Buck Makes Too Many Great Hunting Knives
So I organized every hunting knife Buck makes that I could find, then organized them by series and type into tables so you can see the differences at an easy glance to find your best option.
Buck has been one of the biggest go-to knife makers for hunting and camping for decades. Whether you plan on hunting deer or duck, there’s a Buck knife you should take with you.
On the one hand, that’s a nice, strong legacy. The problem is that any company that’s been around for that long has put out a lot of different products by necessity. Buck knives might be the American hunting knife, but which Buck knife? They make too many variations of all their knives to keep track of… unless you spend too much time going through their catalogue specifically to start keeping track of them.
In the first half of this blog I’ve tried to categorize all these knives according their style or the collection they belong to. Not all of them fit so cleanly into a category so you might see outliers, but every Buck knife that seemed (to me) to be made especially for hunting is in the blog. In the second half I take some of the knives out of the tables that I think are the best for small or large game and talk about them in a little more detail.
Table of contents:
Part 1
- Buck Knife Features
- Hunters and Rangers: The EDC Hunting Set (110 & 112)
- 101 Hunter, the Fixed Blade Buck 110
- Orphan Hunting Knives
- Buck Bowies: The Survival Set
- Open Season Knives: The Dedicated Hunting Set
- PackLite Knives: The Backpacking Set
- Buck Hunting Multi-Tools
Part 2
Buck Knife Features
You’ll see a few odd things attached to some of these knives that you might not recognize right away. I think most people know what it means when they see BOS 420HC steel, but what about DymaLux wood? I didn’t know either. Here’s what I’ve found about that kind of thing:
Edge2X Blade Technology: This is a whole “new” process of creating edges that Buck started in 1999. It involves laser-cutting machines and a different way of heat treating, but essentially it’s a reduced angle on the edge’s bevel from what had been around 45 degrees total to 30 degrees total (meaning a 15 degree bevel on each side of the edge). This makes the blade a lot better at slicing, and a little easier to sharpen, although it does require a gentler touch.
Crelicam Ebony: This is ebony wood bought from the Crelicam wood mill owned by Madinter (a wood supplier) and Taylor Guitars (a guitar manufacturer). The idea of the company is to promote and encourage legal and ethical sourcing of ebony wood, which has been a problem in the past.
DymaLux Wood: This is basically dyed birch laminate injected with resin. If you were ever familiar with the Dymondwood scales Buck knives used to have, it’s similar to that.
Hunters and Rangers: The EDC Hunting Set
These are the designs that made everyone fall in love with Buck knives, and probably knives in general. The 110s and 112s have been around for a long time now, and we’ve never stopped buying the crap out of them because they’re great EDCs, but hunting and general camping was their original intention.
Table of Buck 110 and 112 Variations
Recently the 110 and 112 models have seen a lot of upgrades recently. Buck updated everything in this series with different steels, handle materials, and carry systems. The clip point blade style and blade sizes remain the same throughout every versions, though.
| Steel | Handle | Open System | Carry System | Amazon Links #ad | Blade HQ Links #ad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 420HC | Wood Handle | Nail Nick Open | Sheath | 110 / 112 | 110 / 112 |
| Pro | S30V Vanadium | G10 Handle | Nail Nick Open | Sheath | 110 / 112 | 110 / 112 |
| LT | 420HC | Nylon Handle | Nail Nick Open | Sheath | 110 / 112 | 110 / 112 |
| Auto | 420HC | Wood Handle | Button Open | Sheath | 110 / 112 | 110 / 112 |
| Auto Elite | S30V Vanadium | G10 Handle | Button Open | Sheath | 110 / 112 | 110 / 112 |
| Slim | 420HC | Nylon Handle | Thumb Stud Open | Pocket clip | 110 / 112 | 110 / 112 |
| Slim Pro | S30V Vanadium | Micarta Handle | Thumb Stud Open | Pocket clip | 110 / 112 | 110 / 112 |
101 Hunter, the Fixed Blade Buck 110
| Overall Length: | 8.5″ |
| Blade Length: | 3.75″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Clip point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Crelicam |
| Carry System: | Leather sheath |
Just what it says. The 101 Hunter is exactly the same as your standard Buck 110 except it’s a fixed blade. I don’t hear a lot of chatter about this little outlier, and I definitely don’t see many people carry it, but it’s a nice thought from Buck, whether or not it’s actually a good idea. A full-tang 110 seems like a neat thing to own.
