Knife addict Tom Claycomb goes camping with the BUCK Knives Bantam Knife Line.
Idaho – I guess we all get stuck in a rut after a while. Or maybe it’s not a rut. Maybe after experimenting around it’s just that we final decide on what we like. With that said, if you’ve read many of my articles then you know that I favor a 3 ½-4 inch blade on most of my knives. It’s not a right or wrong, it’s just what fits my hand. But as a knife writer I’ve got to expand what I test or else I only can converse with people exactly like me.
BUCK Knives Bantam Knife
So with the above said, today we’re going to cover the Buck Knive’s Bantam series of blades which is a line of pocket folders in which the blade length ranges from 1 7/8 – 3 ¾-inches. If you favor a smaller folder, which is thin and comfortable to carry, then this just might be the knife for you. Buck offers the Bantam series in four different models.
BUCK Knives Bantam BBW BLADE LENGTHS (Number on the left is how many handle colors are offered):
- 10 Nano Bantam 1 7/8-inch
- 8 Bantam BBW 2 ¾-inch
- 10 Bantam BLW 3 1/8-inch
- 8 Bantam BHW 3 ¾-inch
As you know, I don’t carry a little gentleman’s knife, so I didn’t test the Nano Bantam, but to expand my horizons, I grabbed a couple of Bantam BBWs for me and my daughter to test on a backpacking trip that we had planned for tomorrow.
But my wife and I just got back from the mountains yesterday, camping, fishing, and riding horses for a few days, and I had thrown them in my pack to test. After testing the Buck Bantam BBW Knife I liked it for a couple of reasons. Mainly, it is lightweight, thin, and easy to carry.
The four BUCK Knives Bantam models are basically all the same, other than size, and the Buck Bantam BLW Knife model comes with a pocket clip. They all come with a lanyard hole in case you want to put on a lanyard. They recommend carrying the Buck Nano Bantam on a key chain.
They are all constructed of 440HC steel with a Rc of 58. This is hard enough to hold an edge for a good while but not so hard that I can’t sharpen it in a few minutes on my Smith’s Products fine diamond stone.
I think that it should turn out to be a popular knife. It’s lightweight and thin, so it’s comfortable to carry and seems to be built stout enough to handle your daily needs. And the big deal is that it is offered in four different blade length, which should be enough options to satisfy anyone. Also, if you look above under the Blade Length column, the numbers on the left of the description are how many different colors they offer in each model.
There’s only one thing that I would change in this series. Drop points are good for skinning, but for everyday use, I like a clip point blade. Since a drop point is a great option for skinning, it’s smart to offer the Bantam BHW and maybe the Bantam BLW (for people with small hands) with a drop point, but I’d make the Nano and BBW with a clip point since you’re not going to be skinning your big game animals with this small of a knife.
To end on a positive note, though, if you like a pocket clip, the Bantam BLW has one. I also love the mid-lock back location. I’d have to go look for sure but I believe 99% of my folders have the lock on the tail end of the knife. It is more fluid to unlock the Bantams. Just slide your hand back, and with a gentle push on the lock, it deactivates. I like that.
As normal, we will end by listing the specs. The specs below only apply to the Bantam BBW.
BUCK Knives Bantam BBW Knife SPECS:
- Blade Shape: Drop Point
- Blade Length: 2 3/4″ (7 Cm)
- Weight: 1.5 Oz. (42.7 G)
- Handle: Injection-Molded
- Carry System: Pocket
- Origin: Made In The USA
Live Inventory Price Checker
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Buck Bantam Folding Drop Point Knife, Mossy Oak Break Up Country - 0286CMS24-B | Palmetto State Armory | $ 46.00 $ 32.99 |
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Buck 285 Bantam BLW Folding Drop Point Knife, Mossy Oak Orange - 0285CMS9-B | Palmetto State Armory | $ 41.00 $ 29.99 |
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Buck Knives 286 Bantam BHW Pocket Knife 3.75" Drop Point 420HC Stainless Steel Blade GRN Handle Mossy Oak Blaze Orange Camo | MidwayUSA | $ 30.99 |
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Buck 285 Bantam BLW Folding Drop Point Knife, Black - 0285BKS-B | Palmetto State Armory | $ 37.00 $ 26.99 |
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About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble”
Excellent review. Thank you for your insight, especially, “It’s not right or wrong, it’s just what fits my hand.” I am a self proclaimed “knife nut” who started collecting at the age of 8 when my parents told me, “If you play with sharp objects you will get cut.” They were right! I’m now 69 and still occasionally get cut. I discovered that most popular brands, and some lesser known brands, have features I like. All too often I hear narrow minded people belittle one brand or another because they found one item they liked. This seems even more true… Read more »
The article is a recycle but still has good advice. Any tool you take out into the woods should be tested by you before going out and finding out the tool has a flaw when needed. Will it split wood for an emergency fire, does it hold an edge skinning and other chores? Hunting partner broke the tang on his K-Bar knife splitting firewood. I snapped off the point of my hunting knife opening tin cans and learned to carry a can opener. I broke the needle nose jaw of my multitool trying to pull a nail which rendered the… Read more »