Buck Survival Knives – The Ultimate Tools For Survival Craft?
Your definitive guide for finding the best Buck survival knife!
Here’s the deal:
I love Buck Knives. They’re durable. They’re reliable. And they always come with a legacy of quality and fine craftsmanship, not to mention their Forever Warranty.
Their Ron Hood series of survival knives are impressive bar-none. But they’ve also got a few other great tricks up their sleeves.
I mean I could literally sit here and tell you just how Rambo-ish Buck Survival Knives are. They feel like they’ve been forged by the mighty Zeus himself and perhaps they’re even good enough to make Chuck Norris cry some tears of joy.
Dum-dum-dum…
Seriously though, Chuck Norris jokes aside, Buck’s range of survival knives are willing and able to do things for you that you never thought you would need from your knife. They’re designed with rugged durability and a no-nonsense functionality for survival scenarios.
If you’re in the market for an all-in-one, go-to knife that’ll satisfy any survival or utility need, Buck is the answer my friend.
Let’s dig in shall we?
Buying Guide: Buck Survival Knives Review
I’ve got Buck’s Best Survival Knives lined up here, in no particular order, so that your field of play will be narrowed down and your objectives are clearly defined.
The Buck Hoodlum
Designed by the late wilderness survival legend, Ron Hood, the Hoodlum is part of an amazing series of survival knives by Buck. Measuring in at a solid 10 inches in length, it’s a solid knife that boasts a fine edge measuring in at roughly twice the length of your standard wilderness survival knife. The Hoodlum is a full tang knife, so you can rest assured that it’s strong and solid. It has a 5160 steel blade, which is similar to 1095 carbon steel, so edge retention is the least of your worries. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 stars rating for its simplicity, practicality, ruggedness and functionality.
The Pros:
- I really appreciated the nylon sheath
- Thanks to its size, the Hoodlum is great for chopping, batoning, bush-craft and self-defense applications
- It’s a very versatile knife
- The handle is removable so that the knife can be transformed into a spear
The Cons:
- Some of you might find it a tad bit too long
- It’s heavy
- The 5160 steel blade WILL rust if you don’t take care of it
- The handle wasn’t as grippy as I needed it to be
- It doesn’t have a low profile, so it’s not suitable for carrying in your pocket all-day everyday
Buck Knives 060 Hood Hoodlum Survival Fixed Blade Knife with Sheath
The Buck 65 Hood Punk
Made with 5160 carbon steel and measuring in at a healthy 11 inches in length, the Buck Hood Punk boasts a blade length of 5.62 inches, so batoning and hunting related applications definitely are at the order of the day. I love the full tang design that ensures durability and reliability. Essentially, the Punk is the Hoodlum’s little brother, so it looks the same, just smaller. The Hood Punk is great for everyday carrying, unlike the Hoodlum. It’s an exceptional knife priced at a middle-tier tag that was designed with ultimate survival in mind.
The Pros:
- The grip is great and flows with the Hood Punk’s ergonomic design
- The sheath is fantastic
- It’s made with durable and rugged materials that’ll withstand the test of time and outdoor elements
The Cons:
- Since the knife is made from alloy steel, you’ll have to take great care of it to prevent rust, unless off course you want to flush roughly $130 down the drain
Buck Knives 65 Hood Punk Fixed Blade Survival Knife with Sheath
The Buck Reaper
The Buck Reaper is one of Hoyt Buck’s unique approaches to knife forging, which he invented back in 1902. The Reaper sports an overall length of 11 inches and has a 6/34 inch drop point blade forged with Buck’s Advanced Edge 2X Technology. I just love the sheer strength of the 420 high carbon steel and to prevent it from rusting they’ve added a matte black traction coating. I tested the Reaper on a few pieces of wood and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed with the shock resistance, which is thanks to the deep, hollow sabre ground bevel combined with a thick spine. The full tang design encompasses a very comfortable and grippy ergonomic handle. As with all other Buck Survival Knives, this one comes with a great nylon sheath.
The Pros:
- The 420 high carbon steel blade is perfect for wilderness survival scenarios, it’s just amazingly strong and won’t let you down
- The handle is very tough and ergonomic
- The blade is super sharp straight out of the box and will retain its edge brilliantly
- The style and finish is just impeccable
The Cons:
- I would have liked to see the blade be just slightly thicker
Buck Knives 0620CMS15 Reaper Knife, Viper
The Buck Hood Thug
Buck’s Hood Thug is a great mid-sized outdoor/survival/adventurer knife that can and will take on the most daring and rugged of applications. I really appreciated the Hood Thug’s balance between the blade and the hilt, oh and the fact that it’s great at edge retention is an awesome added bonus. The 1095 steel can really handle abuse and if the edge dulls out somewhat, just a few draws on the sharpening stone instantly sorts it out. I really appreciated the recurve shape of the blade that gives the knife extra power and versatility to take on big tasks.
The Pros:
- The blade is seriously sharp and made from high quality materials
- The sheath is pretty great
- The handle material is great and ensures you always have a solid and secure grip
- It’s a lightweight knife that’s good for carrying around with you all day
The Cons:
- While the sheath isn’t terrible, the knife sits a little loose in it, so I was a little let down by that fact
Buck Knives 0070BKSBH Buck Hood Thug Knife
Final Thoughts
So there you have it. 4 of the Best Buck Survival Knives, catering to a wide range of tastes and applications, but all excelling in being superior survival knives. Coming up next I’m going to give you the lowdown on the Bear Grylls Gerber Knife and then I’ll tell you my thoughts on Ka-Bar with my Becker BK2 Review.
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