More advice wanted.

Old Hunter

Old Hunter

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Joined
Jul 12, 2012
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The knowledgeable Buck experts here were a great help to the gentleman looking for a Buck 119 for a hunting knife, so I’m turning to you for some different advice. I am pretty knowledgeable of Buck Knives in the 100, 300, 500, and 700 series, and have nice collections of the first three series. However, I am NOT knowledgeable of modern knives, only owning one modern knife, this Buck 726, which I rarely carry and have not ‘bonded’ with.

Buck-726-Mini-Spit-Fire.jpg


Now for the advice I need; I want a non-automatic, one handed, quick deploying blade, with a pocketclip that won’t cut/abrade my hand when I reach into the pocket for something else. I want this as a supplemental personal defense item to carry in todays strange times (knives should be silent). I’m open to different methods of opening the blade but practicing with the 726 I find it to be clumsy with the hole in the blade method (knife could be too small for my hands). For you folks who own and use this style knife frequently I want your advice and experience. Regards OH
 
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I would check their Sprint or Vantage (if I have your question right). Vantage does have the hole but also a flipper bump on the back. The Sprint is flipper only but opens much easier by design.
 
The Marksman 830 would be a good start. Some have foung the edge of the strap lock to be abrasive, something I have not experienced although I have carried an 830 daily over the past year.
The Sirus 297 is another I would recommend. A bit slicker in design than the Marksman and also has a lock to ensure the blade does not open until desired.
 
You might get more constructive suggestions in the subforum "practical tactical" https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/practical-tactical.680/

Personally, I would look at some sort of vetted training style for SD knife use, and make a knife decision after that. There are many purposeful/technqiue dependent SD knife styles to choose from, but the completely different designs are based on completely different techniques and strategies. Additionally, I'm very skeptical of many YT knife reviewers' suggestions on whether they consider a knife a good SD tool based on their one thumb hold and surmising for 3 seconds how it feels in that light duty hold... same people that complain about certain slipjoint blade spines not being comfortable when cutting with their thumb on the blades. o_O!?!

That being said, if you just want to experiment with what you have and spend next to nothing to get started on something quicker to deploy... Try the zip tie method on your 726. I only did this on one knife (LM Skeletool) specifically for ease of one hand openning, but I ended up leaving it on as it was handy. Some people use the zip tie mod for catching on pants like the Emerson Wave design. I'm not saying it's good or bad for SD, but for next to free, it might be something to try.

Other alternatives include small fixed blades. Although I only carry knives with certain work/utility abilities I prefer, I've been wanting to try the Kabar TDI and the BM Azeria... again designed around particular techniques.

Additionally, some size and weight requirements might help narrow the suggestions.
 
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I am another member of the Vantage Fanboy Club. I have a few versions including the standard, Pro , Force, etc. All of them have excellent clips for deep carry although I have removed the clip on one of the small Pro models for loose pocket carry as it has no sharp edges and sits in the pocket very well.

Most of them deploy well with the index finger tab but there is a fairly distinct "click" so you may need to practice with your thumb if silence is your goal.
 
Just say I love the Spitfire and hate the Mini spitfire which is what you have.
The marksman is a sweet knife I just think it deploys too loose and I have had it bounce back of the lock and bite me.
Vantage is nice but I prefer the Blade shape of the Spitfire do to the abuse I give it . It holds up well.
Another knife although discontinued is the Paradigm . Assisted action blade similar shape to a vanguard.
 
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I’m a Vantage fan large size 3.2 inch blade. It fits nicely in pocket and I still have room to reach in beside it. I don’t have any problems with deployment or the clip being a hot spot. It is a sweet knife but takes some practice flipping it. I just wish they made one the same size as the 830 marksman at a 3.6 inch blade. I also have the 830 marksman but I had to smooth the back strap as it had to much jibbing on the sides making it difficult to slide into my pocket and remove. After smoothing it , it works much better and feels better using it. The pocket clip is very similar to the vantage and doesn’t wear on the pocket top. It is a bit bigger than the vantage folded but I can still get into my pocket without removing it. Both are great one hand open and close but like any flipper you need to practice to get proficient.
 
