This compact multi-tool offers several useful tools in addition to a hollow ground, combo-edged drop point blade of high carbon 420 stainless steel. The one-hand opening lockback knife is still the primary blade of the tool and with three inches of cutting edge, it's enough to get you by. Hunters and fishermen will want more, but for the average backpacker it's a reasonable choice.

Since everyone today carries something high-tech, it's always helpful to have some mechanical tools along -- in case a fitting on the pack or tent or boots breaks and you have to be creative. The X-Tract includes a small pair of pliers, a Phillips and flat-head screwdriver, and wire cutters -- all of which could come in very handy when unexpected things go wrong. There's also a bottle and can opener if you've forgotten the most important part of your mess kit. All tools in the Buck 731 open with one hand and lock in place for use.

Under the rubber-coated thermoplastic handle cover lies another useful feature, an LED light powered by two flat coin-sized batteries. It's not the lamp you'd depend on for the long walk home, but it's a great backup to have around. Power-saving circuitry turns off the LED after three minutes. Access to the battery compartment requires a small Phillips screwdriver, so if you need to install new batteries, do it before you hit the trail.

The 4-1/4-inch Buck 731 doesn't include a pocket clip, but a tough nylon belt pouch is part of the deal. The base of the knife provides a stainless steel lanyard loop big enough to string a wrist lanyard or clip on a carabiner.

For the same multi-tool without the LED option, see this Buck X-Tract Multi-Tool.

Find this Buck X-Tract Multitool:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this multitool on eBay:

Buck Knives X Tract Platinum MultiTool LED 64oz 731PLX US $41.95   Auction Ends: 23d 8h 50m

BUCK 735 X TRACT ESSENTIAL BLUE MULTI TOOL KNIFE SCISSORS SCREWDRIVERS NEW US $24.50   Auction Ends: 20d 23h 16m

The brass butt and finger guard perfectly complement the laminated polished wood handle of this full tang knife. I have knives with Brazilian rosewood handles that don't look better than this one. (Buck says this is birchwood but I'm skeptical; it looks better than birchwood should). Brass fittings will dent and nick if you use the knife for rough work, but minor flaws will polish out -- and for sheer good looks, brass wins over steel every time.

Skinning knives have always been special purpose blades, ground thin with bold curves. That's been true since the Stone Age, and you can still see the evidence in old camps where the pretty arrowheads and spear points were stolen ages ago, and the crude stone chips and thin flakes that served as butcher's tools still litter the sand. Today skinning knives are more of an art, but they still have to do the work to be any good.

If you look at the gut hook on this knife, you may think it's more style than function, a bit too slender, but C. J. Buck -- fourth in the line of those famous American knife makers -- designed this one. You can expect it to slip through the work without ripping through what's below. But don't try to open cans with it. Have some respect for art.

Find this Buck Zipper Knife:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

Hand Made USA Buck Shot Duck Goose Call Lanyard Zipper US $19.99   Auction Ends: 27d 4h 10m

RITE EDGE TRAILBLADE COMPARE TO BUCK ZIPPER 691 KNIFE US $16.85   Auction Ends: 2d 21m

The 301 Stockman in any of its versions is the largest classic pocketknife Buck makes. With a closed length of 3-7/8 inches and a weight of 2.9 ounces, it's still not too heavy for comfortable pocket carry so there's no need for a pocket clip. The three blades were designed for ranchers and farmers but work just as well for people with other occupations. The clip point (the longest, at 2-3/4 inches) and two-inch spey and sheepsfoot blades cover just about any normal cutting tasks as well as the old chores of prying pebbles from horse's hooves or doing the odd bit of animal surgery.

The Stockman is the older slip joint style, not a lockback. Each blade opens with a thumb notch, which is always a two-handed operation, and snaps into place when opened fully. Spring steel bars in the spine of the handle hold the knife blades open and release again under a firm pressure. Spring tension also holds the knife shut. It's a very old design that works well with no accidental opening to worry about. In piercing tasks, the blades could fold back on the hand, but using one safely is a skill easily acquired. One close call is all the instruction you need.

The Buck 301 is a knife that will last a lifetime. People who bought Buck Stockman pocket knives when I was a kid are still happy they did.

Find this Buck Stockman:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

Buck Cherry Dymondwood 3 Blade Stockman Knife 301CWS US $38.99   Auction Ends: 29d 11h 17m

BUCK Knives 301BKS Stockman Folding 3 Blade Pocket Knife US $31.00   Auction Ends: 22d 23h 45m

You'll be impressed by the strength of this five-inch folding version, said to be a design update of the venerable Buck 110 Folding Hunter. If by update you mean starting over with fresh ideas, I suppose that's true. I see little resemblance between the two, but both offer excellent features. The Folding Alpha Hunter rivals the full tang version in strength with a liner lockback system that works fine so long as you keep the knife clean. In the Alpha Hunter folder, you get the same ribbed exposed spine for increased thumb traction and control. The black rubber handle slabs provide a comfortable and nonslip grip (even when wet) and warm up quickly in cold weather. The Folding Alpha won't suck the strength out of your fingers on a frosty day.

