With so many choices for hunters to choose from for knives, we are excited to review this 663 Alpha Guide Knife developed by Buck. This knife is in our recommended gear section, check out some other great must-have products there.
The Buck Alpha Guide is a multi-purpose field knife built for hunting and rigorous outdoor use.
Buck Knives is without exaggeration the top-tier knife company perhaps in the world. So when we got a chance to get our hands on a few of their knifes we took the opportunity.
If you have not check out the review we did on the Buck 110 Knife, which is their main folding knife that brought the company to the limelight.
Table of Contents
The Box Presentation 663 Alpha Guide Knife
The Buck company was founded on Christian principles you can read that fascinating back story in our last post. With those foundations, Buck Knives has sought excellence not just in their presentation but their actual products and customer service.
Their lifetime warranty is just one part of what sets them apart, they are very serious about it and believe in the quality of their products.
Buck Knives was established in 1902. They believe their knives are “generational” which means they will outlast you and be handed down to your children.
The knife comes in a very attractive black box presentation that is very suitable as a gift for a birthday, holiday, Christmas, etc.
A Forever Warranty on Buck Knives?
Right away once you handle the knife you will feel the quality craftsmanship.
Everything from the blade to the resin handle, even to the Leather sheath the product screams high quality.
The forever warranty is on the blade and resin handle, the leather sheath understandably just has a 1-year warranty on it.
The warranty does not cover Normal Wear or modifications made to the knife.
You can read all the details on their very fair warranty system on the Buck website.
663 Alpha Guide Knife Blade
The blade is made from S35VN steel, it has a drop point blade with a high-panel flat grind and jimping.
The S35VN steel will hold an edge without needing to be sharpened often.
The blade thickness is 0.139″. The blade length is 4 3/8″ (11.1 cm). The weight of the knife is 5 oz. If feels very light and the weight hangs in the middle so it is not prone to fall out of your hand.
S35VN is martensitic stainless steel designed to offer improved toughness.
This steel composition makes it tougher (resistance to edge chipping) without reducing the wear resistance of the steel. S35VN also has a fine-grain structure.
This type of steel also is very rust-resistant.
S35VN steel is composed of 1.4 percent carbon, 14 percent chromium, 3 percent vanadium, 2 percent molybdenum, and .5 percent niobium. Carbon is the most essential element in the hardness of steel; the higher the carbon content, the harder the knife will be. When combined with other metal alloys carbides are formed which are harder than just the carbon alone.
The curvature of the blade makes it a perfect blade for skinning and gutting animals for hunters.
It is a longer blade also that gives some opportunity for cutting actions.
There is a finger indent below the beginning edge of the blade that allows for very precise control of the blade. Something that comes in handy when not trying to knick the deer meat or cut through the hide.
There is a very sharp point at the end of the blade for piercing.
The 663 Alpha Guide Knife Handle
The 663 Alpha Guide Knife handle is composed of machine-textured richlite (which is an extremely durable product)
The purpose-designed textured handle gives you a trusted grip, even in wet conditions.
The handle contours with the jimping in the blade which allows one finger to grip right near the actual blade. Giving you ultimate control over the blade.
The handle, as well as the blade, are made and manufactured in the USA with strict quality controls.
I enjoyed looking up and down the handle and blade for any imperfections and I couldn’t find any!
Richlite is incredibly durable which makes the handle almost indestructible. It’s actually harder than the steel blade of the 663 Alpha Guide Knife itself!
Unlike stone, plastic and other solid-surface materials, Richlite is an incredibly durable, sustainable and versatile material made from paper and resin.
In most cases, richlite is made from 100% recycled products. You can read more about richlite and how it is created here.
The textured feel on the handle of the 663 gives it a really pleasing feel and a very firm grip. It just gives you the extra confidence to use this knife in the field in any weather.
What Others are saying about the 663 Alpha Guide Knife?
Overall the reviews I have seen online have been extremely positive.
That is not surprising as my first hours with this knife simply made it almost impossible to give negative feedback on it.
Daniel S. says: “I’m beyond impressed with this Top Quality knife, the design and the quality are both amazing, it’s like the materials and the quality are purposefully designed to complement each other. I’m a Collector of High Quality Knives (I have more than 150) many are limited edition, I was an avid Outdoorsman.”
James N. says: “Perfect blend of craftsmanship and materials from a God-fearing American company.”
Jim says: “Thanks, Buck, this knife is going to be a fantastic knife for wood use! The flat grind is great as is the steel. The length is just the right size for my needs! Keep designing knives like this and I’ll keep buying them!”
The Leather Sheath of the 663 Alpha Guide Knife
Though there is just a 1-year warranty on the sheath it might as well be a lifetime guarantee also. The quality of the sheath is superb.
Full 100% leather, constructed in the USA. There is an attractive “buck” logo on the front bottom, it is small but clear.
The back has a “proudly made in the USA” flag embossed with the number 663 of the knife.
There are cross-stitches on the back and front for extra strength. Several buttons also help stitching to never come loose.
The leather itself is very thick and robust. And there is a high-quality button enclosure to hold the knife in firmly.
Of course, there is a loop for the sheath to be put on a belt. Everything about the sheath is pleasing to the eyes and touch.
Buck 663 Alpha Guide Knife – Closing Thoughts
As an avid hunter and prepping enthusiast, this knife is the perfect go-to durable option in my arsenal now.
Expect in future posts on cutting up wild game to see this knife referenced again!
Buck has a great selection of hunting knives on their site, I believe this one is the best of them.
Go ahead and grab the 663 Alpha Guide Knife today you won’t be sorry!