Well the day has arrived where the eagerly anticipated 2018 BF knife has made an appearance in my mailbox. Knowing the hype that has surrounded forum knives in the past and seeing some of the critiques here has served to temper my enthusiasm some though. Nevertheless, the knife is here and I would like to provide some commentary and pictures, detailing my thoughts, and providing critiques where appropriate.
Before I begin, let me say that I have been very appreciative of Stephen's enthusiasm for this project, his willingness to engage with a very fickle and critical crowd, and his unflappable patience in the face of everything that comes with organizing a forum knife. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed and I really hope this endeavor has served to steer a lot of business your way. Congratulations to you and your family in regards to the new little one and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.
Now, on to the knife.
When I opened up the packaging, I did so with excitement and trepidation. Because of the nature of natural materials like stag and elk, there is going to be variety, no two examples are going to be the same. I was an advocate for Elk and I was a very strong supporter of the dark and knobby features versus the white and smooth. When I discovered that not only were we going to have elk but dark and knobby elk at that, you can imagine my elation.
Now imagine what my disappointment was when I unwrapped the knife you see below. It is almost completely opposite of what I had voted and hoped for. Unfortunately, first impressions are difficult to shake and since I wanted my review to be as objective as possible, I put it back in its box, continued with work and hoped for a better frame of mind when it came time to write this.
Now that the time has come, let me begin with the positives:
Now for the critiques:
- The elk covers are nice and thin and are as perfectly matched as one could hope for. Almost indistinguishable from mark to pile side. Matching covers are never a deal breaker for me but it is certainly nice to see the effort Buck made to ensure that there were no dramatic differences.
- Some folks have complained of blade play. I am happy to note that there is zero play in both blades on my example. They are tight, with no movement or gaps at the bolsters.
- The pulls are adequate. Someone mentioned that they were comparable to the GEC Churchill and I would agree with that assessment. Smooth and medium-light.
- Overall fit and finish is quite good. I can see a bit of daylight between springs and liners but only if I am looking for it. All the transitions are smooth and I do not feel my fingers catching on any edges.
Overall, aside from my subjectivity, this is a great knife with the potential for being a spectacular working knife, especially with some blade tune-ups. Thank you, @skblades, for all of your efforts, and my thanks to the Buck crew. I will be looking forward to seeing what further collaborations can be made in the future.
- I've already mentioned my disappointment with the color and texture in the elk I received. Knowing that elk is typically on the bland side, I knew what to expect. But it didn't stop me from at least hoping. I guess my biggest concern is that I was led to believe that there were assurances that these knives would be made with what was voted on. So yes, I feel a bit let down and this is easily the biggest gripe I have with the knife. Purely subjective but it is what it is.
- I love the FFG of the blades. That being said, they remind me a lot of the blades on the Lion Steel Euro Barlows. The thickness behind the edge is pretty significant. They also are not that sharp and will require a fair amount of work to get them to a point where they can become more efficient cutters.
- I like the slimness of the knife but with that comes the potential for blade rub. The blades are nested very close together and I have to be very careful (especially with the sheepfoot) when opening so as not to cause them to rub. Not a huge deal or even necessarily a critique. Something to simply keep in mind if you want to avoid unnecessary scratches.
Pictures!
Mark side:
Pile side:
Sun's out, blades out!
Glam shot!
Well the day has arrived where the eagerly anticipated 2018 BF knife has made an appearance in my mailbox. Knowing the hype that has surrounded forum knives in the past and seeing some of the critiques here has served to temper my enthusiasm some though. Nevertheless, the knife is here and I would like to provide some commentary and pictures, detailing my thoughts, and providing critiques where appropriate.
Before I begin, let me say that I have been very appreciative of Stephen's enthusiasm for this project, his willingness to engage with a very fickle and critical crowd, and his unflappable patience in the face of everything that comes with organizing a forum knife. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed and I really hope this endeavor has served to steer a lot of business your way. Congratulations to you and your family in regards to the new little one and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.
Now, on to the knife.
When I opened up the packaging, I did so with excitement and trepidation. Because of the nature of natural materials like stag and elk, there is going to be variety, no two examples are going to be the same. I was an advocate for Elk and I was a very strong supporter of the dark and knobby features versus the white and smooth. When I discovered that not only were we going to have elk but dark and knobby elk at that, you can imagine my elation.
Now imagine what my disappointment was when I unwrapped the knife you see below. It is almost completely opposite of what I had voted and hoped for. Unfortunately, first impressions are difficult to shake and since I wanted my review to be as objective as possible, I put it back in its box, continued with work and hoped for a better frame of mind when it came time to write this.
Now that the time has come, let me begin with the positives:
Now for the critiques:
- The elk covers are nice and thin and are as perfectly matched as one could hope for. Almost indistinguishable from mark to pile side. Matching covers are never a deal breaker for me but it is certainly nice to see the effort Buck made to ensure that there were no dramatic differences.
- Some folks have complained of blade play. I am happy to note that there is zero play in both blades on my example. They are tight, with no movement or gaps at the bolsters.
- The pulls are adequate. Someone mentioned that they were comparable to the GEC Churchill and I would agree with that assessment. Smooth and medium-light.
- Overall fit and finish is quite good. I can see a bit of daylight between springs and liners but only if I am looking for it. All the transitions are smooth and I do not feel my fingers catching on any edges.
