Buck Revives the Grandfather of Fighting Knives in Rare Form

The Bowie blade is an American legend. Even then, this heritage brand’s latest interpretations are a special treat.

Close-up of a Buck USA fixed blade knife with a polished steel blade resting on a wooden surface.Buck Knives

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Directly inspired by the work of Hoyt Buck, dating back to 1902, Buck Knives is one of the most storied, long-lasting American knifemaking brands in operation.

While the brand has a wide-ranging catalog, including modern EDC folders, some of its best offerings are rugged fixed blades.

In fact, the brand just dropped its Buck 2026 Limited Collection, an assortment of six formidable fixed-blade knives, each special in its own right.

Obviously, it’s tough to pick a favorite, especially when three of them just so happen to be interpretations of the grandfather of American fighting knives itself, the legendary Bowie.

Three fixed-blade knives with different handle colors arranged on a round wooden log slice on a dark wooden surface.
The three knives you see here are only half of the full collection, but you can clearly see the range in styles, materials, sizes and more.
Buck Knives

Bang for your Buck

In total, the collection encompasses six distinct knives. And all of them vary widely in their overall styling, size, materials and more. But one thing is certain: all six are rare interpretations of Buck offerings in extremely limited quantities.

In fact, one of the knives — a 116 Caper with a cherrywood handle and a 420HC drop-point blade — is already sold out. And if Buck’s claims of rarity are to be believed, it won’t be coming back anytime soon, if at all.

Knife with a brown textured handle and a black blade marked "BUCK 119 USA" on a beige background.
This 119 Special, with its Cerakote MagnaCut blade and Micarta-Aluminum handle, is the most premium knife in the collection.
Buck Knives

For now, at least, the other five are still available. However, that doesn’t mean they’re sticking around for long. As such, I’d recommend that any interested parties pull that trigger sooner rather than later.

Since three of the knives are interpretations of Bowie knives priced at $200 and up, the other two, which range from $150 to $175, seem likeliest to go the way of the dodo first.

They are a 104 Compadre Camp Knife with a Cru-Wear blade and Micarta handle and a 192 Vanguard in 154CM steel with an oak and brass handle.

Fixed-blade knife with a wooden handle and polished metal bolster resting on a round wooden block.
This 119 Mini comes with a satin-finished MagnaCut blade and an OD green Micarta handle.
Buck Knives

Take a bow(ie)

Call me predictable all you want, but I am a sucker for a good Bowie knife. And as mentioned, three of the knives in this collection fit the bill to a T.

Two of them, both versions of the Buck 117, sit at the $200 price point. The first is a 117 Mini with a MagnaCut Blade, OD green Micarta handle and aluminum for the guard and pommel.

Fixed-blade Buck knife with polished steel blade and wooden handle resting on a dark leather sheath.
One of the non-Bowie offerings, this versatile 192 Vanguard is as stunning as it is hard-working.
Buck Knives

The other is a 117 Brahma with a D2 blade, SureTouch handle and aluminum for the guard and pommel. Both have 4.5-inch clip-point blades, but the Brahma’s handle is a bit thicker than the Mini’s. Otherwise, they’re pretty stylistically similar.

However, if I had to pick a favorite of the bunch, it would be the remaining knife, a version of the 119 Special. This beauty gets a Cerakote-finished MagnaCut steel clip-point blade, OD green Micarta handle and aluminum pommel and guard. It also has the beefiest blade of the Bowies, measuring 6.0 inches long.

Having said that, you really can’t go wrong with any of these spectacular knives, and they will each serve you beautifully, no matter the task.

Fixed-blade knife with a polished metal blade and dark wooden handle resting on a round wooden surface.
This version of the 117 Brahma sports classic D2 tool steel and a SureTouch handle that offers plenty of grip even in less-than-ideal conditions.
Buck Knives

Availability and pricing

The entire Buck 2026 Limited Collection is now available on the brand’s official site, ranging from $125 to $250. However, these knives are available in extremely limited quantities, so you’ll want to grab one while you can (in fact, one is already sold out).

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