Buck A fair review of the 110 and 420HC

[Smaug]

I mentioned recently in a thread somewhere that 420HC is a junk steel, EVEN with the famous BOS heat treatment. There were a few members that quickly fetched their torches and pitchforks in defense of Papa Buck.

I will admit that it's about the best VERSION of 420, but the best version of a budget steel is still budget steel.

These two Dutchmen do a pretty fair and unbiased review of the knife and the steel, in my opinion. You'll have to put aside any sentimental attachments to appreciate it though. I also got a chuckle out of their imitation of an American accent. :-D :

Also to be fair, I added a comment to their video that Buck realizes this and now makes it in S30v. (to stay relevant)

Lastly, I'm adding a poll to get a general reading on the BF feeling on Buck's 420HC steel and their 110 knife. Please take two votes; one for the 110 and on one their 420HC. (Yes, it has been discussed for dozens of pages, but I think it's nice to just see a nice bar graph from a poll)

Mods: would you do me a favor? Once you feel this thread has run its course, please move it to the Reviews subforum instead of locking it.

 

[Lesknife]

Reminder,,, opinion doesn’t make it a fact. A review is only an opinion by someone and I’ve never heard of these people.

 

[el gigantor]

Reminder,,, opinion doesn’t make it a fact. A review is only an opinion by someone and I’ve never heard of these people.

I agree with your sentiment. I’d also like to say that Dutch Bushcraft Knives (DBK) is a fantastic channel. Highly entertaining but also very informative. They traditionally stick to fixed blades though, which makes this video a bit of a departure.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Well, there have been millions of 110s made and they're still going strong, so they're hardly outdated. I've bought/lost/gifted several and still feel confident packing my traditional 110 in 420HC. I also pack a BassPro 110 in CPM-154 and a 112 in S30V with oak grips from Buck's Custom Shop.

 

[Chowser]

I very rarely weigh in threads such as this, but I would like to offer that I grew up hunting for food year round and we relied on 110s and the Puma equivalents. The fact that you had to sharpen the knife after processing an animal was not a concern.

The 110 is a classic for many reasons (like, actual reasons, based in use, not Internet reasons) and the fact that it remains relevant today has less to do with heat treat and more to do with it being a useful, solid, affordably-priced tool that has been available since the 1960s. It is about as trend proof as a locking folder can be.

 

[Tsujigiri]

I just saw that video and found it entertaining as most of their videos are.

I don't think the 110 will ever exactly be "eclipsed" since it's such a classic now. It's often pointed to as the first folding knife to popularize the idea of using a folder for typically fixed blade tasks. Functionally, it's not the best for the price, but it's not overpriced either. And most of what makes people buy knives isn't purely function, either.

To me, the 110 is odd because it's essentially a traditional knife without the traditional knife characteristics that maintain their popularity today. Instead of a thin, light knife with multiple blades that cut like lasers, you get an unusually heavy one. That's probably why there aren't a lot of similar knives out there; without the history and heritage it's not the most compelling buy.

 

[Kettleman]

The 110 is a budget knife so budget steal makes perfect sense. I’ll venture to bet that 99% of the people buying 110’s would choose to keep the steel and the price. Its not broke and doesnt need fixed.

 

[stevejams]

I’ve bought and sold several Buck 110s because I never seem to reach for it when carrying a second knife that is easier to open and close (and maybe has a better steel). However once sold, I think “gee it sure would be nice to have a classic Buck 110 in the mix” and then start the process over. Still love it though. Also, I’ve always been impressed with each 110’s out of the box sharpness and general cutting ability

 

[Wild Willie]

I find the classic brass 110 to be a bit heavy for my normal carry wants, but I have a 110LT and it's an excellent and affordable tool. "Better" is a pretty subjective term and the latest whiz bang steel isn't always the best option for everyone. In a dirty work environment I've found 420hc to be a solid performer. It keeps it's edge for a reasonable amount of time, and it's easy to touch back up when the time comes. Plus, at the price point I'm not afraid to take a flat or round file to it if I've left a more suitable sharpener at home.

There's also the question of replacement. I've lost or had knives stolen on job sites. While that's something I haven't needed to worry about in some time now, were I to go back to working in an environment surrounded by people I don't exactly trust, I'd forgo carrying my higher end stuff and stick with a buck.

 

[Danny Linguini]

It opens and it cuts stuff and then closes as well as probably 99% of knife users would ever need, and then sharpens back up pretty easily. Why add the cost of a super steel if it’s not needed 99% of the time.

 

[DocJD]

Does the Buck Knives customer base , existing and potential , know or care , even one teensy damn , about the negative opinions of internet influencers / knife snobs ?

That is really the only measure of "relevance "that should mean anything to Buck .

Are these outmoded knives with Neanderthal steel still very popular and selling well ?

So far as I can tell , they are doing fine in the marketplace .

Success, long term , is the best measure of doing things right .

