- Joined
- Jun 5, 2002
- Messages
- 2,761
Im into high-end knives, either high-end production, or custom, and there are very few production knives that i think are any good, Chris Reeve is one of the few. I am a perfectionist, i crave perfect fit and finish, perfect function, and so few knives satisfy me, especially liner/framelocks because it seems like its nearly impossible for any maker, even custom makers, to turn them out with correctly fitted locks on a consistant basis.
I have handled a few real Mayos and liked them, theyre extremely well made, great design, when i heard the Buck version was coming out, i was VERY skeptical, in fact, i was just about positive it would be a pathetic Mayo look alike, i have seen some poorly made Buck knives. When someone in a thread said that when it comes out, they thought it might give the CR Sebenza a run for its money, i laughed out loud, because frankly, the Sebenza is, to me, one of the finest made knives out there, and that includes most customs i have seen. The Sebenza is remarkable not merely because of its fit and finish and attention to detail, but because of the incredible consistancy of quality, knife to knife. I hold the Sebenza to be one of the benchmarks of consistant, very high quality and precision in a folding knife.
So, in that thread, i believe i said something to the effect of: "Youre dreaming if you think Buck is going to make a knife a tenth as well made as a Sebenza." Of course i said it a little nicer than that, but you get the gist.
In any case, the Buck/Mayo came out and i pretty much ignored it. I briefly read some mediocre reviews of it in this forum, confirming what i expected, spotty QC and such.
Well, fast forward a few months to last week. I was at a knife dealer, he had just gotten in a batch of Buck/Mayos. So, naturally, i was interested to see just what they were like, fully expecting them to be garbage. Well, i guess you can see where im going with this, this knife is FANTASTIC!!! I can admit when im wrong, and boy, was i wrong! I realize that the one i examined and subsequently bought may be one of the "good" ones, there may be a few lemons out there, i dont really care, because this knife is absolutely PERFECT!!! I cannot believe I am saying this, but the quality of this knife does indeed rival that of a Sebenza, and trust me, it really pains me to admit it, publicly no less. I always thought that the Sebenza was well worth the price, and i still do, the Buck is not quite as refined, but it is awfully close, has a great design, and for literally HALF the price.
As you know, the BM has an S30V blade, heat treated by Paul Bos, cant go wrong there, Ti handles, also, hard to go wrong, so, quality materials. The action is SMOOTH, custom smooth. The blade was well ground, perfectly centered and SHARP. As sharp as any knife i have seen. The lock is thick and has perfect engagement, and i am VERY picky about lock engagement. There was literally ZERO blade play in any direction. The knife opens and closes with extreme smoothness and precision, very Sebenza-like. In fact, one of the great, overlooked joys of a well made folder, is when the ball detent is well done, and the knife closes that last tiny bit with authority and a satisfying "snick" and this one is as good as i have seen, maybe better than a Sebenza. Everything about the knife screams precision and quality, i simply cant find any fault with it, and i looked. Its light, thin, easy to carry, just perfect. I feel like i should go buy 3 more for the relatively cheap price they are currently selling for.
Yes, a real Mayo is a little smoother, a little more refined, but folks, a real Mayo will run you $800, these Bucks can be found for well under $200! Its truly the next best thing and a steal at the price they sell for.
Now, as i said, it could be that i got a good specimen, i know that these knives had some QC issues along the way, but if you do get a good one, it is an AMAZING knife for the price, in fact, its an amazing knife at any price. I love this knife, and no, i dont work for Buck, nor do i know Tom personally.
I just feel like i stumbled across a well kept secret and want others to benefit.
I still love the Sebenza, but this Buck/Mayo is an incredible value and you should check one out in person if you are able. And yes, i still want a real Mayo, but just to have one, not because i think there will be a big difference between them, and i never thought that was possible on a collaboration, and from Buck no less.
Good luck.
I have handled a few real Mayos and liked them, theyre extremely well made, great design, when i heard the Buck version was coming out, i was VERY skeptical, in fact, i was just about positive it would be a pathetic Mayo look alike, i have seen some poorly made Buck knives. When someone in a thread said that when it comes out, they thought it might give the CR Sebenza a run for its money, i laughed out loud, because frankly, the Sebenza is, to me, one of the finest made knives out there, and that includes most customs i have seen. The Sebenza is remarkable not merely because of its fit and finish and attention to detail, but because of the incredible consistancy of quality, knife to knife. I hold the Sebenza to be one of the benchmarks of consistant, very high quality and precision in a folding knife.
So, in that thread, i believe i said something to the effect of: "Youre dreaming if you think Buck is going to make a knife a tenth as well made as a Sebenza." Of course i said it a little nicer than that, but you get the gist.
In any case, the Buck/Mayo came out and i pretty much ignored it. I briefly read some mediocre reviews of it in this forum, confirming what i expected, spotty QC and such.
Well, fast forward a few months to last week. I was at a knife dealer, he had just gotten in a batch of Buck/Mayos. So, naturally, i was interested to see just what they were like, fully expecting them to be garbage. Well, i guess you can see where im going with this, this knife is FANTASTIC!!! I can admit when im wrong, and boy, was i wrong! I realize that the one i examined and subsequently bought may be one of the "good" ones, there may be a few lemons out there, i dont really care, because this knife is absolutely PERFECT!!! I cannot believe I am saying this, but the quality of this knife does indeed rival that of a Sebenza, and trust me, it really pains me to admit it, publicly no less. I always thought that the Sebenza was well worth the price, and i still do, the Buck is not quite as refined, but it is awfully close, has a great design, and for literally HALF the price.
As you know, the BM has an S30V blade, heat treated by Paul Bos, cant go wrong there, Ti handles, also, hard to go wrong, so, quality materials. The action is SMOOTH, custom smooth. The blade was well ground, perfectly centered and SHARP. As sharp as any knife i have seen. The lock is thick and has perfect engagement, and i am VERY picky about lock engagement. There was literally ZERO blade play in any direction. The knife opens and closes with extreme smoothness and precision, very Sebenza-like. In fact, one of the great, overlooked joys of a well made folder, is when the ball detent is well done, and the knife closes that last tiny bit with authority and a satisfying "snick" and this one is as good as i have seen, maybe better than a Sebenza. Everything about the knife screams precision and quality, i simply cant find any fault with it, and i looked. Its light, thin, easy to carry, just perfect. I feel like i should go buy 3 more for the relatively cheap price they are currently selling for.
Yes, a real Mayo is a little smoother, a little more refined, but folks, a real Mayo will run you $800, these Bucks can be found for well under $200! Its truly the next best thing and a steal at the price they sell for.
Now, as i said, it could be that i got a good specimen, i know that these knives had some QC issues along the way, but if you do get a good one, it is an AMAZING knife for the price, in fact, its an amazing knife at any price. I love this knife, and no, i dont work for Buck, nor do i know Tom personally.
I just feel like i stumbled across a well kept secret and want others to benefit.
I still love the Sebenza, but this Buck/Mayo is an incredible value and you should check one out in person if you are able. And yes, i still want a real Mayo, but just to have one, not because i think there will be a big difference between them, and i never thought that was possible on a collaboration, and from Buck no less.
Good luck.
