Buck Hunter Series Knives

Buck’s famous and simply named Folding Hunter (also known as the 110) was originally created in 1963, when Al Buck decided that a revolutionary folding lock blade knife was needed by outdoorsmen who wanted a sturdy knife without having to carry a long, fixed-blade knife. Sales proved that he was right, so basically you could say the result proved to be the key to his company’s future.

And now

Fast forwarding to the present, Buck now bring us a series of folders based on the original Hunter, all holding a similar style blade, lock back mechanism and boast the same highly practical, ergonomic handle design. What mainly differs, is blade material and method of deployment and the key feature that dictates their weight, the handle material.

That nicely leads me to the first knife in this round up, the Folding Hunter Pro, which, as Buck themselves are proud to state, is ‘One of America’s best-selling knives.’

Measuring 4 7/8-inches when closed, it weighs a wholesome 7.7oz, features an upgraded 3¾-inches S530V stainless steel clip point blade with elongated thumb nick and a rugged G10 handle with brushed nickel silver bolsters. The Cryogenically treated blade (claimed to help edge retention) also uses Buck’s ‘Advanced Edge2x™ blade technology’, a process that results in the cutting-edge geometry remaining uniform for its entire length. A process reputed to improve cutting power and its ability to retain sharpness. As befits one of the flagship knives in the series, it comes with a high-quality genuine brown leather pouch.

Lighten up

Next up, is the Hunter LT, which (as expected) has a blade of the same style, length and technical specifications as before but is manufactured from 420HC stainless steel and, weighing in at 2.1oz, is the lightest blade in this round-up. This significant weight loss is due to it being fitted with a lightweight moulded nylon handle. However, despite this change it (like all other models) maintains the same build quality and has an impressive overall strength. It utilises an elongated thumb nick for deployment and comes with a heavy-duty polyester sheath.

Now, we come to the Hunter Slim Pro, possessing the same traditional features of the original Hunter, this new ‘slim’ version measures 4.875-inches closed and weighs 3.1oz. Sporting a more modern look and upgraded materials, it features a 3¾-inches S30V stainless steel clip point blade, while the heavy bolster and handle have been replaced with durable brown Micarta. This handle material is attractive and practical because Micarta is extremely durable and the almost ‘linen-like’ appearance of the natural rough textured outer offers a very good grip. There’s also a removable stainless-steel pocket clip and the thumb stud provides one-hand opening.

Good selection

Finally, the Hunter Slim Select. Featuring dual thumb studs for one hand opening, it measures 4.875-inches in the closed position, weighs 2.8oz and this model (one of the latest to be launched) holds a 3.75-inches 420HC Stainless-Steel clip point blade. The weight reducing, moulded nylon textured handle also has impregnated chequering, plus a removable stainless-steel pocket clip. Interestingly, this model is available in a choice of 4-handle colours of red, blue, black and/or green.

All knives have the Buck Forever Warranty and are manufactured in the USA.