Buck 110 sharpening notch

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

Gold Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
20,132
I could never figure out why buck doesn't put a sharpening notch on the 110, something I feel they could really use. It's no big deal though as its so easy to add one if you have a dremel or needle file.

I find that having the notch on a knife really helps with sharpening, and really just completes the look of the buck 110
 
Educate me... what is the purpose of a sharpening notch? Mine don't have notches and I have no problems getting them hair popping sharp with little effort.
 
I really can't stand those and am Super glad Buck doesn't put this nonsense on their 110. This was even put forth as a bad feature in Blade Magazine. I agree. DM
 
i can take it or leave it. i like the way buck does the 110 now myself. maybe im biased being so used to 110 as is though......
 
I like having a sharpening notch so I don't rough up the ricasso area right behind the edge ( something I notice on my knives when it happens ) , and it allows me to still sharpen 100% of my edge if the very edge of my stone is warn or chipped off.
I know it's not for everyone, but I personally like the look and it only took me 10 seconds to add.
 
Don't care for the look of the pictured one here but I find a "notch" helps me to sharpen evenly to the choil which the Buck grind hampers.
 
Last edited:
mutinousdoug said:
Don't care for the look of the pictured one here but I find a "notch" helps me to sharpen evenly to the chiol which the Buck grind hampers.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment on my handy work 😁
It does look a bit trapezoidal in the pic, but not in real life.
 
Clearly opinions vary but I get it. Thanks for sharing your method and picture. Buck changed the shape of the choil on the 100 series fixed blade knives to achieve the same effect Hickory n steel was after. I believe Buck referred to it as a 'hanging choil'. where the arc or the choil extends into the cutting edge of the blade. On the older 100 series fixed blades the choil ended before the sharpened edge (like on the 110). Picture tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
I *HATE* sharpening choils or notches.

As a blades wears down, I'll gladly accept some curve. A) I want the the whole edge to work with. B) I hate when I'm cutting cordage or vines and it gets hung up on the sharpening choil of a blade.

All my favorite knives, including the 110 in my rear pocket today have no choil.
 
I can understand the thought of getting caught in the sharpening notch, but when I cut cordage I normally start my cut about 1/4" - 1/2" forward anyways and rarely cut anything thicker than paracord size. I really didn't like how that little recurve area leading up to the tang looked , but if it wasn't there I might not have put the notch in.
This is one of my only folders that came without a sharpening notch and I've never had a problem with any of my vics or anything else so I'm sure I won't have a problem with this one.
 
I rather like the look of the notch and for a safe queen it would be fine, for a user knife that notch would drive me crazy. I do often clean up the area where the notch is with file or diamond stone giving the blade a sharp clean shoulder in that area to make sharpening easier. I have a great dislike for the current recurve blade designs that have been popular lately for the same reason.
 
I think a sharpening notch on the Buck 110 really detracts from the classic look of the knife.
 
I also wish it had a small choil, I tend to avoid buying knives that don't (other than the 110 of which I have many) but would still like it better if it had one. No logical reason why other than i like it, looks like a complete knife and a knife with no choil to me looks like they forgot a step.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
 
I don't like the notch myself as I have had it hang when cutting. I understand benefit sharpening but I'd sooner do with out it.
 
Funny, how we're all different. I don't see any advantage to a choil when sharpening a 110. I start the square corners of my Sharpmaker rods at the tang and the edge in front of the tang sharpens right up without causing any damage to the tang.
 
st8yd said:
I don't like the notch myself as I have had it hang when cutting. I understand benefit sharpening but I'd sooner do with out it.
Click to expand...

Sure this is exactly what they cause. It even said it in the article. But difference is fine. DM
 
I like the sharpening choils, I cannot stand the shoulder that builds up at the base of the blade without one. When sharpening that shoulder catches the corner of the stone, which in turn lifts the blade off the stone, causing a gap between the blade and the stone until it drops off the corner. This does two things, wears the corner of the stone, and the spot of the blade that is in contact with the stone at the front of the gap.

It never bothered me until I got a diamond stone with its sharp corner. Then I looked and all my natural stones and realized the corners were all rounded. A worn stone ruins a knife, and a knife with that shoulder can ruin a stone IMHO.

I use a cut off wheel in an angle grinder. Just barely kiss the blade. I try to angle it back slightly, which helps keep it from snagging fibers when cutting ropes.

I'm glad Buck doesn't put one on at the factory, that way the end user can add it the way they like it to be, or not add it at all.

I also find the small choil to be useful for stripping insulation from low voltage wire.

I wish I had watched the video Chris posted, before I wrote my post. It does a much better job explaining it than I did. Also has a very elegant solution IMHO. worth watching for sure. Thanks Chris.
 
Last edited:
Opinions are certainly varied on this, but at least this is just a 2012 and not an old collectable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top