Please Buck, Make this Knife - Backpack Hunting

Generalist

Generalist

Gold Member
Joined
May 10, 2025
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61
Dear Buck,

Even though I have a collection of beautiful Buck knives, I don't use a Buck knife for big game backpack hunting anymore because there are options I like better from other manufacturers. My dream is a Buck knife with the following attributes.

Total weight: <2.2oz
Handle: bright color (blaze orange, etc.)
Comfortable handle (not skeleton tang)
Blade: 3.5"-3.75" pokey drop point, not too deep edge to spine
Blade: thin, .09"ish
Steel: S35VN, Magnacut, or similar

Yes, I know for a few ounces or even ~half an ounce more, what I'm asking for is available. The 110 slim pro almost meets my requirements. I hike significant distances and elevations for mule deer and elk, often with camp on my back, and have spent quite a bit of money and years trimming ounces for all my gear and given up a lot of comfort items (I cold soak food) and don't want to undo that investment by making exceptions for invidual gear pieces.

I hereby volunteer to test prototypes 😀

Forum Friends,

Please steer me if you think what I'm asking for exists! Please don't excommunicate me for my lack of Buck loyalty 😀
 
Either, but sheath counts in total weight for a fixed blade.
 
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What do you currently have that fits your criteria? I thought about an MKC Speedgoat, but at 1.7 oz I doubt it would meet your weight requirement once you add the sheath.
 
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Nothing I've found meets my dream list requirements.

OE Razor Lite EDC Is what I use now. Being a replaceable blade, it has poor steel and no soul. It's embarrassing being a knife guy who knows how to sharpen and using a replaceable blade knife, but it's so functional. Other than the contant touch ups it requires as the steel dulls quickly.

The Benchmade Bugout would fit albeit with a shorter blade than I'd like. And the Argali Carbon would similarly work with an improvised UL sheath of some sort. But a Buck would mean so much more to me. I want to love my hunting knife again and not have it just be a tool.
 
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I think Buck could do it using an orange 110 drop point slim select. The factory weight is 2.9 oz, and removing the pocket clip drops it to 2.7 ounces. The blade stock is .120 inches, but if .090 MagnaCut blade stock was used, I think it would come in very close to the desired weight.

The back spring and spacer would have to be thinned as well, which would require a bit of re-engineering. But Buck will be releasing the new Range Elite series using .090 inch MagnaCut blade stock, so it does seem theoretically possible. If this configuration was ever made - and I doubt it will - it would no longer be considered a "Select" knife. Regardless, I think they would sell a ton of them.
 
I think a 110 slim shortened to 3.5" and thinned to .09" with magnacut and no pocket clip just might do it.

Yes, counting tenths of ounces is silly when you talk about each item individually, but it's made a real world difference applying the minimalist philosophy to all my gear.
 
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jbmonkey said:
around 3.2ozs. don't know exactly weight as I gave my old one away to a friend....but the lts are around 3.2oz, and i dont see why it wouldn't be close to this weight.
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According to my wife's kitchen scales, the LT is less than half the weight as a regular 110. I can understand the OP's concern about weight. 3 ounces can mean a lot. Many years ago, when the kids were small, and we did a lot of backpacking, I learned that I needed to try to find the lightest equipment that worked, because on the way back, I usually ended up carrying most of it, and ounces turn into pounds.:)
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I dont know that I could sacrifice a quality blade for the sake of a few ounces.

The Open Season small game @ ~3oz has a 4.25" blade which will do just about anything meat related. (The 420HC is ~2.8oz)

My carbon 7mm PRC with Leupold VX5 weighs just under 7.5#. It also groups 175gr pills at 5/8" at 200 yards.
 
I respect your perspective on not sacrificing quality on the knife. I feel that way about my rifle/scope, which weighs 8.5lbs. For me the confidence in the rifle has a very large impact on success, but the knife much less so.
 
The Range Pro is supposed to be 2.55oz in 3.37", and the pocket clip could be removed. Wish that came in an orange handle, but I plan to buy one regardless. I'm so bad at setting stuff down while quartering and having a hard time finding it, but that's 100% operator error.

It's been a long wait already for the Range to release.
 
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