Buck Marksman review (this specific Buck Marksman was built on 6-18-14)
The Marksman is an eye catching knife, and possibly the biggest leap for Buck in quite awhile. I'm glad they took the leap. This knife is one of a kind, and other than a few very small mishaps, the knife would be in a league of it's own at this price point. It features Buck's new Strong Lock System, which is a strap lock with a few modifications, and a nice 154CM 3.5'' blade. According to Buck, the Strong Lock System can with stand 600 pounds of force, and is the strongest lock they've tested. The Marksman is a collaboration between Buck and Grant & Gavin Hawk. Another plus, the Marksman is 100% Made in the USA. Also, Buck's Forever Warranty and great customer service really sweetens the deal. I picked up the Marksman for $82.99 from an online retailing giant.
Aesthetics: The Marksman is stunning, no question about it. It has a look of none other, and the blade shape in my opinion is PERFECT. The Black Aluminum handles really offset the bead blasted blade finish.
Materials: The Marksman is put together very well, with the exception of a few pieces of soft (pot metal) hardware, which I will get to later. The knife is also extremely light when accounted for the quality of materials it is made up of, the Marksman clocks in at 4 oz. The knife is shockingly light.
The handles are milled Aluminum, and feel very high quality. The Blade is 3.5'' 154CM with BOS Heat Treat in a bead blasted finish.
The negative on this front are what I consider to be cheap pot metal screws that hold the strap lock in place. These are located on the top of the strap lock. When adjusting the strap lock one must be very careful not to over tighten these screws, they will distort and strip if not careful. I have replacement screws being sent from Buck free of charge. The strap lock screws need to be hardened, plain and simple. Another negative, is that the blade stop pin is metal inserted into an Aluminum handle. Metal beats steel, and thus after hard use the stop pin will wiggle slightly. This can be compensated by loosening the top two strap lock screws, and slightly tightening the strap lock adjustment screw, followed by tightening back up the strap lock screws.
Cutting ability: The Marksman will cut through cardboard, foam, wire, string without effort. I found it to also hold its own with some moderate wood work such as whittling, cutting small branches, etc. The knife came extremely sharp, possibly the sharpest knife I've ever owned. The hollow grind really helps the knife cut through various materials like they are butter.
Function: The Marksman is ultra smooth thanks to the blade riding on two sets of caged ball bearings. You will be stunned at how easy this knife pivots.
The knife can be opened by either a flipper or thumb hole. The flipper works fantastic, and is the fastest non assisted flipper I've ever used. The flipper has great jimping that really grabs ahold of your finger when flipping. The thumb hole is also a nice option, especially when in an office environment. The thumb hole provides a smooth, steady, and quite way to open, as the flipper method provides a clank when opening.
When opened, and closed the knife is held in place by a strap lock at the top of the knife.
At first glance, closing the blade may be a two handed ordeal for a day or so for some folks. Buck states to pull up on the strap lock while pulling down on the blade to close the knife. I was very surprised and pleased to find one handed closing very easy, although you will develop a callous on the tip of your Right index finger if you follow this closing method. With the knife open, simply hold the knife in your Right hand, pull the front of strap lock upwards with your Right index finger, hold knife parallel to ground, the weight of the blade and gravity will do the rest to close the blade. Also important to note is how the knife feels in hand. The machined grooves in the handles really give your hands a good purchase, the overall shape of the handles are designed very well.
Over time parts will wear, settle in to place, and leave a bit of play in the lockup. No fear, there is an adjustment screw in Marksman that will pull the strap lock towards the rear of the knife, thus making lockup feel like a bank vault.
Also worth mentioning is the deep carry pocket clip. In my opinion, there is none better. Simple, elegant design.
Tools needed for disassembly:
-Pivot: T10
-Handle screws & pocket clip screws: T6
-2 Strap Lock screws: 1/16'' Hex
-1 Strap Lock adjustment screw: .050'' Hex
Conclusion: There's no doubt Buck should offer the Marksman in different sizes, blade types, and color configurations. This knife aims to be fill a tactical, military, EDC role, and no doubt a Marksman with OD Green handle scales with a Black blade coating would sell like hotcakes. Not too mention various other combinations.
To finish up, if I lost this knife, or somehow broke the blade, I would go out and buy another one. It's a fantastic knife, and a very modern knife from Buck.
Buy it.
UPDATE, video showing function: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NLzHVlsQn30
Also, I'd like to commend Buck's Customer Service as well. I had sent Buck an email asking for additional strap lock screws (with the strap lock screws being hardened less than I desire). I received a package from Buck in less than a week with additional strap lock screws, free of charge.
