Buck 112 size

The Fort

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I'm thinking about trying a Buck 112. I'm not a sheath guy, does anyone pocket carry one? Anyone have any size comparison pictures with some common Stockman pattern knives? Thanks.
 
Yes, I have pocket carried a 112 many a month. Like any other folder its length, it will turn horizontally at the bottom of a pants pocket, whether front or back pocket. But there are ways to counter this problem.

1. Carpenter's jeans have slim pockets along the leg seams. They also tend to have a very deep watch pocket (the 5th pocket) which holds the 112 nicely.

2. Carrying something of decent width, like a cell phone, in your hip pocket can fill up enough space to keep the 112 (and the 110, for that matter) upright in the pocket. A heavy handkerchief like a bandanna often does the job for me in this regard. While not as heavy as a 112, I use a bandanna as a bolster to keep an Opinel N°10 or 12 upright in this way.

3. Search eBay for a Buck 112 Ecolite. The prices are dear, but it's a lightweight yet nonetheless equally robust version of the 112. It will sit more comfortably in any pocket, but especially the front pocket.

4. Wear the nylon 112 sheath horizontally. I hear you about not being a sheath wearer, but it really is a convenient carry. As winter approaches (here already with the first snowfall on the Front Range), sweaters and jackets will cover it if that's your concern.

5. Pocket sheaths, like the kind I see at Knives Ship Free. Something that holds the knife in a comfortable position while still allowing the pocket space for other things.

6. How big are you? I'm a skinny guy, so it's important to me that pocket knives don't slide horizontally in my pockets. But if you are a big guy, this may not annoy you as much as the knife may not be as big and heavy in your pocket to you as it is to me. Maybe it'll feel like a Victorinox Classic to you. 😉

Does this help?

Zieg

Buck 301 alongside Buck 112 and 112 Ecolite.

IMG_20161118_112622.jpg

IMG_20161118_112553.jpg
 
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You might check out the Buck Forum on Bladeforums. Nice folks, and many 112 fans and threads on the 112. Some interesting variations are available these days; one has nickel bolsters, cocobolo inserts, D2 steel and flat grind (I've been really tempted on that one). I believe a drop-point version may also be available.

--Larry
 
I'll be looking for one of the new Buck Ranger drop points in 5160 when we head south of the border next week. Had one several decades ago but wore it down trying to sharpen that old 440C steel on carborundum hones.
 
You might check out the Buck Forum on Bladeforums. Nice folks, and many 112 fans and threads on the 112. Some interesting variations are available these days; one has nickel bolsters, cocobolo inserts, D2 steel and flat grind (I've been really tempted on that one). I believe a drop-point version may also be available.

--Larry
I really like the nickel silver ones! Flat ground D2 would really entice me too!
 
The 112 is my favorite knife.Sometimes I carry one in my back pocket in an insider pocket slip.The insider attaches to the pocket with a magnetic flap and it holds the knife horizontal.
Any way you look at it though the 112 is a thick knife,some Buck fans opt for the 500 for pocket carry because it is thinner and more rounded.
 
It's been a long time since I've owned a 112 (early 1980's) but I always carried it in the supplied sheath. It was too heavy and bulky to carry loose in the pocket. For me, that is.

If you have some coins and a scale laying around gather up some coins and weigh out 5 ounces. (the weight of the 112 is 5.6 ounces according to the Buck website) Put the coins in a pill bottle or something sturdy enough to hold them and take up the remaining .6 ounces. Stick that in your pocket and see what you think.

Really though, you should get one anyway. You'll love it even if it is too heavy.
 
Dagnabit Lance, now you've got me wanting one! After looking at the Custom Shop offerings, I may not be able to resist. Ironwood, Buckeye Burl, Elk, and I'll bet that Black Palm Wood looks pretty sweet in person.

I wouldn't carry a 112 nowadays but it would be nice to own one again after all these years.
 
I don't have a 112 but I do have a 110 knockoff. You could comfortable carry even a 110 if you can keep it vertical, either along the leg side of your front pocket or in yoy back pocket. Mine rode quite nicely in my back pocket beside my wallet, I hardly knew it was there and it was a very comfortable and natural feeling place to draw a knife from.

But it often fell sideways when I took my wallet out, which was annoying. Plus I carry a pen there already so the two were fighting to occupy the same space.

Honestly if you want to comfortably carry a big knife you need either a pocket clip or a pocket slip with a clip on it. And it needs to be a nice thin one, I made one out of heavy holster leather and it was waaaayyyy too big.
 
Totally agree with this. The key to pocket carrying these large traditional lockbacks is keeping them verticle. I regularly carry a buck 110 in a front pocket next to a front pocket wallet. I have often wondered about the 112 though. Love my 110, but it is a large knife. Its also more of a winter time thing though. I dont think it rides well in shorts. If im carrying my 110 in the summer its on a belt, which is less desireable to me as well.
 
Dagnabit Lance, now you've got me wanting one! After looking at the Custom Shop offerings, I may not be able to resist. Ironwood, Buckeye Burl, Elk, and I'll bet that Black Palm Wood looks pretty sweet in person.

I wouldn't carry a 112 nowadays but it would be nice to own one again after all these years.
Sorry Rick! 😜 Yeah, I was thinking Buckeye Burl with nickel silver bolsters!
 
The Fort,SK blades came out with a NS D2 112 for under 100.00 I bought one and its a great 112. I'm not sure if it is a full flat grind but D2 is super rare for a 112. 250 made is all.
 
They really do carry best in the nice piece of leather they come with, so if you get one I'd try the sheath out.
I don't own a 112 ( I've had knives of similar size and weight though ), but have a 110 on my hip right now and wouldn't buy either if they didn't come with a leather sheath.
 
Like Zeig said, I also recommend checking out an ecolite if weight is a concern. I do not understand why paperstone was not more popular. It is pretty great stuff as far as I am concerned. And it makes a great change of pace if you are looking for a lighter knife that doesn't need the holster.

The main drawback is that it doesn't look as old-timey. And that is a big drawback considering where we are. But I really liked my 110 ecolite.
 
The 112 is one of my favorites and I have one on my belt right now. I'm a pretty big guy and I wouldn't consider it for pocket carry. Just seems like it's be uncomfortable. That being said, I don't even notice it when I wear it on my belt. I think it's a knife that'll be worth reconsidering your carry preference...
 
I have never owned a 112 but this thread got it on my mind and I just ordered one. :eek: You folks sure cost me a lot of money talking about and posting pictures of knives I don't own.
 
They have come out with a Buck 110 that replaces the brass with aluminum and you can get wood scales or paperstone. There is a thread on the Buck forum about them. No 112 aluminum as of yet, but I think they are coming. The 110 aluminum weights 3oz. compared to the brass 7.2 ounces. So you get a 110 that looks like a 110 (except the color of the brass)that weights the same as the 112 ecolite. And it is so light, it rides vertical in my pocket and doesn't fall over.
 
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