I received my Buck 110 back around 1982-83, when I was 12 years old, and it was my greatest treasure.
In those days, in my little world, Buck knives were considered the pinnacle of knife-quality, the standard by which all other knives were measured. My 110 was a source of great pride to me, and to own and carry a Buck knife was something that garnered respect.
I carried and used that knife for years. Camping, work, whatever and whenever I needed a knife, and it saw a lot of use.
But with the passage of time, a young mans eyes can wander, and affections can fade, and he will be drawn to the "new", "shiny" things. And so too did my eyes stray. I had grown tired of my 110, it's weight, it's "outdated" appearance, my need to use two hands. I wanted "modern" knives, one-hand operation, lightweight, pocket clips, and in 2001 I started buying several. As a result, my old Buck 110 was pushed aside, and relegated to the bottom of a tool box, where all of my "less favored" knives were stored.
Those modern knives served me well for many years. And for over two decades my 110 remained at the bottom of that tool box, mostly ignored, and seldom thought of. I'd take it out once in a rare while, when I needed a knife with a really thin, curved edge, but when the task was done, back in the tool box it went, to sit neglected for a few more years.
But a little while back, about a year ago, I needed a knife with a really thin, curved edge, and once again I retrieved my 110 from my tool box of unloved knives. I needed it to repair a pair of boots, I created a post about it in this sub-forum.
The 110 served me well for that task, but I'm ashamed to say that once I was finished, back in the tool box it went, where it sat untouched, and unseen for another year.
Then, just recently, I needed my old 110 again, and again it was the best tool for the job. But this time things were different. When I had finished the task I couldn't help but think about how between the last time I used it, and this recent occasion, my old Buck 110 had proven to be the most useful cutting tool I owned. This recognition had a profound effect on me, and suddenly I found myself looking upon my 110 the same way I had when I was twelve, as a most valued treasure.
Today, I appreciate the old 110 for what it is- a simple, high-quality, dependable cutting tool, one that serves me well. It's not lightweight, it's not made of any modern "super" steel, it has no pocket clip, and I can't open and close it in a instant with one hand, but that's fine, because it doesn't need to be any of those things. It's perfect just the way it is.
Where I keep my knives is in direct relation to how I feel about them. Today, my old 110 resides in a place of great appreciation- on my desk, out in the open, so I can reach over and pick it up to admire it, or just look over at it and appreciate it's mere existence, which I do often now. And there it will stay.
As for all of the "modern" folders that I had purchased over the last two decades to replace the 110, they now reside in the bottom of that same tool box. And if I could only choose one cutting tool from all of my knives, I wouldn't have to spend a second thinking about it- it would be my old 110.
It's been a long road, and I've known a lot of knives along the way, but after all these years my old love and I are happily back together again.
Anyway, just thought I'd share
In those days, in my little world, Buck knives were considered the pinnacle of knife-quality, the standard by which all other knives were measured. My 110 was a source of great pride to me, and to own and carry a Buck knife was something that garnered respect.
I carried and used that knife for years. Camping, work, whatever and whenever I needed a knife, and it saw a lot of use.
But with the passage of time, a young mans eyes can wander, and affections can fade, and he will be drawn to the "new", "shiny" things. And so too did my eyes stray. I had grown tired of my 110, it's weight, it's "outdated" appearance, my need to use two hands. I wanted "modern" knives, one-hand operation, lightweight, pocket clips, and in 2001 I started buying several. As a result, my old Buck 110 was pushed aside, and relegated to the bottom of a tool box, where all of my "less favored" knives were stored.
Those modern knives served me well for many years. And for over two decades my 110 remained at the bottom of that tool box, mostly ignored, and seldom thought of. I'd take it out once in a rare while, when I needed a knife with a really thin, curved edge, but when the task was done, back in the tool box it went, to sit neglected for a few more years.
But a little while back, about a year ago, I needed a knife with a really thin, curved edge, and once again I retrieved my 110 from my tool box of unloved knives. I needed it to repair a pair of boots, I created a post about it in this sub-forum.
The 110 served me well for that task, but I'm ashamed to say that once I was finished, back in the tool box it went, where it sat untouched, and unseen for another year.
Then, just recently, I needed my old 110 again, and again it was the best tool for the job. But this time things were different. When I had finished the task I couldn't help but think about how between the last time I used it, and this recent occasion, my old Buck 110 had proven to be the most useful cutting tool I owned. This recognition had a profound effect on me, and suddenly I found myself looking upon my 110 the same way I had when I was twelve, as a most valued treasure.
Today, I appreciate the old 110 for what it is- a simple, high-quality, dependable cutting tool, one that serves me well. It's not lightweight, it's not made of any modern "super" steel, it has no pocket clip, and I can't open and close it in a instant with one hand, but that's fine, because it doesn't need to be any of those things. It's perfect just the way it is.
Where I keep my knives is in direct relation to how I feel about them. Today, my old 110 resides in a place of great appreciation- on my desk, out in the open, so I can reach over and pick it up to admire it, or just look over at it and appreciate it's mere existence, which I do often now. And there it will stay.
As for all of the "modern" folders that I had purchased over the last two decades to replace the 110, they now reside in the bottom of that same tool box. And if I could only choose one cutting tool from all of my knives, I wouldn't have to spend a second thinking about it- it would be my old 110.
It's been a long road, and I've known a lot of knives along the way, but after all these years my old love and I are happily back together again.
Anyway, just thought I'd share
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) and I didn't even need to cut anything.