The Marksman is an eye catching knife, and possibly the biggest leap for Buck in quite awhile. I'm glad they took the leap. This knife is one of a kind, and other than a few very small mishaps, the knife would be in a league of it's own at this price point. It features Buck's new Strong Lock System, which is a strap lock with a few modifications, and a nice 154CM 3.5'' blade. According to Buck, the Strong Lock System can with stand 600 pounds of force, and is the strongest lock they've tested. The Marksman is a collaboration between Buck and Grant & Gavin Hawk. Another plus, the Marksman is 100% Made in the USA. Also, Buck's Forever Warranty and great customer service really sweetens the deal. I picked up the Marksman for $82.99 from an online retailing giant.
Aesthetics: The Marksman is stunning, no question about it. It has a look of none other, and the blade shape in my opinion is PERFECT. The Black Aluminum handles really offset the bead blasted blade finish.
Materials: The Marksman is put together very well, with the exception of a few pieces of soft (pot metal) hardware, which I will get to later. The knife is also extremely light when accounted for the quality of materials it is made up of, the Marksman clocks in at 4 oz. The knife is shockingly light.
The handles are milled Aluminum, and feel very high quality. The Blade is 3.5'' 154CM with BOS Heat Treat in a bead blasted finish.
The negative on this front are what I consider to be cheap pot metal screws that hold the strap lock in place. These are located on the top of the strap lock. When adjusting the strap lock one must be very careful not to over tighten these screws, they will distort and strip if not careful. I have replacement screws being sent from Buck free of charge. The strap lock screws need to be hardened, plain and simple. Another negative, is that the blade stop pin is metal inserted into an Aluminum handle. Metal beats steel, and thus after hard use the stop pin will wiggle slightly. This can be compensated by loosening the top two strap lock screws, and slightly tightening the strap lock adjustment screw, followed by tightening back up the strap lock screws.
Cutting ability: The Marksman will cut through cardboard, foam, wire, string without effort. I found it to also hold its own with some moderate wood work such as whittling, cutting small branches, etc. The knife came extremely sharp, possibly the sharpest knife I've ever owned. The hollow grind really helps the knife cut through various materials like they are butter.
Function: The Marksman is ultra smooth thanks to the blade riding on two sets of caged ball bearings. You will be stunned at how easy this knife pivots.
The knife can be opened by either a flipper or thumb hole. The flipper works fantastic, and is the fastest non assisted flipper I've ever used. The flipper has great jimping that really grabs ahold of your finger when flipping. The thumb hole is also a nice option, especially when in an office environment. The thumb hole provides a smooth, steady, and quite way to open, as the flipper method provides a clank when opening.
When opened, and closed the knife is held in place by a strap lock at the top of the knife.
At first glance, closing the blade may be a two handed ordeal for a day or so for some folks. Buck states to pull up on the strap lock while pulling down on the blade to close the knife. I was very surprised and pleased to find one handed closing very easy, although you will develop a callous on the tip of your Right index finger if you follow this closing method. With the knife open, simply hold the knife in your Right hand, pull the front of strap lock upwards with your Right index finger, hold knife parallel to ground, the weight of the blade and gravity will do the rest to close the blade. Also important to note is how the knife feels in hand. The machined grooves in the handles really give your hands a good purchase, the overall shape of the handles are designed very well.
Over time parts will wear, settle in to place, and leave a bit of play in the lockup. No fear, there is an adjustment screw in Marksman that will pull the strap lock towards the rear of the knife, thus making lockup feel like a bank vault.
Also worth mentioning is the deep carry pocket clip. In my opinion, there is none better. Simple, elegant design.
Tools needed for disassembly:
-Pivot: T10
-Handle screws & pocket clip screws: T6
-2 Strap Lock screws: 1/16'' Hex
-1 Strap Lock adjustment screw: .050'' Hex
Conclusion: There's no doubt Buck should offer the Marksman in different sizes, blade types, and color configurations. This knife aims to be fill a tactical, military, EDC role, and no doubt a Marksman with OD Green handle scales with a Black blade coating would sell like hotcakes. Not too mention various other combinations.
To finish up, if I lost this knife, or somehow broke the blade, I would go out and buy another one. It's a fantastic knife, and a very modern knife from Buck.
Buy it.
UPDATE, video showing function: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NLzHVlsQn30
Also, I'd like to commend Buck's Customer Service as well. I had sent Buck an email asking for additional strap lock screws (with the strap lock screws being hardened less than I desire). I received a package from Buck in less than a week with additional strap lock screws, free of charge.
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