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

Status
Not open for further replies.
To answer the question, you would have to define "better." The aesthetics and ergonomics of the 110 (and the 112) suit me and I prefer to buy American made, when I can. Other options for $65 are usually plastic or G-10 handled knives made in the far East. Decide for yourself which is better for you. I would ask instead, is the 110 still relevant today? For me, the answer is yes. For years I searched for the ultimate modern folder and now I carry a 112 to work, just like I did before I decided I needed something better. For a reasonable price, I get a capable tool that is domestically produced and is covered by a bullet proof warranty. I'm not going to try to convince anyone that they should trade their Cold Steel for an old-school Buck, but if you have a 110 lying about, you should try using it for a bit. Take it to work or on a camping trip, use it to prepare a meal. Put it in your hand for a while and you might see why it's been around for so long.
12DDqbql.jpg
 
J. Doyle said:
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.
Click to expand...

If a given lock design has a better strength to weight ratio and handles wear and tear better with essentially the same ergonomics, it's a better lock. You don't need to be trying to stand on it or chop a titanium cow carcass in half to get a benefit from that. I'm by no means a cold steel fanboy, but there are tri-ad lock knives under $30 and under 3 oz... which definitely beats the buck 110 for everyday usability for the money.
 
kod said:
If a given lock design has a better strength to weight ratio and handles wear and tear better with essentially the same ergonomics, it's a better lock. You don't need to be trying to stand on it or chop a titanium cow carcass in half to get a benefit from that. I'm by no means a cold steel fanboy, but there are tri-ad lock knives under $30 and under 3 oz... which definitely beats the buck 110 for everyday usability for the money.
Click to expand...
And where are these sub $30 knives made?
 
Does Buck make a 110-like knife with a different blade profile?

The original 110 "Hunter" came out in the early 1970s and the Bowe style clip point was practically a standard blade profile for most knives a that time. Back then, the Bob Loveless drop point hunter was viewed as cutting edge or even revolutionary for a deer knife. Back then, the Buck 110 was also looked on as a sort of break through, sometimes called a folding fixed blade.

Time flies. What is not experienced is easily forgotten.
 
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.
Click to expand...

Umm . . .somewhere in this thread I wrote about my experience with Buck 110s working on oil rigs. I was a "mud man" charged with managing the drilling fluid used to cool the bit as it ground up the rock down hole and to carry the cuttings back to the surface. In doing my work, I ofen had to cut open many 100 pound bags of harsh chemical powder. Harsh in terms of corrosion and harsh in terms of mechanical abrasion. The bags themselves were multi layered plies of tough fiber and plastics.

While these knives never failed at the pivot. they quickly wore out in every other way. Primarily the blade would erode into a butter knife blunt recurve, but the handles would work loose as the bolster's brass pins loosened. Abrasion and pitting of all parts occurred as well on both the brass and stainless. I managed to snap off a blade tip or two as well.

I freely admit that this is the heaviest usage I have ever done with a knife. I recognize that this lies well outside what many (any) knife is expected to deal with. This use may more properly described as abuse. However, I feel that this experience exposes the weak points in materials, design and construction for these knives. For most of this work, I used a shaped and sharpened piece of scrapped spring steel that I had worked into a knife shape with a welder's angle grinder. But often, the job has to be done "right now" and expediency rules.
 
Last edited:
I have several 110's and love them, they cut well and the nostalgia for them is off the charts. Yes, there are other comparable knives, but the 110 is still as good as ever.

When my nephew graduated from HS twenty or so years ago, I got him a 110. He was less than enthused, really liking the "tacticool" knives. I told him to hang on to it, every man should have one, and as he lost interest in the "tacticools" and started hunting, he ranted and raved about how good the blade profile on the 110 was for field dressing deer. Almost like it was designed for it, lol.... I then got him a Cabelas version in S30V and it's definitely in his rotation when he hunts.

Interestingly enough, one of my favorite fixed blades that really works well, I compared the blade to a 110. Wouldn't you know, they're almost identical. I'm not suggesting a rip-off by any means, it just seems like if you know what makes a knife work well, the time proven designs occur over and over.
 
VorpelSword said:
Does Buck make a 110-like knife with a different blade profile?

The original 110 "Hunter" came out in the early 1970s and the Bowe style clip point was practically a standard blade profile for most knives a that time. Back then, the Bob Loveless drop point hunter was viewed as cutting edge or even revolutionary for a deer knife. Back then, the Buck 110 was also looked on as a sort of break through, sometimes called a folding fixed blade.

