Buck 110 Factory Problem

OK , I agree with everyone on some points they make. Samon has the right to give his opinion on Bucks, and folks should realize many regular Buck forum users will give Buck the benefit of the doubt in most instances, which everyone should realize who comes here and discusses knives. So they shouldn't expect to be heard without opposition. And while comments about politics and governmental activity is discouraged, we have made it a unwritten policy on this forum that we 'sometimes' briefly thank persons who work for the benefit of out nation, law enforcement, emergency response , sewer plant operators and refuse collectors and anyone who keeps our lives in better shape than the majority of the rest of the world when such facts become known. So, I will defend the right to complain but encourage decent discussion among forum users and will allow those who make *short* gentlemanly statements thanking those who go in harms way or make special efforts to keep the world running. As Samon says Buck knives should always be the primary subject for any comment OR complaint. Bottom line , talk like your Grandmother is sitting with you at the keyboard.....

300Bucks , still your friendly moderator
 
Samon said:
Be fair and don't bait me mate. Don't start with the 'toll' bs either, it doesn't help anyone.
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Yes, lets be fair.

To be clear....
You bought a 110.
It had a less than perfect lockup.
They sent a replacement.
You stabbed a "rotten" fence and broke the tip.
They sent another replacement.
It was loose.
They sent a 113

So you bought 1 knife and got 3 replacements.
If I recall your previous thread correctly, they let you keep all of them... correct?

The profit margin for the company on 110 model knives is very slim.
So after replacing the first knife they were operating at a loss with you.
By sending 2 more, and paying international shipping, and paying the vat, they now have to sell a couple more knives just to cover 5he losses incurred with you.

If it was me, I would be pretty grateful.
Especially since the warranty clearly states you have to send the knife to them. They waived that requirement for you.
Second the tip snap was user error. Not covered by warranty, but yet again they waived that and sent another knife.

Honestly, if it were me that was on the recieving end of such kindness, not a bad word would cross my lips (or be typed via Internet)

Now for what I personally would do.
If I recieved a 110 with a loose blade, well..... I would get out my ball peen hammer and peen the pivot pin until it was how I liked.
Then use various grits of sandpaper to smooth out the peening marks, then steel wool, then a couple minutes on the buffing wheel.
Yep....all in about a half hour....and you could make it so tight you couldn't even open it....if you chose to do so....
 
To clarify, I bought one, the lock failed. the replacement was sloppy and had loads of play, it was replaced by what was written as 'custom blade assembly'. This one was ok, still had some play but developed loads as soon as it was used, then the tip broke off when I was picking rotted wood.

So I kept one, I sent the others to my local Buck distributor at my own cost. And although I am happy with the customer service, I am still dissapointed with the sloppyness of each knife (apart from the 113 which was lovely).

Infact I completely disagree with you on this.... "Honestly, if it were me that was on the recieving end of such kindness, not a bad word would cross my lips (or be typed via Internet)". This degree of 'kindness' or 'generosity' as it may be considered wouldn't have to have happened if the original purchase had been satisfactory. It's not my place to come across as anything I'm not, and I keep my personal feelings about Buck aside. Instead I remain an honest and out spoken customer, one who wasn't happy with the 3 110 models recieved and continues to speak highly of the customer service but not so well of the knife.
 
Yes, his lock failed due to spine whacking (breaking rabbit bones) and he broke the tip prying. And he got a free new 113 out of it. Someone else might have been just content to use the knife as it was meant to be used, and be a happy customer.
 
dogstar said:
Yes, his lock failed due to spine whacking (breaking rabbit bones) and he broke the tip prying. And he got a free new 113 out of it. Someone else might have been just content to use the knife as it was meant to be used, and be a happy customer.
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Ah, but they aren't heavy fisted Englishmen like I! :)

I can thoroughly recommend the 113 though, it's a very nice knife and fits well and firm in the hand. Also mine was essentially perfect out the box. No faults or anything, and sharp as a sharp thing. I also like my Buck 120 and may consider buying a Buck canoe, but I'm not sure if the Rough rider will be better or not.

I simply don't like the 110, buck has been good in everyother way though!
 
Samon said:
*removed my comment on the political/moral injustice of War as not to break any forum rules.*

BACK TO THE KNIFE!


I don't beleive I'm in the vast majority here, I believe I may be in the lower percentages but that doesn't mean these constant failures are 'one offs'. They are simply how the knives are made, atleast in certain factories anyway. Now if we could examine 20 110 models from one factory and 20 from another, we could slowly find the weak link in the manufactoring chain!
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?!?!?!:foot:
 
Just a quick update.
I ordered 3 110 from the Custom Knife Shop. I hope these new ones will be better.
I contacted Buck Customer Service and Mr. Hubbard.
CS told me to return the knives so they can send me replacements. Mr. Hubbard told me the same, but since I can not send them back, he offer me to send replacements anyway. I didn´t accept them because I dont think that´s fair, so I told him he can send only one to replace the one with the bad blade play.
So far, best customer service I ever dealt with.
Thank you all for the input and feedback. Ill tell you about the new knives when I get them.
 