Orphan Hunting Knives
There are a few good hunting knives by Buck that aren’t part of a series and don’t quite fit cleanly into any category beyond “hunting”, so this is where they go. I’m putting them up here at the beginning so they don’t get missed, because some of these really are fantastic knives.
| Overall / Blade Size | Steel | Carry System | Handle | Blade Style | Folding / Fixed Blade | Check Price On Amazon #ad | Check Price On Blade HQ #ad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Hunter | 8.125” / 3.5” | 420HC | Nylon pouch | Rubber Handle | Drop point | Folding | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| Omni Hunter 10 pt | 7.75” / 3.25” | 420HC | Nylon pouch | Rubber Hanndle | Drop point | Fixed Blade & Folding | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| Omni Hunter 12pt | 9.75” / 4.0” | 420HC | Nylon sheath | Rubber Handle | Drop point | Fixed Blade & Folding | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 401 Kalinga | 10.0” / 4.75” | 420HC | Leather sheath | Dymalux wood Handle | Skinner | Fixed blade | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 103 Skinner | 8.25” / 4.0” | 420HC | Leather sheath | Phenolic or Dymalux Handle | Skinner | Fixed blade | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| Vanguard | 8.5” / 4.25” | 420HC | Leather sheath | Rubber or DymaLux Handle | Drop point | Fixed blade | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| Zipper | 8.5” / 4.125” | 420HC | Nylon sheath | Rubber or DymaLux Handle | Guthook drop point | Fixed blade | Amazon | Blade HQ |
Buck Bowies: The Survival Set
By all rights, these should probably be included in the Big Game knives category, but Buck’s bowie knives are a little more versatile than that. Many of these are the kinds of knives you could take into the woods with nothing else. They all have pretty long blade, but many are thin enough to work with smaller game in a pinch, and they can handle some bushcraft and survival jobs a lot better than the skinning-oriented knives that dominate this list.
Many are customizable, and Buck offers a decent range of handle and blade materials, but for the most part these are all 420HC with phenolic or DymaLux wood handles that could stand to be a little grippier.
| Overall Size | Blade Size | Blade Style | S30V Version | Check Price On Amazon#ad | Check Price On Blade HQ #ad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102 Buck Woodsman | 7.75” Overall | 4.0” Blade | Standard Clip point | No S30V Version | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 105 Pathfinder | 9.125” Overall | 5.0” Blade | Modified Clip point | No S30V Version | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 118 Personal | 8.5” Overall | 4.5” Blade | Modified Clip point | No S30V Version | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 119 Special | 10.5” Overall | 6.0” Blade | Standard Clip point | Has S30V Version | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 120 General | 12.0” Overall | 7.375” Blade | Standard Clip point | No S30V Version | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 124 Frontiersman | 11.75” Overall | 6.25” Blade | Slight Drop point | No S30V Version | Amazon | Blade HQ |
Open Season Knives: The Dedicated Hunting Set
This is Buck’s dedicated hunting series. Whatever you’re planning on doing or hunting on your next trip, Buck has tried to make a knife under this name that will be perfect for the job. Right now, there are two versions of these knives made: the regular Open Season knives which are mostly BOS 420HC Steel and DymaLux scales, and the Pro versions, which have S35V steel and Micarta scales.
NOTE: I left out the 550 Selector 2.0 here and put it in the Multi-tool section.
| Overall / Blade Size | Steel: Standard / Pro | Handle: Standard / Pro | Blade Style | Guthook Version | Check Price On Amazon #ad | Check Price On Blade HQ #ad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 535 Moose Skinner | 11.2” / 8.0” | S35VN | Micarta Handle | Spear Point | No Guthook Version | Pro | Pro |
| 536/537 Skinner | 8.5” / 3.75” | 420HC / S35VN | DymaLux / Micarta Handle | Drop Point | Has Guthook Version | Standard / Pro | Standard / Pro |
| 538/539 Small Game | 7.63” / 4.25” | 420HC / S35VN | DymaLux / Micarta Handle | Drop Point | Has Guthook Version | Standard / Pro | Standard / Pro |
| 541 Boning | 10.25” / 6.5” | S35VN | Micarta Handle | Boning | No Guthook Version | Pro | Pro |
| 542/543 Caper | 7.0” / 3.5” | 420HC / S35VN | Thermoplastic / Micarta Handle | Caping | No Guthook Version | Standard / Pro | Standard / Pro |
| 556/557 Folding Skinner | 8.5” / 3.75” | 420HC / S35VN | DymaLux / Micarta Handle | Drop Point | No Guthook Version | Standard / Pro | Standard / Pro |
PackLite Knives: The Backpacking Set
These are stripped designs for longer trips. If you plan on packing gear through the woods for an extended period, PackLite blades are made to be as light as possible and still offer the same degree of function you get from other Buck knives. They aren’t the most comfortable knives, but that can be helped a little if you have some paracord to spare. There’s a similar range of selection here to the Open Season knives, including blades for small and large game, plus a few for dressing game in the field.
