Buck Soups Up a Classic Outdoor Knife in Stunning Yet Sensible Fashion

Performance-driven blade steel and a more refined, durable handle highlight the latest special-edition release.

Buck Knives

Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published 1 hour ago

·

Updated 28 minutes ago

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

A staple of the brand since the early 1960s, the Buck Knives 102 Woodsman has long been relied upon by outdoor enthusiasts.

Its looks and quality are unassailable, as are its USA-made bona fides and the convenience of its included leather sheath.

Hunting knife with polished steel blade and dark wood handle with brass accents on a textured brown leather surface. — The 102 Woodsman’s new Buck of the Month treatment makes a great outdoor knife even better.

But as is so often the case with Buck’s limited-production offerings, the latest treatment ups the ante in multiple ways.

Naturally, the July 2026 Buck of the Month 102 Woodsman demands a closer look.

Better ingredients, better knife

Let’s start with the business end of this robust fixed blade, which is traditionally rendered in 420HC stainless steel.

Fixed-blade Buck knife with wooden handle and brass guard on a brown leather surface. — The brass pommel and guard with acrylic spacers bring an additional layer of refinement to this Woodsman.

Helping to justify roughly doubling the price, the beefy 3.86-inch clip-point gets upgraded to S35VN super steel, complete with a satin finish and BOS heat treatment.

That means not only better-than-average corrosion resistance but also admirable edge retention, two critical traits of an outdoor knife built to stick around for the long haul.

Fixed-blade knife with a polished steel blade, wooden handle, and brass guard on a leather surface. — The nearly 4-inch blade proudly advertises its heat treatment and steel quality on the display side.

Meanwhile, the handle swaps out the traditional black Cocobolo wood for marbled ironwood, which not only makes each unit unique but also boosts durability.

Complementing those two key elements are a beautiful brass pommel and a matching guard with ivory acrylic spacers, the latter of which protects your fingers and looks good doing it.

Three Buck 102 USA knives with polished wood handles and brass bolsters on a brown leather surface. — As you can see here, thanks to the personality of marble ironwood, no two handles are alike.

This Woodsman also gets outfitted with a textured black leather sheath that makes it easy to mount on a belt for hands-free toting into the backcountry.

Reliably made in the USA, the knife also comes with a certificate of authenticity, as all Buck of the Month offerings do.

Hunting knife with wooden handle and brass pommel in a black leather sheath on a brown leather surface. — While the standard offering is rather shiny, the new Woodsman’s sheath gets a more rugged, granular look.

That’s a nice touch, though it clearly doesn’t need a printed piece of paper to make a statement.

Availability and pricing

Limited to 500 units, the new Buck Knives 102 Woodsman (July 2026 Buck of the Month) is available now for $185.

Knife with a polished wooden handle and brass pommel and guard, featuring a stainless steel blade.

Buck Knives 102 Woodsman (July 2026 Buck of the Month)

$185 at Buck Knives

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.