DesertChris said:
The profit margin for the company on 110 model knives is very slim.
So after replacing the first knife they were operating at a loss with you.
By sending 2 more, and paying international shipping, and paying the vat, they now have to sell a couple more knives just to cover 5he losses incurred with you. .
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That is true. IMHO it is all the more reason to fix issues beforehand.... In the grand scheme of things though, I have to believe the number of knives returned is so small, it probably doesn't even put a blip on the radar. I could be wrong though...

I have only dealt with Buck CS a couple times. I don't think anyone here will argue that they truly do care about the customer, and will go far beyond what anyone can clearly expect.
Most people that buy a knife, just want to use it. They don't spend time on the forum, and they certainly don't want to have to send it back.
A negative experience pertaining to QC or issues with a particular knife, could have a lasting impression on them when it comes time for future purchases, as well as when someone else asks about the knife they purchased.
 
Hoorenbeek said:
Hi guys. Im not sure if this is the proper forum to post this; if not, pls, let me know and I will move it to the one you recommend.

Anyway, In the last couple of months I bought 3 Buck 110 as gifts.
Is a classic, american made... we know all about Buck 110.

BUT. And yes, this is a big BUT.
I noticed the 3 knives are not Buck top quality.
I own a 1971 Buck 110 and over the years I handled many 110, so, about these 3 last ones I bought:

2 of them has this "bad" union between the spine of the blade and the lockback (see image)
http://www.ikonzept.com.ar/images/Fit.jpg
Its not smooth, you can see a "big" gap between the spine and the lockback. Its not very nice.

The other one has this play when its folded.. I mean the blade feels loose; you can move it with your finger -without applying too much pressure- until the blade touches the brass side and then move it to touch the other side with no effort whatsoever.

And the 3 of them came straight from the factory with this rough edge on the clip false edge... And Im talking rough. You can see the marks of the machine, and when you swipe your finger over it you feel that is not smooth at all.
http://www.ikonzept.com.ar/images/clip.jpg

Is this only my experience on my last Buck purchases? What do you think?
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I just got a Buck 110 in today. I saw this thread last weekend, and realized I had not bought a 110 in over 5 years. All the Buck 110s I have ever owned were impressive for the price, and I wanted to see for myself if production standards had gone down.

Now I know everyone here is a Buck fan, but let's be objective here. One poor knife is an anecdote. 3 poor knives isn't a coincidence. The plural of anecdote is certainly not data, but data means nothing when you're looking at a knife that came from the factory jacked up. There have been 6 reports in this thread, so there is definitely something going on, and if you can't concede that, you aren't adding anything to the discussion.

I received my Factory new 110 today, and was very surprised that I found evidence of ALL 3 problems that OP listed. The blade could be moved when it was closed, the area where the lock meets the blade isn't symmetrical and doesn't look clean, and the false edge is rough. I actually found the machining in the nail nick to be even worse.

Here's the kicker, are you ready? This knife is a superb work knife at MSRP. The blade can be moved when closed, but it is in no way loose. Where the lock meets the blade, it looks like the blade is actually chamfered on one side slightly, like less than 1mm - it looks intentional. The only thing I could say is it's not perfect fit and finish, but are you really expecting that out of a 110? The finish on the false edge looks to be an identical grain pattern as the cutting edge, probably around 800-1200 grit. It is uniform though. At least the edge is smooth when you run a finger nail over it! I got a few case knives in CV in today as well, and the edges on those are rough. I will have to look them over closer when I get home, but the Buck has no burr and even though the edge isn't refined to a mirror polish, I wouldn't expect it to be.

I think that some people get used to a high level of finish, and forget that some products aren't specced to a high finish. I don't think there is anything here (and given the similarities to OP's claims and pics, nothing there) to warrant a return. It would be hard for me to believe that the Bucks I owned 5-10 years ago were superior to this one, but if they were, it just isn't something I would notice on a production knife.

Exactly what are you going to use that knife for OP?
 
As you can read in one of my posts, I bought them as gifts.
I was not complaining. I was asking about the quality control, if this was a problem only on my knives or if other people was having the same "issues".
Also, you can read that Mr. Hubbard offers me replacements on the 3 knives and I didnt accept them, I just accepted one because of the bad blade play on one of them.
And yes, I expect a little more from Buck. I own a 1971 Buck 110 and its flawless; after all these years, that knife is perfect. So, yes, I was kinda dissapointed when I received these 3 last ones, especially because I bought many 110 over the years and this is the first time I get 3 different knives with some issues.
But again. CS at Buck, and of course Mr. Hubbard were fantastic. They care about their customers and their brand. They care about the name Buck. And, at least to me, thats more than enough.
 
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In no way am I interested in joining the pile on in either direction, but there is a solid point in here that sticks out regardless of how its delivered to y'all.


Got 1 and.it.has blade play.up and.down and side to side from day one. the more its used the more the side to side develops. ironically i got a cheaper paperstone version. super tight lockup both ways. far better knife in those two examples.

heres my question, and the point of maybe the issue.... on the standard hunter.....what is the pivot made from? soft brass? reason i ask is i have plenty of other brands in the same or similar design...and only my buck continues to get more and more blade play from.normal cutting use. Meaning whittling wood and normal cutting loads. Truth be told I just don't trust it on harsher tasks even though it was created way back when to be strong enough to replace a fixed blade.
 
