Buck Knives 192 Vanguard Hunting Knife, 4-1/4" Fixed Blade, Full Tang Design, Walnut DymaLux Handle, 420HC Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade, Sheath Included, Knife Made in the USA, 6.3 oz

This is essentially a premium fit and finish, USA-made knife, which uses common-sense tactics and traditional designs to charge a lot less than you'd get from most brands of this quality. Sharpness and edge retention is fine; better than a lot of knives I've used. I know you can find more premium steels than 420 in a $100 knife, but don't let it scare you away. I temper steel for a living, and this steel is great. The heat treat and edge grind matter just as much as the alloy, and Buck knows this. Their design and blade hardness is excellent, and 420 is still a good stainless steel to begin with. It's beautiful, strong, razor sharp, and the perfect style and size to keep on your hip without scaring people. The use of Dymalux Walnut for the handle is also great, as ordinary wood is beautiful, but not as weather-resistant or age-resistant as new synthetics. By using Dymalux (resin-infused wood), this has the beauty and feel of natural wood with the durability and longevity of a synthetic material. It's extremely functional and well-proportioned, with a grip that fills the palm well for such a compact fixed-blade. It looks and feels like a work of art, and is quality and durability from top to bottom.

This knife reminds one of an era long past where product longevity and pride in craftsmanship were of the utmost importance. The wooden handle is a medium brown and is contrasted by brass accents. I have found the handle to be very comfortable and sized perfectly for average to large sized hands. I have used the knife in the field and have found the handle to become somewhat slick when field dressing game; however, I feel completely comfortable when using the knife, due to the design of the hand guard. The blade was very sharp out of the box and continues to retain a great edge despite field use. It is adequately sized for field dressing deer, not too large or small. The biggest let-down regarding this knife is the brown, leather sheath. It is made in Mexico and the quality doesn't appear comparable to the knife in which it is designed. The knife is secured in the sheath with a buckle strap that fits snugly behind the hand guard. This design has proven to properly retain my knife in the sheath and keep it from falling out; however, I would like to see the sheath made from a thicker leather or incorporate a composite insert to add some rigidity to the design. With that said I still feel this is one of the better values on the market. Although the sheath is somewhat lacking, the knife is incredible. The blade is sharp, retains a great edge and the handle is not only durable, but aesthetically pleasing. I believe the design and quality craftsmanship will prove this knife to be a great heirloom that will provide dependable use for generations to come. Great knife and MADE in the USA. NOTE: I previously purchased another variation of the wooden handle, Buck Vanguard from another retailer. The other knife is the same design and quality described; however, it supports a rosewood colored handle and a black, leather sheath. The total cost of the Amazon purchase was less expensive than the rosewood variation. Just a note in case one is considering purchasing multiple knives and would like to know what other style options are available.

Happy with this purchase. A nicely designed multi use knife that looks great and feels good.

very nice knife, came razor sharp right out of the box.

Top quality, beautiful knife.

I’ve gutted hundreds of deer with all different knives and this knife is a joy to use. The rubber handle is great when your hands are wet. Arrives razor sharp.

Beautiful knife, perfect fit and finish. Unlike one other Buck knife, that I recently bought and returned , this one is US made, and it is a step up in quality and craftsmanship.

Really though, is there such thing as "the perfect knife"? I've been looking for it for years, no luck yet. This stainless steel alloy isn't generally regarded as the best for knife making, but Buck manages to get the most out of it with their heat treatment process. The result is a blade that isn't hard to get shaving-sharp, and stays that way for a while. In fact I can get this knife sharper than my spyderco blade that is made of VG-10. The ergonomics are great, and the large finger guard makes me feel much safer using it for heavier-duty tasks. I would prefer it it were a bit lighter - the brass looks nice but does add to the weight. I'm also not a fan of a hollow grind, I would have preferred a flat grind. The blade size is just about perfect for all the things I need a knife for in the woods. This and because it's easy to sharpen and won't rust makes it the one I grab whenever I go hiking, fishing, or camping. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I like my knives to double as mirrors so I was hoping for a better finish. Running my fingernail against the side of the blade I could feel ridges left by the final sanding - this would cause friction when cutting, so I polished the entire blade myself. The bonus is that it's easier to clean now too. This is a cutter, and light chopper. Don't expect to use it for heavy "bushcraft" whatever that means. Paired with a good hatchet (I recommend the husqvarna) and a small pocket knife I feel prepared for any cutting task.

Greetings, One of the best Buck I have, pass the paper test. I wonder why so many people make an issue of it, must be paper ducks hunters. Of course if it passed the test, you are shure that it won't let you down, but I have seen pretty sharp knives wich cannot cut paper, maybe it gives not enough resistance.Wnat do you think about this matter? Regards, Frédérick Turgeon

狩猟用ナイフとしてはとてもバランスが良いと思います。乱暴な使い方をしてもタフだし、高価な剛材を使用しているわけではないですが、研ぎがへたくそな私でも刃が付けやすいです。グリップがラバーだと血まみれになっても滑りづらく、解体後の手入れも容易です。購入を躊躇うような高価なナイフより総合的なバランスに優れ、そこそこ安価で気兼ねなくガンガンつかえると所が気に入り今回３本目の購入です。

Very good quality the knife is amazing

Bueno pecio calidad

Ottimo qualità.