For the money , do you think anything beats the Buck 110?

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VorpelSword said:
I have not shopped price lately, or in several years actually, but my impression is that Cold Steel also has a number of models that are serviceable at "reasonable" prices points. One is a near copy of a Randall #1. The Air Force Pilot's Survival Knife can often be found at afordable cost.

Whether or not any of these suggestions are the equivalent of a Buck 119 is a question open to debate. In the end, it is up to the buyer to decide if an alternative knife is worth the money or more desirable than a Buck 119.
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I love the 119. But what about the 110?
 
Honestly for the money I wouldn't choose the 110 just because it's a boat anchor and I don't want to carry it everyday. Plus, this photo is pretty much their inspiration for every handle shape.
Screenshot_20250110-144132-501.png


The spitfire on the other hand, 👍👌. That's bang for your Buck. Super strong, thinner handle and just as good of a blade.

Don't get me wrong... I love Buck knives, the 110 and especially the 112 but they are chunky buggers. The sport editions are really nice and pocketable (I'm carrying the 112 now) but that's hardly a value proposition at their price point.
 
I like the Bucks and they are as classy as they can get. Realistically for me however, they are too much ”handle to handle”. They are hard use folders of the time but today you can get the same result with lighter handle and stronger pivot/lock.
 
VorpelSword said:
How much is a Buck 110 now? Still <$100? Well, yesess and no. They seem to range from ~$50 to around $200. The classic "Hunter" model is $10.


If you save some and forgo buying another knife or two (or so), you could have a Chris Reeve Sebenza or another CRK
model for ~$500. . . .just don't lose it.
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Haha , the whole point of the thread is to see if people view the 110 as an unbeatable deal. Check the title. Not the 119. Not a Sebenza. It’s a $65 knife question.
 
A.L. said:
I like the Bucks and they are as classy as they can get. Realistically for me however, they are too much ”handle to handle”. They are hard use folders of the time but today you can get the same result with lighter handle and stronger pivot/lock.
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Still waiting for the day someone can show a broken pivot.

The strongest lock conversation already borders on ridiculous. The strongest pivot is a bridge too far for me.

Nobody in this thread, even though asked, has been able to come up with something the buck 110 can't handle with ease..........Outside of rogue flying sheep, of course.
 
J. Doyle said:
Still waiting for the day someone can show a broken pivot.

The strongest lock conversation already borders on ridiculous. The strongest pivot is a bridge too far for me.

Nobody in this thread, even though asked, has been able to come up with something the buck 110 can't handle with ease..........Outside of rogue flying sheep, of course.
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You got me wrong.
I didn’t mean that Buck pivot is weak.
I meant you can significantly reduce the weight, just strenghten the pivot a bit.
 
The 110 is a great nostalgia piece and still a well-made example of US craftsmanship. But for those of us who don’t want to wear a belt sheath everyday, it’s simply a no go.

My EDC choice instead is a Buck Vantage Pro. I’m fully sold on the modern advantages of a flipper tab and deep-carry pocket clip. Been carrying this one almost daily for 10+ years now:

EF15170C-0BF5-4F99-9D85-DCCD0263BEEB.jpeg

When I need something even lighter, lately it’s this Cold Steel Verdict:

925B7030-5943-4565-A574-25C136AF4520.jpeg

As someone else said, Buck had a good thing going with the 110/112 Ecolite series. Sadly and strangely discontinued. Could have been perfected with a deep-carry pocket clip and a thumbhole in the blade. I do still carry mine occasionally, but only when I want to wear a belt sheath.

271952E8-5ADA-4006-8318-9EA813C2A085.jpeg
 
Wolverine666 said:
Haha , the whole point of the thread is to see if people view the 110 as an unbeatable deal. Check the title. Not the 119. Not a Sebenza. It’s a $65 knife question.
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Sorry. I did not read deeply nor did I think about it before writing.

I used to csrry a Buck 110 as my working EDC. I used them heavily and abusively in working on drilling rigs in West Texas, The Gulf "(of America") and the Middle East. I wore the blades down cutting open bags of drilling fluid chemicals. I wrecked the handle assemblys with twisting and prying . . .snapped a few blade tips that way. They are only held together with straight brass pins and losten up really easily.

At that time in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the workman's options were Buck and Schrade, so thats what I used. Today there must be a plethora of affordable options. I would try about anything else first.

Esthetically, I don't really like the mini Bowe clipped point.

Retired since 2003, my urban EDC is a multitool.
 
I guess the answer to this question is what does "best for the money" actually mean. Personally I own (3) 110s and (2) 112s I like the look and feel of them. I do however own a gerber FS2 and I like the for form factor a bit better. Both were about the same price back in the day, now the FS2 is generally gonna cost more. To best for the money for user is different that best for the money enthusiast knives. All said I was carrying a 110 most days till bought a Hogue Deka Magnacut and put OG scales on it. Made me think maybe a 110 in magnacut is the way to go, but more $$$.
 
VorpelSword said:
Sorry. I did not read deeply nor did I think about it before writing.

I used to csrry a Buck 110 as my working EDC. I used them heavily and abusively in working on drilling rigs in West Texas, The Gulf "(of America") and the Middle East. I wore the blades down cutting open bags of drilling fluid chemicals. I wrecked the handle assemblys with twisting and prying . . .snapped a few blade tips that way. They are only held together with straight brass pins and losten up really easily.

At that time in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the workman's options were Buck and Schrade, so thats what I used. Today there must be a plethora of affordable options. I would try about anything else first.

Esthetically, I don't really like the mini Bowe clipped point.