| Overall / Blade Size | Blade Style | Handle | Guthook Version | S30V Version | Check Price On Amazon #ad | Check Price On Blade HQ #ad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 135 PakLite Caper Knife | 6.75” / 2.5” | Caper | Skeleton Handle | No Guthook Version | S30V | Standard / Elite | Standard / Elite |
| 136 PakLite Boning Knife | 9.25” / 5.25” | Boning | Skeleton Handle | No Guthook Version | S30V | Standard / Elite | Standard / Elite |
| 140 PakLite Skinner | 6.625” / 2.875” | Recurve drop point | Skeleton Handle | No Guthook Version | No S30V | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 141 PakLite Large Skinner | 8.0” / 3.5” | Recurve drop point | Skeleton Handle | Has Guthook Version | No S30V | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 143 PakLite Skinner Black | 7.75” / 3.875 | Recurve Drop point | Skeleton Handle | No Guthook Version | No S30V | WalMart Exclusive | WalMart Exclusive |
| 673 BuckLite MAX Small Knife | 7.75” / 3.25” | Drop point | Rubber Handle | No Guthook Version | No S30V | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 679 BuckLite MAX Large Knife | 8.75” / 4.0” | Drop point | Rubber Handle | Has Guthook Version | No S30V | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 684 BuckLite Max II Small Knife | 7.5” / 3.25” | Drop point | Rubber Handle | No Guthook | No S30V | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 685 BuckLite Max II Large Knife | 8.875” / 4.0” | Drop point | Rubber Handle | Has Guthook Version | No S30V | Amazon | Blade HQ |
Buck Hunting Multi-Tools
There are a handful of nifty Buck, especially if you’re into bowhunting. None of these are Leatherman-style multi-tools with ten different kinds of bottle openers tucked inside the handle. They’re task-driven designs boiled down specifically to cater to hunting.
It should be noted that the 550 Selector 2.0 is technically part of the Open Season series. Its overall design is the same as the 556 Open Season Folding Skinner, but the Selector’s interchangeable blade feature puts it in a different class for me.
| Tools | Handle | Purpose | Check Price On Amazon #ad | Check Price On Blade HQ #ad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 183 Alpha Crosslock | 3.0” spear point blade
Saw blade w/ guthook | Anodized Aluminum Handle | Multi-purpose hunting | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 737 Bow Tool | 11 allen hex drivers
Scissors 2.0” blade | G10 Handle | Bow maintenance | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 738 Bow Tool TRX | 8 torx drivers
2.0” blade Phillips head Scissors Broadhead wrench tool | G10 Handle | Bow Maintenance | Amazon | Blade HQ |
| 550 Selector 2.0 | Interchangeable blades:
Drop point Drop point serrated Guthook | Thermoplastic Handle | Multi-purpose hunting | Amazon | Blade HQ |
Now Which Buck Hunting Knives are the Best?
It’s all well and good to compile all the hunting knives and organize them, but they aren’t all made equal, even if they’re all made by Buck. So I’ve combed through the selection and picked out what seemed like the actual best buys and done my best to separate them into knives best for using on big game and knives best for using on small game so we can all lead happier lives.
Buck Knives for Hunting Big Game
The rule of thumb as I understand it is that a knife should have a fairly thick blade, a good curved belly, and a short tip if it’s being used for big game. I’m not here to tell you how to skin a deer, but I need a simple way to organize all these damn knives, so here are all the Buck hunting knives with thicker blades around or over 3 inches.
103 Skinner
| Overall Length: | 8.25″ |
| Blade Length: | 4.0″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Skinner drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Phenolic or Cocobolor DymaLux |
| Carry System: | Leather sheath |
It’s hard to beat Buck’s dedicated skinning knife. The 103 Skinner has an extra wide blade with a big curvy belly. This is easily one of the best knives for big game on this list just based on its simple design and tough build. It does have a couple odd issues, though. For example. The handguard seems like a weird feature when they could have had a much larger and more comfortable finger choil without it. And the leather sheath, as nice as it is, can only be a drop carry. That said, if you’re intention is dressing deer or boar in the field, you won’t regret having the 103.
