BRAND NAMES AND INDEX PAGES... KnifeCenter Home Page LOG-ON If You Have Ordered Before WELCOME PAGE Search Page New Items Listing Brand Name Index Page Product Indexes SPECIALS KnifeCenter NEWS Our Reviews and Articles Our Newest Pages To Contact a Knife Company Directly Custom Corner Order Tracking- Past Purchases and More Swords Center of the Internet Kitchen Center of the Internet Sharpening Center of the Internet Shaving Center of the Internet Knives of Alaska Al Mar Knives Anza Knives ASP Au Nain Kitchen Knives Balance Plus from Gerber Knives BearMGC Knives Benchmade Knives Beretta Knives Boker Knives Boye Knives BrassOak Boxes Browning Knives Buck Knives Buck Creek Knives Camillus Knives CAS Iberia Case Knives Chef's Choice Chris Reeve Knives Clip Draw Coast Knives Columbia River Knives Cold Steel Knives Coleman Colt Knives DMT Sharpening Products Dovo Razors and Grooming Products Edge Design (EDI)Knives Emerson Knives Empire Pins Estwing Camp Axes EZ Lap Sharpening Products Fallkniven AB Sweden Knives from Finland Fiskars Kitchen Products Forschner Kitchen Knives Frost Knives Frosts of Sweden Knives GATCO Sharpening Products Gerber Knives German Eye Knives Gladius Swords and Daggers GT Knives Hen & Rooster Knives Henckels Kitchen Knives Henckels Pocket Knives Hewlette Sharpeners Hibben Fantasy Knives Junglee Knives Ka Bar Knives Katz Knives Kershaw Knives Kyocera Ceramic Knives Lansky Sharpening Products Leatherman Tools Linder Knives Magna Wonder Knives Martin Yan Knives Marto Swords Masters of Defense Knives Messermeister Kitchen Knives MicroTech Knives Mission Knives Norton Sharpeners Ontario Knives Opinel Knives Oriental Precision Kitchen Knives Outdoor Edge Knives Paragon Knives Puma Knives Pentax Queen Knives Remington Knives Rigid Knives Round Eye Knives (REKAT) Schrade Knives SeberTech Tools Shrimp Knife Smith & Wesson Knives Smith's Sharpening Products SOG Knives Spyderco Knives Steiner Swiss Tech Tools Swiss Army Victorinox Knives Timberline Knives Ultimate Edge Sharpening Products United Knives and Swords Utica Tools Victorinox Kitchen Knives Western Knives Winchester Knives Woodsman's Pal Zippo Lighters Fantasy Knives Shields and Armour Daggers Reproduction Arms INDEX OF: Kitchen Cutlery Sets INDEX OF: Damascus Steel Blade Knives INDEX OF: Folding Lockback Knives (with bolsters) INDEX OF: Lockback Knives (with one or no bolsters) INDEX OF: Locking Liner Folders INDEX OF: Automatic Knives INDEX OF: Tanto Shaped Blades INDEX OF: Camping and Sport Axes INDEX OF: Scissors and Shears INDEX OF: Manicure Sets and Tools INDEX OF: Straight Razors INDEX OF: Multi-Tools (like Leatherman¬) Multi-Tools Comparisons INDEX OF: Throwing Knives INDEX OF: Fish Fillet Knives INDEX OF: Machetes (and similar tools) INDEX OF: Hunting Knives INDEX OF: High Carbon Steel (not stainless) INDEX OF: Small Folders INDEX OF: Diving and River Knives INDEX OF: Military and Special Operations INDEX OF: Rescue Knives Knife Sheaths Knife Care Tips Sharpening Tips Knife Makers Supplies Swiss Army Watches Bull Whips Wooden Jewelry Boxes Wooden Display Boxes Knives For Left Handed Individuals Books Directions To The KnifeCenter

REVIEW

Please note that this review is one person's opinion and is meant simply to provide information and a viewpoint to the reader and is not meant as an endorsement of the product by the KnifeCenter.

