Customer Reviews

Buck 55 Folding Hunter

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This almost-cute pocket knife most closely resembles a standard size Buck 110 "folding hunter" that went through the wash by accident and came out slightly shrunk.

As a "nostalgia" product it can't be beat, and providing this to a suitably mature kid would be a great gift. Scouts might like it too, since most Scout knives have extra tools on them (that you don't need) but a poor blade (this one has a great blade) with a slip joint (that can close on fingers accidentally) and weigh too much to boot (this one is refreshingly light for an old-fashioned lockback with steel liners and brass bolster ends).

It arrived "paper cutting" and "hair shaving" sharp; I have the proverbial barren patch of skin on the back of my forearm to prove it. Although the blade has a little wobble side to side, the rest of the knife is well-crafted, and it is made in America.

This is a visual twin to the original, full-sized Buck Folding Hunter Model 110, which revolutionized the pocket knife world with its "lock-back." Most pocket knives before then were "slip joints" held open not by a lock, but merely by spring tension (like most Swiss Army knives) and could close accidentally on the fingers during use. The Buck Folding Hunter was a lot safer with its locking back. Also, the Folding Hunter was the first widely sold pocket knife that had a blade long enough to replace the sheath knifes that hunters used to use.

The Model 55 is smaller than the original Buck 100 but well-suited for small chores whether in the office (opening mail, packages) or in the field (whatever you would use a paring knife for in camp). As a "classic" or "retro" design it has a finger nail groove for opening (instead of a big opening hole or thumb-stud), and it is definitely a "pry it open yourself" opener, and not one of the newer "assisted opening" folders.

On the other hand it is a lot thinner, and more compact, than many current designs, and shouldn't run afoul of many laws regulating knives, given its short blade length and lack of any opening aids. This is a great knife!

Like the first reviewer said this is a great little knife. I carry it with me every day and never notice it's there until I need it, but at the same time it's big enough to get the job done for every day stuff.

I agree with everything the other reviewer said. It's a Buck 110 shrunk down to pocket knife size. If you like Buck, (I definately do.) then you will love this little knife.

Never having actually worn one of these knives out over the last fifty years, I recently had to replace my second Buck pocket knife that I had owned for over 30 years. Left laying on the ground during a camping trip, I was dismayed when I discovered the absense of my knife upon returning home. It in turn, had replaced my first Buck knife purchased when I was thirteen years old.

There is something reassurring about purchasing an item that is the same quality as the first one I bought as a teenager all those years ago. The quality of the steel in the blade, the brass caps, and wood inlay are still the same.

A fine knife and a company dedicated to carrying on a tradition of excellent workmanship for generations gives a person a sense of satisfaction that not everything is made as a throwaway item. This will be my last Buck knife for myself. However, I have grandsons who will receive this gift of a quality product when they are ready for their first knife.

JM

This knife lives up to Buck's quality standard and is a great knife to throw in your pocket as it is small, sharp, and durable.

A little smaller than the double blade pocket knife I was trying to replace, I've found that the Buck 55 is nevertheless a better and a beautiful knife. The quality of the materials and workmanship is superb and the closed knife fits completly and comfortably in the palm of my hand. As a quality and "proud to own" light duty pocket knife, you would be hard pressed to find better.

The Buck 55 is a classic. When you think of a traditional folding pocket knife this is almost always the knife that comes to mind. It is made in the USA and the quality shows now as it always has. I have owned many different knives, but this is a knife that I am proud to keep in my pocket for its style and reliability. I highly recommend this knife for you or give it as a gift.

As with most of the U.S. made Bucks, the fit and finish of this trick little blade is on par with the best of the best. Big enough to be very usefull, but slim enough to fit in your pocket without the usual uncomfort with larger pocket lockblades. Kinda looks like they put a model 110 in a dryer and shrank it down to size-very cool! I strongly recommend this Buck. Please buy American, and let the Chinese take care of their own economy. It's time we turn this upside down nation of import lovers into what drove this great country of manufacturers that we once were.

This is an overall excellent knife. The steel is high quality and the blade is very sharp. The blade hinge is solid with no wobble in the locked position or as you open the knife. The locking mechanism is also very solid and easy to operate. The overall design of the knife is very nice. With the quality of Buck knives I have owned in the past I know that this knife will last many, many years.

There are a few cosmetic issues however. The middle rivet is not flattened properly on one side of the knife. All the other rivets are nicely rounded off but this one sticks up more and has a bit of a sharp edge. There is also an issue with the wood inlays. The finish of the inlay at all four corners on both sides of the knife is much lighter than the rest of the wood. It looks like finish was applied to the inlay and then the corners were sanded down to be flush with the metal at each end. The result being that much of the finish was sanded off at the corners.

It looks like there may be some quality control issues with this model. I noted an earlier review that was written about 6 months ago that noted a similar issue with the rivet sticking up. I considered rating this product at 3 stars but in the end decided on 4 because the issues were strictly cosmetic. If you want this knife I would have to recommended finding a store where you can examine the knife first. Until Buck gets this model's quality control issue sorted out I would avoid ordering it on-line. For me the issues were not worth dealing with sending it back but I would have exchanged it for a new one had I purchased it locally.

Works perfectly. It's very durable and finely polished. The rivets give a good grip to the knife. It's small so it goes unnoticed in a pocket which is great for daily use.