Buck vantage. Reasonable low budget US flipper?

baxtrom

baxtrom

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Jan 15, 2012
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I’m a mostly a traditionals kind of knife guy, but I’m entertaining the idea of procuring a US made flipper without spending much.

What about the Buck Vantage?
I’ve seen a few “meh” reviews.
But also a few positive.

I like it because it doesn’t look like a carbon fibre spaceship 😊 Also, I’d rather pay twice for a “meh” US made knife than buy a great Chinese flipper…

Best
D

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hit and miss. I own over a dozen versions and maybe half flip well and the other half aren't great or don't. i still like this knife and have collected a bunch of them.....

they are revamping the vantage coming soon weve been told by the Buck rep, in the Buck forum.....might be worth waiting, if youre not in a rush....
 
I had a small Vantage Pro. It has the S30v blade.

Here's my quick review of it:

Build Quality: 8/10
Flipper action: 7/10. It needs some wrist applied, or the blade pivot so loose that the blade rubs the liner.
In the pocket: 8/10. It's pretty thick, compared to its competition, so it fills the hand better, but also feels thick in the pocket.
Blade: 10/10. Buck really does a good job with their heat treatment. S30v is a high-end steel (not quite super) and this really held an edge.
Size: 7/10. JUST too small of a blade.

I would recommend the Vantage Pro (don't get a non-Pro with the crappy 420HC steel) in full size, if you're OK with it being thicker in the pocket in exchange for a nice hand-filling grip. Also realize that it's not going to compete with a Benchmade Axis Lock for flippiness.

The dark wood handles make a nice impression, too, and feel great.
 
Smaug said:
I had a small Vantage Pro. It has the S30v blade.

Here's my quick review of it:

Build Quality: 8/10
Flipper action: 7/10. It needs some wrist applied, or the blade pivot so loose that the blade rubs the liner.
In the pocket: 8/10. It's pretty thick, compared to its competition, so it fills the hand better, but also feels thick in the pocket.
Blade: 10/10. Buck really does a good job with their heat treatment. S30v is a high-end steel (not quite super) and this really held an edge.
Size: 7/10. JUST too small of a blade.

I would recommend the Vantage Pro (don't get a non-Pro with the crappy 420HC steel) in full size, if you're OK with it being thicker in the pocket in exchange for a nice hand-filling grip. Also realize that it's not going to compete with a Benchmade Axis Lock for flippiness.

The dark wood handles make a nice impression, too, and feel great.
Click to expand...
Buck 420hc isn't a crappy steel.
 
jbmonkey said:
hit and miss. I own over a dozen versions and maybe half flip well and the other half aren't great or don't. i still like this knife and have collected a bunch of them.....

they are revamping the vantage coming soon weve been told by the Buck rep, in the Buck forum.....might be worth waiting, if youre not in a rush....
Click to expand...
Interesting.
I wonder how long I’ll have to wait here on the other side of the pond 😉
 
I agree with jb, the Vantage is a pretty decent flipper. I have four in a variety of 20cv, s30v, s35vn and 420hc. I carry the 20cv every day at work for the better corrosion resistance but they all have their good points and some not as good but all are worth the price I paid. I also agree with jb that Bucks 420hc isn’t crappy. For a budget 420 grade steel no one does it better than Buck Bos heat treatment. i have several different models with it and I am imp with its performance and high toughness and corrosion resistance and easy to sharpen.

I have found that they stay flipping better if I give them a good cleaning about every month or two with soap and water blown dry and oiled.
 
Hard to go wrong with any Buck IMHO, although flippers aren't on my list. There are lots of variations, steels, so you should be able to find a Buck that suits you. Buck's heat treat with any steel ranks with the best, so no worry there.
 
I have one of the early Vantage Pro Large knives. I bout it almost as soon as they were released. I have never succeeded in flipping it. But the thumb hole works well and is adequate for my purposes.
> Love the blade. Very nice drop point with Buck's super hollow grind AKA, Edge 2000 profile. It outcuts other knives in M390 and 20CV.
> Don't care for the handle. I rounded all the edges because apparently nobody thought to break the corners. So that helped make it more comfortable. But the lock bar is thin, and at least on mine is exposed on both sides, unsupported by the handle. I get that this enables lock access left handed or right. But it's not comfortable in a hard grip.

