I wanted something different... I had considered one single expensive knife, but elected to get a trio of less expensive knives; 151 Kaala, 112FG, and 850 Bravo. The 151, dated 5/5/08, came Friday - and was fine. The other two came from a different vendor - and were not. The 112FG box, dated 8/22/08, contained a regular 112. The 850, dated 3/26/08, had bigger problems.
The 850 Bravo is an odd looking knife. The Besh wedge design was on a dagger originally - I thought it might be a 'novel' knife in a folder - perhaps good for stripping bark and splitting small firewood-kindling, as well as general EDC uses... and, it was novel. I also thought, wow, 154CM and G10 scales - on a new Buck design - and for a fair price! In reality, my first reaction was strange - that single bevel knife blade, even on it's Tanto-ish end looks so odd. My thoughts of how easily re-edged it would be, due to the single bevel edge on the blade and end, surfaced - then sank as the reality of a delivered edge that just wasn't sharp arose. This is the most dull new Buck edge ever - more dull than either of my previous standard for delivered as butter knives, a pair of Benchmades. That wasn't all.
On with my dollar store +4.00 diopter readers - great close-up work aids, as they leave your hands free. The bevel edge wasn't really finely ground, a fact of life these days. The flat backside showed wear over most of the blade's length. Closing the blade revealled it was dragging over the majority of it's length, slightly wearing on that edge - perhaps the reason it wasn't sharp. Then my eyes caught the G10 scale ends at the blade tip end. Both sides were proud of the SS frame - actually by a couple of thicknesses of standard printer paper (Actually, the vendor's invoice!), while at the pivot end they were flush. The flat side has a large OD thin copper washer between the blade and the frame, while the bevel side, with the liner lock, has a thicker, but smaller ODcopper washer. Everything, even the pocket clip, is held by Torx head screws. There are three small Torx head screws in the unused side's clip attachment, should you wish to reverse it's attachment side.
A single cylindrical spacer is placed beneath the pivot on that end, with a similar one on the opposite end - and another above it, balancing the knife's frame, or so one would think. You can see that none of the three cylinders are flush on either end with the frame, causing one to wonder whether the frame is straight or not - it obviously was loosely assembled, as one assumes there are screws in said spacers. In fact, the proud end of the G10 scales have a rounded-looking protrusion - over a spacer - on both ends keeping them off their frames. An oddity - the blade's spine near the pivot has rounded notches to give your thumb some purchase - and similar notches at the opposite end of the frame, actually as seen in the catalog picture, for who knows what.
As the knife's defender, it would be a nice - and different - EDC knife. This particular one is a turkey - and a few weeks early for Thanksgiving. I must admit, I have a range of Torx drivers... it is tempting, as I've had other folding Alpha's apart, to just reassemble it to see if the blade aligns properly. Sadly, the screws all look painted - dissassembly - even checking the pivot screw's tension - will leave telltale evidence. I want this thing replaced.
Oddly, I've never wanted to return a Buck due to a defect - until my second BG-42/G10 110, beset with several glaringly obvious QC issues, last month - that cost me $11.05 to return. The replacement was delivered in perfect shape, like the very first one I had bought was. As this - and the mismarked boxed 112FG - need to go back somewhere, I am about to be out more moola - not so good these days. I guess the question is where? The vendor can't open and inspect every boxed Buck. No reply from them - but that may come Monday. Of course, I'll call Pete M. at Buck sometime Monday, but he is often busy and hard to get hold of.
Has anyone else bought an 850 Bravo? Is your blade canted and rubbing on the non-bevel, ie, flat, side?
Thanks!
Stainz
The 850 Bravo is an odd looking knife. The Besh wedge design was on a dagger originally - I thought it might be a 'novel' knife in a folder - perhaps good for stripping bark and splitting small firewood-kindling, as well as general EDC uses... and, it was novel. I also thought, wow, 154CM and G10 scales - on a new Buck design - and for a fair price! In reality, my first reaction was strange - that single bevel knife blade, even on it's Tanto-ish end looks so odd. My thoughts of how easily re-edged it would be, due to the single bevel edge on the blade and end, surfaced - then sank as the reality of a delivered edge that just wasn't sharp arose. This is the most dull new Buck edge ever - more dull than either of my previous standard for delivered as butter knives, a pair of Benchmades. That wasn't all.
On with my dollar store +4.00 diopter readers - great close-up work aids, as they leave your hands free. The bevel edge wasn't really finely ground, a fact of life these days. The flat backside showed wear over most of the blade's length. Closing the blade revealled it was dragging over the majority of it's length, slightly wearing on that edge - perhaps the reason it wasn't sharp. Then my eyes caught the G10 scale ends at the blade tip end. Both sides were proud of the SS frame - actually by a couple of thicknesses of standard printer paper (Actually, the vendor's invoice!), while at the pivot end they were flush. The flat side has a large OD thin copper washer between the blade and the frame, while the bevel side, with the liner lock, has a thicker, but smaller ODcopper washer. Everything, even the pocket clip, is held by Torx head screws. There are three small Torx head screws in the unused side's clip attachment, should you wish to reverse it's attachment side.
A single cylindrical spacer is placed beneath the pivot on that end, with a similar one on the opposite end - and another above it, balancing the knife's frame, or so one would think. You can see that none of the three cylinders are flush on either end with the frame, causing one to wonder whether the frame is straight or not - it obviously was loosely assembled, as one assumes there are screws in said spacers. In fact, the proud end of the G10 scales have a rounded-looking protrusion - over a spacer - on both ends keeping them off their frames. An oddity - the blade's spine near the pivot has rounded notches to give your thumb some purchase - and similar notches at the opposite end of the frame, actually as seen in the catalog picture, for who knows what.
As the knife's defender, it would be a nice - and different - EDC knife. This particular one is a turkey - and a few weeks early for Thanksgiving. I must admit, I have a range of Torx drivers... it is tempting, as I've had other folding Alpha's apart, to just reassemble it to see if the blade aligns properly. Sadly, the screws all look painted - dissassembly - even checking the pivot screw's tension - will leave telltale evidence. I want this thing replaced.
Oddly, I've never wanted to return a Buck due to a defect - until my second BG-42/G10 110, beset with several glaringly obvious QC issues, last month - that cost me $11.05 to return. The replacement was delivered in perfect shape, like the very first one I had bought was. As this - and the mismarked boxed 112FG - need to go back somewhere, I am about to be out more moola - not so good these days. I guess the question is where? The vendor can't open and inspect every boxed Buck. No reply from them - but that may come Monday. Of course, I'll call Pete M. at Buck sometime Monday, but he is often busy and hard to get hold of.
Has anyone else bought an 850 Bravo? Is your blade canted and rubbing on the non-bevel, ie, flat, side?
Thanks!
Stainz
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