141 PackLite Large Skinner Knife
| Overall Length: | 8.0″ |
| Blade Length: | 3.5″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Recurve skinner |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Stainless steel |
| Carry System: | Nylon sheath |
| Variations: | Guthook blade |
The PakLite knives aren’t for everyone, but they carry a lot of potential for a very small price. The PakLite Big Game Skinner is skeletonized to reduce weight and features a pretty generous recurve. Buck actually came out with this model because people kept saying they wanted a bigger version of the 140 (which will come up later).
Common practice is to run paracord through the handle so you have something comfortable to hold onto and have some extra rope on hand in case you really need it. There’s also a guthook version if that’s your style.
Omni Hunter 12pt
| Overall Length: | 9.75″ |
| Blade Length: | 4.0″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Thermoplastic |
| Carry System: | Nylon sheath |
| Variations: | Folder, Omni Hunter 10pt |
The Omnihunter 12pt is around the same length range as the Esee 3 and 4. I’ve listed this over the Omnihunter 10pt for that reason. It makes pretty strong competition in the 4-inch blade category.
It’s comparatively cheap but still manages to provide plenty of durability and comfort. Its handle material comes in a much wider range of patterns (if you’re into that sort of thing), and Buck makes it as a folder. The materials are arguably a downgrade from Esee stuff, but I haven’t heard a lot of hunters complaining about Bucks 420 steel or rubber handles.
401 Kalinga Knife
| Overall Length: | 10.0″ |
| Blade Length: | 4.75″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Trailing point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | DymaLux redwood |
| Carry System: | Leather sheath |
This is a materials update of an older model Buck came out with back in the 60’s which unfortunately puts it in collector’s territory. It’s high-priced compared to a lot of other knife on this list, and most people who buy just like to have it sit around and look pretty.
That’s a shame because as a big-game skinner and all-around camping task knife, the Kalinga is a great blade. That huge upswept design and high grind make it good for skinning, but it’s also viable for carving and chopping thanks to the generous finger choil and the thick spine.
535 Open Season Moose Skinner
| Overall Length: | 11.18″ |
| Blade Length: | 8.0″ |
| Blade Steel: | S35VN |
| Blade Style: | Spear point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Micarta |
| Carry System: | Leather sheath |
This is one of the few Open Season knives that only seem to come in the S30V Pro version. I’m not sure what Buck’s reasoning is for that. But people who hunt moose have something against 420HC.
Whatever the reason, it’s still a great knife designed for carving up exceptionally large game (like moose, I guess). The length of the edge provides plenty of room for angling the slice, and the spear point plenty sharp to get the work started, and good strong base for when the work gets heavier.
Open Season Skinner
| Overall Length: | 8.25″ |
| Blade Length: | 4.25″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC or S35VN |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | DymaLux, Micarta, or Thermopalstic |
| Carry System: | Polyester sheath |
| Variations: | Folding, Pro, Guthook |
This is the larger version of the Open Season skinners (you’ll find the smaller version farther down). It also comes in a folding version, which is great if you want a more compact way of carrying this knife. The polyester sheath for the folding Skinner is definitely a lot easier to carry than the drop-carry of the fixed blade.
It’s great all around once the blade is out, though. It has just enough recurve to make slicing a lot easier, well placed jimping along with a finger choil and a tough handle material that’s easy to clean. As one of Buck’s latest hunting knife designs, it’s evidence of a pretty healthy direction for the company.
685 Bucklite Max II Large Knife
| Overall Length: | 8.875″ |
| Blade Length: | 4.0″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Rubber |
| Carry System: | Polyester sheath |
| Variations: | Guthook |
First off, easily one of the best features about the BuckLite Max series is the cost. This Large and Small knife are pretty incredible blades for the money. It’s a sturdy knife with decent materials in the kind of design that you don’t mind getting dirty and is easy to clean up anyway.
You can also get the knife with a gut hook on the back of the blade. I have to assume there are people out there who actually use that thing since Buck keeps making knives with it. Gut hook or not, though, this is a great knife for beginning and experienced hunters.
Vanguard Knife
| Overall Length: | 8.5″ |
| Blade Length: | 4.25″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | DymaLux Walnut |
| Carry System: | Leather sheath |
Buck can make all the updates and modern designs it wants to, it’s really hard to beat the Vanguard for function and looks. The shape of the blade is versatile enough to use for bother small and large game, and the knife itself is so tough and well balanced it ends up getting used for just about everything when you’re in the bush. The handle can get a little slippery, and the sheath isn’t exactly optimized for long hikes, but those are pretty minor issues in the face of overall design. The Vanguard is not perfect, but it’s the kind of knife that makes you love its flaws.
