35 year old Buck 110

M

My Young Apprentice

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Dec 8, 2012
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132
Edit: The knife is actually around 22 years old. Thanks for clearing that up guys.

So I want to clean up my dad's old Buck 110. However, I do not want to restore it in any other way, other than cleaning the blade up a little. Pics and reasons why I want to keep it like it is are in this thread here

I tried to do some research on cleaning it up, but came up short due to too many recommended methods and materials. Since I think my situation is unlike most people that have asked this question, I wanted to get some personalized results. I do not want to send this knife to Buck for a spa treatment, because it has a lot of sentimental value, and I want to control what happens to it exactly.

So I was curious, based on the pictures in the thread above, what do the guys with experience in this recommend? I want to clean and polish the bolsters as much as possible, clean up the wood grain and hopefully make it "pop" more, and lightly sand away the scratches in the blade so as to make it look nice again. In a nutshell, I want to take away the grime and dirt, make it shiny, and leave the scars. I've never done this sort of thing and don't want to ruin it on my first go on a knife I actually care about, and you guys are some of the most helpful and experienced people I know. I don't know if there is anything that will damage the wood or otherwise mar the knife. So let's brainstorm!
 
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Don't start on this one. Still, it's not 35yrs. old as Buck used that stamp early in 1992 making your model at the most 22yrs. old. It's sheath is correct for that time frame as well. DM
 
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You don't want to sand anything or take away damage. You only want to clean the blade up. You want to polish the bolsters and sand away scratches. :eek: Maybe some non contradictory clarification on what you want to do might help. lol
 
Curtis_Lowe said:
You don't want to sand anything or take away damage. You only want to clean the blade up. You want to polish the bolsters and sand away scratches. :eek: Maybe some non contradictory clarification on what you want to do might help. lol
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Hopefully I cleared it up a little. Sorry about that, it was a little confusing xP
 
David Martin said:
Don't start on this one. Still, it's not 35yrs. old as Buck used that stamp early in 1992 making your model at the most 22yrs. old. It's sheath is correct for that time frame as well. DM
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I'd like to start on some ones that I don't care about, but I want to have this one done by easter, the next time I see him. We don't see each other much since I moved away to be with my wife and kids. I haven't been able to find any pawn shops around here either...I'm sure they would have some.
 
Many times guys will post, 'what should I do with this knife' and we as routine advise them to send it in to Buck and allow them to do the work... DM
 
So that's the one you asked me about a few days ago, on a diff thread-- the knife/screwdriver. I actually did some work on an earlier version, first knife I ever worked on. I bot a large Buck folder early '77 ( perhaps a 110 then too, dunno). I beat the heck out of it, roofed a couple houses w/ that as my cutter. Decided like you to "clean it up" some years later. Looked about the same as yours.

Long story short the exterior EZ enuf, tho mine had flush scale pins so I could sand right over the top of them-- you can't. But brass is so soft, sands easily. Be careful at the wood/brass intersections, as wood sands faster. The patina will recover.

Is that blade HG? Looks like it there might be some concavity there. If not, you could take the blade faces as far as you wanted-- your scratches don't look that deep. But there's no "lightly" sanding out the scratches-- you either commit or you don't. Once you start sanding you're gonna leave your footprint all over the blade-- what kind of finish do you want to end up with? It will be a sanded finish, unless you take it to 2500/3000 where it'll pass for polish (till the light reflects just right).

You may find that just buffing out the faces is the compromise that works. It'll brighten the blade-- it'll also blur out the smaller scratches, leaving a less-scratched surface.

One caution-- I did so much sanding on mine (I also wanted to slim the handle) that I ended up w/ a slurry of wood and metal e'where-- it "gummed up the works" to put it mildly-- the guck penetrated into the pivot and no matter how much scalding water/penetrating oil/endless working the blade open and closed, I was never able to get it out. Opening and closing the knife after that was akin to running my nails down a chalkboard....

G'luck whatever you decide, definitely a Labor of Love.
 
ryxlyx said:
So that's the one you asked me about a few days ago, on a diff thread-- the knife/screwdriver. I actually did some work on an earlier version, first knife I ever worked on. I bot a large Buck folder early '77 ( perhaps a 110 then too, dunno). I beat the heck out of it, roofed a couple houses w/ that as my cutter. Decided like you to "clean it up" some years later. Looked about the same as yours.

Long story short the exterior EZ enuf, tho mine had flush scale pins so I could sand right over the top of them-- you can't. But brass is so soft, sands easily. Be careful at the wood/brass intersections, as wood sands faster. The patina will recover.

Is that blade HG? Looks like it there might be some concavity there. If not, you could take the blade faces as far as you wanted-- your scratches don't look that deep. But there's no "lightly" sanding out the scratches-- you either commit or you don't. Once you start sanding you're gonna leave your footprint all over the blade-- what kind of finish do you want to end up with? It will be a sanded finish, unless you take it to 2500/3000 where it'll pass for polish (till the light reflects just right).

You may find that just buffing out the faces is the compromise that works. It'll brighten the blade-- it'll also blur out the smaller scratches, leaving a less-scratched surface.

One caution-- I did so much sanding on mine (I also wanted to slim the handle) that I ended up w/ a slurry of wood and metal e'where-- it "gummed up the works" to put it mildly-- the guck penetrated into the pivot and no matter how much scalding water/penetrating oil/endless working the blade open and closed, I was never able to get it out. Opening and closing the knife after that was akin to running my nails down a chalkboard....

