Will Buck ever use carbon steel?

D

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It is futile to hope? I just prefer it for ease of sharpening and edge holding for whittling.
 
They may offer a model with it as a limited edition as they did the 118. You'll have to keep watching. DM
 
I had resigned myself that non stainless was something that BUCK just didn't do on regular prodution knives.

Then they go and make the Hoodlum and Punk.....
 
It would be nice to see some 1095 knives in the line up,i'd like to see a alaskan guide 110 with 1095 blades coated with the dlc coating,that would be a sweet knife!
 
I just can't help it, when I think of Buck's history as a company in general I don't think of simple 10 series carbon steel but rather all kinds and flavors of stainless and more complex alloys. I mean back in the day ( 1960's ) Buck pretty much the first company to succesfully employ and use stainless as a blade material while getting reasonable edge retention. IMO they were pretty much the only company with the guts to use stainless back when many people had a great deal of predjudice towards the stuff and as one author put it most regarded it as "evil junk". All in all I believe the Buck company to be the leading inovaters and pioneers of stainless steel and to use 10 series carbon would just be a step back and that just doesn't seem very "Buck" to me. I mean a stainless great like Paul Bose heat treating 1095 just doesn't seem right. If I want a carbon steel slipjoint I'll buy it from a company like Case or GEC.
 
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whetrock said:
I just can't help it, when I think of Buck's history as a company in general I don't think of simple 10 series carbon steel but rather all kinds and flavors of stainless and more complex alloys. I mean back in the day ( 1960's ) Buck pretty much the first company to succesfully employ and use stainless as a blade material while getting reasonable edge retention. IMO they were pretty much the only company with the guts to use stainless back when many people had a great deal of predjudice towards the stuff and as one author put it most regarded it as "evil junk". All in all I believe the Buck company to be the leading inovaters and pioneers of stainless steel and to use 10 series carbon would just be a step back and that just doesn't seem very "Buck" to me. I mean a stainless great like Paul Bose heat treating 1095 just doesn't seem right. If I want a carbon steel slipjoint I'll buy it from a company like Case or GEC.
Click to expand...

Much better and more politely put than I am capable of writing.

IMO, for the type of knives in which Buck specializes, which is to say hunting knives and general pocket knives, it makes no sense for them to use 1000 series carbon steel.
 
While this is absolutely true, my sense is that Buck needs to rethink a lot of things that worked well in the 60s and 70s for them.

I don't think many people care that Buck can heat treat 420HC really well - not when the market is now flooded with a whole host of stainless super steels and others have figured out how to heat treat reasonably well.

I don't think many people care hunting in general (I say this as a hunter), and I don't think they care about traditional wood, brass and clip blades (that is, the Buck 110).

And, I don't think they care for traditional stockman pocket knifes for general worksite use either, that market has been entirely taken over by the black plastic handled tactical.

When I think of Buck, I think of the Buck 110/112 and the Buck 301 and in some regards, I see these knives as dead men walking. If you love Buck of the 60s and 70s (I do), then you probably love these knives. But for the current buyer riding the wave of renewed interest in traditional pocket knives, I see Buck as missing the boat. Either they have US made 301s in 420HC only, or they have imported slipjoints at a lower price point with all sorts of less well known stainless in them filling that price point slot between their own US made 301s and the cheaper Appalachian Trails or Taylor Brand/Old Timer junk.

In my opinion and recollection, the old 70s Buck 301s and the old (real) Schrade Old Timers would often sit side by each in the same display case in the Hardware stores. The big difference was the steel. Stainless vs carbon, each having it's fans.

That I know of, nobody is making a rugged, made to be used derlin scaled 1095 pocket knife. The closest would be some of yellow handled Case CV knives. Otherwise, you need to troll eBay for old Old Timers or move upscale to bone and wood with GEC and others like that.

Buck needs to rethink a lot. One of the things I don't think they're doing a good job with is slip joints. The classic 301 made sense in the 70s. I think it has more limited appeal today. I can understand (and concur with) the OP's interest in 1095 pocket knives. I want a Canoe. Wouldn't touch Buck's and I love Buck.
 
I agree 100 % that Buck needs to tend to their 300 series a bit more however instead of seeing 1095 carbon steel I'd like to see premium stainless like 13C26 Sandvik ( Buck does a great job with this one ) or 154CM and maybe even S30V or perhaps even a tool steel like D2. I'd also like a 110 or 112 and maybe even a 055 in the above steels as well. With that being said I feel that the current Buck slipjoints are more than serviceable and I understand that 420HC is an inexpensive steel that helps the knife reach a certain price point on the market. I believe also that there is a certain number of "knife nuts" out there that don't mind spending a bit more on a knife to get a slightly better product. All in all I understand that it would be costly to make the above changes to the 300 series but I would urge Buck to do at least a web special or something to help project the success of a 300 series folder in a premium steel. I know for certain that I'd buy one.
 
Just trying to have a little brand loyalty here. I like Buck's knives, not so crazy about stainless all the time.
 
I seriously don't think Buck is missing any boats, except maybe in marketing, as I don't recall seeing any Buck advertisements outside of a hunting magazine while I'm an avid hunter I don't read the magazines much.

Stainless Steel is what I have come to expect from Buck.
I will not buy a carbon steel blade!!!! (unless I wanted some particular damascass knife)

I half thought about getting a hoodlum but was unaware that it was a carbon blade, if that's the case I won't buy one.
Carbon steel is just to much maintenance, I got enough crap to worry with, besides keeping my blade rust free.
 
Regardless of personal opinions it really all boils down to what sells. If Buck wasn't selling those "outdated" models they probably wouldn't keep making them.
 
ok ... again my two cents worth
carbon steel is what you want
then go for the old damascus !!!
year marks X V they were forge welded carbon steels
take an edge and extreamly toothy !!!
one of the best sliceing steels around
tryed one yet?
 
I just ordered a limited production buck 110 in Bos 5160 steel. Does anyone know if the edge holding will be better than 420hc?
 
I enjoy reading old threads, provided recent events apply to the original question.
 
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