Time flies. What is not experienced is easily forgotten.
Click to expand...
I bought these drop points a few years ago, they were special factory orders from a Buck dealer.

buck_110_112.jpg
 
I know I’m mostly preaching to the choir here, but I’ve used a Buck 110 for decades. I’ve bought a number of them since that original, which I handed down to my son. I’ve never had any fail. But then I’ve only ever used them for their intended purpose (well unless you consider pumpkin carving outside of it’s intended purpose :-) ). When I need an axe, I’ve used an axe…a pry bar, I get a pry bar. I’ve used them as hunting, fishing, and on casual, controlled camping trips, and never had one loosen up, fall apart, or break a lock or pivot…and so I remain a big fan of this classic even with its weight, low end steel, “old fashioned” design, and think it’s hard to beat for the money, if it’s the type of knife you are looking for.
 
Last edited:
VorpelSword said:
Umm . . .somewhere in this thread I wrote about my experience with Buck 110s working on oil rigs. I was a "mud man" charged with managing the drilling fluid used to cool the bit as it ground up the rock down hole and to carry the cuttings back to the surface. In doing my work, I ofen had to cut open many 100 pound bags of harsh chemical powder. Harsh in terms of corrosion and harsh in terms of mechanical abrasion. The bags themselves were multi layered plies of tough fiber and plastics.

While these knives never failed at the pivot. they quickly wore out in every other way. Primarily the blade would erode into a butter knife blunt recurve, but the handles would work loose as the bolster's brass pins loosened. Abrasion and pitting of all parts occurred as well on both the brass and stainless. I managed to snap off a blade tip or two as well.

I freely admit that this is the heaviest usage I have ever done with a knife. I recognize that this lies well outside what many (any) knife is expected to deal with. This use may more properly described as abuse. However, I feel that this experience exposes the weak points in materials, design and construction for these knives. For most of this work, I used a shaped and sharpened piece of scrapped spring steel that I had worked into a knife shape with a welder's angle grinder. But often, the job has to be done "right now" and expediency rules.
Click to expand...
Sounds like lack of proper maintenance to me, not an issue of the knife not being up to par.

A stronger lock and pivot would do you no better.
 
Wolverine666 said:
How often do you guys have to touch up the brass to keep it from tarnishing?
Click to expand...
If you get one with nickel silver bolsters, they don't really tarnish too much.

But the standard brass does tarnish, I use a sunshine cloth to remove the tarnish and a coat of Rennaissance Wax. It slows the tarnishing down for a month or two.
You can also just let the brass patina and coat with wax once in a while.
 
Wolverine666 said:
As an edc , what (if anything) beats a Buck 110 when you consider everything from materials to fit and finish to lock mechanism? Seems like alot of knife for $65 (the original 110 with 420HC , brass and ebony wood). I had one back in the late 80’s as a teen. Just deciding if I should pick up a new one or if I should be looking at something else in that price range.
Click to expand...

It depends on what you want. The 110/112 check a lot of boxes. Sturdy, classic, cut well. American made, for those that factor that in.

IMO, the default steel sucks. I know everyone says that Buck's heat treatment makes it good, but that's just not my experience.

I have a 110, two 112s, and a 422 (like the 112, but with finger grooves). I carry them and like them. But a properly filtered search on any big knife retail website would reveal a ton of knives at that price point with steel that hasn't been outdated for 35 years.
 
J. Doyle said:
Sounds like lack of proper maintenance to me, not an issue of the knife not being up to par.

A stronger lock and pivot would do you no better.
Click to expand...
As I said: I never had a Buck 110 fail at the pivot or lock up. Neither pivot or lock up were ever a problem.

Lack of maintenance? As in wiping with Q-Tips and Lubriplate grease?

When the bolsters loosened up and the blade wobbled, I put it into a bench vise to retighten it up then tried to pean the pins . . . which doesn't work for long.

that sort of maintenance would get me to the next rig in West Texas, and served till I could get to the next ACE Hardware . . .but offshore I had to deal with it till crew change . . .whenever that happened.
 
Zephyr One/Zero said:
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.
Click to expand...
I particularly enjoy discussions like this one. Comments like the above and others add to my general knowledge.
 
Inappropriate language
GPyro said:
There's more to a knife than just the lock.
Click to expand...

Yeah, like the steel, blade geometry, handle ergonomics, weight, and cost. All of which there are better options than the buck 110.

Even if the subtext of this thread is actually "for the money do you think anything beats the buck 110, but any lock design better than a lockback is ridiculous, and you can't tell the difference with any steel better than 420hc, and murica fuck yeah"... the answer is still a spitfire or a slim select as others have pointed out.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top