Buck camping and hiking story

D

DocT

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Mar 25, 2012
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One Fall morning I, along with two friends, went camping in the mountains of southern Tennessee. The forecast was predicted to be perfect weather so we elected not to take shelter. We usually camped without a tent, anyway. We hiked through the beautiful changing colors and smelled the spice the leaves make as they change. It was a magical day as we walked in the golden sun that alternated with shade. Everything was all yellow, red, orange, brown, and green. Late in the afternoon it started to cloud up. So, when we reached a small spring with potable water, we stopped for the night. But, knowing it was going to rain, we needed shelter. I did not have an axe and the only knife I had with me was a Buck 110. I walked into a stand of young trees and popped out my Buck. Marking out an area I thought was large enough for the three of us, I started cutting the trees in the center of my circle by slicing them at the base. Meanwhile, I sent the others out for pine or cedar boughs. I cut those small trees out, each being between 1 and 2 inches at the base. There was some serious torque on the blade but I was not worried. I had done this before with this knife. It was one tough knife. Finally, I had the area cleared. I bent over the trees on the perimeter of my circle and tied them together in the middle. Then, we wove the boughs through the trees, overlapping each other. Soon, we had a rain tight shelter.

We got a small fire going, cooked and ate dinner. However, just as we feared, right after eating the sky opened up and it poured rain. When we awoke the next morning, the rain had stopped and we continued on to our intended camp site another day away. Thanks to that Buck 110, we stayed dry and warm on a hike that could have been ruined by a bad forecast.
 
Good story and thought toward procuring shelter. How come guys write in here about Their 110 having blade wobble, lock failing and a snapped blade after no more use than what you did building this shelter? It's good this worked but when I go hiking if I didn't carry a tarp I would have my hatchet. And it's ok if you don't care for a hatchet. DM
 
David Martin said:
Good story and thought toward procuring shelter. How come guys write in here about Their 110 having blade wobble, lock failing and a snapped blade after no more use than what you did building this shelter? It's good this worked but when I go hiking if I didn't carry a tarp I would have my hatchet. And it's ok if you don't care for a hatchet. DM
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We normally carried a hatchet or an axe but we planned to travel light, keep small fires, and etc. as there was no rain chance in the forecast. Wait till I tell you the Ghost Story! Ha!

As for blade wobble, I have heard that on some of the newer 110s but have never seen it. The old ones were thought of as very tough (as long as you did not try to use them as a crowbar). I still have two (one mid 60's and the other '81) and my father had a 112 that are still bank vault tight, even after hard use camping and on the farm. They are not the lightest knives but they are good ones.
 
My 110 wobbles slightly while closed and is fairly tight while locked open, hence I never sent it in. I would try those things but I'd be real careful.
 
Nice story.

I was thinking about my 110 last weekend when taking a Wildnerness First Aid course. I was recalling a winter hike I took when I was in high school with my church teen group in Ohio. One of the youth workers slid down a snow covered slope, caught her foot under a submerged log and broke her ankle. We were a solid mile from the road.

I used my new 110 to bend cut and delink 2 small trees and made a quick litter by taking 3 jackets, turning the arms inside out inside the zippered coats and threading the poles through the arms.

It was around 30f and the victim was already wet from the snow. She has cotton under layers on and despite extra jackets, was hypothermic by time they got her to the hospital. Lesson learned- cotton kills.

Lock backs and lock rock go together like rear wheel drive and oversteer or like cotton and hypothermia. Bucks are no exception in this regard as has been discussed before on this board. I suspect that to eliminate lock rock, Buck would need to do something like Cold Steels Triad lock. Personally, I just accept lock rock as expected. My 2 most recent Bucks (Slimlines) have it out if the box.

For hiking, I've since moved to a folder design that isn't damaged by hard cutting forces. I treat those knives harder than my Bucks and have never generated any blade play of any kind. It's s testimony that there are lock designs that stand up to hard cutting better. IMO, lock backs make great sense for hunting. Easy to operate. Easy to clean. More reliable than liner locks.

Nearly all of my hiking is New Hampshires White Mountains which get more hiker visits annually than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined. Harvesting wood is against regulation in some places and discouraged everywhere. If there's a chance I'm staying overnight, I carry a light nylon tarp. If there's going to be a fire, I now carry an Emberkit folding stove which is easily fed with small wood and leaves next to no ash. If I pack the stove, I pack a small scandi/convex ground fixed blade. They split wood so much better than any hollow grind. In fact, I used one of those knives to split kindling for this mornings fire. It would be awesome to see Buck offer something like the Bucklite Max Large fixed blade using Buck's old sabre grind in Bos heat treated 420HC.

Anyway, great thread. Great memories. The 110 was my first outdoor knife and like a first car or girlfriend, holds a special place in my heart.
 
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It is true that Buck put the Lock Back in the forefront of everyone's mind and solved the problem of a dependable locking knife and now there is a company that makes a stronger lock back design. Progress is good. However, that other company has not endeared itself in the hearts and minds of the people like Buck has. Attitude and marketing are important, but so is relationship. Buck has had a better relationship with its customers and better overall image.
 
Good story. I'd feel okay with a 110 in your situation as well. The handle length and handle thickness give my hand good grip in many positions and the weight gives me a feeling of confidence to safely face tough tasks. Mine all lock up well and I can't say I notice any rock. Failure should be minimal unless you really abuse it. Plus there are multiple blade types and and steel combinations to choose from. I think I would take my drop point in S30V or BG-42 or maybe my clip point with a flat grind D2. Ah, so many good ones.
 
DocT said:
It is true that Buck put the Lock Back in the forefront of everyone's mind and solved the problem of a dependable locking knife and now there is a company that makes a stronger lock back design. Progress is good. However, that other company has not endeared itself in the hearts and minds of the people like Buck has. Attitude and marketing are important, but so is relationship. Buck has had a better relationship with its customers and better overall image.
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DocT,

Agreed on all points. I'd never buy a knife from that company. Period.
 
I have several Buck knife tales to tell and I am certain many of us on the forum do, as well. I remember some of my friends got Buck 110 clones from that German company P___. That company supposedly tests each blade for hardness. Well, I still have my Bucks and they do not have their clones. Each one of them broke the blade doing simple things. I was helping a guy dress a deer and he dropped his knife down into the dirt point first, not threw, but dropped, so he could free up his hands a moment and the blade snapped in half. We dug around, there was no rock, only grass and dirt. My oldest 110 has played mumbly peg, chicken, stretch, cut trees, cleaned deer, ducks, chickens, fox, and all sorts of things and is still in great shape.

Usually, though, when I went hiking, I took a Buck fixed blade as they are lighter and stronger than the 110.
 
Hiking is my favorite pastime. Got plenty of woods around me and this morning took a 4 mile hike with my lab retriever. Felt well protected with my Buck and of course Smith and Wesson. Nice combo!
 
I've take my 110 on a few trips camping,440c 2 dots can handle a lot more abuse than a new 110, bet your bottom dollar on it.those early knives were over built knowingly I'm sure.
 
You might be right, I don't know. I only have the older ones. I know they have been very tough. I like the 102 for a hiking knife best, as it is full tang and weighs only 2.5 oz with a 4" blade.
 
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