Buck A fair review of the 110 and 420HC

[Alberta Ed]

Hard to beat 60 bucks for an American made folder, a great leather sheath, and outstanding warranty.

The 420hc is perfectly fine for most folks, especially considering how easy it is to sharpen and how well it resists corrosion.

Plus tarnished brass looks great, and if you want, a few rubs with Flitz brings it right back to shiny.

Buck's 420HC is also very tough.

 

[BD_01]

The classic 110 is just too darn heavy. Otherwise it’s a great knife.

The first time I saw a light weight 110 was in the 1980’s and I couldn’t buy it fast enough.

Buck’s 420hc is a budget steel that works fine, especially with the hollow grind. People who aren’t knife nerds can sharpen it, and with minimal care, they don’t have to worry about it rusting.

I think it is still relevant to the world at large, but it’s been a long minute since I’ve used one of mine.

If they made a version with bolsters and wood that weighed less than a brick, I’d rock it today; 420hc, leather belt sheath & all.

 

[catspa]

There used to be a guy on this forum who took every opportunity to advocate Buck 110. Where is he?

He’ll be along in a while, but until he shows up I’ll fill in. Careered in the construction trades, mostly with a 110 strapped on. Beat it hard, abused it at times, but not as much as some because I always had a truck full of tools close by.

Being sold since the early 60s means there’s gonna be some old farts who have been beating one up for decades and it’s still cutting what they want to cut. It’s also familiar on their hip and in their hand. YT reviewers ain’t gonna put a scratch on them old boys.

The guys with the scarred-up hands aren’t making videos, they’re out there building and fixing shiite. For as long as they can still turn a bolt or pound a nail, the old 110/112 still works just fine, despite the kids whining about how they’re too heavy and they can’t open them one handed (totally untrue, by the way - flippers and thumbstuds have just made them weak and spoiled).

When I’m all stove up at the end, I’m gonna hobble down the nursing home halls, peering into rooms for a worn leather sheath sitting on a bedside tray. When I see one, I’ll step in and say, “Yah buddy, I smuggled mine in here, too!”

That’s how us old coots who value a sturdy working tool will recognize each other, by our tarnished brass bolsters. Maybe, iff’n we really hit it off, I’ll let ya use my medium/extra fine carborundum stone. It’s all dished out but it fits good in your hand, and you can really hone up a keen edge. We can swap stories of how good we use to be, and shake our heads in disappointment at the kids these days who don’t know how good they got it.

If you don’t have a 110/112, you’re gonna miss out on all that. Reason enough to get one now, while they’re cheap.

Parker

 

[Bob Denman]

Ditto, and Amen...

 

[Wild Willie]

I can tell ya he isn't feather sticking on youtube for a job

The funny thing is, I made a few yesterday after I got home... But I used an imacasa machete in a steel that probably can't cut a piece of rope 650 times or whatever without needing a sharpening. So I probably did it wrong.

 

[maxjeg]

Here's the answer to many questions:

I also had Buck 110s in 420HC steel. This is very mediocre steel. For constant use, it needs to be sharpened once a week or even more often. I got rid of them all. I only kept the knife from the photo. Nowadays there are many knives with better quality steel in the +-$50 price range. And more convenient to use.

 

[Deino]

I do think that the 110 and 112 are classics. Nevertheless, the brass bolster liner is not necessary anymore in my option, and one of the draw back. Not because beig a classic and being used for a long time mean it doesn't have room to improve. The brass may be the optimal choice for manufacturing back in the day, but it is no longer the case, and Buck shows that they can totally tweak it to meet newer standard, like the Sport line in aluminium. Even the Lightweight version in GFN is plenty good for me. And yes, the blade is big enough that it can be opened with 1 hand.

420HC is fine. Buck is not the sole manufacturer who still using that class of steel to great effect.

 

[ferider]

Not sure what the problem is.

Before reviewing knives, these Dutch guys should first learn how to drive up and downhill, instead of blocking the mountain passes in summer when going to Italy with their trailers.

(spoken by a German, and kidding of course )

$140 for the left one above is still a good deal.

And to the OP: how can I select an option if all you allow me to select is that 420HC is a "budget" steel ? What percentage of a knife's price is the steel, anyways, compared to costs of a proper heat treat, etc. ? There is a reason Buck has picked 420HC and it's not costs.

You want a tough stainless steel that doesn't chip, well heat-treated 420HC or AEB-L are the best options. They do fall on Larrin's dashed blue line.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Here's the answer to many questions:

I also had Buck 110s in 420HC steel. This is very mediocre steel. For constant use, it needs to be sharpened once a week or even more often. I got rid of them all. I only kept the knife from the photo. Nowadays there are many knives with better quality steel in the +-$50 price range. And more convenient to use.

I have one of those -- I think Buck did a special run for BassPro, which is where I got mine. Definitely an upgrade from 420HC, just as easy to sharpen, and the rosewood grips are handsome.

 

[maxjeg]

I have one of those -- I think Buck did a special run for BassPro, which is where I got mine. Definitely an upgrade from 420HC, just as easy to sharpen, and the rosewood grips are handsome.

Exactly.
Buck produced several cpm154 steel knives for BassPro. And the same models in S30V steel for Cabela's.
When BassPro bought Cabela's in 2017, the product catalogs were partially combined. And Buck was left with only S30V steel.