The 3-1/2-inch plain edged 420HC stainless steel blade swings open one-handed with the conical thumb stud. There's just enough stainless steel stud for a good leverage point, so it won't get in the way of the real work. At eight ounces, the Folding Alpha is no lightweight, but you'll like the extra heft. Another point in its favor is the belt sheath of black nylon -- there's no pocket clip. If you want a knife for the urban world a clip makes sense, but for sustained use it just raises blisters. In heavy brush, you'll want something more secure anyway. The sheath always works.

Find this Buck Alpha Hunter Knife:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

Buck Knife 196RWS Mini Alpha Hunter Rosewood Dymondwood 12C27Mod Sandvik 196 NEW US $69.95   Auction Ends: 29d 19h 47m

Buck 276 Folding Alpha Hunter Knife Gut Hook 276RWG New US $67.99   Auction Ends: 27d 59m

The bead blasted finish may have been intended to simulate sharkskin, but you'd probably not make that connection unless you knew the background. If you need a good pocket clip folder for use around saltwater, whether you're a fisherman or sailor or surfer, the Mayo Hilo could be your best bet. A 3-5/8-inch drop point 420HC stainless steel blade slips from the stainless steel handle with a gentle push on the thumb stud and locks into place with Mayo's patented frame lock, an integral spring section of the grip. Push from the other side to release the blade. It's a good idea, since tightening your grip on the knife only sets the lock more firmly in place.

Titanium coatings on both blade and handle will reduce the corrosive effect of saltwater, still a problem even with today's modern corrosion-resistant alloys. The knife folds to 4-1/2 inches and needs no sheath -- use the stainless steel pocket clip to secure it on your hip in easy reach.

Unlike some modern knives engineered for the lightest weight possible, the Buck Mayo Hilo doesn't sacrifice strength by skeletonizing the metal of the handle. A series of holes reduces the weight to four ounces but doesn't remove enough steel to weaken the build. Keep a good grip on this folder, because although the shape of the knife fits the hand well enough, the finish itself is a little smooth.

Find this Buck Mayo Hilo Knife:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

The Buck 110FG lockback is a little heavy for some people, with a single 420HC high carbon stainless steel clip point blade and solid brass liners and bolsters. The handle slabs are genuine rosewood, a material so naturally dense and stable that -- even without an occasional rubdown with oil -- it remains lustrous and smooth. Other hardwoods may become rough and splintery if abused, but rosewood carries on. It seems to become better with use. Those good construction materials add up to a 7.2-ounce folder with a closed length of 4-7/8 inches. Buck makes modernized full tang hunters that weigh about the same as this pocket knife. The 110FG with scalloped finger grooves in the belly of the handle is big enough and strong enough for serious work. The lockback is solid and trustworthy. I don't run across everyday tasks that are too much for my pocketknife to handle if I carry the 110, and the 110FG matches that standard.

The leather pouch sheath that comes with this knife is very useful, because keeping a knife this big in your pocket will actually wear a hole in your jeans in a surprisingly short time. Check the stitching on the back, because the loop on mine wasn't sewn on well enough -- something I noticed and fixed right away.

Probably the best thing you can say about a knife is that you've got one just like it right here. OK, mine's the 110 -- the 110FG is just a little bit better.

Find this Buck 110FG Knife:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

New Genuine Buck CORDURA Nylon Sheath 110 110FG Knives US $12.99   Auction Ends: 19h 9m

Genuine Buck Leather Sheath for Buck 110 110FG Knives US $16.99   Auction Ends: 2d 6h 49m

This 8-1/2-inch full tang knife, cut and ground from one piece of 420HC high carbon stainless steel, leaves part of the spine exposed above the black rubber handle slabs. Ridges ground into the back of the 3-3/4 inch blade and the butt of the knife's tang increase the user's grip by providing a non-slip surface for thumb pressure. The deeply hollow ground plain edge sharpens easily and cuts like a razor. The gut hook tip opens the abdominal cavity of animals without damaging the internal organs and tainting the meat. This is a fully functional and very practical modern knife, and the design even looks good.

The reason you didn't see a knife like this on the frontier may only be that the processes, materials, and needs weren't the same then. Smiths made excellent practical knives in those days, and many makers today still copy what they did. Made from today's materials for hunters who don't hunt for a living and do need the built-in skill of a gut hook, the Alpha Hunter doesn't just repeat what was best two hundred years ago. This is a fresh look at what makes a good hunting knife.

