5th Annual: Help Us Build a Buck: 104 Compadre - Blade Steel

Blade Steel and/or Cerakote Option

  • 5160

    Votes: 7 6.0%
  • 5160 with Cerakote

    Votes: 2 1.7%
  • D2

    Votes: 59 50.4%
  • D2 with Cerakote

    Votes: 4 3.4%
  • CPM-154

    Votes: 27 23.1%
  • CPM-154 with Cerakote

    Votes: 2 1.7%
  • S35VN

    Votes: 13 11.1%
  • S35VN with Cerakote

    Votes: 3 2.6%

  • Total voters
    117
  • Poll closed .
To me this style knife with a Flat Grind not hollow 5160 Blade would be just fine :D a coating on the knife that can be stripped that way a coating can be left under the scales sounds good to me ;) a good patina a little mineral oil here and there would make a nice camp/rough use knife .
 
I voted for s35vn, but honestly I’m less worried about steel type and more interested in grind. I just don’t want a hollow grind. Flat/convex or high saber/convex with some higher quality micarta scales and I’m sold. That knife in any of these steel choices would be wonderful.
 
Worry not about field sharpening, buck has the flipstick available which is compact, easy to carry and use, and will touch up D2 just fine. I bought it after having a CPM M4 camp knife made but that things wears hard as can be and rarely needs a field touch up. The flip stick is nice for those recurves and khukris too. It's less pleasant on long blades but does fine on the 4" and under stuff. And D2 doesn't take nearly as long as M4 to sharpen.
 
Here is some Buck D2 (from SK). Full flat grind, these blades have some serious thickness. D2 like this on a camp knife will handle all sorts of abuse.

I voted CPM-154, but really these are all good choices.

SKB_02_Lil_Jack_112_Handsome_Jack_110.jpg


SKB_11_Lil_Jack_112_Handsome_Jack_110.jpg

Beautiful pair!

D2 makes sense in those knives for the same reason 440C would make sense. But then, you're not going baton with those knives either.

IMO, the steel should match the purpose as should the entire design of the knife.

If the poll had selected the 119, I would understand the implied purpose of the knife to be for hunting and D2 would make perfect sense.

But for a survival/camp knife, the selection might have better been: 420HC, 1095, 5160, 3V, AELB.

Some of have suggested that it would be nice if this knife had break out appeal to the survival bushcraft market in ways the Selkirk hasn't yet and perhaps more like the original Ron Hood Bucks started to.

Others have suggested issues of novelty compared to the abundance of 420HC and 5160 options already out there. That suggests to me that some view this build out less from users POV and more from a collectors POV. Collecting is fine and I'm sure SK will sell out the run to collectors if the blade is novel and D2 may scratch that itch.

I try hard not to collect and try to only buy knives I'll put in rotation. This Compadre is up against a Buck Reaper (420HC) and on old Schrade H-15 (1095). I'd find new homes for one or maybe both with a good Compadre.

Speaking as a somebody who might use this as they're primary user, the knife is only compelling enough to me to lay out money for if it improves on what I already own.

A saber flat grind in 5160 (or 420HC or 3V or AELB) would do that. I'd consider CPM-154 too.

This is shaping up to be a nice collectible and I'm sure it will sell out. But I'll end up passing on it and sticking with my Reaper and old Schrade for now.
 
You just can't sharpen D2 on a rock down by the creek is all. Not easily anyway . But why would you do that. Oh maybe for survival? :eek:

I do carry an inch long plastic V sharpener on my car key ring though in case of emergency.
 
Walmarts version of this, the Mesa I think, was 420HC. Nice knife. I have one of those and two of these Red 5160 knives. So for me, i do need a different steel. And a different grind.
 
The majority wants to see this knife in d2 so far. None of the choices are bad. The choice of steels is underway. Pick one and move on. This thread isn't a debate.

That debate might be better suited somewhere else. This crowd is familiar with all of the steels in the category.

This.

I feel like this could be a great blade that is quite similar to one of my favorite designs, an OKC Tak 1 in D2. I don't own it anymore as the handle material and sheath didn't work for me, and the cost of improving both was very prohibitive.

I think the most important thing, for me, will be the sheath, as a fixed blade with a bad sheath (reference the OKC Tak 1 again) makes a fixed blade a butt to use. If it sucks to carry, it's not going to get carried. If it's not carried, it's not going to get used. Luckily, I've since discovered custom sheaths to remedy that but it adds a significant cost most times.
 
This.

