I came aboard BladeForums this last August; just found this thread yesterday. And with the thread being "quiet" for a while now, I don't know if anyone will comment again.
Notice below the portions of your comments that I have put in bold. That's where I'm at. I was at our local wally-world this week, and bought a new Buck 389 Canoe, my third Buck in my small knife collection. What caught my eye was the brown jig bone handle. I got a limited edition Henry-Case folder a while ago, and it carries an
antique logs handle. I keep on looking for eye-catching (to me) handles. This one really fit the bill.
A couple of things about this knife: one is a plus, the other is not. The negative is that I wish it were USA-Made; this knife was built in China. Not having USA on the blade for me is simply a sad commentary. I wish the company didn't outsource their knives, but I'm not in charge. The good part is that this is a very solid and well-built knife. The jig bone handle fit-to-metal is right on. Again for me, the best of all is the cool-looking handle design...I like it a lot.
However, after reading this thread, I'm more discouraged now with this purchase. So I guess this is #2 negative. I feel that the Canoe 389 should almost not even be for sale on U.S.A. shelves. Wonder why the Buck company, pretty well-known for high-quality knives, would produce a knife in China and put their name on it having poor blade steel like this? I didn't know anything about the lack of good quality that comes with 420J2 steel. This thread sure informed me, and I guess as a knife newbie, there is more to learn.
OK, here is the Buck 389 Canoe I now have....a good reminder to be watchful and more careful in my future Buck acquisitions.
You seem to understand steel well enough to keep your expectations in check. Given what you said, I think it will do fine for you.
It's the others that don't know some Buck knives are made in China, with a lower grade steel, that buy a Buck for it's name and have higher expectations. It took me a few (online) purchases to realize I need to look a little closer at what I'm buying. That being said, my 389 Canoe and 379 Solo knives are both pretty knives and they will cut stuff for a while.
I find it incredibly sad that Buck has moved some of their traditional slip joints to overseas production. IMO, a traditional design looses something when it is made somewhere other than the country that gave birth to that tradition. It's sort of like buying an Opinel made in Slovenia. Nothing wrong with Slovenian knives but they have their own traditions and don't need to be making traditional French knives. In the same way, I find imported stockmen and canoes to have something of a "trinket" vibe and that has nothing to do with their quality.
I gave a friend of mine an imported Buck Canoe a few years ago. The fit and finish was top notch, consistent with reports of imported Rough Riders and imported Taylor brand Schrades. But, my friend noted that the steel lost its edge very quickly.
420HC has more carbon in it and can be hardened much higher than 420J2. I would recommend using a wider angle on the edge to minimize edge rolling and carrying a pocket stone if you like a sharp edge.
More to the point, if you're interested in a stockman type knife, I would recommend skipping a few beers and putting the money towards a US made Buck 300 series knife. You'll be getting a knife with better steel and you'll be getting a knife with real traditional pedigree.
