Buck Marksman owner comments/thoughts please...

[mjdragonfly]

I am considering the purchase of a Buck Marksman folding knife. The super strong locking system (SLS) is very interesting though perhaps not all that it was hyped up to be. The lock while very strong from a static load point of view (said to withstand over 600 lbs dead weight) does have some dynamic issues, the locking strap can jump when presented with a hard impact upon the blade such as batoning for example. The locking strap can move over time should the knife assembly loosen up. Not that I would ever use a folding knife to baton with and I would not use a fixed blade to baton anything but light wood when a hatchet or axe would do a better job with no risk of damage.

So I am looking for comments and thought from those of you who own or have owned or used this knife to get a better idea of what you think about the knife the design and the Bos Heat Treat especially. I just purchased a small version Buck Vantage Pro used (it's in the mail) so that I could get some idea how the Bos S30V steel compares to Spyderco S30V. So your thought on the handy work of Paul Bos would also be of interest. I have been thinking about getting a flipper and wonder if this might be a really good choice. Thanks to all who contribute.

For those who are not familiar with the Buck Marksman and are curious here is a short video review by Nick Shabaz so you have a better understanding of what the discussion is about.

https://youtu.be/hfsbj7Yzp-s

[Evil D]

The concept of the lock looks similar to the Wildsteer WX, just less elaborate.

[mjdragonfly]

Hey EvilD: cool knife but to spendy for me though. Chris Reeves used a reverse version of this lock on one of his knives. It would seem that aside from issues with jarring impact like batoning the lock ought to be very solid for most all types of use. I have to say that it is very easy to get spoiled by Spyderco so far a build quality and value goes add to that the bucks look rough in comparison.

[ugaarguy]

I have one, and it's different. The strap lock doesn't provide much of a detent to keep it closed. If it's not fully closed or fully open there's nothing but the ball bearings contacting the blade, unlike almost every other lock where there's at least a detent ball in contact with the blade. It's the smoothest, most free swinging blade I've ever felt. I don't think it's a good first flipper, because it's so unlike anything else on the market. I carried mine once or twice and it's been sitting in the box since then because it's just so weird to me.

[mjdragonfly]

I have one, and it's different. The strap lock doesn't provide much of a detent to keep it closed. If it's not fully closed or fully open there's nothing but the ball bearings contacting the blade, unlike almost every other lock where there's at least a detent ball in contact with the blade. It's the smoothest, most free swinging blade I've ever felt. I don't think it's a good first flipper, because it's so unlike anything else on the market. I carried mine once or twice and it's been sitting in the box since then because it's just so weird to me.

Hey thanks for posting about your Marksman, did you choose the drop point or the tanto? If you have little to no detent your lock bar or strap (which ever term you prefer) could be adjusted. You are right and it would seem that from the factory this is a knife with a blade designed to move very easily when unlocked.
There has been comment from some about the handle being sharp on the hand. Do you have any issues with the edges of the handles? Appreciate your feedback.

[mjdragonfly]

I also want to get some opinions regarding blade bounce with the Marksman when deploying the blade. There have been comments/warnings about this. I am curious to know if this is more an issue with correct adjustment of the locking mechanism or one of deployment technique or a little of both? From my reading it would seem that this knife often leaves the factory poorly/badly set up.

If I am careless in my technique I can make my Manix 2 bounce occasionally but most often I find that I have not released the the ball cage and have been inadvertently holding the lock in the open position so it can only bounce (user error). Yes, this is sometimes a lesson in keeping you phalanges outside of the blade path as this we know is how the spider bites.

[mjdragonfly]

found this knife with a similar design lock https://www.crkt.com/tighe-rod.html tis model has been discontinued but there is a new current and similar design. Lots of ways to skin a cat but nothing beats a sharp knife.

[guywithopinion]

Late to the party. But I think the build quality is much better than on the Vantage (I assume you got your Vantage Pro by now). But the blade shape is very very similar. I like my Marksman. It's a good slicer, decent steel, ridiculously free action, and it's attractive (at least the blade shape/grind). If I didn't own it, I wouldn't buy a Vantage though. Which is to say the novelty of the lock and the better build quality made a difference to me personally. But purely functionally, the S30V Vantage has an almost identical blade, is much cheaper, and has what most would consider a superior steel (S30V vs 154CM).

I second the comment about the detent. I only carry it with the blade against the seam of my pocket. I can flick it open by jerking just the handle extremely easily.

I do not find the handles objectionable, though the pattern is rough on pockets. The jimping on the side of the lockbar seem like they'd cheese-grate your hands but I do not find that to be the case in moderate use.

Blade bounce is real. The blade locking open has more resistance than the detent holding it closed. Most flippers are liner locks, the blade just has to travel far enough for the lock bar to slide over. The Marksman has to travel that far with enough momentum to raise the lockbar over the locking tab on the blade. If it does not have enough, it will instead spring the lockbar partly up, and the lockbar will then rocket the blade closed when it springs back down. If this happens with less momentum than is needed to overcome the detent, it will bounce back up and back down several times.

[mjdragonfly]

Late to the party. But I think the build quality is much better than on the Vantage (I assume you got your Vantage Pro by now).

yes I thoughtthat I would pass on the small Vantge Pro at first but it has steadily grown on me and the Buck/Paul Bos treated S30V is very nice steel indeed. I have grown to like it a lot. I have rounded over all the scale edges so they are smooth in the hand now. I have filed back the cutaway for the thumb hole opening side of the liner and scale some making access a little easier so now it's not as hard to thumb flick open. I did the same thing on the top side of the scales just behind the flipper tab and ground them down into the body just enough to get an extra bit of deployment with the flipper stud. So you can push the thumb stud a little farther making for a slightly easier easier/less pressure or loading up using the light switch action to deploy the blade. I also rounded out the front profile of the liners/scales a little bit so they look a little more symmetrical now. While I had it apart I bent the lock liner back just enough to place it in a better position and it opens easier than it did and I gave it a cleaning and a fresh few dots of lubricant. Feels nice in the hand now and is a little nicer to operate. I think this will be a keeper now. With a little work it is a very decent and comfortable knife to use with a very nice looking blade. It's a good size for my hand though I would not want it any shorter than it is and I am now used to the weight now so that has ceased to be an issue (when I first got I thought it was too heavy).
My first Buck made just a little bit custom and I really like it. The changes I made are subtle and to hold it in your hand and look at it you probably would not know they were done unless you had a stock 347 in the other hand to compare it to but to me they make a world of difference in the every day use of the knife. Later this summer I may acid etch and stone wash the blade. Have not decided on that yet but I like the idea and I have seen some that look great that way. Thanks. (Oh I almost forgot I re profiled the tip dropping it down nearly a 1/16" lower bringing the drop point closer to the knife centre line and it looks a little bit more aggressive that way. That was much more work than I had ever thought it would be given the RHC of the blade and I am glad that I have the CBN stones that made it possible. However I would not try that mod again but I am pleased with the results.)