Buck Knives Short Revolution - Outdoor Gear Review

The Short Revolution knife came along on a week-long camping trip and was found to be well designed for most basic cutting jobs with good comfort and style, but was lacking in its ability to handle larger projects.

The knife served well for dinner preparation, twine cutting, and stick whittling, and was even easy to clean after it had been smeared with cheese, avocado, and dirt. It was also easy to keep track of because it could be kept clipped to easy-to-find objects such as clothing, water bottles, and climbing harnesses. The handle grip made it comfortable and safe to use even with slippery or cold fingers.

The model I tested had a smooth blade without serration; however, there is a serrated blade version that would make a better general use tool. The model we tested, functions just fine for most front-country requirements.

This knife was designed with a built-in clip, which retracts entirely into the handle when the blade locks into the open position.

The knife can be opened one-handed, but extra care must be taken when using two hands because the double-sided blade tip swings out towards the second hand’s fingers and can easily slice the skin on the way to opening.

The clip can be a useful feature but if you have a habit of keeping your knife attached to your keychain when around camp, it may get a little annoying to have to remove it from the keychain every time you want to use the knife. For the most part, the built in clip and lightweight design works nicely to attach to a mountaineers pack, or a climbing harness.