I was wrong! My order from Copper and Clad arrived Saturday and as I drove to the mailbox on Havana, the '77 BMW R75/6, I realized I'd left my phone on the countertop, so no pics of the box or the knife resting on the tank or gas cap. And I've only now had time to toss off a quick review, so here it is after having carried and used it for a little over three days.
The Buck 110 in Aluminum frame and bolsters, with blade in S30V and scales in red micarta is beautiful to look at. The scales' color goes from red-balloon to fire engine to dark brick depending on the light. The blade is a bright steel, but lacks the mirror polish of the 420HC. The drop point, which took some getting used to in images I'd viewed, is impressive in person. There's almost a swell to it at the end due to the near-recurve grind Buck puts on the 110. Pics just don't do it justice. It's bright, shiny, and bold in appearance.
In the hand, this 110 is light and nimble. It weighs only a tad more than the 110 LT, but that makes all the difference to me, as I began to feel the LT was too light. Not insubstantial, as the LT is robust and durable (there will be usable 110 LTs in tool and tackle boxes and kitchen drawers a hundred years from now), but overbalanced towards the blade, in my short time with it. The traditional brass 110 is on the other end of the spectrum. It's handle heavy, making some cutting tasks tiring. Breaking down boxes gets to be a chore after a while. Sure, the weight of the brass 110 carries the sharp blade through the work, and it wasn't designed for cutting cardboard, anyway, but on the farm I have to cut open bales of hay and grain bags, break down boxes, cut hose, cut or score leather, slice apples and carrots, and so forth. Hunting and fishing, I skin small game and gut trout and birds. Camping, I may use the 110 for making tinder or feathersticks or drilling a fireboard if I'm practicing my primitive skills. These tasks don't need the heft of the 110's brass frame and bolsters. And carrying it means sheath or leg pocket only: It does not sit well in the pockets of hiking shorts or blue jeans or the cavalry breeches I wear when I work horses. This aluminum 110, however, has just enough weight in the hand to power through jobs but no so much as to tire out the hand. I like to carry a traditional 110 in a horizontal slip sheath (AKA cross draw, but I wear it on my strong side just behind the hip), but the new model can sit upright in my jeans back pocket with only a folded handkerchief to keep it in place if I don't feel like rocking the rural look.
The steel is great.
pjsjr
let me carry his traditional 110 in S30V while I was still deciding on which knife to buy and during that week or so I got used to its performance. I love not losing the edge as quickly as with 420HC, and I have had no problems with the edge chipping so far. Touching it up has not been a problem on a strop and after a few days I haven't had to put it to steel or stone yet. I know I'll have to relearn a new steel when it comes to true sharpening, but I'm looking forward to the experience. By now, my other 110s in 420HC would already be showing signs of dullness, but the S30V on this new model is still sharp as new. The drop point, which was also a concern for me, as I don't much have experience with the design, is great. It seems not to lose much piercing ability to the drop point, but I won't be able to put a new hole in my belt the way I might with the 110 clip point. That's a fine trade off for the impressive durability of the drop point. I've never broken a clip point, and I don't expect to, but I know I can't break this blade unless I do something really stupid (and that'll never happen, right?)
OK, so what's not to like about this knife? I only worry about the potential slipperyness of the handle. The micarta has no texture to it at all. The 110 LT has aggressive checkering. You could strike a blue tip match on it. The traditional wood scales of fhe 110 have a slight texture that holds your hand in most chores. This one is slick. I worry about water, blood, and fish guts making it hard to hold in the future. Maybe I'm just looking for problems, but this is a review, so I'll mention this as a potential drawback. I'll come back later to check in with my discoveries. Or if I get the urge, I'll have different scales put on.
Racing to the end of this review, as I have to get a move on, fit and finish of knife are above average. As you can see, the picture shows a tiny gap between frame and bolster and the scale on this side, but it's not visible to the naked fifty-year-old eyes of this reviewer (and my close vision is still quite good). The micarta shows a bit of its layering at the corner (I'm not experienced with micarta, so this may be par for the course and anyway I like seeing how it's constructed). The blade is not perfectly centered when closed, though it is perfect when open. There is zero, and I mean zero, blade play when open, and it locks open with the most audible snap of any lockback I own. The 110 is still a largely hand-assembled knife and there are variations in every one. You're paying for materials and the limited run of the Copper and Clad 110s, so coming in at under $100 I am quite pleased. This thing is going to last a lifetime or more so I know it's money well spent. Like the guy who buys a steel 1911 for concealed carry and then never carries it, having a brass 110 and leaving it home negates the usefulness of the knife for all but collectors. I've carried a brass 110 off and on for years, but this one will extend my 110 carrying days because of its light weight, hard wearing steel, durable blade profile, and good looks equalling the shiny brass of its brothers.
Zieg
