T e 898 Impact is only available as a satin-fi nish straight edge. About half the tactical folders carried on patrol are partially serrated. A knife so restricted to special and public safety use should have the option of a serrated blade. Serrations cut rough and tough material better than a straight edge.
Both the Impact automatic and the Momentum assisted folder use the same 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum handles. T e 6061 aircraft aluminum handles give the tactical folder structural strength. T e handles and liners will not fl ex, warp, or yield under heavy use. Alu- minum is a bit heavier than a plastic but makes for a stronger folder while being quite thin. Of course, aluminum can be easily cleaned of blood or other fl uids. Both folders use ‘wing-walk’ high-friction, grip tape inserts.
Push-Button Automatic T e obvious diff erence between the 898 Impact and 294 Momen- tum is the opening and locking mechanism. T e Impact blade opens with the push of a slightly raised button. To open the blade, simply press the button. T e blade will rotate open in the same arc as any manual or assisted opening folder. If the blade is bumped during the opening arc, it may not fully open and lock. Simply use the oversize thumbhole like you would on any manual opener. It begins with the large, machine-grooved slide safety. T e safety, of course, prevents the blade from being opened if the push button is bumped or pushed by accident. However, in almost the same mo- tion that intentionally opens the blade, the safety can be engaged to prevent the blade from being closed if the push button is squeezed during hard use. It locks it closed. It locks it open. T e safety folds fl at behind the blade tang but does not serve as a secondary safety to prevent the blade from closing. T e 898 Impact uses a tang lock to hold the blade open. Buck calls this a button lock. In this kind of lock, a cross-pin held be- tween the handle or handle liners, engages the back end of the blade blank. T e tang lock is stronger and less likely to be acciden- tally unlocked than the liner lock and the locking back designs. T e same push button that releases the spring loaded blade also engages the blade tang. To close the blade, simply press and hold the same button that opened the blade. T e other diff erence between the 898 Impact automatic and the 294 Momentum is the pivot pin. T is ¼-inch pivot pin is thicker and stronger than the assisted opening versions.
As we go to press, the 898 Impact is still being carried, on-duty
and off -duty. T e drop-point, hollow ground blade is thin enough to get into places that a Tanto point with a fl at, chisel or saber grind simply cannot go. We found the S30V blade strong enough to pry without bending or breaking, even at the tip. T e Impact automatic fully opened every time and the button could be depressed even when wearing patrol gloves. Overall, high praise for Buck’s fi rst automatic. We wish it was
available with a partially serrated blade, especially focused as it is to public safety. T e auto release and button lock worked perfectly. S30V is the perfect choice for a police knife, patrol or tactical. T e 898 Impact has an MSRP of $220.
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Level IV Rifle Protection Without Wheels
SAWS – Self Aligning Weapon Support indexes with Picatinny Rail to improve accuracy of rapid fire
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