I don't understand the issue with side to side movement of the blade when it is closed???? Why would anyone even notice this??? If it locks up tight when opened and doesn't rub the liners when closed, then who cares??? I think some collectors look too much at a user level knife for perfection in every way, and in some ways I would never even look at....Just my feelings of course and this is the reason I would never sell knives to anyone as you never know what issues some people can come up with as not a perfect knife. I just listed my negative issue last night with a different Buck that I was disappointed with, so I am not a Buck die hard here, but the 110 is now and has always been a true USA value.
 
tom19176 said:
110 is now and has always been a true USA value.
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Lol cheap but badly made?.. Um, No thanks! :D

Regarding the pivot pin, I beleive it is just brass, and is not peened. I have heard the design has changed from the old ones and this is why 'they aren't like they used to be'.

This type of primitive pivot is also why even though a new one may be tight out the box, it will develope play once used enough. And as the custom ones use the same design they will also suffer the same.
 
tom19176 said:
I don't understand the issue with side to side movement of the blade when it is closed???? Why would anyone even notice this??? If it locks up tight when opened and doesn't rub the liners when closed, then who cares??? I think some collectors look too much at a user level knife for perfection in every way, and in some ways I would never even look at....Just my feelings of course and this is the reason I would never sell knives to anyone as you never know what issues some people can come up with as not a perfect knife. I just listed my negative issue last night with a different Buck that I was disappointed with, so I am not a Buck die hard here, but the 110 is now and has always been a true USA value.
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Don't know about the others...but mine has play opened ...never checked it closed. That isn't my issue. Mine has substantial play not a little tiny bit.
 
I have a Alaskan guide 110 that I have been edc for a few months now and it is starting to get blade play/loose when locked open. I hate to see this as I love the 110 and ive been moving away from other folders going to send it back to Buck tomorrow
 
Hey Hoorenbeek! Hey man good job sticking up for quality! I am a 2 years now Buck 110 extremist lol! I to have bought at least 57 Buck 110's over the last couple of years mostly hunting out the most prime examples of standards and standard fingergrooved and rarer vintage production 110's. Only recently have I gotten into ordering from the custom shop. It is just as hit and miss here, I live just outside Washington DC, as it is anywhere else in the world for Bucks mighty 110. My first fingergrooved standard 110 had a blade so off center it was scraping the liner! I was intimidated at first to have to deal with contacting Buck Knives over just a standard issue 110 I thought I was stuck with it. Boy was I wrong! They told me to send it back so I did and it took nearly 5 weeks to get it back. I was afraid that when I got it back it would be one of those situations where it would be half fixed but not completely after all its just a standard production 110. I got back perfection! I think they even put a new blade in it Im not sure. The action is like my custom shop 110's now with a crisp hearty SNAP sound when it locks open! Perfectly on center!

A warning about the online Buck Custom Shop, the online custom knife generator examples and options look NOTHING like what you actually get! What you do get is still VERY nice but when looking at handles for the 110's on the custom generator take them as very poor examples of what you will get. The best way to see what you will likely get is to Google image whatever options you want. Much much closer to what you get. I am waiting anxiously on Custom 110 #5. The custom shop S30V blade is so damn nice its almost undescribable. The mirror polishid 420HC blades from the custom shop are so deeply polished they literally are like mirrors! The black 420HC blade looks faaaaar better in reality then it does online...Good luck!
 
@CelticCross74:
Man, thank you very much for you great input on this.
I already ordered 3 from the CKS and I did what you say. I searched for images to find more examples of the handles. But now, Im more confused than before LOL
On the online custome knife generator, the oak looks almost orange and the heritage walnut looks medium brown.
Then I found this post
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/934874-Question-Regarding-Custom-Shop-110-Scales
where the oak looks medium brown and the heritage walnut looks almost black.
On Google, I found some images where the oak on the 110 looks kinda beige and the walnut looks dark brown. If anybody can help with some pictures, it will be highly appreciated, because Christmas is around the corner and I would love to order some more as gifts.
 
Bear in mind that the knife depicted on the custom site is only a computer generated image of an example of the materials specified. As with any natural material it's going to vary from lot to lot as Buck receives it. IIRC some of the members here were ordering some LE knifes with stag scales a and a wolf image and some arrived with nice bark while a few I saw posted had very little texture to the stag at all. Pretty sure those members contacted Buck and sent the knives back to get new scales on them. Again, IIRC the members were much happier with the replacement scales.
 
I was going through some of my knives earlier tonight, and saw my 110 sheath. It is a -110-, and is the only 110 I have at this time.
I remembered this thread and pulled it out to look it over...

What I found is a very nicely made knife. The tang and lock bar are squared up, and fit very nicely. There is for all practical purposes, no movement when the blade is locked open. The wood scales fit nicely to the brass bolsters, and the edge is even, and it is sharp.
When I look at this knife, I see a tremendous value. This is the newest 110 I have owned. I have owned numerous other "dot series" 110's, and they were equally well made.
 
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