Custom 110's; Nickel Silver vs Brass

[Lenny]

OK, for all you Custom 110 owners, 2 questions:
- do you have nickel silver or brass bolsters?
- do you have any blade play?

Reason I ask is because I had ordered a beautiful smooth water buffalo scale, nickel silver bolster, BG-42 combo a year or so back.
Gorgeous knife, but it never locked up tight enough for me. Even after I sent it back to Buck. Some one told me that this is by design to get a smooth opening knife. The Brass is "slipperier" than nickel silver.
Your input please.
Lenny

 

[Clydetz]

Originally posted by Lenny
OK, for all you Custom 110 owners, 2 questions:
- do you have nickel silver or brass bolsters?
- do you have any blade play?

I have 2 Custom 110's, both with elk horn scales...one with nickel silver & the other with brass. Both have blades of 420HC. Neither have blade play - vertical or horizontal. They lock up nice & tight. Both blades are stamped with the anvil (2002) if the year of production makes a difference.

 

[K Williams]

Mine has nickel silver bolsters(indigo royalwood scales), locks up tight, and had no blade paly.

 

[Guyon]

I just heard from Joe Houser on this very same issue. I don't think Joe would mind me quoting him, so here's what he had to say:

We do have a range of acceptable movement on the blade because the components we use have variances in their tolerances. A brass 110 will be more forgiving to these tolerances and most of them will not have much play. The nickel silver is not as forgiving and if you going to find a 110 with movement, it will most likely be one made of nickel silver. We have found that it does not affect the strength of the knife at all and to eliminate it completely would be cost prohibitive.

 

[Lenny]

Interesting!
Makes sense.
Lenny