By Dexter Ewing, Knife Collector and Enthusiast

BUCK KNIVES BUCKTOOL

The past several years has seen the explosion of the multi-tool (pliers knives) genre on the knife market. These handy tools are big and strong enough to get the job done yet fold up to a compact size that can be toted around comfortably in a supplied belt sheath. For those interested in adding one of these tools to their daily carry items, the market offers a wide range of selections and features. But most of the tools today are plagued by the same problems: exposed edges of the opened handles dig harshly into the hand, the fold up tools do not lock in the open position thus creating a potential hazard, and when one grabs a specific tool to unfold it, all the others on that handle end tend to open along with the desired one. The solution to the ailments of the pliers knives is offered by Buck Knives' BuckTool. How does this entry stack up to the rest of the field? Let's find out.

VARIOUS FEATURES OF THE BUCKTOOL

Upon receiving my BuckTool, I gave it a good once over for physical appearance and manufacturing quality. It is a really nice looking tool. One improvement that immediately catches your eye is the contoured handles. They take the "ouch" out of clamping down hard on a nut or bolt. The lock release tabs for the tools are recessed into the handles and have rounded edges as to not interfere with the comfortable grip. A closer examination of the fold out tools reveals a unique staggered nail nick system for retrieving them. Sure enough, when one tool is opened all the rest stay put. I did discover that the shortest tools (large Phillips and flathead screwdrivers) are tough to pull out because of the stiff lock springs. The two main blades are a partially serrated drop point and fully serrated sheepsfoot. They are shaving sharp, and the serrations are nice and deep. My only gripe about the blades is the lack of nail nicks to facilitate ease in opening. The Phillips screwdrivers are unique in that they are three sided, as opposed to the standard four sided ones found on the other pliers knives. They reduce the thickness of the handles, since these screwdrivers can be placed closer to the other tools.

ANALYSIS

Overall, the BuckTool is a welcomed companion for any handyman task. I really like the locking tools. This feature provided an ease of mind while using. Each tool locks into place with a crisp snap. I did encounter one problem with the lockup. To unlock and close any of the tools, you must depress the lock release button first, then apply pressure to the tool. But putting pressure on the tool and depressing the lock release at the same time will get you nowhere.

Buck goes the extra distance by providing icons on the sides of the handles to help the user find the proper tool in a flash. A nice touch indeed. Finally, the pliers jaws are large enough to securely grip a wide variety of nut sizes. Also, when clamping down hard with the BuckTool, do not be surprised to discover that there is a little bit of flex in the handles. Buck probably did this to provide the user with comfort for tasks like wire cutting. The other BuckTools I examined all exhibited this trait.

The only problem I experienced with the BuckTool is with the three sided Phillips screwdrivers. You have to hold the tool perfectly straight to get a good bite on the screw head. If you lean the tool at any angle, it will easily jump out of the screw head. I'd prefer that Buck switch to the conventional four sided Phillips screwdrivers, as I'll gladly put up with slightly thicker handles than these precarious three sided ones. The bottom line is that you'll have to be sure the tool is straight when using the Phillips screwdrivers.

THE SHEATH

The Cordura Plus sheath that accompanies each BuckTool is definitely first rate among sheaths of this type. Normally I prefer leather or even Kydex over Cordura, but I've taken a real liking to the BuckTool's sheath. Unlike most Cordura sheaths found on other knives and multi-tools, the material is durable and thick. It never loses shape when the tool is removed. The sheath is held closed by a button, unlike Velcro which is found on several competitors' sheaths. Another nice feature.

CONCLUSION

The folks at Buck Knives were smart to hold out a while before diving headfirst into the multi-tool market. This afforded them valuable R&D time to evaluate the faults of the current crop of multi-tools and to release a tool with superior features. Be sure to order your BuckTool from the KnifeCenter today.