G'luck whatever you decide, definitely a Labor of Love.
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Nah, that must have been someone different. This is the first time I've posted about this knife, as I just got it yesterday.

Sanding sounds great and all, but I don't want to take any material off. I've figured out that I am basically asking for what the best way to clean, polish, and keep the brass and wood clean. It seems like common sense, but I've never done this to a knife and I don't know if I'll do something wrong.

Buffing sounds like a better option. It's not scratched up TOO deep, and I've never sanded a blade before. So I have a feeling I would make it look worse than it does if I tried...What would you recommend as a good blade buffing compound and technique? Keep in mind if it is the 1992 version it has 425M steel.

I appreciate all the tips. I'm anxious to get this going.
 
My Young Apprentice said:
Nah, that must have been someone different. This is the first time I've posted about this knife, as I just got it yesterday.

Sanding sounds great and all, but I don't want to take any material off. I've figured out that I am basically asking for what the best way to clean, polish, and keep the brass and wood clean. It seems like common sense, but I've never done this to a knife and I don't know if I'll do something wrong.

Buffing sounds like a better option. It's not scratched up TOO deep, and I've never sanded a blade before. So I have a feeling I would make it look worse than it does if I tried...What would you recommend as a good blade buffing compound and technique? Keep in mind if it is the 1992 version it has 425M steel.

I appreciate all the tips. I'm anxious to get this going.
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If you don't want to sand the brass at all, then cleaning it up should be straightforward. Just some Simichrome or Flitz polishing paste, applied & rubbed by hand with clean cloth, should get most/all of the tarnish & grime off. In the event that some of the grime doesn't come off, some very gentle sanding with high-grit wet/dry sandpaper would work. A very soft & flexible rubber eraser works well as a sanding block, around which you can wrap the sandpaper. Try something like 1000 grit or higher (2000 if you can get some), and go very gently. The brass is soft by comparison, and the sandpaper works quickly. And I'd bet the wood won't need much more than just a little oiling perhaps. Any mineral oil-based furniture treatment would work (so-called 'lemon oil' for wood is mostly mineral oil); even plain mineral oil would do.

Using the Simichrome/Flitz on the blade would make it brighter, without really altering any of the existing scratches or scuffs. You can, if you wish, use the paste with a Dremel & cotton wheel attachment (like the 1" wheel for the Dremel). Just go about it gently, using lowest-possible speed setting, and always keep the wheel moving across the surface (don't linger in one spot for more than a second or two; it'll get HOT, so don't linger near the cutting edge especially).


David
 
Get some 000 or 0000 steel wool and some WD 40 and scrub the blade with that. It will not scratch the surface, but will clean it up pretty good, and leave a little shine. I have cleaned up several old knives I have aquired with this method. It will remove most patina on a carbon blade, but any rust will also be removed. If your blade is stainless, it will not hurt it.
You can also clean the bolsters and the scales the same way, just don't scrub as hard. Good luck and let us see some pictures when you get er all cleaned up.

Blessings,

Omar
 
Ok, looks like I have a plan. Gonna get some flitz/simichrome, whichever they have, some 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper some 000 or 0000 steel wool and some WD40. Polish the crap out of the bolsters (use sandpaper if needed). Rub down the blade with steel wool and WD40, wipe clean, then polish the crap out of it with the flitz. Use my Norton Mineral oil on the wood. Should I clean with water first? Or not bother
 
My Young Apprentice said:
Ok, looks like I have a plan. Gonna get some flitz/simichrome, whichever they have, some 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper some 000 or 0000 steel wool and some WD40. Polish the crap out of the bolsters (use sandpaper if needed). Rub down the blade with steel wool and WD40, wipe clean, then polish the crap out of it with the flitz. Use my Norton Mineral oil on the wood. Should I clean with water first? Or not bother
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With the wood scales, I'd not use water. Later versions of the 110 had stabilized wood scales (no problem with water), but I don't think the scales on yours are stabilized. If they soak up a lot of moisture, you'd have to make sure they get completely dried out again. Then there'd be concerns about swelling, shrinking or warping also. Personally, I don't think it'd be worth the trouble. That's another reason why I think lightly oiling them would be best (no need to soak it, just wipe it on with a clean rag). That'll minimize moisture absorption down the road as well, if a little oil is rubbed in occasionally.


David
 
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Dave, Is giving you the straight. Your handles are solid wood (Macassar Ebony). Which is not used any longer. DM
 
Nice, I had no idea that these were the Ebony handles. That's pretty sweet.

That is exactly what I am trying to prevent, so I really appreciate the help Dave. I probably would have accidentally warped the crap out of my rare ebony handles...would have been wonderful. I can't wait to start shining this thing up. It'll have to wait a day or two though...my 4 year old and my wife have both been sick for a few days. So what little time I had for anything relaxing is kaput for a while. Thankfully the 3 month old doesn't have it...yet. I will most certainly post pics when I get started and finish.
 
So I've gotten to polishing the brass bolsters. I have some Wrights brass polish here (store didn't have flitz). I've gotten one side of one bolster to a pretty good sheen, but black still keeps coming off like crazy. Should I keep polishing until no more black comes off? Or is the black actual bronze that I am removing or something.
 
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