Video by: gideonstactical
Knife on Deck: Buck Hood Punk 0065BKSBH

Today’s knife review of choice is the lightweight little brother of the Buck Hoodlum--the Buck 65 Hood Punk knife--the prince of the campsite. From the tip of the blade to the butt of the handle, this survival knife measures 11 inches and weighs a measly 7.4 oz. Include the sheath and you’re at 13 oz. You’re not going to tire out using this knife!

Let’s talk some specifics though.

The Blade

With the Hood Punk, you’ve got a 5160 powder-coated steel blade measuring about 5 5/8” with a 57-59 HRC. The 5160 spring steel is very similar to 1095 but is tougher and more durable. The high carbon spring steel does mean that you should expect a little bit of rust to show up especially if you’re living in a humid area. The flat, gray powder coating on the knife is definitely not a heavy duty, long lasting job, so it won’t take too long to wear some of that coating off.

When you get a chance to hold this piece of royalty in your hands, you’ll notice that the 3/16 inch blade thickness is consistent from butt to tip. The blade itself is a pretty classic, slight clip design. It’s got a great amount of belly with a nice full, flat grind, and this is why we say the Buck Punk is the prince of the campsite. The full, flat grind with all that belly is great for feathering, whittling, slicing, and food prep in general. Buck grinds all of their knives at 13-15 degrees, so this blade is sure to give you a really aggressive grind angle for any work you’re going to do around the campsite.

The Handle

The Buck Hood Punk is hollow-handled and covered with micarta handle scales. The screws make it easy to take on and off and the hollow handle creates a little bit of space that can be used to carry matches or tinder (super useful in a survival situation). The main complaint about the handle is that the micarta scales are a little rough. A file is an easy fix to that issue though.

What else? The handles are equipped with a shock mitigation system to give you a bit of ease with heavy use. The grip is very comfortable and cups the hand well. The thumb ramp and finger choils make for a comfortable hold whether you’re choking up on the knife for more detailed work or a more relaxed grip for slicing or carving.

Other than the sharp-edged micarta handle scales, the only other potential negative about the handle is the thumb ramp. Some knife enthusiasts say it’s completely unnecessary while others are disappointed that it has no jimping. For most people, though, it’s not really a problem.

The Sheath

The sheath for the Buck 65 Hood Punk knife is a bit of a conundrum. It’s got some neat features. There’s a pocket on the front side that’s big enough for a multi-tool, mini survival kit, or even a sharpener. It’s M.O.L.L.E compatible and comes with 550 paracord so you could lash it around your leg or a velcro attachment system so you can attach it to your belt without having to take your belt off. It’s pretty flexible for different carry styles.

For the knife, the sheath includes a big, plastic insert and dual lashing to keep it in place. There’s a snap strap that fits around the handle as well as paracord with lashing to keep the knife pretty sturdy in the sheath.

Gideonstactical is not alone in his feelings about the sheath being bigger than what the knife needs. If you bought the knife wanting to take advantage of all of the features sheath, then the sheath is a great part of your purchase. However, if you bought the knife because of how streamlined and lightweight it is, the sheath will be a bit of a disappointment.

Gideonstactical recommends a 6 inch Spec Ops Sheath as a great alternate sheath option.

Performance

The Buck 65 Hood Punk knife is a great all around camp knife. Being a smaller knife, it’s not a great chopper, but it performs better than most knives its size. It’ll definitely get the job done, but you’re also going to spend a good bit of energy.

The Buck Punk is a sturdy piece of steel so for batoning, anything 5 inches or less in diameter is going to be a piece of cake. The finger choils also give a nice grip for feathering and slicing. If it ends up being a food slicing knife, it’s not going to turn your food into baby mash.

Why We Like the Buck Hood Punk 0065BKSBH

The buck 65 hood punk is overall an awesome, lightweight backpacking/camping/survival knife. It’s incredibly tough and durable; it’s a knife that will last you a lifetime. As a Buck Knife, you know that it’s made in the USA, and, as usual, has Buck’s “forever warranty.” Interested in checking it out? May I present to you the Buck Hood Punk 0065BKSBH.