Buck Knives: American made cutlery for over a century

There are a few knife companies that have become ubiquitous in the cutlery world, where when you hear their name, a specific knife comes to mind. KaBar and the USMC knife, Case with a trapper or sodbuster, and Buck Knives with the 110 folding hunter.

Buck Knives was started in 1902, making fixed blade knives from old files. They really ramped up production during World War 2, providing knives made in the basement of their church to servicemen fighting in the war.

After the war, they began larger scale production of knives, growing into the company we recognize today. 1964 was the year they incorporated, and 4 generations of the Buck family have steered the company since the beginning, with CJ Buck leading it today.

Also in 1964, Buck designed their flagship knife, and the first successful, heavy use folding hunter, the Buck model 110.

While some may think of it as old fashioned, it was a hugely revolutionary design when it was first manufactured. Up until this point, the vast majority of folding hunters were of slip joint construction. A folder with a heavy duty lock back mechanism helped redefine what could be expected of an easy to carry knife. With its heavy, rigid steel liners, solid brass bolsters, and clip point blade, it really expanded the field use of folding knives, paving the way for the modern, hard use folder. Soon after, they introduced a smaller version, the 112 Ranger, following the same design pattern, and these two knives became some of the most copied models of knives made.

They are equally known for their fixed blade hunting/outdoor knives as well, with the 119 or the Nighthawk series instantly coming to mind during conversation with long time knife people.

And while Buck is looked at as a traditional knife company, they have made some very up to date modern knives, such as their collaborations with Steve Tarani and Strider knives, which were some of my early 2000s models of production knives.

Along the way, they have done their own modern designs as well. Just looking at the new Paradigm knives they have, it impresses with it’s fit and finish, as well as the ingenuity in making a bolster lock/actuator that is both functional and easy to use.

And for me, the icing on the cake that we were able to get after becoming official dealers for Buck Knives, the automatic versions of the 110s and the 112s.

Identical in every way to the original folding hunters, they get a boost from a strong spring and push button release on the face of the handle. They come from the factory in two variations. There is the traditional model, with rosewood handle and brass bolsters, and the Elite, which has nickel bolsters, G10 handles, along with an S30V blade, which has gone through the Paul Bos heat treatment protocol.

Buck also produces some very affordable fishing knives, with the folding fillet knife being a popular favorite.

Design, Knife Information, Knife Styles, Knifemaker Spotlight
Terry Trahan
February 8, 2023

Microtech Signature Series

One of the good things about being a direct dealer for so many knife brands is the opportunity to get some limited edition or rare knives to bring to our market. And this is true with Microtech more than almost any other company.

Microtech has their Core Series of knives, and they are all constructed from some of the highest quality materials available. Blade steels, handle materials, even the proprietary hardware, are the best around

And then they take it one step further.

The Signature Series is a Microtech ready for both the battlefield and the opera at the same time. Sometimes, a Signature Series is a limited edition theme, such as the Star Wars or Momento Mori line up, including the ever popular Mandalorian color pattern. Sometimes, they use the Signature Series to re-introduce an older model, such as when they brought the sterile Makora back to market.

By far, the most striking members of the Signature Series are the Damascus steel options. If you take the normal frame of say, an Ultratech, make the handle scales out of great materials like carbon fiber, and top it off with a beautiful Damascus blade, you really have a beautiful knife that is just as at home in a display case as it is clipped to duty uniform pants or serving down range.

Another part of the Signature Series is a regular Core Series, but with differing handles, like the ladder or step side Ultratechs, which adds a bit more security to the grip. This is also where Microtech will do different coatings and color ways. One of my favorites we have in stock now is the Combat Troodon with the Coyote Ceracoat camo pattern, which gives it an overall very tactical look, while still standing out from the all black all the time that has become kind of a standard.

In closing, Microtech Core Series knives are the gold standard in the industry, bringing a lot of innovation, and raising the bar for the industry as a whole. And by having the Signature Series, they raise the expectation for what a production knife can be. It is a perfect halfway point between regular production (Core Series), and high end custom (Marfione Custom Knives), and brings some very beautiful knives to market at a very reasonable price point, while allowing some good experimentation with new technologies that will make their way into the entire production knife field.

