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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Buck Hoodlum Survival Knife Review

Buck 060 Buck/Hood Hoodlum Survival Knife Fixed 10" Carbon Steel Blade, Micarta Handles

The Buck Hoodlum was designed by the famous late survival expert and knife designer Ron Hood. The design on this knife is excellent, the lightweight large blade design makes this knife the best of both worlds. At 14.6 oz it is one of the lightest blades for its size and durability on the market. this knife is an excellent batoning knife and makes chopping a breeze. The great thing about the Buck Hoodlum is that not only is it great for all of the big camp tasks but it is also really good at the small tasks like making notches for traps and friction fire parts.

Buck 060 Buck/Hood Hoodlum Survival Knife Fixed 10" Carbon Steel Blade, Micarta Handles 

The Buck Hoodlum Knife features a 10" blade made out of 5160 spring steel with an overall length of 15.5". The blade thickness is 0.220" - thick enough for tough chores, and thin enough to make the knife balance nicely in the hand. The Hoodlum is large enough and tough enough for chopping wood and has a large choil for control in detailed uses. This versatile tool also has a small "cut out" in the blade spine for everything from scoring bone and bending wire to removing pots from the campfire. Also this knife is plenty big enough for defensive and/or offensive purposes.

One of the primary concerns I have heard regarding the Buck Hoodlum Knife is that due to it's light weight of 14.6 ounces it would lack major chopping ability. That is simply not the case. The Buck Hoodlum is an excellent chopper. I attribute this to the balance. Since the handle is light, when the knife is held in the standard position, it has a good forward balance. However, the pivot point is at the center of the choil, therefore, when you choke up on the blade, it becomes very easy to control.

The Buck Hood Hoodlum comes equipped with Micarta handles and are built with a Shock Mitigation System (SMS). This feature alleviates shock and wasted energy even in the most demanding uses. Many outdoorsmen note it for its extraordinary functionality and usability, saying it functions pretty much as a smaller-sized machete. This is despite the fact that it weighs just 14.6 ounces. I would like to see G-10 handles scales, as it is stronger than Micarta - and who knows, maybe Buck will come out with a G-10 handle version. There is also a lanyard hole in the butt of the knife.

The one thing about this knife that didn't thrill me was the blade's finish. Now, any finish will wear down over time, and it's something easily fixed, so that is not a deal breaker. The Hoodlum's finish just seemed to wear down all the way to bare steel faster than I'd ever seen. It is definitely not a miss for me, but there is always room for improvement.


Buck 060 Buck/Hood Hoodlum Survival Knife Fixed 10" Carbon Steel Blade, Micarta Handles 

The sheath is built of heavy-duty nylon, M.O.L.L.E. compatible with leg strap cord and a roomy front storage carry pouch that will fit a sharpening stone, and/or other items. There are many ways this knife can be worn or attached to other gear, and the sheath is feather-light, coming in at just over 7 ounces.

Overall I rate this knife a 9 out of 10. The Buck Hoodlum is a great knife if you are looking for one this large, this is one of my favorite survival knives. I recommend it!

To buy or get more information on the Buck 060 Buck/Hood Hoodlum Survival Knife Fixed 10" Carbon Steel Blade with Micarta Handles, click the link below.

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