 

[1911bphil]

This thread reminds me of the revolver thread. The Buck 110 is a classic knife. It's also heavy and outdated. It's still effective and does the job it was designed to do. Yes, there are better steels than the 420HC, but it stays sharp for a reasonable amount of time. It's easy to resharpen also.
A Buck 110 is the folding knife that is instantly recognized by most people. These are my opinions and yours may be different.

 

[Triple_D]

All I know, is that I've yet to run across a cardboard box, or piece of string, that my Buck 110 couldn't handle. So I'm OK with it.


EDIT: Oh darn...I just remembered that I bought my 110 in the early 1980's. Apparently, that means it is 425M steel. It still opens boxes, so I'm OK with 425M, too.

 

[Another Shepherd]

I enjoy DBK. They are deliberately silly (which is fine; so is Pete), but I think they are more knowledgeable about knives than most people on Youtube. I think the episode on the Buck 110 is a good review. I have a Buck 110FG for the simple reason that it is one of the most classical of classic knives. I doubt that I will ever use it. I also have a Sebenza because it is a classic. I doubt that I will ever use it. I have dozens of knives I like better for practical use.

I have used several inexpensive knives with 420 for farm chores--not heavy use. They need sharpening about once a week. I used a Buck Omni Hunter with 420HC as a beater for several months. It needed sharpening every month or two--a huge improvement over 420. And I used it for prying and digging--no problems. From that limited experience, I would say that Buck 420HC is an excellent budget steel, but maybe not quite as good as 14C28N, which is one of my favorite steels.

For the last few months, I have been using a Gerber Strongarm with 420HC steel almost every day. It's not the same as Buck 420HC. I think the Strongarm has better edge retention than the Omni Hunter, but I have not done any systematic tests. The Omni Hunter was easy to sharpen. The Strongarm is the most difficult knife to sharpen that I have ever encountered--much more difficult than S90V, S110V, M390, or 20CV.

I think 420J2 is a good budget steel for machetes.

 

[jbmonkey]

no offense to those videos guys but first I had to sit though a very long commercial about another knife and dealer, but okay. they need funding and whatnot doing this for a living. so be it. made it through that.

next muscle Arnold lookin guy say he had a Buck 110 in the past but an old one from the 60s and the steel was "crappiest steel hes ever had."

problem is that 110 steel was 440c back then. I dont think he knows this or didn't know the age of his 110....he now talking about a 420hc version of the knife. either way a complete fail. so i stopped watching. need to at least know what your saying to be taken seriously......

as for Bucks use of 420hc. it's due to high corrosion resistance, good toughness and has ease of sharpening much like carbon steels. they used 425m for awhile but couldn't get enough and switched to the 420hc everyone else was using. anwways, in a way its kinda like a carbon steel with stainless ability for low maintenance and easy sharpening for most average users. this is mostly why it's still used.

I'm not sure why we have an entire post and improper poll without an "other" choice? also a single video of guys who don't know what steel their past knives had that they called the crappiest of all time...... as evidence of some sort. but have at it.....

 

[Danny Linguini]

I can’t stand most of these YouTube idiots. They’re all attention whores who can’t hold down a real job. And this whole ‘influencer’ moniker thing and the idea of anybody making money by acting like a complete imbecile on camera just goes straight up my ass. There’s a handful who actually provide useful content, the rest are a waste of DNA and bandwidth.

That is all.

 

[Old Biker]

I can’t stand most of these YouTube idiots. They’re all attention whores who can’t hold down a real job. And this whole ‘influencer’ moniker thing and the idea of anybody making money by acting like a complete imbecile on camera just goes straight up my ass. There’s a handful who actually provide useful content, the rest are a waste of DNA and bandwidth.

That is all.

I disagree with your last statement. I haven't seen any that provided useful content. Other than that you pretty much got it right.

O.B.

 

[RoyalHolic]

I can’t stand most of these YouTube idiots. They’re all attention whores who can’t hold down a real job. And this whole ‘influencer’ moniker thing and the idea of anybody making money by acting like a complete imbecile on camera just goes straight up my ass. There’s a handful who actually provide useful content, the rest are a waste of DNA and bandwidth.

That is all.

DBK use their shit they torture test most stuff.

They're good dudes this one comes off a little rough because of their age and hatred for older steels.

 

[kafolarbear]

Reminder,,, opinion doesn’t make it a fact. A review is only an opinion by someone and I’ve never heard of these people.

If you watched the video you'd see they put it through a series of tests comparing it to other knives they put through similar tasks. Them saying "this knife dulls after one rope cut when other knives of similar price don't" isn't an opinion, it's a fact. Now whether or not you think that's an important metric for your knife is an opinion.

 

[coolbreezy37]

I have a Buck 110 LT in 420HC that I’ve been carrying daily for around 6 months now for work. Hasn’t let me down once, and don’t plan on replacing it. Also have the 110 pro in S30V.