What To Look For In A Knife: – Part Two

In this post Terry and William have created a series toward helping our viewers in getting to know “What To Look For In A Knife”.

In Part Two of this Four Part series; Terry and William go over Locking Mechanisms. They discuss the security, ease of use, and comfort of each lock system.

If you enjoyed the video and have any questions let us know in the comments below. Also if have a topic you would like us to cover or address let us know in the comments.

What To Look For In A Knife Series – Part One

In this post Terry and William have created a series toward helping our viewers in getting to know “What To Look For In A Knife”.

In Part One of this Four Part series; Terry and William go over Handle Materials, Handle Shapes, Handle Sizes, and Handle Comfort.

If you enjoyed the video and have any questions let us know in the comments below. Also if have a topic you would like us to cover or address let us know in the comments.

Knife Selection

Different strokes and all…

With all that is currently going on, people are looking for information. Several people have either sent me questions, or forwarded other peoples questions about choosing a knife for different purposes; survival, defense, general purpose, etc… At the suggestion of Toby, I decided to write an article addressing these questions.

Let me preface this with a few statements.

First, this is not going to touch on legal matters. Everything is illegal somewhere, and I fully believe that we need to be responsible for both knowing the law, and deciding on whether we obey it or not.

Second, I have worked in the knife industry for a long time, so my biases and some terminology will make its way in here. If anything needs cleared up or answered, please feel free to email me, I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

And third, I will not be making many specific recommendations on knives, the ones I use will be as an example of the type of knife I am talking about. Once again, if you have a question about a specific knife type or brand, I am more than happy to answer it through email.

Now, when you start thinking about buying a knife, there are a few questions you should ask yourself, in order to make your decision process easier.

What is your price point that you want to spend. With some exceptions, knives truly are a ‘you get what you pay for’ purchase. Especially for a folding knife, the cheaper you go the more likely the knife is to fail, especially when you really need it. I don’t think anybody needs to buy a $500 knife for use, but conversely, anything under $35-$40 is usually a bad choice.

What do you want the knife for? Any knife can be used for almost any reason, but most knives are designed for specific jobs, and excel in that job, while only being passable at others. A knife designed as a pure fighting knife doesn’t do very well as a work knife. A classic example is from WWII, the Fairbairn-Sykes dagger was great as a killing knife, but would break while using it as a field knife. On the other hand, a razor knife for opening a box is not that great for defending your life. Figure out what you want to use the knife for, and then start looking at examples for that use. Most knife company websites, and many retailers websites will list the purpose of a particular design, and you can also ask someone at your local cutlery store.

Do you want a folder or a fixed blade? Here is where one of my biases comes into play, I prefer small fixed blades for just about everything. I like the fact that they are strong, there is no lock to fail, and with the advancements made in sheath materials and craftsmanship, they are easier to carry than ever before. The two most common sheath materials are kydex, which is a thermoplastic that friction locks the blade into place, yet still provides an easy draw when needed, or leather, which is a long time sheath material that just about everyone is familiar with. Of the two, my preference is kydex, as it suits my needs and way of carry.

But not everyone has a job, mode of dress, or life where a fixed blade works, therefore, we need to look at folding knives.

On folding knives, one thing should be looked at before anything else, lock type and strength. The different lock types, in the order I recommend them at the store due to strength and reliability are as follows;

Axis lock/ball lock: the Axis lock is a patented lock for the Benchmade Knife Co, while the ball lock is from Spyderco. Since the patents have expired on both, we are seeing other companies use them. They operate on the same principle as each other, either a bar(Axis) or a ball bearing(ball lock) is lodged in the tang of the knife upon opening, thus blocking its ability to close. It also helps bleed off some of the force coming into the lock better than most other lock types. This is my most highly recommended lock.

Frame lock; known by a few different names such as monolock, it is usually done with a titanium handle, and the lock side is cut so a part of it will spring inwards to lock open the blade. The good thing about this lock is, the harder you hold the knife, the more the lock is held against the tang of the knife. It requires total failure of the entire handle for the lock to collapse.

