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May’s Buck of the Month Sees Return of the Marksman

May 5, 2021

Buck has unveiled its Buck of the Month for May, a Buck Marksman that channels the Force with an interstellar color scheme and a different blade steel.

Buck’s knife of the month project is interesting, because it doesn’t strictly mean ultra premium, shelf queen-type releases. Often times it gives fans a chance to grab old favorites in unusual materials, or to get their hands on a discontinued model for a limited time.

The May 2021 Buck of the Month manages to check both of those boxes. The Marksman 830 originally released in 2014. It was a collaboration with Grant and Gavin Hawk, and came equipped with the SLS, or Safety Lock System, a patented lock design that is exactly the kind of brainy mechanism you’d expect from the makers of the DeadLock and Ti-Lock. A metal backstrap on the spine has a keyhole cut into it; when the knife is closed, the flipper tab moves into the keyhole, keeping the blade secure; when you open the the strap locks against a notch in the blade tang.

A sky’s eye view of the SLS

The SLS made the Marskman ambidextrous, easy to operate one-handed, fun to fidget with, and durable. It was a knife ahead of its time, anticipating the knife community’s fascination with new and interesting mechanisms. It became a kind of cult classic, but has since been discontinued. Its return in a limited run should please those that missed it the first time around.

What’s changed? Well, most obviously the color scheme: the Marksman’s standard black/silver coloration has been swapped for a white/black livery that evokes a galaxy far, far away. Additionally, the blade steel has been changed from 154CM to D2. This is something of a lateral move: D2 will hold an edge longer than 154CM, but loses to the stainless steel in terms of corrosion resistance. That being said, the black coating on the blade should reduce the risk of rust considerably.

Beyond these differences, the May 2021 Marksman retains the design and dimensions of its predecessor: a 3.5-inch blade, ball bearing flipper deployment, aluminum scales, and a 4 oz. weight. Despite being a collectible model, it does land with an MSRP right around that of the standard production model. That being said, it is limited to just 500 pieces, so if you want one you should jump on it ASAP.

Knife in Featured Image: Buck of the Month May 2021 Marksman

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