What would you change about the Vantage Series?

JakeSnake

JakeSnake

Joined
Jan 25, 2012
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429
I own a few of the Vantages, Pro's and Avids and I find that they are my favorite edc's.. there are however a few things I would possibly change about them. Nothing huge, just a few little things here and there. When I say this, I am by no means doggin the design at all. I think they are great and they seem to have bean out many of my more expensive knives in their frequency of use. anyways, here is the list

-Non aggressive jimping on the linerlock.
-Jimping on the spine above the thumb hole, I carry the smaller versions most days since I work in an office, If they were to make small blades that were the same style as the vantage force series that would be cool.
-Stone washed blades for the small versions.
-Micarts handles, they have them on the paradigm series, why not Vantage?
-Black pocket clips on the regular vantages.
-Different color options for the g10 handles maybe.
-Perhaps even a framelock version, I know that there are a ton of people out there who love framelocks over linerlocks. I find myself sometimes meandering that direction.

Those are a few things that could be done without completely changing the whole guts of the design. I doubt that Buck will ever really change the knife though. They really did make a winner with the design. Though, I think that if they were perhaps to change around some things, they would have an even more awesome design than it's current form.

Perhaps if Buck were to adapt their "Custom Knife" section options on their website to contain custom Vantages people would jump on the chance. I for one would be ordering one and would be willing to pay a pretty good amount for that little sucker. It would add a little more personality to my EDC, and I think that most people would agree.

:)
 
Better QC on final assembly. I bought a base model at Bass Pro in a blister pack. Mine came with a liner lock that would fail with hand pressure on the spine, much less a spine whack test.

I fixed it myself with some tinkering and sandpaper.

When Buck makes a good knife, it's good. However, sometimes I think their lower priced models are never looked at by a human bean before they are sent on their way. That's why I hate to buy knives in blister packs. I often need to see more than one to get a knife w/o flaws.
 
I agree with that, I had a Vantage Select and had to do the same thing. I never had any sort of problems with the Avid or Pro though.
 
I'm pretty happy with them just the way they are but if they came out with one with a 4" blade I'd buy it. Either that or a FFG blade. Better yet a 4" FFG.
 
I agree with Bear - either add thumb studs or make the hole a bit larger so its easier to open. I'd like to see the small version a tad bit larger. Some decent jimping would be great and shouldn't add much if any to the price. All and all however, they are a great knife and I'm guessing Buck will add some tweaks to it. I do hope they browse the forums to see what the die hard fans are providing for feedback.
 
I put a Vantage Force Pro black blade in an old Vantage Pro frame.

I like that combination, so that's it as far as changes I would like.
 
I would go with frame lock. Or beef up the liner some. Pretty good as is.
 
Beefier liner.

Recessed liner so it doesn't stick out so damn far from the grips.

A bigger thumbhole as eveyone who's tried to flick mine open has either cut, or almost cut themselves.

A tanto option.

Make a completely tan model Force Pro with a dark tan blade, and tan and dark tan G10 similar to the blue and black.

Lighter weight spacer.

Enhance quality control, even if it increases the price. Mine came with the pocket clip loose from being cross threaded. It's painfully obvious meaning someone decided to overlook it, and I've eaten up 4 bits trying to get it to budge with no luck. This one may be fixed, but I've seen more than just mine with crooked blade grinds.
 
Badhammer said:
I'm pretty happy with them just the way they are but if they came out with one with a 4" blade I'd buy it. Either that or a FFG blade. Better yet a 4" FFG.
Click to expand...

Agreed on both counts!

I'd also like the flipper to be just a little longer to make it easier to use.
 
I finally got to handle a couple of these yesterday. Overall I think its a pretty good looking knife. I was able to handles a Vantage Avid and a small Vantage pro. To my surprise I really really liked the small vantage pro. They had a spitfire but they were all in clamshells so I didn't get to handle one of those. They definitely went on my "to consider to buy" list.
 
I would do one of two things and possibly both. Make the thumb hole larger or make the flipper larger. The other two things I would do are take the sharp corners off of the G-10 scales. They are a little sharp. Then change to pocket clip to non-deep carry as the knife in my Dickies pants twists sideways. I'm sure that is not the case in blue jeans with different shaped pockets.
 
I wouldn't mind a thicker liner and a lock that was a little more robust. But that's being picky....I would be interested in models with premium wood, too!
 
AfghanWarrior said:
+2 on Thumb Studs.
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I respectfully disagree. There are so many knives with thumb studs out there, and I find they get in the way of sharpening, catch on pockets and cardboard. Not that I don't have knives with them:)

Easy for me to say, though because I have small hands and have no problem using the opening holes. Speaking of which, if they increased the hole size, would the blade shape have to be widened to clear the handle? I like the compactness of the closed knife as it is now.

So if I had to pick something to change, maybe skeletonize the liners to take a little weight off?
 
I've had lots of these knives and I love them. I think it's one of the best designs I've ever seen, but..... they have their problems. I think a lot of them could be overcome with thicker liners. Example, open blade and cut something that takes a lot of pressure, then look at the lock bar. If you have a better made example, the liner will have only moved over to about mid tang or so. This is fine for most, but drives me crazy. There is some type of flex around the pivot. I feel the floating stop pin is the problem. Oh, and I wish they had a detent ball instead of a punched out dent in the liner and the hole in the blade is not deep enought. It's prob. a cost thing so I understand. I have a large regular in my pocket.
 
I was thinking some wood scales that look like the scales on a 110 and maybe some brass screws or brass on the liner and maybe a brass pocket clip. I usually edc a knife until something better comes along and for me, everytime I get one of my other knives out, I end up putting them back and grabbing my vantage. It just has too many good qualities not to edc it. I've edc'd this vantage since the first of March, my only complaint is it still looks like new, nothing on it to get patina.
 
I would buy one if it had thumb studs, a stronger lock type (preferably a lockback design), and a bigger blade.
 
I have no complaints about the oval thumb holes, I honestly wouldn't change them.

I wish Buck would improve the Quality Control on the Vantage line. The secondary bevel is always uneven, and most are sharpened past the stop point towards the handle.
 
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