Compression Lock; This is an exclusive lock type from Spyderco. It is essentially a liner lock engaged from the top of the handle instead of the bottom, as is how a liner lock works. This makes the lock stronger and better able to deal with incoming force on the tang-lock interface in a much safer and efficient manner than a liner lock.

Liner lock; inside most folding knives under the handle material you can see are liners. They are made of varying materials, but usually brass, steel, or titanium are the most common. A liner lock is where one of these liners are cut, just as with the frame lock I mentioned above, and springs inward to lodge against the tang of the blade. The reason I don’t recommend them as strongly as a frame lock is that they are thinner, wear much more quickly, thus leading to lock failure, and they are easier to disengage accidentally during use, which is known as a ‘really bad thing’.

Lock back or Rock lock; This is the lock most are used to, as it is the oldest lock in use. If you’ve seen a Buck 110 or Spyderco Endura, this is the lock on them. A bar is installed at the top of the handle with a straight spring that pushes it downward. When the knife is open, the front, notched end of this bar falls into a cutout in the blade tang, thus locking it open under the pressure from the bar spring. It is a good lock, my only concern with them depends on their placement on the handle. If it is in the wrong location, it is really easy to disengage the knife, risking your fingers.

When thinking about buying a knife, a lot of people spend time thinking or talking about the blade shape. Blade shape can be important for specific jobs you want to do with the knife. Butcher knives have thin blades. Utility knives usually have thicker blades. Then there are point configurations, clip point(bowie), drop point, tanto, reverse tanto, sheepsfoot, wharncliffe, and on and on… This is mostly personal preference, although, like I said, if you have a specific task, ask more specific questions to help you make the right choice. Instead of paying a lot of attention to blade shapes, I encourage people to think about the handle. The handle is your interface with the knife. It needs to be comfortable, secure, provide a good grip, have no hot spots, and one of my preferences, offer some protection from riding up onto the blade during use.

Unfortunately, the only way to figure out which handle works best for you is by playing with and holding a bunch of knives.

This is why most knife people have a lot more knives than you think we need, we’re always looking for that more comfortable, more secure handle.

This is the basic check list I use when helping customers at my store, and when I am choosing or designing a new knife. As I mentioned above, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me, and I will do what I can to assist you.

Stay safe.

Design, Knife Styles, Knifemaker Spotlight
cuttinged
July 1, 2022

Microtech Knives & Station 9 Knives

In this latest blog post, we wanted to shine a light on some new products we have received recently. We have carried both brands previously, and now a whole new product line up we recently picked up.

Of course we carry the OTF models, like the new Makora, with its sterile blade, a new Star Wars themed Exocets, and some new colors in the Ultratech line up. But, we’ve also got the Borka Blades/Microtech collaborations; the Stitch, in both plain edge and fully serrated, as well as the SBD, which is the first Microtech fixed blade we’ve carried. All of it is really good stuff.

Our new product line comes to us from Bozeman, MT by way of Europe. Knifemaker Tony Lopes and combatives/survival instructor Vol West have teamed up to create Stati9n USA (Station 9), which is a product line for survival in austere environments and combatives situations. It is a relatively new brand, which seemed to be a big hit at the last Blade Show, and limited in offerings, but what they offer is superb. From the big WW1 inspired Partisan, good for fighting, camping and hunting, the #3 Knuckles based on an Austro-Hungarian design, or the Fred Perrin inspired #5 Scorpion, a pikal ready LaGriffe style blade also suited for field use, I see a lot of good use and success from this brand growing and offering more good, mission oriented product.

Design, Knife Styles, Knifemaker Spotlight
cuttinged
May 27, 2022

Knife Maker Spotlight – Fred Perrin

Our very first blog post here was on French knifemaker Fred Perrin, which you can find here: Fred Perrin article. So I guess this could be considered a throwback. The reason for the throwback is because we just received a new shipment of knives from Fred, some old favorites, some new things, and some new twists on a few classics.