Overall, aside from my subjectivity, this is a great knife with the potential for being a spectacular working knife, especially with some blade tune-ups. Thank you, @skblades, for all of your efforts, and my thanks to the Buck crew. I will be looking forward to seeing what further collaborations can be made in the future.
- I've already mentioned my disappointment with the color and texture in the elk I received. Knowing that elk is typically on the bland side, I knew what to expect. But it didn't stop me from at least hoping. I guess my biggest concern is that I was led to believe that there were assurances that these knives would be made with what was voted on. So yes, I feel a bit let down and this is easily the biggest gripe I have with the knife. Purely subjective but it is what it is.
- I love the FFG of the blades. That being said, they remind me a lot of the blades on the Lion Steel Euro Barlows. The thickness behind the edge is pretty significant. They also are not that sharp and will require a fair amount of work to get them to a point where they can become more efficient cutters.
- I like the slimness of the knife but with that comes the potential for blade rub. The blades are nested very close together and I have to be very careful (especially with the sheepfoot) when opening so as not to cause them to rub. Not a huge deal or even necessarily a critique. Something to simply keep in mind if you want to avoid unnecessary scratches.
Pictures!
Mark side:
Pile side:
Sun's out, blades out!
Glam shot!
I’m sorry that you didn’t get what you were hoping for with respect to your elk, but I couldn’t stop myself from commenting that yours is the prettiest example of this knife I’ve seen posted so far.
I find it interesting that this year's knife is so close in pattern to the Canal Street model we did a couple years ago. I'll have to compare them side by side, but they are pretty similar.
I actually like the looks of your covers, smooth antler can be very comfy in hand and in pocket. Here's hoping that this knife grows on you with natural materials, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, and each one is unique...Well the day has arrived where the eagerly anticipated 2018 BF knife has made an appearance in my mailbox. Knowing the hype that has surrounded forum knives in the past and seeing some of the critiques here has served to temper my enthusiasm some though. Nevertheless, the knife is here and I would like to provide some commentary and pictures, detailing my thoughts, and providing critiques where appropriate.
Before I begin, let me say that I have been very appreciative of Stephen's enthusiasm for this project, his willingness to engage with a very fickle and critical crowd, and his unflappable patience in the face of everything that comes with organizing a forum knife. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed and I really hope this endeavor has served to steer a lot of business your way. Congratulations to you and your family in regards to the new little one and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.
Now, on to the knife.
When I opened up the packaging, I did so with excitement and trepidation. Because of the nature of natural materials like stag and elk, there is going to be variety, no two examples are going to be the same. I was an advocate for Elk and I was a very strong supporter of the dark and knobby features versus the white and smooth. When I discovered that not only were we going to have elk but dark and knobby elk at that, you can imagine my elation.
Now imagine what my disappointment was when I unwrapped the knife you see below. It is almost completely opposite of what I had voted and hoped for. Unfortunately, first impressions are difficult to shake and since I wanted my review to be as objective as possible, I put it back in its box, continued with work and hoped for a better frame of mind when it came time to write this.
Now that the time has come, let me begin with the positives:
Now for the critiques:
- The elk covers are nice and thin and are as perfectly matched as one could hope for. Almost indistinguishable from mark to pile side. Matching covers are never a deal breaker for me but it is certainly nice to see the effort Buck made to ensure that there were no dramatic differences.
- Some folks have complained of blade play. I am happy to note that there is zero play in both blades on my example. They are tight, with no movement or gaps at the bolsters.
- The pulls are adequate. Someone mentioned that they were comparable to the GEC Churchill and I would agree with that assessment. Smooth and medium-light.
- Overall fit and finish is quite good. I can see a bit of daylight between springs and liners but only if I am looking for it. All the transitions are smooth and I do not feel my fingers catching on any edges.
Overall, aside from my subjectivity, this is a great knife with the potential for being a spectacular working knife, especially with some blade tune-ups. Thank you, @skblades, for all of your efforts, and my thanks to the Buck crew. I will be looking forward to seeing what further collaborations can be made in the future.
- I've already mentioned my disappointment with the color and texture in the elk I received. Knowing that elk is typically on the bland side, I knew what to expect. But it didn't stop me from at least hoping. I guess my biggest concern is that I was led to believe that there were assurances that these knives would be made with what was voted on. So yes, I feel a bit let down and this is easily the biggest gripe I have with the knife. Purely subjective but it is what it is.
- I love the FFG of the blades. That being said, they remind me a lot of the blades on the Lion Steel Euro Barlows. The thickness behind the edge is pretty significant. They also are not that sharp and will require a fair amount of work to get them to a point where they can become more efficient cutters.
- I like the slimness of the knife but with that comes the potential for blade rub. The blades are nested very close together and I have to be very careful (especially with the sheepfoot) when opening so as not to cause them to rub. Not a huge deal or even necessarily a critique. Something to simply keep in mind if you want to avoid unnecessary scratches.
Pictures!
Mark side:
Pile side:
Sun's out, blades out!
Glam shot!
I feel blessed to have received my first Buck Forum Traditional -
I cannot be more pleased - prefect stag, great construction and a great heritage - a fantastic knife to be enjoyed for the ages.
A sincere thank you to everyone that made this great knife a reality and placed it in my hands to enjoy for a lifetime - or more.
Can't wipe the smile from my face - thank you all!
best
mqqn