I feel like this could be a great blade that is quite similar to one of my favorite designs, an OKC Tak 1 in D2. I don't own it anymore as the handle material and sheath didn't work for me, and the cost of improving both was very prohibitive.

I think the most important thing, for me, will be the sheath, as a fixed blade with a bad sheath (reference the OKC Tak 1 again) makes a fixed blade a butt to use. If it sucks to carry, it's not going to get carried. If it's not carried, it's not going to get used. Luckily, I've since discovered custom sheaths to remedy that but it adds a significant cost most times.
My hope for this knife is a horizontal carry sheath.
 
My hope for this knife is a horizontal carry sheath.

You sir, are a knife man after my own heart. @Makael can attest that I'm a huge fan of horizontal carry; he's made a few for me now with another we are working on currently.
 
Never even thought about a horizontal carry..and I don't own even one. So if it ends up being that I'm good with it. I know with folders some shieth's can be used either way is it possible for a 104 ?
 
Well lots of knife builders prefer it. Bob Dozier the doctor of D2 loves it.

Dozier makes beautiful hunting knives and D2 makes perfect sense for that application, no doubt about it.

That debate might be better suited somewhere else. This crowd is familiar with all of the steels in the category.

It's a discussion, not a debate.

If SK's goal is to sell a limited run of knives to a collectors audience who favors limited runs in unique steels, then asking the question here in the Buck forum is perfect.

If SK's goal is to create a version of the Compadre that will be an ongoing seller to a broader bushcraft/camping/survival audience, then perhaps you're correct that the question should be discussed in another forum. I would suggest either the Wilderness or Outdoor Gear sub-forums but the signal has diminished considerably over the past few months.

So, I created a mirror poll of a sort over in the General Forum. Will be interesting to compare the differences in responses.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/best-steel-for-bushcraft-camp-knife.1649407/
 
I agree that survival/bushcraft is s market Buck hasn't fully developed yet.

But I don't think D2 is the steel to do that.

Larrin's numbers on toughness. D2 is at the back of the pack.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...b-l-niolox-cpm-154-19c27-40cp-and-d2.1546412/

I'd rather see a 119 in D2. Makes sense for a hunting knife.

Ron Hood understood survival knives. The Compadre should be 5160 (or 1095 or 420hc)

Beautiful pair!

D2 makes sense in those knives for the same reason 440C would make sense. But then, you're not going baton with those knives either.

IMO, the steel should match the purpose as should the entire design of the knife.

If the poll had selected the 119, I would understand the implied purpose of the knife to be for hunting and D2 would make perfect sense.

But for a survival/camp knife, the selection might have better been: 420HC, 1095, 5160, 3V, AELB.

Some of have suggested that it would be nice if this knife had break out appeal to the survival bushcraft market in ways the Selkirk hasn't yet and perhaps more like the original Ron Hood Bucks started to.

Others have suggested issues of novelty compared to the abundance of 420HC and 5160 options already out there. That suggests to me that some view this build out less from users POV and more from a collectors POV. Collecting is fine and I'm sure SK will sell out the run to collectors if the blade is novel and D2 may scratch that itch.

I try hard not to collect and try to only buy knives I'll put in rotation. This Compadre is up against a Buck Reaper (420HC) and on old Schrade H-15 (1095). I'd find new homes for one or maybe both with a good Compadre.

Speaking as a somebody who might use this as they're primary user, the knife is only compelling enough to me to lay out money for if it improves on what I already own.

A saber flat grind in 5160 (or 420HC or 3V or AELB) would do that. I'd consider CPM-154 too.

This is shaping up to be a nice collectible and I'm sure it will sell out. But I'll end up passing on it and sticking with my Reaper and old Schrade for now.

I have never used a knife to do the job of a hatchet or ax, maybe old fashioned but thats why hatchets were made, to do small chopping/batoning chores. Most knives aren't designed to do that type of work.

This thread is to VOTE on what type the steel is, not to convince everyone to lean your way so you get what YOU want. If you want a different steel vote for it and stop hijacking this thread.
 
This may put me out..:( Not a fan of this type of carry..:eek:
John
Well maybe it can be made so both carry positions are built into the sheath. I’m not concerned about the sheath because I can always get another one but it is hard to find a Buck compadre in something other than carbon steel blade which I can get at several places . I’m interested in one that won’t rust easily.
 
I just think as a camp knife that this type of carry would get in the way.. Camp knife>>> Dangler sheath in my eyes..:D
I like the various choice carry sheath idea!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:
John
 
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