If you’re looking for an affordable, comfortable, easy to carry small fixed blade, you’d be hard pressed to do better than these knives here. The Peeler, Fruit Knife, and Pocket Tanto are compact, come with a well fitted kydex sheath, and have a level of finish normally associated with a more expensive knife. The Peeler has a two finger handle, which includes a lanyard hole, if you wish to add one, and a nice, shallow hawkbill style curve to its blade. Great for utility use, and as a concealable hide away defensive knife. The Fruit Knife has a coffin shaped handle that presents neutral, so you can use it in any grip style you wish, and a more aggressive curve on the short blade. Next we have the Pocket Tanto, which, as its name implies, has an American Tanto style blade on a three finger handle, and is beefy enough to handle just about anything you need such a small fixed blade to do.

Following Freds appreciation for all things WWII/OSS inspired, he sent us his Mini-Pic, and the new Mini-Slasher. Both are extremely minimalist claw type blades, with a big nod towards the OSS Tire Slashers. Both are shipped with kydex sheaths, and are perfect for covert carry.

Over the last few years, Fred has started doing some collaborations with other people in the knife world, and we have two of the latest.

In conjunction with Michael Janich of Martial Blade Craft, or MBC, they have produced the Confusion. The Confusion has the trademark Wharncliffe blade that Mr. Janich advocates, this is an aggressive, short but thick defensive knife perfectly suited for the urban environment. Along with the wharncliffe blade, the Confusion has a unique pistol shaped handle that reduces the overall length while still being fully functional, but also allowing deployment as a push knife if you’d like to use it that way. Available in both 440C stainless or in titanium, a kydex sheath, and a nice padded pouch, this limited edition knife does a great job.

The next collaboration we received is the Griffed, from Fred and custom knife maker Ed Schempp. This knife is all the good things about a LaGriffe, but bigger. It has a hybrid blade that looks like a recurve spear point, the trademark Perrin fingerhole, and a large pistol grip handle with nice finger grooves, and micarta handle scales. The sheath carries and presents the knife in the same manner as a snubby revolver, so the drawstroke will be familiar. All the corners are nicely chamfered and rounded to provide great comfort, even during long term use. As with all of the LaGriffe family, the Griffed is ready for both defense and utility use.

And, speaking of the LaGriffe family, ours in-store has expanded. First, there has been a change in the regular LaGriffe production. Instead of being chisel ground, the new models are V ground on both sides. There is also more variety in this supply. Skeletonized black, titanium, the black LaGriffe with nice thick G10 scales, and the new Shorty, in black, which has G10 scaled handles similar to the LeShark, but a wharncliffe style blade closer to the size of the Griffe.

Karamibt Guide

Karambit, or alternately, kerambit, loosely translates from Bahasa as “tiger claw”, it is also known by other names, depending on size, or place of origin, such as lawi ayam (spur of the chicken) for smaller versions, or sangot for the large versions from the southern Philippines.

Originating in the kampongs (villages) and jungles of the Indonesian Archipelago as a small, every day carry/utility knife, it has garnered a reputation as a fearsome weapon, so much so, that they were illegal in parts of Indonesia as an assassins weapon. Closely associated with the indigenous martial arts of Southeast Asia, particularly Pentjak Silat and Kali, it has deserved much of its fearsome reputation.

Looking at a karambit, it is a very simple concept, finger ring on the end, a handle that is curved to be comfortable in the palm of the hand, and a claw shaped blade. The blade shape is very important in a small knife. By being curved, you maximize the cutting efficiency by gathering or pulling the material into the blade edge as you are cutting. In essence, the curved blade fits a longer straight blade into its smaller size.

The finger ring provides a few benefits. First, a secure draw. By hooking your finger into the ring, you have begun your draw, and by design, the knife becomes married to your skeletal system. Next, it allows an increase in grip security. Because of the way it is held, the kerambit becomes very hard to dislodge or disarm while the finger is through the ring. And finally, as with other ringed or holed blades, the ring on a kerambit allow you to keep the knife secure in your hand, while using that same hand to perform other tasks. And then, a quick twirl or spin, close your hand, and the knife is ready for more work.

