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Aluminum Buck 110: 430HC Clip Point vs S30V Drop Point?
- Thread starter The Zieg
- Start date
anthonycastorena2014
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This guy is bad ass^^^
The Zieg
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- Jan 31, 2002
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- 4,840
The Zieg
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2002
- Messages
- 4,840
S30v is a better steel than 440C. I like the drop point blade shape better. The tip on my drop point blade is sharper than I ever remember the tip being on the 440C clip point. (Not that that really matters for the way I use the knives.) The Blade locks up good and solid, and the action is nice and smooth. The orange wood handle scales look good with the nickle silver bolsters.
The old two dot on the other hand. The lock is worn out. It takes about the same pressure, on the back of the blade, to defeat it, as it does to defeat the spring on your average slip joint. The blade shows a fare amount of sharpening wear. The bolsters are gouged and pitted. The ebony wood scales have cracks. There is no question that the s30v drop point knife, is the better knife. It would make sense to carry it, and I did for a while. If I was buying my first 110 and could choose between the two, I would pick the s30v drop point 100 times out of 100.
BUT, Me and the old two dot, we go back a long ways. I bought it new in 1975 for $22. For the next 20 years it was on my belt every day. It started life as a square frame. If you notice in the picture the bolsters are almost as rounded as the newer knife. That is from going in and out of the leather sheath many, many times. We have worn a hole through at least three sheaths. One day, when I crashed my bike, we went for a 100 foot slide on the pavement. We both got road rash. Mine was on my knee and took six weeks to heal. The knife's was on the rear bolster back by the lock bar. It's mostly polished off now by years of wear, but if you know where to look, you can see traces. Those wear marks and ding on the handle. It was my use that put them there, and I used the knife a lot. The knife deserves to be retired, and I thought I had retired it. I had the new knife. I think it's steel is better. I like it's blade shape better. It's lock can be trusted. Then one day I dropped the old two dot into the sheath. Just for old times sake. "Just for one day" Well? One really shouldn't trust the lock anyway, should they?
O.B.
afishhunter
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Yes. But if they fixed anything else. Like polished out the dings in the bolsters, or even just polished the bolsters shiny, or replace a cracked scale. In general make it look new like the pictures I see back from the spa treatment. It would feel like they killed it.
O.B.
pjsjr
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- Jan 2, 2005
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- 7,370
If you tell them to only fix the lock, that's what they will do. If you emailed Jeff Hubbard, my bet is, he would see to it the knife was done just as you wanted it. Then you would have you old buddy back in working order. Preston
The Zieg
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Great post! Thanks for this.S30v is a better steel than 440C. I like the drop point blade shape better. The tip on my drop point blade is sharper than I ever remember the tip being on the 440C clip point. (Not that that really matters for the way I use the knives.) The Blade locks up good and solid, and the action is nice and smooth. The orange wood handle scales look good with the nickle silver bolsters.
The old two dot on the other hand. The lock is worn out. It takes about the same pressure, on the back of the blade, to defeat it, as it does to defeat the spring on your average slip joint. The blade shows a fare amount of sharpening wear. The bolsters are gouged and pitted. The ebony wood scales have cracks. There is no question that the s30v drop point knife, is the better knife. It would make sense to carry it, and I did for a while. If I was buying my first 110 and could choose between the two, I would pick the s30v drop point 100 times out of 100.
BUT, Me and the old two dot, we go back a long ways. I bought it new in 1975 for $22. For the next 20 years it was on my belt every day. It started life as a square frame. If you notice in the picture the bolsters are almost as rounded as the newer knife. That is from going in and out of the leather sheath many, many times. We have worn a hole through at least three sheaths. One day, when I crashed my bike, we went for a 100 foot slide on the pavement. We both got road rash. Mine was on my knee and took six weeks to heal. The knife's was on the rear bolster back by the lock bar. It's mostly polished off now by years of wear, but if you know where to look, you can see traces. Those wear marks and ding on the handle. It was my use that put them there, and I used the knife a lot. The knife deserves to be retired, and I thought I had retired it. I had the new knife. I think it's steel is better. I like it's blade shape better. It's lock can be trusted. Then one day I dropped the old two dot into the sheath. Just for old times sake. "Just for one day" Well? One really shouldn't trust the lock anyway, should they?
O.B.
Zieg
The Zieg
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- Jan 31, 2002
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- 4,840
The testing with Preston's S30V went nicely yesterday. I needed to break down two cardboard boxes so I made sure I put comparable edges on Preston's knife and a 420HC 110. Then I set to alternating on boxes. They both did great, and the cardboard was not the most abrasive, but Preston's S30V did only marginally better. The bigger difference between them was the recovery. On stropping, my 420HC came back to being able to shave small strips of paper while Preston's S30V needed a few swipes on a small fine diamond plate followed by stropping to get back to that place.
However, this may simply have been where Preston's knife needed to be at the start of the test. From that point on, it kept its edge better than my 420HC for the rest of the day. I alternated knives doing barn tasks like opening hay bales and cutting twine, and tightening phillips head screws (JUST KIDDING!!). I cut apples and carrots for a bran mash for horses. I sliced open a few plastic bags. I finished the test by whittling down a piece of scrub oak that had broken off in our heavy winds last week and found its way to the barn from the west field. By then, I had settled into a rhythm with both knives, knowing how each would bite into any medium. I must say I was surprised that neither did well carving the wood. Oak, even scrub, is hard wood, but I had thought they would have bit into it better nevertheless. Nope. They just didn't like that wood. Suspecting it was a feature of the grind on these blades, I brought a carbon Opinel and a Malanika puukko to the oak. No problem. Notching, feathering, barking, drilling, those two did what the 110s could not. So, horses for courses. No hard feelings, 110s.
