Another knife review for ya here. This time it's from Buck, one of the most widely-known knames kn knives. The Buck 345 Vantage Select could very well be the best knife bargain ever. Read on for why.
My first Buck knife was a big ol classic 119 that my dad bought me when I was about 10 years old. I remember being very impressed with it at the time, but hey - what kid wouldn't be impressed with a huge 6-inch blade hunting knife. My mom freaked out when she saw me with it and made him return it. That was my last Buck knife until the Buck 345 Vantage Select showed up in the mail for me to review. The 345 is a classic folder with a 3-1/4-inch blade, a thin profile that easily slips inside your pocket, and a reversible pocket clip. It's simple, effective, solid, and at under $30 as found through various on-line vendors, is probably the most screaming deal going.
For starters, let's talk about its carry-ability. Both the reversible pocket clip and the glass-reinforced Nylon handle slide easily in and out of your pocket without snagging. It's a quick-draw tool with a perfect handle profile. It's thin enough to remain unobtrusive (even forgotten) in your front pocket, yet thick enough to feel really secure in the hand. And speaking of feeling good, the stainless liners and Nylon handle just give this knife a heft and feel that you have to hold to believe can come from a $30 knife. It's simply pleasing to hold.
The opening action is very, very smooth. There's no assisted-opening, but the 345 doesn't really need it. Using your index finger, a little pressure on the opening flipper is all that's needed to spring the blade open. It's an incredibly smooth action that, again, is unheard of in a knife at this price point.
If there's any gripe I could come up with on the 345 it's the blade contour. It's technically a drop-point knife, but the blade tip is much higher up than most pocket knives I've used in the past and I found it a bit awkward trying to position the knife to use the pointed tip for stuff like opening boxes or boring holes. That tends to put more work on the round of the blade tip, which I've had to re-edge a couple times in the month or so I've been carrying the 345.
I touched on the silky-smooth opening, but the closing function of this knife is equally liquid Depress the stainless liner lock with your thumb and the blade folds nicely away. It's really one of the smoothest one-handed opening/closing knives I've ever used. Despite the silly-cheap price, it's also one of the highest-quality knives in my tool kit. Pick one up. I promise you won't be disappointed. It's a top-quality knife that's equally-good or better than a lot of the knives costing two- or three-times as much.