The final aspect of the finger ring is its use on the kerambit as a fighting weapon. By securing the knife to your hand using the ring, it increases the force with which you can safely cut and thrust with the kerambit, especially on pull cut motions. This is where its likeness to a claw really becomes noticeable.

Now, we move into modern versions of the kerambit. There are plenty of knives out there with finger rings, but there are a few attributes that really make one usable in the manner intended.
If it is a fixed blade kerambit, you want it to be on the smaller side. The bigger it is, the more trouble you will have drawing and manipulating it safely and efficiently. You want a simple sheath setup, preferably made from kydex, or some other hard, friction fit material. Excessive straps, loops, or safety buttons like those used on nylon or leather sheathes, get in the way of quickly drawing your weapon. Preferably, you would want your sheath capable of concealed or IWB(inside the waistband) carry if you are intending to carry it for self defense.

If you are carrying a folding kerambit, aside from the above considerations, you need to look at how the kerambit opens, and the position of the clip, in order to get the most out of it for the job you assign it. The best folding kerambits will will have the clip located right below the finger ring, so the ring is accessible for you to draw into a proper grip, the clip should be reversible to allow you to carry either right handed, or in left hand support position. As far as opening a folding kerambit, hands down, the best option is to purchase one that incorporates the Emerson Wave Opening system. This way, as you draw the kerambit from your pocket, the wave catches your pocket edge and opens the blade, so the knife is open and ready for use as soon as it clears your pocket. Any other method of opening does not lead to rapid, secure deployment, and requires more manipulation to be ready for use. There are plenty of available models from Fox, Bastinelli, Emerson, and Spyderco that employ the wave feature.

In closing, kerambits are definitely a niche tool, but very effective in both a utlity or combative situation. Buying a good one, with the features discussed above, and seeking proper training is well worth it.

To see the kerambits discussed in the article and video, please visit our two locations in Lubbock, TX, or click on the link below to the Karambit page.

Balisong-trainer
cuttinged
March 2, 2022

Kershaw Lucha 515TR

Butterfly Knife Trainers: 5150TR Kershaw Lucha Trainer

In our last blog installment for our series on butterfly knives, we mentioned having a trainer in order to safely practice, and bring your skills to the next level.

In this episode, we will focus on balisong trainers, and in particular, what I consider the best one available on the market today, the Kershaw Lucha trainer, model #5150TR.

As you can see from the information below, this is a well-constructed drone, and it perfectly matches all of the attributes of the live blade Kershaw Lucha 5150.

Here are the specs and information on it, straight from the manufacturer;

SPECIFICATIONS:

Blade Length 4.6 in. (11.7 cm)
Blade Material Sandvik 14C28N
Blade Finish/Coating Stonewashed finish
Blade Thickness 0.156 in. (4 mm)
Closed Length 5.8 in. (15 cm)
Handle Material Stainless steel
Handle Finish/Coating Bead-blasted finish
Handle Thickness 0.43 in. (11 mm)
Overall Length 10.25 in. (26 cm)
Weight 6 oz. (170 g)

FEATURES + DETAILS:

Use Everyday
Type Manual
Style Butterfly Knife
Designer Kershaw Originals
Blade Style Drop Point
Blade Edge Plain
Opening Action Manual dual KVT ball bearings
Lock Type Latch
Pocketclip None
Handle Color Silver
Hardware Black-oxide steel pivots, black anodized aluminum tube spacer, black-oxide steel screws
Made in USA Yes
Country of Origin USA: Design, Prototype, Quality Control, Manufacture
Warranty Limited Lifetime Warranty

And this is important for several reasons. First, in the world of butterfly knives, it is important to maintain as much safety as you can, especially while practicing advanced tricks and aerials, and this is easier when the training drone you are using is the same weight, balance, length, and the same swing as the live blade you would be using.

Second, if you are just beginning and learning to use a butterfly knife, it is better to have a dull trainer than to tape over the edge or try and dull a live blade.

And, if you use a balisong in a martial/combative manner, a matching trainer is of paramount importance to maintain realistic work, and safety of all parties participating, as it is with any kind of knife combative.