Retired since 2003, my urban EDC is a multitool.
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It’s all good , brother. Clearly , the 110 has some stiff competition these days. Modern technology and all that. I still have a bit of a soft spot for the 110. I probably wouldn’t carry it often (if at all) but I’d own one just out of respect since it’s pretty much the “grandfather” of modern folders.

Others have mentions Cold Steel , Ontario and Spyderco as having better options for a similar price and (in my opinion) they’re right. But still like the 110 for what it is.
 
Old Biker said:
I'm glad you like it, because the looks of those knives is almost enough to make me puke. 🤮

O.B.
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Well , I certainly didn’t mean to make you upset. Next time I post pics , I’ll be sure to make them less stomach-turning so the more delicate people like you don’t have any nausea issues. Feel better 😃
 
BP_ said:
For a lighter option, I am a big fan of the aluminum frame 110’s
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Yes, that’s one of the many reasons I like the regular sized 110 is because of the handle thickness and the aluminum makes it lite but strong. The 110 sport pro is a dandy and I don’t need a sheath. I did have a 110 slim pro and it was a great knife for carry and plenty stout but the slim handle was not for me. My fingers would cramp up after 5 minutes cutting hay bale strings so I gave it to my son. The same for all the 110 want to be’s like crk, cold steel and others. They are just to slim for heavy duty work. I’ll leave them for the kids and light weights. 😆
 
jbib said:
Help me out in comparing the two steels. Is this a case of one holding an edge better or is it more complicated? Is one steel simply harder (or whatever) and able to cut through things that the other can't?
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Magnacut is kind of an elevated jack of all trades knife steel. Often when picking a steel, you're choosing something at the expense of another. For example edge retention at the expense of toughness. Or toughness at the expense of corrosion resistance. Magnacut hold's it's edge longer, has amazing corrosion resistance and great toughness.

knifesteelnerds.com

CPM MagnaCut - The Next Breakthrough in Knife Steel - Knife Steel Nerds

CPM MagnaCut is a new stainless knife steel designed to be better than anything that has been available before. Is it a success?
knifesteelnerds.com knifesteelnerds.com

This is a great read if you want a deep dive into the material properties of the steel. If you just want to compare performance you can just scroll down and look at the graphs.
 
Stuck on an offshore rig for a month when the drilling was paused for maintenance or something else, I had a lot of time on my hands amd no work-related demands.

So I decided to do some custom modifications to my 110. Managed to disassemble it by pushing out the brass pins and grinding off the head of the steel pivot pin. Removed the "Rosewood" scales from the brass frame without bending the brass. Replaced the stock Rosewood with some other tropical hardwood cut from a shipping crate from Indonesia. Glued them in with some two part magic goo used for permanently sealing production casing threads. Profiled the proud standing slabs to the brass bolsters, but left a palm filling bulge in the middle.

Dunno what happened to that knife . . .its been forty years or so.
 
Lesknife said:
Yes, that’s one of the many reasons I like the regular sized 110 is because of the handle thickness and the aluminum makes it lite but strong. The 110 sport pro is a dandy and I don’t need a sheath. I did have a 110 slim pro and it was a great knife for carry and plenty stout but the slim handle was not for me. My fingers would cramp up after 5 minutes cutting hay bale strings so I gave it to my son. The same for all the 110 want to be’s like crk, cold steel and others. They are just to slim for heavy duty work. I’ll leave them for the kids and light weights. 😆
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I agree the thicker handles and lighter weight are a great combination. I also have a 110 sport and enjoy it a lot as well. These knives are as comfortable in my hand as any other tool I use. I do also like a 110 for heavier work. The GEC is usually a stockman pattern for light to moderate work, and I always have a 70’s Case trapper for when it’s needed. One of only a couple modern folders I own is a CRK, and I do like it as much as all my other knives. It’ll do hard work because it was designed to, but I’ll have to say (and this is purely opinion, no data or fact to back it up, only gut feeling and personal experience) I still trust a 110 at the end of the day. Just a more stout knife overall, and it’ll take anything you can throw at it.
 
155440 said:
Magnacut is kind of an elevated jack of all trades knife steel. Often when picking a steel, you're choosing something at the expense of another. For example edge retention at the expense of toughness. Or toughness at the expense of corrosion resistance. Magnacut hold's it's edge longer, has amazing corrosion resistance and great toughness.

knifesteelnerds.com

CPM MagnaCut - The Next Breakthrough in Knife Steel - Knife Steel Nerds

CPM MagnaCut is a new stainless knife steel designed to be better than anything that has been available before. Is it a success?
knifesteelnerds.com knifesteelnerds.com

This is a great read if you want a deep dive into the material properties of the steel. If you just want to compare performance you can just scroll down and look at the graphs.
Click to expand...
Thank you for taking the time for a comprehensive reply!
 
The Buck 110, is a bonafide "classic" in every sense of the word. I own a 'three-dot' that's over forty years old. Quite iconic, for a folder, now considered anachronistic, and at an evolutionary dead-end. So many other, better options, under other brands (Cold Steel, Spyderco, Benchmade, and ZT) though. During its heyday, the 110, was 'the knife'. Even the "Dukes of Hazzard" carried them! Folders have now evolved to the next-level, status: stronger, bigger, and more mission-specific. Tougher-steels, and locking upgrades. If your happy toting an old school knife, that works, the 110 will serve with distinction. There was a time, when; I thought the SOG Tomcat reached the pinnacle in robust folders. But Cold Steel supplanted its reign, with the XL's. So, progress happens and icons become legends.
 
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