Buck Knives’ New 640XL Honors Longtime Employees

Not every new knife is notable, but the story behind this one is unique. Six of Buck’s most faithful employees, each of whom has been working there for decades (tenures vary from 40 to 47 years), were given the opportunity to design a new blade in honor of their dedication and service to the company.

Billy, John, Steve, Danny, Ron, and Rick put their heads together to design the tool, asking themselves, “What would the perfect knife be that we all were excited about?” It was decided to base the design on the Buck Frontiersman, Model 124, because they’d each owned and worked on the 124 back in the day.

440C was the steel of choice, because that’s what Buck was using when these guys started working there. A chamfer was added to the top front of the blade, the handle was to be elk antler with water buffalo spacers, with the guard and pommel of nickel silver. The spine of the blade is scalloped for another unique touch.

The model number has significance, 640 for 6 employees with 40 years’ experience — and XL is 40 in Roman numerals. They added up their total years of employment with Buck to come up with 259, which is the total number of serialized 640s which will be produced in this limited run.

The 640 XL is a tribute to six employees who have devoted 40 or more years of service to Buck Knives. In the 1970’s, these young men were developing a product for Buck Knives and were an integral part in the move from California to Idaho to set up the new factory some 30 years later. Development of this unique, legacy knife was not rushed and was based on the 124 Frontiersman, a knife they all owned and worked on 40 years ago. A consensus among the six men needed to be met at every detail and aspect. It is created with one of the first steels ever used by Buck Knives, 440C, and custom filework was added to the spine. The handcrafted Elk handle was chosen as a timeless material and accentuated with nickel silver and buffalo spacers. This knife carries a deep-rooted Buck story and will be just as relevant in 40 years as it is today.

Representing the total number of years with the company these six men hold collectively, the XL is serialized with a total quantity of 259.

Manufacturer Specs

• Blade Shape: Clip
• Blade Thickness: 0.120″
• Blade Length: 6 5/8″ (16.8 cm)
• Weight: 18.3 oz (518.8 g)
• Handle: Elk with Water Buffalo Spacers
• Carry System: Pine Display Box
• Origin: Made in the USA
• MSRP: $650
• *Please note: This knife may have a 4-6 week lead time.

There’s even a two-minute video to tell the story behind the blade.

Take a look behind the design of Buck Knives’ limited edition knife, the 640 XL. A knife designed and hatched from six Buck Knives’ employees; Billy, John, Steve, Danny, Ron, and Rick – all who have been with the company for more than 40 years each.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.