Ebony 110 Question!

M

Mitch Taldison

Joined
Jan 26, 2019
Messages
87
Hey Buck buddies! :)

I was just at Bass Pro and bought a Buck 110 with ebony handles. I’ve a question about the ebony wood. Did any older 110s use ebony or is it a new material? Is there a timeline of what woods have been used on 110s over the years? Thanks!

PS: The knife came with a rather cheap and artificial feeling black “leather” (felt like faux leather to me) sheath. Fits the knife really well but I’d like a proper leather sheath and any recommendations for a better sheath would be appreciated!

-Mitch
 
David Martin said:
Taldison, welcome to the Buck Forum. Macassar ebony was used beginning back in 1964 to 1993. In 1994 the handle material was switched to a wood laminate. Call Buck, they can supply a different sheath. DM
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Thanks!! The scales on mine are a very rich black ebony color and both match, no real grain striping. I was just wondering if the old ones could be found with such colored scales. I did a googler and it seems I found pictures of old 110s that do in fact have these deep black scales.

My heart soars like a hawk to know my knife will match some of the old ones. Seems really great. I remember so many people having these 110s when I was a kid in Southern Illinois in the 90s. They probably still carry them. I even once found one in the middle of the road that was rusty with a broken tip! To me they are THE quintessential everyman’s knife of the last half of the 20th century. I’ve been meaning to get one for years! The sheath is really disappointing, though. I’ll ring Buck and see if they have any older or better ones. It feels like super fake plasticy pleather, not good.
 
I believe Buck did a recent run of a 110 with dark ebony handles. The earlier 110's can be found with brown to dark ebony handles. A rich looking wood on the brass frame. A classic. DM
 
The sheath is real leather, but it may have come from a poor quality lot when made. Wear it out, I say.

Knife sounds terrific!

Zieg
 
0110-15-BK1.jpg Sorry to hear that you don't like the sheath. I don't have a 2019, but I've always found the leather 110 sheaths to be sturdy and very good quality (except for the Chinese fakes!).

I even like the quality and feel of the polyester sheaths Buck sells.
 
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The original 110 wood was Macassar ebony (diospyros celebica). The current models using ebony are most likely Gabon ebony (diospyros crassiflora) because their source is crelicam, which is Gabon ebony from Cameroon. Macassar ebony is native to Indonesia and other nearby areas.

Macassar and Gabon ebony have very similar hardness and density. Macassar ebony is usually striped light and dark brown (but you can find some solid very dark brown specimens) while Gabon ebony is the wood that we normally associate with the solid jet black ebony of the past. The supply of truly solid jet black gabon ebony is very limited now, so it is normal to get some with stripes of lighter brown or gray in a black background.
 
I finally picked up a 110 ebony this weekend as well. This is probably my favorite variation of the 110 since the original 1964 to 1969 versions. I had planned to try to find a 1964-69 with a broken blade so I could send it in and put 420hc blade(because I am better sharpening it). But when I heard they were going to put ebony scales on the new ones, decided to just wait and purchase a new one . This really feels like the best of both new and old 110s. I agree with you on the leather sheath, it does have a different feel to it. It feels lighter in weight or something seems a little off. But, I did notice the knife seems to fit in the sheath better than usual. It's a perfect fit, no having to cram it in.
 
jec88 said:
I had planned to try to find a 1964-69 with a broken blade so I could send it in and put 420hc blade (in) ...
Click to expand...

I have a c.1972-1974 "Two Dot" that suffered a broken tip sometime before I got it, and had been sharpened down significantly.

When I contacted Buck about a blade swap, they told me the current production blades won't fit.
 
Guys here is mine with the ebony handle:

3-EF1-DB1-A-7-CB6-4-DA8-BE43-7-DE91-FDFC2-C9.jpg


I really love this knife guys!! Been carrying it every day. Feels so good in hand and I even learned how to gravity drop it open one handed!! LOVIN THIS BUCK GANG!!! :D
 
Ha! Very nice!! Mine is still unopened. When i carry a Buck folder it’s usually a 112 with finger grooves in Bucks Nylon sheath. It’s lighter and sits closer to the body which i like. And the knife can stay in it and not turn green and nasty. I buy Nylon( Buck calls it something else) sheaths for all my Bucks. I will eventually get a 2019 112 with the Ebony hardwood and FG’s
DN
 
The sheath may feel this way when new, but wear it in and it's an excellent quality sheath.
Especially considering it's coming on a knife of this price point.
Sure they can be a bit stiff and feel a bit waxy and synthetic when brand new, but once it breaks in and you start getting the black finish warn off around the edges it's a beautiful thing.
I say just give it a chance.
 
Thank you kindly, gang. I’ve decided at present to order the old nylon style sheaths as I understand you can carry the knife horizontally? That seems really convenient, and I’ve read many consider the nylons the more practical and comfortable choice.
 
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