At the end of the day (literally, at the end of the day) I saw the merits of the S30V. Out of the starting gate, the two steels are like well matched quarterhorses powering down the first stretch. By the first turn, though, the 420HC begins to drop back. It'll finish the race at a full gallop and continue to run, but it'll be tired. The S30V, however, has a deeper bottom and will stay a longer course.
I got both knives back to shaving sharp that evening. Today I'll be continuing to use the S30V for various non-screwdriver tasks. I will be pulling a rabbit out of the freezer at some point this week to quarter him up for dinner. No doubt both 110s will make short work of the joints and loin. No doubt Preston's knife will do it a little bit better and be ready for more without having to go to the strop first.
More information to come as I gather it.
Zieg
However, this may simply have been where Preston's knife needed to be at the start of the test. From that point on, it kept its edge better than my 420HC for the rest of the day. I alternated knives doing barn tasks like opening hay bales and cutting twine, and tightening phillips head screws (JUST KIDDING!!). I cut apples and carrots for a bran mash for horses. I sliced open a few plastic bags. I finished the test by whittling down a piece of scrub oak that had broken off in our heavy winds last week and found its way to the barn from the west field. By then, I had settled into a rhythm with both knives, knowing how each would bite into any medium. I must say I was surprised that neither did well carving the wood. Oak, even scrub, is hard wood, but I had thought they would have bit into it better nevertheless. Nope. They just didn't like that wood. Suspecting it was a feature of the grind on these blades, I brought a carbon Opinel and a Malanika puukko to the oak. No problem. Notching, feathering, barking, drilling, those two did what the 110s could not. So, horses for courses. No hard feelings, 110s.
At the end of the day (literally, at the end of the day) I saw the merits of the S30V. Out of the starting gate, the two steels are like well matched quarterhorses powering down the first stretch. By the first turn, though, the 420HC begins to drop back. It'll finish the race at a full gallop and continue to run, but it'll be tired. The S30V, however, has a deeper bottom and will stay a longer course.
I got both knives back to shaving sharp that evening. Today I'll be continuing to use the S30V for various non-screwdriver tasks. I will be pulling a rabbit out of the freezer at some point this week to quarter him up for dinner. No doubt both 110s will make short work of the joints and loin. No doubt Preston's knife will do it a little bit better and be ready for more without having to go to the strop first.
More information to come as I gather it.
Zieg
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2018
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- 1,213
GREAT UPDATE!! Thank you. Very well written. I almost got a high school Steinbeck flashback.
"I will be pulling a rabbit out of the freezer"....thanks a lot, first reading this makes me buy a knife and now I'm hungry!!
Speaking of which, I've learned that you are absolutely right going through this process.
I woke up thinking about the red micarta one and fired off an email to change my order. Hope they get it prior to shipping.
Anyway, if somehow all this turns into you buying a new car, just keep it to yourself.
"I will be pulling a rabbit out of the freezer"....thanks a lot, first reading this makes me buy a knife and now I'm hungry!!
Speaking of which, I've learned that you are absolutely right going through this process.
I woke up thinking about the red micarta one and fired off an email to change my order. Hope they get it prior to shipping.
Anyway, if somehow all this turns into you buying a new car, just keep it to yourself.
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2018
- Messages
- 1,213
Not trying to hijack the thread but I want to sing the praises for Copper and Clad.
I emailed them about changing my order and this is the reply:
"No problem at all. We'll get this revised for you.
Thanks again,
Claude"
That is GREAT customer service and deserves a shout.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Take it away, Zieg.
I emailed them about changing my order and this is the reply:
"No problem at all. We'll get this revised for you.
Thanks again,
Claude"
That is GREAT customer service and deserves a shout.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Take it away, Zieg.
The Zieg
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2002
- Messages
- 4,840
Friends, the poll reads 20 to 11 in favor of the S30V drop point as of this post. The 20th vote for the S30V drop point was cast by me. I have decided to go with the broader blade, the more advanced steel, and those red micarta scales.
After doing some kitchen chores, cutting out some tangled twine, and thinking back on the box cutting, I decided the only thing Preston's knife was lacking was the lighter handle (i.e., aluminum, which is what I'm getting no matter what). So with this purchase, I should be in good shape!
OLd_gUY
, no, I didn't have time for George and Lenny to get me my rabbit out of the freezer, but once they do, I'll post it in the Buck subforums! Glad you could change your order in time!
I'm off to Copper and Clad now to make my purchase.
Zieg
After doing some kitchen chores, cutting out some tangled twine, and thinking back on the box cutting, I decided the only thing Preston's knife was lacking was the lighter handle (i.e., aluminum, which is what I'm getting no matter what). So with this purchase, I should be in good shape!
OLd_gUY
, no, I didn't have time for George and Lenny to get me my rabbit out of the freezer, but once they do, I'll post it in the Buck subforums! Glad you could change your order in time!I'm off to Copper and Clad now to make my purchase.
Zieg
I bought the Red aluminum 110 in S30V DP from C&C year or so ago... then I bought the Black Micarta brushed 110 withS30V from C&C. I wouldn't want to be without either. It's actually been hard for me to not buy a second of each. Props to the 112 black micarta in S30V brushed from C&C too.