One of the best things about the Lucha trainer is that it is on the KVT bearing system, just like the live blade version, thus providing the same exact action while swinging it. And, just like the live blade, the latch has the same positive stop, so it will not contact the blade.

Not only do we sell the 5150TR trainer, but we also keep stock of trainers for Bear & Sons butterfly knives, and a few general trainers for balisongs in stock.

Knifemaker Spotlight
cuttinged
February 18, 2022

Knifemaker Spotlight – Mickey Yurco

Mickey Yurco Profile

Mickey has been a member of the Knifemaker’s Guild since 1989, along with an association with several other knife clubs. He has studied Martial Arts in many systems since 1973 and has ranking in 4 different associations. In 2011, he retired from the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office at the rank of Sergeant.

Most of his career was in Patrol, but he also worked Corrections, started a SWAT team for our Dept. in 1995, and was on the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force. At one time or another, Mickey was an operator, team leader, and trainer for the task force. Part of my work assignment was a member of the fugitive task force (which included being sworn in on the U.S. Marshals task force to be able to do wiretaps and make arrests out of state).

Mickey has been on security details for Presidents Clinton, Obama, vice president Biden, John McCain, 2 governors, and other dignitaries.

Like most makers, he started out making hunting and fishing knives. Later, he started making self-defense-based blades. Mickey stated that he was humbled to have Police, military, martial art practitioners, and everyday good guys and gals carry his blades for self-protection. He truly enjoys hearing from customers that depended on his knives to get out of a bad situation. All of Mickey’s blades are numbered and his next knife will be #4034.

This year,I want to concentrate on Japanese blade styles in various forms. Joanne and I were able to tour Japan with my son and his family for a month back in 2019.It is an amazing culture. I also like to make things with historical materials.

A Little About Yurco’s Custom Knives

Among the many products we have from Mickey, some of our favorites are his signature push knife, and his own take on the classic fruit knife.

The push knife appears to be a small, skinner style fixed blade, in a Kydex sheath set up for centerline position carry. And it excels at exactly what it looks like, a stout clip point, great for utility and defense.

How it really stands out though, is due to the handle shape. The teardrop style handle and the way he designed the neck of the knife allows you to grip it in a conventional push dagger style, without having the traditional “T” shaped handle, which could make legal hassles in some locales.

Fruit knives, especially the Victorinox version, have become a kind of underground thing in the edged weapons community over the last few years, and it is really cool to see Mickeys take on this design.

Looking like the offspring of a fruit knife and the old Kershaw Talon 1462st modified, aka the Southern Comfort, this knife is a handy little thing. A slight hawkbill profile, which provides outsized cutting ability for how small it is, and on this particular model, the textured and grooved G10 handle provides a very secure grip.

The handle is also a very neutral one, allowing you to use the major grip styles, hammer/reverse, edge in/out, with ease and comfort, while never feeling like the knife is not being held tightly enough. This particular knife comes with a kydex sheath done in a skull pattern, and for extra security, it includes a “thumb break” to help keep it in place.

As Mickey mentioned, he has had a long time collaboration project with Boker under the Boker Plus line.

Among my favorites is the BackDrop. It is a traditional drop point, satin finish blade, with a very comfortable and secure handle like all of Mickey’s knives, and really showcases the O.S.S influence he brings to his designs with the sheath set up.

The basic sheath is a Kydex sheath with just the right amount of security in it.

But then, there are the attachments for carrying. Mickey invented a Kydex add on a piece he calls a “canoe”, which attaches to the bottom of the sheath, acting like a two-sided pocket hook, allowing you to carry the knife in your front pocket, draw the knife, and the hook catches, leaving the sheath in your pocket.

It also comes with a larger leather “patch” that screws onto the sheath and catching either on your back pocket or the cargo pocket if you carry it there. Also included is a length of ball chain for neck carry.

We also carry other knives from Mr. Yurco, from traditional style tantos, gamblers push daggers, to some of his saps and even a titanium bear claw necklace that looks classy, and can do last-ditch duty if needed.

Thanks for reading, and make sure to check out more of Mickey’s work via our website or Facebook pages.