Buck 110 & 112 users only

B JACKSON

B JACKSON

Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
2,026
I am putting this here because I know that several of you guys use Buck 110's & 112's and there are very few mall ninja types in this (JK) sub forum and very little BS of the type that makes we wonder if some folks just like to read their own typing.

My question, and this is only to be answered by those with FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE is;
Do Buck 110's and or 112's get loose or fail often?

and please mods, do not move this thread over to Buck, I am trying to stay removed from the usual crowd.

John, if you do not want this in your sub forum then just close it please.
 
As a 110 user for over 40 years, the blades can develop a bit of wobble if abused by something like prying. As for failure, I assume you mean the lock failing? If so, yes it can fail if something gets into the lock notch, like a big piece of pocket lint or mud. I do have a very, very early 110 in my collection that still has no play at all in the blade.
 
My first 110 did develop(and came with) some play, but I peened the pin to pretty much eliminate it. Unfortunately I messed up the action a little, so now it's not quite as snappy.
Regarding them failing, like John said, it's possible, but you can just feel the difference when something is stuck on the tang or lockbar. You just know if it doesn't lock up correctly.
I think they are an essential part of a knife enthusiasts collection. They just have so much history and are very affordable.
 
Pretty much what John said, Brad.

Unless you pry with them they stay pretty tight for years.

If you use them for hammering they get dinged up too. ;^)

best

mqqn
 
Multiple decade 110 user here as well. If abused yes there can be a bit of wobble. And as stated above, you can feel when your knife has lint or junk in the lock. I clean and oil my 110 once every week to ten days and rarely have had any issues, but then I love maintaining my knives! It's very relaxing.
 
I've owned several 110's, to include a "Paperstone" 110, and one 112. I have a couple 110's from the custom shop. They have all been excellent. One of my 110's came with a bit of play in the blade, but not enough to worry about. The custom shop 110's have all been solid. I've never had a 110 'fail', but I carried the 112 in my pocket for a while and, as John said, had some lint build up and jamb the lock (easily removed).

The 110 has a special place in my heart and I think it is a highly underrated folder. I used one to get me through my first military survival school 25 years ago--still going strong. I'll confess to being a bit of a 110 fan-boy. I toured the plant in Post Falls, Idaho a few years back; very cool. Got a chance to talk with some of the custom shop guys--they love their work!

I'd go with a custom shop model and get the S30V option, it is excellent knife steel; but, then again, the venerable 420HC is hard to beat.

 
I've found the 112 a bit more prone to lock failure than the 110. I've never pried with my Buck folders. They stayed tight.
 
Good points from everyone on this. I've used them for about 25yrs and owned some as old as 40+yrs old. I've found that a small amount of side to side is common, and no real issue. I use them for folding knife tasks, and for alot of game processing. I've never witnessed a true failure. I've done dumb stuff, booze was usually to blame and saw tip breakage and micro chipping. Never a lock failure or catastrophic breakage. I've reprofiled many a 110 to correct tip breakages and have seen Bucks warranty do some beautiful restorations on my knives. Don't be fooled by folks in the " overbuilt " knife genre. These where the original tank of a knife for your pocket. They are forever knives that perform wonderfully! I'm still talking myself into using my 110 AG S30V. It's so damn nice!
 
The custom shop 110's are extremely nice, I've ordered three of them over the years, one is S30V, one is the standard steel, and my oldest one is BG-42
 
I really don't think it's as big of an issue as it's being made out to be lately. Folders don't last forever. I've had liner locks develop play. My old case Barlow has developed I small amount of wobble. Eventually my buck 110 will too. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. But, buck has the forever warranty. If something goes bad I'm confident they would fix it.

As for lock strength, it's about on par. Lint or dirt can jam it, but lock slip isn't an issue on lockbacks. As with everything else in life there's a tradeoff. Although I've never thought of the 110 as a hard use knife, I've never felt it was fragile. Bottom line is that it's no more prone to failure than anything else.
 
Rotte; Love that stag! Tell me more about your paperstone 110
Cody: Are you telling me the 110 is prone to tip breakage?
MQQN: I have a Stanley thermos that has done much fence staple hammering and duck blind repair...I feel it Bro!
Monocrom: To what would you attribute the 112/110 difference?
Sadsappy: Would the 110 be your preferred choice in a large locking folder in the under $50 bracket?
Vonricht..: Same question?
John: Discuss comparing the the 110 to a Schrade LB7 or vintage Gerber Sportsman
 
When I went to OEF I took a 110 and a Randall #15. They served me well, and if I was going again they would go back with me. Some of the other "tacticool" stuff would stay home next trip though.

I am a "fan boy" of Buck. The 110 works well for me, that and the Vantage will likely serve me the rest of my days. Great quality at a great price in my mind.
 