A well-made heavy black nylon belt sheath comes with the Alpha Hunter -- you might want to add a lanyard to the hole in the tang, and you'll need a honing slip to fit the gut hook notch.

Find this Buck Alpha Hunter :

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

Buck Knife 196RWS Mini Alpha Hunter Rosewood Dymondwood 12C27Mod Sandvik 196 NEW US $69.95   Auction Ends: 29d 19h 47m

Buck 276 Folding Alpha Hunter Knife Gut Hook 276RWG New US $67.99   Auction Ends: 27d 59m

The three-inch modified spear point blade extends a hollow ground plain edge for butchering and skinning, while the saw blade handles heavier bone. The saw's gut hook tip slips through the first layer of the belly to open up animals without puncturing entrails. If you're not a hunter, this stout folder has many features that come in handy for general survival purposes. The gut hook could slice safely through harness straps and, although short, the saw blade will cut through wood if you're patient.

Both high carbon 420 HC stainless steel blades open one-handed with thumb studs on opposing sides. Rotate the aircraft aluminum milled handle in the hand to locate the correct thumb stud -- the two blades fold into opposite sides of the RealTree camo handle frame. Dual liner locks work well enough when the knife is kept clean, but be cautious if the knife becomes clogged with debris. The skeletonized handle reduces weight but provides many gaps for dirt and problems to enter. Especially if you're going to butcher animals with this knife, you'll need to pay close attention to cleanup, not only because of cross contamination problems but for proper lockback of the blades.

The 4.83-inch folder comes with a camo nylon belt sheath with snap closure. The Alpha Crosslock is also available in gunmetal gray.

Find this Buck Alpha Crosslock Knife:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

BUCK 276 277 FOLDING ALPHA HUNTER CAMO KNIFE SHEATH NEW US $12.50   Auction Ends: 14d 5h 51m

Buck Knives Camo Alpha Hunter W Gut Hook 85 693CMG US $62.95   Auction Ends: 24d 19h 52m

The high carbon stainless steel 420 HC hunting knife holds a good edge, and the thin hollow grind allows easy sharpening and quick honing to razor quality. Rat tail tang construction and a solid brass finger guard and bolster give the Vanguard an almost handmade appearance. The rubber grip adds to the look instead of making the knife look cheaper than it is. The color and textured surface remind me of snakeskin, and the black nylon belt sheath obviously is well designed in both practical and artistic terms.

When getting down to the dirty work with the Buck Vanguard, you'll appreciate the black rubber grip for other reasons, since it's a nonslip material even during the wet jobs. Although Buck rates this a fixed blade knife for big game, the small size (only 8-1/2 inches overall) fits the skinner category better. The hollow grind isn't the strongest possible edge style and might fold if you try to hammer the blade through bone with a tree branch mallet -- something a full-sized hunting knife should hold up to with no damage.

That's not a real criticism of the Vanguard, which is a good knife but advertised a little too optimistically. If you hunt game larger than deer, you'll want a standard hunting knife for backup.

Find this Buck Vanguard Knife :

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this Knife on eBay:

RITE EDGE TIMBERLANDER COMPARE TO BUCK VANGUARD 692 KNIFE US $16.85   Auction Ends: 24d 9h 5m

Buck Vanguard Custom Fixed Blade Hunting Knife US $61.99   2 Bids Auction Ends: 1d 4h 20m

Handle construction is light but strong with pinned handle slabs of durable black synthetics matched to polished stainless steel bolsters. A small emblem on one side bears the words "Classic Bolt." Originally marketed to farmers and ranchers for common chores having to do with livestock (the spey blade, for instance, was the usual choice for castrations), the assortment has proved equally useful to those in other trades. Whether you need to trim the insulation from a copper wire (because your tool kit is at home) or a box just arrived that's taped permanently shut, the Buck 303 steps up with the solution to the small problems of the modern world as well as the older one.

In this pocket knife pattern none of the blades lock back, but all snap into place in the open position. Only slight pressure is needed to fold them back to the handle, so be careful if you're using this knife for piercing work. At 3-1/4 inches in length when closed and only 1.9 ounces in weight, it may cause some people to wonder why all the fuss about ultralight knives. Buck's been making them for years.

Find this Buck Cadet 303 Pocketknife:

• Click here to find this product at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

Buck Knife Cadet Model 303 US $10.59   3 Bids Auction Ends: 4h 44m

NEW BUCK KNIVES 303BKS BLACK CADET KNIFE USA MINT US $25.95   Auction Ends: 24d 20h 59m