Buck 110/112 with oak scales (or not)

Here are my two Oak Dymondwood 110s (in 5160). The look way different.

If given the choice I will always pick real wood. But, I guess if I new I would need it in the harshest of environments I would probably pick Dymondwood.

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sassafrassdogs3 said:
Deere Man, do you work or have worked for John Deere?
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Nope. Many years ago when I joined this forum, my other hobby was collecting John Deere 1/64th scale farm toys. Deere Man was my handle on a farm toy forum so I just used it here as well to keep things simple. I eventually gave up the toy collecting because I spend all my money on knives and multitools.....
 
I'm a wood guy but I'd pick dymondwood if done right. The problem I have with it is when it gets sanded through like the top knifes scale in Buckshacks pic. The laminates are thin and easy to sand through. I thought about making my own lam wood scales but I just stabilize my wood instead. Laminated wood is better for rough use because it is in essence, not wood anymore.
 
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kossetx said:
I could easily see it as a red oak darkened by the laminating process because I have seen red oak that looks like your beech sample. There are so many factors that could contribute to that grain structure. I'll try to get some pics of some this weekend or maybe if BP will show his thinned 112. It's a little more radical than yours but shows the same grain pattern.
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That was my first thought too, red oak is the closest possible oak species that it could be. But red oak is still ring-porous, and none of the early-wood pores are visible on the scales (they would be darker longitudinal grooves). Technically, this could happen if the diameter of the bole was very large, and if the cut remains within the same tree ring. But this is rather hypothetical, as making such a cut would hardly be possible even if you'd deliberately go for it. So I still think it's not oak...
 
MolokaiRider said:
View attachment 1056145 It does kind of look like Black Oak or White Oak, but I defer to your education over my google-fu.

Here’s a sample of Black Oak...kinda similar?
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Well, not quite imho. See the open grooves in your picture? Those are the early-wood vessels (that would make a tight ring in an end cut, hence the label ring-porous), that are considerably bigger in oak than the late-wood vessels (which is not the case in beech, for instance). So these would have to be there if it were oak (any kind of oak), yet they are absent on my scales.
 
guitar1580 said:
I was wondering the same thing about that same oak 112, and almost ordered one a week or so ago. I ended up deciding against it because I wasn't really interested in the 5160 blade at this point in time.

To determine if the scales are laminated, look at the edge. If laminated, you will see the horizontal parallel lines of glue where 4 or 5 layers of veneer are glued together. If solid, you can tell where dark & light areas follow through the whole thickness of the slab.

My first photo shows two ebony handled 112s, solid on top, and laminated on bottom. The second pic is the stock pic for the oak 112. It looks like oak in the pic, and does not show the glue lines on the edge from what I can tell.

I appreciate different types of wood too, and I don't think I'd be overly satisfied with laminated beech if it was advertised as solid oak. The new Bucks affiliated with Taylor Guitars have solid ebony, with no price increase.

Laminated wood is more stable and durable than solid wood in sudden changes of temperature or humidity, and maybe less prone to shrinking or cracking in some cases. We take this into account on something more thin & fragile like a musical instrument, not so much with a knife handle unless you're regularly in extreme conditions or salt.

Now I'm wondering about the 55. I was under the impression that its scales were real walnut. I'm going to try to find one in a store to look at. I do buy knives online, but if you care about the wood, it's a big advantage to be able to look through a handful in a retail store and pick the one you like best.

JT

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Definitely laminated on mine. This also matches with what C&C told me...
 
Deere Man said:
Nope. Many years ago when I joined this forum, my other hobby was collecting John Deere 1/64th scale farm toys. Deere Man was my handle on a farm toy forum so I just used it here as well to keep things simple. I eventually gave up the toy collecting because I spend all my money on knives and multitools.....
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Same here...By the way, do want to buy some hot wheels and JD toy's?????:D:D:D:D
 
kossetx said:
I'm a wood guy but I'd pick dymondwood of done right. The problem I have with it is when it gets sanded through like the top knifes scale in Buckshacks pic. The laminates are thin and easy to cut through. I thought about making my own lam wood scales but I just stabilize my wood instead. Laminated wood is better for rough use because it is in essence, not wood anymore.
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Wouldn't boiled linseed oil correct the damage??
 
This thread reminds me of my complaint with the blue indigo knives sold through C&C. Like your oak 112, I was disappointed when mine came to me nearly black in color and I kept wondering, "where is the indigo that I saw on the website?" Eventually it grew on me. But I am still on the search for a true indigo blue knife.
 
OK, to me it looks like moisture has gotten into the wood or under the top coat of laminate...

So if you sanded the rest of it, would you need to treat the grips with something?
 
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silvaticus said:
Definitely laminated on mine.
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It's definitely not oak, and if it is a laminate from Altamont their website says they used stained birch laminates, which is what Dymondwood used. That said, I think the rays look more like beech than either oak or birch but photos of small samples can be deceiving. If you really have to know take the scales off and look at the end grain.

Bert
 
All the speculation here is funny. What I can tell you is that my custom shop oak 112 is laminated oak, not birch, and not sold oak. Your knife does almost look like beech. Maybe the manufacture mixed up the stock and shipped it to Buck. Maybe when the resin filled up the pores in the oak it looks like beech. Nice knife though.
 
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sassafrassdogs3 said:
OK, to me it looks like moisture has gotten into the wood or under the top coat of laminate...

So if you sanded the rest of it would you need to treat the grips with something?
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Water in the dymondwood is not the case Don and I know this from first hand experience. Water couldn't seep through the laminate unless it water under water for an extended period of time. My 110 auto went through two baths today and the scales had no water problems. The top oak laminate was sanded through. I have an oak 475 with a laser etched elk in the oak. It's never seen water and looks just like that.

To fix it would require sanding the rear bolster too. My guess is the line at Buck flattens the backs of some scales before installation. When they install and sand the front it sometimes it cuts across the top laminate because the back was changed. This is a guess because I've never been to the Buck plant. I do deal with oak and laminates a lot. All these are all oak, the same oak, so as you can see, grain can vary.
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