently acquired Buck 180 Crosslock (no using experience). For those of you with experience using both - I'm putting together a backpack for some hiking and woods bumming, which of the two knives has the stronger lockup? The Crosslock does have the advantage of an additional serrated blade but hard use strength (if necessary) is my concern. Thanks, OH

Bucklite_112_-_1980.JPG


Buck_180_CrossLock_MFG_1994_1_.JPG
 
Early Crosslocks were recalled due to the lock. If they go to Buck for service you will not get it back. What year? I am not sure. I had a blade issue on an oldie, showed it to Joe who swapped it for a new, revised lock, Crosslock.

I'd go with the 422 back lock and not look back.

That being said CJ hunted for years (back in the D.A.Y.) with the PBS Crosslock, Portable Butcher Shop. Add a gut hook to your knife.
 
Buck's Crosslock won the 'Knife of the Year' award in 1994, when it was rolled out. Quite a feather in Buck's hat. I don't own one but can see it has some good features. I wonder how it stands on it's own 2 feet. DM
 
I personally have no experience with either. So take my opinion for what it's worth.

What I define as "hard use" might not be the same as yours, of course. But when I think of "hard use", plastic handles and liner locks in folders aren't even a consideration.

If I have to stick a knife in a tree and count it carrying a portion of my weight to climb; I'm going to pack the strongest lock and construction available. For my personal safety or potential survival, weight and cost are at the bottom of the list of considerations. YMMV
 
Pokt, well said. That crossed my mind as I read this too. Causing me to think about a 103. But not in this offering. DM
 
I use both... The cross lock will give out before the Bucklite 422... I have used the Bucklite for years and have never had a problem with it... You can't put a lot of pressure on the crosslock blade it will give... I've used the 422 and 426 and the 112 and the 110... no problems ever with any of them... I have never had a problem with my cross locks either but I did buy one that was broken from too much pressure according to Leroy R...If you abused your knife/knives any one of them could fail... Use them for what they were designed for and you shouldn't have any problems...

:)
 
For me, the 422. No question about it.

The great entertainment value of threads like this is that people have valid disagreements on what is meant by "backpacking", "hiking", and "woods bumming". People go different places using different techniques and taking different gear.

If I'm "backpacking" or "hiking", I'm in the wet New England woods using leave no trace (or better, leave minimal trace) techniques as described by Harvey Manning (showing my age), Colin Fletcher, and Chris Townsend. For this style of travel, a small multi-function tool is sufficient. The Victorinox Classic is among the most commonly carried knives used by AT thru hikers. My preferred tool is the Leatherman PS4 Squirt, as I find the pliers to be very useful for zipper repairs and for pushing a needle through heavy fabric. I'd recommend a Squirt as a good companion to your 422.

I end up carrying a folder on nearly all trips because... well... because I feel naked without one, really. I've tried a bunch and have my preferences but have settled on the following "must-have" criteria:
- Light weight
- Blade long enough and wide enough at the tip to reach into a jar of peanut butter and spread it (I'm serious about this)
- Light weight
- Handle long thick enough to give my XL hands good comfort when making wood shavings for a fire
- Light weight

Of the two knives you showed, I like the blade shape of the Crosslock better for dealing with food, but in the end, would go with 422 just for simplicity and weight. A 422 with a drop point blade would be a win!!

If you can live with only a Squirt type tool in your pocket (really, this covers about 99% of the realistic backpacking knife needs) and a larger knife in the pack, a lightweight fixed blade makes sense. The Bucklite Max knives are pretty compelling due to their low weight and they make battoning wood a realistic possibility (a very useful tool in New England in some weather). If Buck made a version of the Bucklite Max with a convexed sabre grind, I'd buy 'em by the crate.

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a 3 night trip with a group of kids. I'm carrying the Squirt and, since we're planning on a fire at least one night (in a location where it is allowed), a fixed blade that is somewhat similar to the Bucklite Max. If the fire wasn't on tap, I would ditch the fixed blade in a second for an even lighter folder in the same size and weight range as your 422.
 
pinnah said:
For me, the 422. No question about it.

The great entertainment value of threads like this is that people have valid disagreements on what is meant by "backpacking", "hiking", and "woods bumming". People go different places using different techniques and taking different gear.
.
Click to expand...

People also define "hard use" differently. While spreading peanut but might be difficult for some folks, I really don't include that in any "hard use" scenarios I can imagine myself to being in. With a real knife, once I safely navigate out of that tree I climbed to avoid a flash flood; I can cut it down and turn it into an entire dinner service.
:D
 
MT_Pokt said:
People also define "hard use" differently. While spreading peanut but might be difficult for some folks, I really don't include that in any "hard use" scenarios I can imagine myself to being in. With a real knife, once I safely navigate out of that tree I climbed to avoid a flash flood; I can cut it down and turn it into an entire dinner service.
:D
Click to expand...