A agree with Spitfire (not the mini) or the Vantage (the larger one) and I'll add the recent 110 Slim models. I guess I would lean toward the Vantage. I didn't care for how they looked at first and I prefer tip down, but those concerns went out the window when I actually held one. The knife fills the hand nicely no matter how you hold it and you can use the thumb hole or the flipper to open it quickly. The liner lock makes it just as easy to close. Also the pocket clip is deep carry which I think is a plus. You can buy them in all price ranges, so it's easy to give one a try. I do recommend trying it before buying if you can. Most of mine open smoothly, but I have one that requires a little effort to flip and I have not been able to adjust it without creating blade rub.
 
I carry one of knives pictured below when the wife and I go out walking in our neighborhood. All are more than capable of self defense, but it's not the 2 legged types I am worried about. We regularly encounter dogs running loose. (If you haven't seen the video of the mail carrier attacked by pitbull in Detroit, you should Google it). Probably going to start carrying mace too.

All of these knives ride very nicely and deep in the pocket. The 112 slim (my first choice) can be deployed silently with some practice. The large Vantage has a wicked sharp blade that has proven to do damaged to flesh (my thumb years ago). The Sprint opens the quickest and is pretty stabby.

 
Paradigm.
Great one handed opener and the pocket clip makes it handy but does want to make you keep things in the 'other' pocket. Love handing it to friends and watching when they try to open it. ha ha
It's my EDC.
 
I love vantages but it's hit and miss on flip opening with them. same odd thumb hole to open otherwise. blades a bit on the smaller side too.

works but marksmen is a better choice. strong lock and Mak showed years ago in a brutal test here. dont care for the standard marksmen due to the aluminum scale where i find it hang on the pocket more than I care for. with the scales cutouts sections by the clip. the g10 versions works much better in that regard.

the sprints are great but detent is a bit weak and pocket clip design sticks out a bit and it is also a smaller blade.

the 110 slim pro is a good choice, due to one handed opening, lightweight and minimal pocket space for the blade length. longer blade and one handed opening and easy and fast pocket removal. plus strong lock doesn't hurt.

so on your parameters and wanting I assume a Buck branded knife....I'd look at the 110 slim pro and marksmen g10 versions, if you can find one.
 
plb said:
In my state, it is illegal to pocket care (conceal) a blade longer than 3 1/2 inches in public. That rules out both the Marksman and 110 slim unless I carry them in a sheath. Both would be great for personal defense, but I just use them around the house and property.

Click to expand...
technically in North Carolina, where the op lives any knife concealed as in pocket carry has to be less than 4.5" opened length as in handle and blade when open to be considered a pocket knife and not a weapon carried illegally. not sure if nc has a ccw for all legally called items as weapons like florida does. think they do only handguns there for concealed weapons permit. I didn't take the time to look up their laws though.

anyways just about every folder with pocket clip Buck makes would fall outside of a pocket knife for legal pocket carry in North carolina. as well as a 110 or 112 caried in a pocket. so we got not much to nothing to offer the op if we are stuck in nc state laws, but maybe for private land carry was what I assumed for him. not sure where you live?
 
One not mentioned so far is the Strider. It's a little on the heavy side but of all the ones I have tried have been fast and easy to open. It is probably the one Buck that was designed from the start for what you are looking for in a knife. Search out one in BG42 or ATS-34 (sp?) because both steels will take a very wicked edge. I would also suggest one with a tanto point as that might be better in a self defense situation. We don't talk much about self defense with a knife probably because it's so rare it happens but like carrying a gun sometimes just having one will make all the difference in the world. That's what happened to me back in 1972. My dad was more afraid of a knife than a gun and as of 2014 more people were killed worldwide by a knife than by firearms. Except for the weight I would choose a Strider over a 112..
 
How do you pronounce Paradigm? Is it Para-dig-um or Para-dime? I think I've been saying it wrong... for a while. :oops:
 
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