So for those times I need a knife that cuts like a demon, the Vantage Pro is the knife I grab. The rest oif the time it stays in the drawer.
 
I don’t have a Vantage, but I do have a few other Buck flippers, and the action on them is great. In fact three of the Sprint Pros are at the top of my flipper list. So I was surprised to see the very mixed reviews of the Vantage. I love the look of it, and their blade steel is tried and true. I guess it’s probably a crap shoot if you buy one if it’s going to be a good flipper or not. I’d say take your chances and buy one from somewhere with a good return policy, so if you do get a lemon you’re not stuck with it.
 
pholder said:
Is there better steel than 420hc yes, is there worse, yes. Buck’s 420 hc is not crap.
Click to expand...
What's worse, in the Buck price range? I can't think of anything.

Would you rather have Buck's 420HC than a well-done AUS8? Not me! 4116? That's a close one.
 
I'm surprised it doesn't flip well. The Buck Marksman I just got is fantastic action wise. I got to give as a gift. If it had wood handles and PM steel I would keep it.
 
Had a 342 it was ok, I didn't care for the handle as it did feel pretty cheap but the action was decent and it sliced well, I ended up giving it to my nephew for one of his camping trips.
 
I have a Buck Vantage Select from way back, when they first came out. One thing to consider on people saying they don't flip very good, this is a design that was made back in the day when flippers were still pretty new. They didn't have all the geometries down quite yet. Mine doesn't flip very well either. The opening hole works well though. I don't like how the liner sticks out passed the liners too much either. I had mine stored for about 8 years in another state and when I got it back and pulled it out last year, the blade had a bunch of nasty rust spots. It wasn't the knife's fault though, I must have cut something with it and put it away without cleaning it good enough.
 
knarfeng said:
Don't care for the handle. I rounded all the edges because apparently nobody thought to break the corners. So that helped make it more comfortable. But the lock bar is thin, and at least on mine is exposed on both sides, unsupported by the handle. I get that this enables lock access left handed or right. But it's not comfortable in a hard grip.
Click to expand...

^ This. I handled one a couple of years ago. The action was terrible and it was uncomfortable in hand. The proud lock-bar feels like a very strange choice. It isn't slightly exposed like the jimping that pokes over the side on some of the Civivi knives. It was very exposed, like a ridge positioned perfectly to create a hot spot. Even if it didn't actively feel terrible, I don't love the idea of pressing on it during use.
 
I have a number of both the Buck Vantage and Sprint knives.
I believe that if you want a flipper the Sprint Pro series knives are a far better choice.

There's nothing wrong with Bucks 420hc blade steel.
I've field dressed multiple deer with that steel and haven't had to sharpen the blade afterward.
And it's easy to sharpen when you do. That's a big plus over many other "super steels".
 
I had a Buck Vantage about a year ago. Nothing I could do to get it to open more than about 20 degrees.
I traded it off. I really like Buck knives. Have a lot of the classic folders; 110, 302, 301, both X-tracks, Langsford (nice filpper) and the Glacier (really nice small TS/LL now DC-ed I don't understand why, really nice knife), Couple fixed blades; General, a smaller version (don't recall name).



Got a Civivi Baklash, it's a dream; easy flipper, 100 % lockup, came really sharp and has held
it's edge for a long time. It's my EDC big, companion to my always carried SAK Tinker.
 
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Danny Linguini said:
I don’t have a Vantage, but I do have a few other Buck flippers, and the action on them is great. In fact three of the Sprint Pros are at the top of my flipper list. So I was surprised to see the very mixed reviews of the Vantage. I love the look of it, and their blade steel is tried and true. I guess it’s probably a crap shoot if you buy one if it’s going to be a good flipper or not. I’d say take your chances and buy one from somewhere with a good return policy, so if you do get a lemon you’re not stuck with it.
Click to expand...

K.O.D. said:
I'm surprised it doesn't flip well. The Buck Marksman I just got is fantastic action wise. I got to give as a gift. If it had wood handles and PM steel I would keep it.
Click to expand...
sprint and marksman are bearing knives. vantage is washers. some flip easily and great without blade play. some just don't even with pivot super loose and lots of play and everything in between those two examples. sure if someone went to work on it they could smooth it out and make it better, but im talking how they leave the factory.
 
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