Correct (sort of).

I don't consider backpacking and hiking to be "hard use" scenarios in terms of the demand they put on a knife. Realistically, the hardest use for me is quite rare and that is making shavings to start a fire. But fires are very, very rare in backpacking (as defined by Manning, Flecther, and Townsend - great books all and highly recommended reading).

Like I said, people define "backpacking" and "hiking" differently so we're way, way into YMMV territory.

BTW, have you ever needed to drive a knife into a tree to create a step to avoid a flash flood? That would make a great entry in the Buck Stories thread.
 
I like the looks of that crosslock!
I've camped/hiked for a week in ozark highlands trail and all I really needed was a small pocketknife,(getting that first vienna sausage out of the can :). When I was younger camped/hiked in Ozark Mts. much more than I do know and the only knife I carried was the first version Bucklite 422 and it was all I needed. Now where I go, there is plenty of wood or limbs on the ground for a fire(if you wanted one, usually too hot). Its mostly National Forest so you couldn't cut a tree if you wanted too.
But really, a slip joint is all I ever really needed but take along a lock back or fixed blade just in case of an emergency and being in the middle of nowhere .............I mean what are the odds of getting attacked by a gator in Disney world? So I figure in the boonies, I have a chance of getting treed by a wild boar or something.
 
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@pinnah- I appreciate that you didn't take my comment as argumentative. I try to keep things light and sometimes sarcastic, gambling that it won't be read in the context that I had intended.

That being said, I have 3 different scenarios and packing lists for each.
1- Trekking around on known property where cell phone reception is plenty.
2- Hunting on known property where cell phone reception is plenty.
3- Hiking, hunting, camping, our Scouting on unknown property where cell phone reception is sketchy.

Each of those scenarios are packed for differently. In all of those cases my 560 is always along. In the later two, my BOB is along. And the last scenario in loaded for bear. Of course I'll pack things differently depending on weather forecasts, the purpose of the trip, etc.

So, of the two he originally asked about, I like the Crosslock as it's a little more versatile with the second blade as someone already mentioned. I would hesitate keeping it as my only knife for overnight trips or trips where I didn't know what I was getting myself into.

As far as the tree and flash flood go, I've not found myself in that situation, but I learned quite a bit about survivability on the taxpayers' dime.
 
The crosslock is a liner locker. For some reason the way I grip a knife, I have had several liner lockers unlock on me, and I know it is my issue, but haven't seemed to be able to modify my grip to prevent it, and don't want to have to think about it. So sold my crosslocks.

The 422 lockback shouldn't ever unlock on you.

Wife loves the 422, I use the larger 426.
 
Great discussion gents, thank you, I heard some perspectives I hadn't considered. I ended up sticking with old, well known and reliable technology. OH

Bucklite_112_and_Lensatic_Compass.JPG
 
Best of the two options IMHO.

I was thinking though, why not a selector? You would have the best of both choices, right? Sure it's a little bigger and you have the burden of carrying additional blades, but still the advantages of each in a single knife...
 
MT_Pokt, I would love to hear more about OH's thinking too. We learn from each other and by talking....

Just back from a 4 day/3 trip taking some boys from a high school church youth group (including my son) through the Pemigewasset Wilderness. I believe what St. Paul wrote, that the Creator has revealed all aspects of His nature through his Creation (Romans 1). In this vein, any way that somebody can be outside, in the good Creation, is a good thing. And I will be the first to point out that goal oriented backpacking (the summit or the destination) can prevent us from seeing the Creator's work because we get too hung up on the accomplishment.

That said.... We went over really rough terrain. One trail gained 1100' in 0.8 miles. Over large, hand over hand rock.

I took a light fixed blade something like the Large Bucklite Max and found myself over knifed for the trip. In fact... grind up that long climb or worse, picking my way down off that ridge with a 45lb pack and knees in the mid 50s, I found myself scrutinizing each and every ounce in my pack.

So, two things I consider when hoisting a full pack as it relates to knives... One, there isn't much need for a big knife for modern, leave no trace backpacking and hiking. Two, every ounce counts. Ounce add up to pounds and pounds pound my aging joints. A light folder with a blade in the 3" to 3.5" inch range is perfect for my needs, unless I'm counting on making a camp fire (I was on this trip).

I'll try to post picture later.
 
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