Buck A fair review of the 110 and 420HC

How do you feel about 420HC and the 110?

  • The 110 is deservedly a classic, but has been eclipsed for practical purposes.

  • The 110 is deservedly a classic and hasn't been eclipsed.

  • The 110 is not really a classic, in my opinion.

  • Buck's 420HC was good in its day, but its day has passed. It's a budget steel now.

  • Buck's 420HC is not a budget steel, because the BOS heat treatment has kept it relevant.

  • Buck's 420HC is a budget steel; they're just being cheap by still using it.

Results are only viewable after voting.
I am thinking that at its introduction, the buck 110 was the first widely available lock back pocket kn ife that didn't look like a stiletto. It helped that they called it a "folding hunter:

But I believe that there are knives made today that are "better" in terms of materials, design and construction for about the same money.

My current EDC is a Leatherman Wave. . . .but I have a large Spyderco liner lock if a 110 size knife fills the bill.
 
DocJD said:
Seriously , your poll =

How do you feel about 420HC and the 110?​


If you wanted only to talk about a specified video review , should have asked only that ...maybe ?

"Feel" about the specific knife and steel is what you asked for .
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That’s actually a very good point. Smaug Smaug , you did ask for that, not for responses in regards to the video you included.

The Buck 110 is a classic for a reason, and the steel has a lot going for it. Especially at the price point for a US made knife. Toughness, corrosion resistance, nice hollow grind. And yes, I did unfortunately watch the video.
 
jux t said:
That’s actually a very good point. Smaug Smaug , you did ask for that, not for responses in regards to the video you included.

The Buck 110 is a classic for a reason, and the steel has a lot going for it. Especially at the price point for a US made knife. Toughness, corrosion resistance, nice hollow grind. And yes, I did unfortunately watch the video.
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Their antics are annoying and embarrassing at times, but one cannot deny that they make some good points.

I have to admit that when that one guy was doing the caterpillar I was like; “WTH are you DOING? You just lost all your credibility, you stupid fruitcake.”
 
Smaug said:
Their antics are annoying and embarrassing at times, but one cannot deny that they make some good points.

I have to admit that when that one guy was doing the caterpillar I was like; “WTH are you DOING? You just lost all your credibility, you stupid fruitcake.”
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Yeah, but why did you lash out at people speaking their mind about the 110 without watching the video, when your post asked about feelings towards the 110, not the video?
 
Interesting poll results so far. The Buck fanatics are quite vocal, but the quiet voter tell the rest of the story.

We unanimously agree that the Buck 110 is a classic.

We narrowly believe that the 110 has been eclipsed for practical purposes.

We narrowly believe that the BOS heat treatment has kept Buck’s 420HC relevant and that it’s not a budget steel.

As for my experience, I have a Buck 112 and found that the 420HC blunts almost immediately. It could be the initial sharpening messing with the heat treatment. I’ve had that happen even on a Spyderco w/VG-10.
 
Wild Willie said:
Nope, it's called a bucklite or 110LT
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Or a 111 classic
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The light versions cut the same, but they don’t smash the same. I’ve pounded many ahole through drywall with the butt end of a 110 for example.
 
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The 110 is a beautiful knife; no doubt about that. IMO it’s biggest competition is probably the Kershaw Link. Same steel, a pocket clip, made in the USA, for $50….both sold at walmarts everywhere.
An upgrade to 20CV will run about $100. if I’m using the knife several times per day, the pocket clip and one-handed opening is a big advantage.
However, if you have a job where you only need to make a few cuts a week it probably won’t matter all that much, as long as you don’t mind wearing a sheath or throwing that behemoth in your pocket
 
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I must say that every Buck 110 is sold as a folding Hunter, ( HUNTER). Right on the package it is. Point being, chefs don’t use an axe to slice tomatoes or sushi chefs a chain saw. The 110 will do exactly what it Was intended to do when used as such, more if needed, and has since 1962. Buck claims no responsibility for ignorance.
 
DapperDon said:
Of course the Dutch would know about good knives since there are classic Dutch knives like.. somebody help me here.
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dutch-hater.gif


pholder said:
I must say that every Buck 110 is sold as a folding Hunter, ( HUNTER). Right on the package it is. Point being, chefs don’t use an axe to slice tomatoes or sushi chefs a chain saw. The 110 will do exactly what it Was intended to do when used as such, more if needed, and has since 1962. Buck claims no responsibility for ignorance.
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Very well said. My old man has used his to hell and back for everything EXCEPT hunting, but I think that's a fair point. A stainless blade with a hollow grind designed to cut around skin, meat, and joints. I'll once again say that I think the heat treat on the 110 makes for a somewhat outdated steel that that punches well above it's weight. I've had worse issues with chipping super steel than I have had dealing with keeping a 110 sharp. There is scary sharp and there a workable edge. The 110 due to the edge profile may lose it's sliceyness, but it will keep cutting and not go blunt immediately unless someone is using on something super hard/abrasive or they got a bad blade.