 

[Quiet]

A knife that's been made of perfectly dependable materials for just shy of sixty years has been eclipsed by more recent developments in steel and knife design. Film at 11 by Five Star General Obvious, whose cutting needs would be perfectly handled by Buck's 440HC.

 

[Quiet]

I don't understand why simply being "budget steel" makes it bad.

If budget is to be defined as inexpensive, and the steel has proven itself thru time.....

......To me that's a wise purchase.
I guess you could always get something better for more money, that's true of anything.

You can always spend all kinds of money on a depreciating asset and buy a really nice car.
But is that a wise purchase in the end?

There's something to be said about simply being satisfied with what works.
Or you can minimize it in an attempt to justify your beliefs.

When your sense of self-worth is wrapped up in conspicuous consumption, having something considered "the best" means that by proxy you are the best. Too bad that it's not true. What amuses me is all of the folks you've seen posting here before who go out and buy these knives in these super steels and then come in posting with a super shocked face because they're unable to sharpen their dulled blade back to usefulessness. They'd have been better served with a knife in a lesser steel and a decent sharpening system, but in a hobby that's primarily about spending money for new shinys that won't ever get used anyway, that's useless.

 

[jmh33]

When your sense of self-worth is wrapped up in conspicuous consumption, having something considered "the best" means that by proxy you are the best. Too bad that it's not true. What amuses me is all of the folks you've seen posting here before who go out and buy these knives in these super steels and then come in posting with a super shocked face because they're unable to sharpen their dulled blade back to usefulessness. They'd have been better served with a knife in a lesser steel and a decent sharpening system, but in a hobby that's primarily about spending money for new shinys that won't ever get used anyway, that's useless.

John

 

[Quiet]

It's not about the rope cutting. The rope cutting test is just a way to measure edge retention that is standardized across their videos, your original comment said something about opinions not being akin to facts, and I'm pointing out the conclusion they came to about the 110 is based off their own tests that they've put multiple other knives through. They could have been cutting rope, cardboard or thousands of sheets of paper, the point is the edge didn't last as long as it did in other knives that conducted the same test. And mind you the video isn't really shitting on Buck or the 110, just objectively comparing them to what's already out there at a similar price point. As someone who has spent many hundreds of dollars on low alloy carbon steel knives, I totally understand the sentiment of "I just like the knife and it works for me" but that's not what these videos are about.

@jbmonkey wants to scoff at the results of a YouTube knife video compared to "real world" use which is a bit silly. In "real world" use, most people don't have a point of reference because they only really work with one or two knives at a time. Very few people have the resources to buy hundreds of different knives in countless sizes, grinds, steels and styles to compare them in how they feel, cut, and hold an edge. If their knife is sharp at the end of the day without chips, it's a great knife to 99% of people. I've had people tell me their $13 gas station knife is the best knife ever and is still sharp after years of use, then they hand the knife to me and it's dull as a hammer. Despite all the "real world" use they've put their knife through, they still insist their dull chipped knife they bought off the side of the I-85 is the best tool ever, because that's their only reference point. Standardized tests that we see in videos from the likes of DBK or Cedric and Ada are useful for the people who want to get the ultimate bang for their buck out of their knife, or at least want to know what they should expect from a certain price point and I find nothing wrong with that.

Actually, what's silly is believing that one knife being tested by some YouBoob losers somehow convers the ability to judge an entire product line. Buck has sold millions of Buck 110s. Tell us all that you don't know anything about statistics without telling us you don't know anything about statistics.

Come on, now. Me personally, I tend to discount every video that is showing a content "creator"'s opinion as merely entertainment, not as any sort of objective test. Sorry, not sorry.

 

[sgt1372]

There's no doubt that the design of the 110 is a classic.

As for the steel, the 110 has been released with some modern steels like S30V, 154CM & Magnacut. So, if you don't like 420HC there are other steels to choose from but you'll pay a lot more than $65 (the current MSRP for a 110) for one w/a "better" steel in the 2ndary market.

Lowest current asking price for a 110 w/a Magnacut blade on EB is $420 but prior sales have ranged from $213-$486. On the other hand, if you consider it an upgrade, you can get a 110 w/an S30V blade there currently for $85. Didnt' see any current listings for a 110 w/a 154CM blade.

As for me the 420HC is just fine. I've used my 110 a lot (in the past) camping and it never let me down. Easy to sharpen w/just a few strokes and cut everything I ever needed to cut w/it.

 

[Bob Denman]

There's no doubt that the design of the 110 is a classic.

As for the steel, the 110 has been released with some modern steels like S30V, 154CM & Magnacut. So, if you don't like 420HC there are other steels to choose from but you'll pay a lot more than $65 (the current MSRP) for one in the 2ndary market.

Lowest current asking price for a 110 w/a Magnacut blade on EB is $420 but prior sales have ranged from $213-$486.

Magnacut?
Hmmmm..

 

[M.FREEZE]

While I don’t have enough experience with 420HC to have an opinion, I will say that when I think “pocket knife”, the Buck 110 is what my mind immediately goes to.

 

[Kettleman]

Aren’t those the same idiots that shot a CPK Basic field knife in 3V with a pellet gun and were amazed it didn't destroy it?

 

[Greggy]

Not a fan of homo-erotic knife reviews. Not that there is anything wrong with those.

 

[ferider]

Aren’t those the same idiots that shot a CPK Basic field knife in 3V with a pellet gun and were amazed it didn't destroy it?

Yep. For god's sake, use 308, like Nathan did