Buying the right knife
Information courtesy of Buck Knives

1. How will you use it?

• Everyday: Are you opening boxes or cutting twine?
• Outdoor (Backpacking/Climbing/Hiking/Camping): Does your activity involve using rope?
• Hunting/Fishing: Are you field dressing game or cleaning/filleting fish?
• Tactical/Survival: Do you need a heavy-duty knife that won't fail?
• Limited Edition/Custom: Are you a collector?

2. What features are important to you?

• Fixed-blade: Always ready for use and dependable.
• Folding knife: Compact, safer to carry; improved dependability with locking blade.
• One-handed opening: Has a thumb stud, blade hole or other feature to facilitate one-hand use. Some models are one-hand opening and one-hand closing as well.
• Gutting/skinning blade: For field dressing game.
• Thick Blade: For heavy-duty tasks.
• Light weight: Use of composite or other materials to minimize weight.
• Saw edge: For cutting wood or bone.
• Sharpness: Stays sharp and is easy to sharpen.

3. What is it made of and why?

• S30V is the best blade steel available. It is a high vanadium stainless steel with even higher edge retention.
• 154CM and BG-42 are two custom steels with much higher carbon content, giving them higher hardness ratings and dramatically higher edge retention.
• 420HC is a stainless steel that provides excellent rust resistance, is easy to re-sharpen and has good edge retention.

• An ergonomic design provides comfort.
• A rubber or textured handle provides a sure grip in wet conditions.
• A wooden handle adds beauty to the knife.
• Plastic/composite handles are durable under extreme conditions.