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New Buck 896 RapidFire: The Automatic with a Soft Side

August 10, 2016

Buck debuted an innovative new automatic knife, the 896 RapidFire, at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Show in Salt Lake City last week. It is the second automatic knife in as many years from the Idaho-based company.

The RapidFire is an automatic knife designed around two different deployment methods. The first is via expected button deployment on the handle itself, but Buck has also included a “dual action thumb surface” on the blade that functions as a thumb stud, and can be removed to reveal a thumb cut-out. Users who find themselves in situations where automatic deployment might not be appropriate can open their RapidFire without any drama.

“If you do not push the button you can open the knife as you would any other one-hand open model, and also close it with one hand as you’d do a liner lock,” Buck tells us. “[The] RapidFire features a dual action, removable thumb surface that offers a slow opening, liner lock engagement or a rapidfire automatic opening.” Although the knife can be opened in a more traditional fashion, it should be noted that this does not change the RapidFire’s legal designation as an automatic knife. Buck’s state of Idaho has some of the most relaxed knife laws in the United States, but not all jurisdictions are as understanding.

The RapidFire follows on the heels of 2015’s 898 Impact. Although the fan-favorite Buck 110 has been the subject of third-party automatic conversions for years, the Impact was officially the first automatic knife to roll out of Buck’s factory. According to Buck, fans have been clamoring for automatic knives for years.

The RapidFire has much in common with its predecessor, including blade steel and overall size, but it is not meant as a replacement for the Impact. Buck classifies the Impact as a tactical auto, and the RapidFire as an every day user. The company hasn’t forgotten their first foray into automatic pocket knives, and for 2016 they are releasing new colors for the Impact, including coyote tan and OD green.

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The RapidFire’s 3 1/8” blade is made from S30V blade steel, and like all S30V from Buck, it benefits from an optimal Paul Bos heat treat. The handle is made from anodized aluminum, and the non-repositionable, tip-up, right hand pocket clip is made from titanium. The RapidFire utilizes a liner lock, and weighs 4.6 oz.

The Buck RapidFire will be available towards the end of the year at an MSRP of $250.

Knife featured in image: Buck 896 RapidFire

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