Zipper Knife
| Overall Length: | 8.5″ |
| Blade Length: | 4.25″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Guthook drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Rubber or DymaLux Walnut |
| Carry System: | Leather or Nylon sheath |
I suspect the Buck Zipper was intended to be the gut-hooked version of the Vanguard, which I disapprove of on principle. The Vanguard design is still good though, and if gut hooks are what you go in for, the Zipper is definitely worth a look. It has essentially the same handle and blade besides the hook on the back. The hook might make the tip fo the knife a little weaker, but it’s still great for skinning, and you really shouldn’t be stabbing with this thing too much anyway.
Buck Knives for Hunting Small Game
Again, I’m not about to tell you how to dress a bird or a rabbit, but the common line separating small game knives from big game knives is a thin blade and a long sharp point. It should also probably be a little smaller so it’s easier to maneuver the blade around all the tiny bones and parts that come with smaller game.
Folding Alpha Hunter
| Overall Length: | 8.25″ |
| Blade Length: | 3.5″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Stainless steel w/ scales |
| Carry System: | Polyester sheath |
| Lock Type: | Liner |
I’m not sure what you call a phobia of pocket clips, but Buck still seems to have to some degree. The folding Alpha Hunter is a great all-around camping and hunting knife. The handle is comfortable, the blade is straightforward, it has well-placed jimping, and a good grind. The action can get a little loose, but they make it pretty easy to adjust that with a torx screwdriver. As much as I would like to carry this in the pocket, it’s actually pretty nice to have it in the sheath. It rides tight to the belt and makes it easy to get at the knife, it just makes it weird to carry around town.
113 Ranger Skinner
| Overall Length: | 7.25″ |
| Blade Length: | 3.125″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Walnut |
| Carry System: | Leather sheath |
If you’re into hunting bird or rabbit, the 113 Skinner is the knife that Buck designed for you. They very cleverly made the grind on this knife so high it disappears into the spine before getting to the tip. The result is a sturdy blade with a thin blade all along the edge so you can work on small game a lot easier.
Actually carrying this knife might be the worst part about it. The leather sheath is nice, but it’s drop carry, and can make it a little harder to pull the knife out comfortably unless you put a paracord through that lanyard hole. It also could have done with a finger choil so you could choke the blade up. But that’s all nitpicking at a solid knife that has very few problems.
140 PakLite Skinner
| Overall Length: | 6.625″ |
| Blade Length: | 2.785″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Steel |
| Carry System: | Nylon sheath |
This is the original version of the 141 PakLite Big Game Skinner, so not technically designed for small game, but certainly usable for something like pheasant. It’s smaller size makes it easy to handle and the tip is long enough to work into smaller parts of the animal. The recurve is nice of course, but not incredibly important in this context.
The big highlight of this knife, like the 141 skinner, is the skeletonized design. Run some paracord through that thing, strap it to your pack and you’ve got one of the most useful tools in your whole rig for the trip.
539 Open Season Small Game Skinner
| Overall Length: | 7.625″ |
| Blade Length: | 4.25″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC or S30V |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Redwood DymaLux or Micarta |
| Carry System: | Leather sheath |
| Variations: | Open Season Pro |
Now we’re into something truly dedicate to skinning smaller game. The Open Season Small Game Skinner has a nice long thin blade. It has a good sharp tip to work into fowl and large finger choil so you can choke up the blade comfortably for better control. The standard version comes in Buck’s BOS 420HC steel, which is really a gold standard for hunting, but if you’re more into premium materials, the Pro version features a pretty significant upgrade in steel in terms of edge retention and rust resistance.
684 BuckLite Max II Small Knife
| Overall Length: | 7.5″ |
| Blade Length: | 3.25″ |
| Blade Steel: | 420HC |
| Blade Style: | Drop point |
| Grind: | Hollow |
| Handle Material: | Rubber |
| Carry System: | Polyester sheath |
Again, this wasn’t made strictly for small game since it has a relatively blunt tip compared to other small game knives, but it’s one of those well-made all-purpose skinning knives that Buck is incredibly good at making. The BuckLite Max II is a low-cost blade with a sturdy full-tang build, a stonewash finish for corrosion resistance, and a comfy rubber handle. It’s the kind of knife that was made to get dirty and abused.
Well done. Great effort.
Awesome write up brother. From Knives Survival
Thanks Michael.