B JACKSON said:
Rotte; Love that stag! Tell me more about your paperstone 110
Cody: Are you telling me the 110 is prone to tip breakage?
Click to expand...

The Paperstone is great. Mine is a 420HC with green Paperstone scales. It weighs less than 4oz (on my kitchen scale), whereas my other 110's weigh in around 7oz. That is a big difference, and quite noticeable on the belt, at least for a mile or two.

As far as I can tell, the Paperstone is durable (it's essentially a paper micarta). I've carried mine on dayhikes and fishing trips but have not 'abused' it or given it a torture test. I think the Paperstone version makes the 110 competitive against other folding knives.

It is not my favorite. While the Brass bolstered 110's are heavier, I like the solid feel they provide. The balance is better. It's a trade-off in some ways: weight for balance. If I were going on a 200 mile backpacking trip, I'd give the nod to the Paperstone if choosing between 110's (actually, I'd take a small fixed blade). For a recent motorcycle trip across Canada, I went with the 110 on the bottom of the picture below--an S30V with horn scales from the Custom shop.



In re tip breakage: I did break the tip off a 110 once. Long time ago and I think it was my fault: prying. It was just the very tip of the tip. I subsequently sharpened the tip out to the point where you would never know. They are so pointy, that I think they are a bit "prone to tip breakage". Of course, of the 6 or 7 I've owned, that has only happened once, and I'm pretty sure it was 'operator error.'
 
B JACKSON said:
Sadsappy: Would the 110 be your preferred choice in a large locking folder in the under $50 bracket?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure. I want to say yes, but it really depends on what I'll be doing. For work and outdoors stuff yes. I love the knife, but the bulkiness and required sheath can be a bit much at times.
 
B JACKSON said:
Monocrom: To what would you attribute the 112/110 difference?
Click to expand...

There really shouldn't be any difference. The 112 is supposed to be just a shorter 110 with a slightly differently shaped forward bolster. But it seems that since 110 is significantly more popular, it gets a bit more attention paid to it before leaving the factory. Only one of my Buck knives had a catastrophic lock failure. (Thankfully, none of my fingers were damaged.) But yes, it was my 112 that failed.
 
B JACKSON said:
Rotte; Love that stag! Tell me more about your paperstone 110
Cody: Are you telling me the 110 is prone to tip breakage?
MQQN: I have a Stanley thermos that has done much fence staple hammering and duck blind repair...I feel it Bro!
Monocrom: To what would you attribute the 112/110 difference?
Sadsappy: Would the 110 be your preferred choice in a large locking folder in the under $50 bracket?
Vonricht..: Same question?
John: Discuss comparing the the 110 to a Schrade LB7 or vintage Gerber Sportsman
Click to expand...

Never really had much experience with the LB7, but for a while I collected Schrades. When checking out LB7`S I found in antique and junk stores, I can remember coming across at least a half dozen with broken lock springs, never saw that on a Buck.
As for the Gerber Sportsman series, I owned two, the big Sportsman, (way too big and heavy), and the Sportsman II. The Sportsman II was too slim for my hand, but I did like the drop point style blade.
 
Here is my first good knife ever purchased next to my last knife purchased(5160).
The standard 110 has seen quite a bit of use from being my primary knife when I was doing construction and also my primary fishing knife. I'd say I definitely got my $30 worth of use out of it and then some.
uLlQJc8.jpg


Now I'm starting to eye one of those custom shop ones with a drop point blade nickel bolsters and buffalo horn.
 
B JACKSON said:
Rotte; Love that stag! Tell me more about your paperstone 110
Cody: Are you telling me the 110 is prone to tip breakage?
MQQN: I have a Stanley thermos that has done much fence staple hammering and duck blind repair...I feel it Bro!
Monocrom: To what would you attribute the 112/110 difference?
Sadsappy: Would the 110 be your preferred choice in a large locking folder in the under $50 bracket?
Vonricht..: Same question?
John: Discuss comparing the the 110 to a Schrade LB7 or vintage Gerber Sportsman
Click to expand...

BJackson, yes it would. It's a durable, high quality, well built folder made from great materials. The fact that so many have carried them for so long, and under so many diverse conditions is a testament to their longevity. They are an American Classic for good reason. I would not feel bad if I was ever caught with this as my only knife.

 
Last edited:
Well. it's beginning to look as perhaps I need to carry a 110 or 112 for a while and see what I've been missing. They do have 2 things I really like;
#1 NO pocket clip
#2 NO thumb flip post
I am looking at it as sort of a locking,full size, stainless Sodbuster
The lighter weight models appeal to me like the Ecolite but to get fully immersed in 110 lore I should carry and use the original heavy weight for awhile I suppose.
My all time favorite lock blade before I swithced to mostyl slip joints used to be the Gerber Folding Sportsman II but I no longer have one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top