New Buck 112

[clfergus]

I am in the market for a new Buck 112 and see that there are more options these days. I have seen

- 112 Ranger Pro - G10 handles and s30V BOS treated
- 112 Ranger Custom - Can make with S30v or 420HC off their site with my own choice of wood
- 112 Ranger C&C - Special runs for copper and clad online that have drop point blades and oak handles, 5160 BOS steel

I don't currently own a nice sharpener but plan on getting a Spyderco Sharpmaker. I have always heard that S30V is the best at edge retention but hard to sharpen. That makes me nervous being a novice sharpener. I do have a Benchmade Fixed blade I use for deer hunting and every other year I just mail it back to Benchmade to clean and sharpen for me. The S30V blade on it is wicked sharp.

I have had some Buck 420hc knives in the past and they were never that impressive out of the box. All I will be doing with this knife is carrying it on my belt to assist with chores on the weekend and at the hunting property. Cutting boxes, rope, bags etc..

I have no clue if 5160 BOS treated is a better alternative than 420HC or if I should go with S30V and learn how to sharpen myself. Curious of experiences with these steels.

 

[LPPOsecurity]

I have never been disappointed with S30V, my ZT 0300 has been beat on and cut tons of crap it probably shouldn't have and the edge held up and is still going strong, I was unaware of an S30V ranger til now, I'm intrigued

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[rhino]

I am in the market for a new Buck 112 and see that there are more options these days. I have seen

- 112 Ranger Pro - G10 handles and s30V BOS treated
- 112 Ranger Custom - Can make with S30v or 420HC off their site with my own choice of wood
- 112 Ranger C&C - Special runs for copper and clad online that have drop point blades and oak handles, 5160 BOS steel

I don't currently own a nice sharpener but plan on getting a Spyderco Sharpmaker. I have always heard that S30V is the best at edge retention but hard to sharpen. That makes me nervous being a novice sharpener. I do have a Benchmade Fixed blade I use for deer hunting and every other year I just mail it back to Benchmade to clean and sharpen for me. The S30V blade on it is wicked sharp.

I have had some Buck 420hc knives in the past and they were never that impressive out of the box. All I will be doing with this knife is carrying it on my belt to assist with chores on the weekend and at the hunting property. Cutting boxes, rope, bags etc..

I have no clue if 5160 BOS treated is a better alternative than 420HC or if I should go with S30V and learn how to sharpen myself. Curious of experiences with these steels.

rhino approves of this decision, regardless of which version you select.

Since Bos does all of their heat treatments, you can expect an optimal heat treatment from any steel that leaves their shop or factory, whether it's 5160 or CPM S30V.

5160 is a very tough spring steel, usually used for making springs. It's also a good steel for forging and can result in a very tough blade. It will rust, though, as it does not have enough chromium to be "stainless." It's a little easier to sharpen than CPM S30V, but won't hold an edge as long.

CPM S30V was developed specifically for knife blades in conjunction with Chris Reeve and is the predecessor of CPM S35VN. S30V is an excellent choice because it's very corrosion resistant and has excellent abrasion resistance. It's not that hard to sharpen with suitable gear and technique and should hold an edge longer than 5160. It is not as tough as 5160 and is more likely to chip or break if you do silly things with it.

For a folder like a Buck 112, I think the S30V is the better choice of the two. If you were buying a big chopping blade or a sword, I'd go with 5160 just as quickly.