For me, the 110 is a classic that is still very serviceable. Even with the more humdrum steel compared to what can be had these days, they have kept the quality high, the handle materials solid, and the price reasonable. I could buy a 110 for $29 20 years ago. It now costs $65 in 2023. Both are good deals for a knife that is of a known quantity that will flat out last as long as I give it even the most menial of care. I can't think of many "classic" knives from days gone by that have remained in production and priced at current levels of inflation. A lot of them are no longer made or of exorbitant price. Kinda boggles the mind when you consider how the patent has been expired for years and even before then it was probably the most copied folding knife design back in the day.
 
Jake, I remember finding 110 copies from Pakistan at flea markets as a kid and trying to find the best one. Couldn't afford a Buck.

I think one thing that contributes to the feeling of quality is the weight of it. I remember the first time I held one, the combined impression of the fit, finish and weight really gave an impression of quality.

As for it being marketed as a "folding hunter" I think they need to update that somehow. Hunters prefer fixed blades, as there are no nooks and crannies to clean blood and guts out of. That's kind of important, because the knife cannot be properly cleaned out in the field. Also, when a fellow is out hunting, he generally doesn't mind the small inconvenience of having a fixed blade. Also, in my limited hunting, I found a sharp, back-swept clip point to be a liability, not a feature. It's SO easy to puncture the bladder or intestines with that clip point. (I sold my Woodsman for this reason)

The other posts here seem to support that (outside of Marketing-Land) a 110 is rarely actually used for hunting.


Just to throw this in the mix, some of the people who aren't really into Buck may not know that they make a "55". It's named that because it's half the size of a 110 and is nice & thin for real pocket carry. Having that sharp tip can actually be a benefit in a pocket knife like the 55. If you like nickel bolsters and a drop point blade, they also make the Esquire and Prince models that are pocket-sized. All three of these are US-made, too.
 
I've heard about this type of steel or that and how it "Holds an edge" since I was a pup. I figure that it mostly matters to people who don't know how to sharpen a knife. Some days, I cut a lot of cardboard at work and I use a 112 or a Mora. Both seem to work fine and by the end of the day, the edge needs some help. Two minutes with the diamond hone and I'm ready to go.
 
I have ordered multiple 110s in various flavors, the classic, the update versions, the 110 pro, micarta, they've all showed up with different problems, blade play in different directions, one looked like it went through a grenade blast, maybe I'm wrong or whatever but I bought 4 with issues I feel shouldn't have been shipped in a "new condition"
So I refuse to say anything about what I think about Buck, but my experiences have been bad 4x in a row
 
ShaiHulud said:
I have ordered multiple 110s in various flavors, the classic, the update versions, the 110 pro, micarta, they've all showed up with different problems, blade play in different directions, one looked like it went through a grenade blast, maybe I'm wrong or whatever but I bought 4 with issues I feel shouldn't have been shipped in a "new condition"
So I refuse to say anything about what I think about Buck, but my experiences have been bad 4x in a row
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My experience is similar, but only once in a row.
I bought a 112 Paperstone. The back lock lever was ground thinner than the blade, so that it was binding all the time. (they have to be the same thickness for it to operate smoothly) No way that should've been shipped out. Today's American factory workers don't have the same sense of pride that they did in the 1960s.

I sent it in for warranty repair. They replied that this model is discontinued and they would le me know if they could repair it or if I would get a credit. A few days later, they were happy to announce that it could be repaired. They did so and it came back to me in the proper condition. Good of them to make it right, but how did it pass QC in the first place?

I have also had a Prince that was perfect and my 55 is perfect too.

"American-made" doesn't always mean quality. Schwinn ran into this in the late days in Chicago and then in the end in Alabama. Wound up getting schooled by the Taiwanese on quality.
 
Buck kinda reminds me of Glock in a lot of ways. They gained a huge reputation and dominated the market for years and years, then just rested on their laurels. In the meantime the rest of the industry was making huge strides in materials and manufacturing techniques. Don't get me wrong, I grew up with a 110 in my pocket, so I'll always have a fondness for it. I just have so many better knives I'd rather carry. I still pull it out every so often for the memories though. Always reminds me of the times I spent growing up, out tending the garden with my gramps.
 
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