I received this pair as a part of a trade a few weeks back. I've never been particularly drawn to any of Buck's offerings in the past, and quite honestly, I would never have thought to purchase one.
The Nighthawk has a tactical/fighting style blade, about 6 inches in length. It is made from 420HC stainless steel--an "ok" blade steel. When I received the knife, it was scary sharp, and I mean scary. I'm not sure if it came this way from the factory or it it was retouched by the original owner.
The handle is Zytel (a hard plastic) skeleton with a softer, grippy plastic insert (the OD green in the picture). The handle is quite comfortable and ergonomic, good in all positions.
I have heard that the Nighthawk comes standard with a horrible sheath. Luckily enough, this one has an after-market kydex sheath from On/Scene Tactical.The sheath is most impressive. Solid, sturdy construction. Holds the knife perfectly, in any position, even inverted. Releases quickly with a good solid tug. The multi-position belt loop allows you to adjust the sheath for different carry styles. Really, really nice.
Currently, I have it set up for horizontal carry--the Nighthawk is actually very concealable carried this way. Unfortunately, I don't find it very comfortable to sit down for any period of time with the knife carried this way. I'd probably rather have a Tek-
Lok than just the belt loop, for ease of use, but it works as is. Very adjustable and solid.Overall, it's a good combo. I don't feel like the Nighthawk could replace a sturdy camp knife like the well-known BK-7. I haven't done any formal tests, but the feel of the knife and the blade shape seem more suited to fighting than general camp chores/survival. Not to say that it wouldn't do in a pinch, but if you need a knife to do some chopping/batoning/heavy work, you'd probably want to look elsewhere. If you're looking for a good fighting-style knife, than the Nighthawk could work for you. They can be found online for about $65, and are competitive with other knives in their price range. I can't say that I'd whole-heartedly recommend a Nighthawk, though, having no experience with the standard sheath.
The On/Scene Tactical sheath, though, I can whole-heartedly recommend. Too many good knives come with crappy sheaths, and On/Scene makes a damn-fine aftermarket replacement. Expect to spend around $30-$40 for a sheath, but you'll get a lot more functionality and use out of your knife. Definitely worth it.
