Imitation (of the Buck 110) is Flattery!

Mike Kerins said:
TLC,
I just checked out the Camillus website and the Craftsman lockback is identical to the Camillus small lockback. The one thing that has me confused is Camillus is offering theirs in the upper 30's and Craftsman is selling theirs for 16.95.
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I'm not sure which one you mean, the Craftsman/Camillus I am talking about is the same size (actually just a hair larger) than a Buck 110 and normally sells at Sears for $24.95. I can't find it on the Sears website, which may mean they have stopped selling it. My local Sears clearanced out all their pocket knives a few months ago and no longer has any at all as of last week when I was there.

I did find them last weekend at a Gander Mountain store under the Camillus name, but it was the same knife. $24.95 even.
 
The Last Confederate said:
Depends, some Craftsman knives in the 80's came from Japan, some were domestic. I have a really nice Craftsman Stockman with bone handles from the 80's that is stamped "Seki, Japan" it has 440C.
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I have a couple (a medium stockman and a 110-alike) with smoothe bone and stag (respectively) that were imported by Parker/Eagle Cutlery, then sold as Craftsman through the catalog. I had another smooth bone stockman (also Parker) that was a lot nicer, but I ruined it and it was replaced by Sears with the stockman mentioned above.
 
I think mine's from the same, I once found an identical one at a knife show only it was stamped Parker, even had the same Eagle on the main blade.

It's one of my favorite stockman to tell you the truth, great user.
 
The Last Confederate - Every so often I discover that I am wrong. The only Craftsman knives at my local Sears are the Stockman and Penknife slipjoints, and a small lockback that's about the size of a Buck Squire, but that isn't as nicely finished. Now I'm wishing that I'd picked-up one of those Craftsman Buck 110 knock-offs, five weeks ago.

One thing that I did stumble into at my local Sears was a large variety of SwissGear sleeping bags and tents, marked-down in price. I'm thinking of going back to buy a couple of them. ;)

Rhino - Sorry for my contributing to "topic shift/drift" in a thread that you started.

GeoThorn
 
geothorn said:
Rhino - Sorry for my contributing to "topic shift/drift" in a thread that you started.
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No need to apologize! Online conversations are living documents and oftne the most interesting will deviate significantly from the origin. This topic is going pretty well, and every once in while we can pepper it with comments about imitation 110s and why Bucks are better! :D
 
The Last Confederate said:
I think mine's from the same, I once found an identical one at a knife show only it was stamped Parker, even had the same Eagle on the main blade.

It's one of my favorite stockman to tell you the truth, great user.
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We may have to start another topic in another forum for some pictures!
 
I gotta keep my eye out for a Craftsman clone for sure, and on the topic of Buck 110 clones, I saw a new one at Wal-mart tonight, comes in a set of 3 "Remington" China made knives. For $20.00 dollars you get.

A Serpentine Stockman (Case 18 pattern clone)
A Large Trapper (Case 54 pattern clone)
A Buck 110 clone

All three had sorta nice looking rosewood scales with a nice "R" shield.

Didn't bite, but if they have any sets after XMASS I might just to see if they are any good.

Fit and Finish as observed through the blister pack seemed OK.
 
I found my old Western lightweight 110 copy last night. It was nicer than I remembered!
 
I had forgotten that I had this but last night I found my old Puma 230270 which at first glance looks like a 110. The blade and the handle are both the same length as the 110 but there are so many differences I don’t think this one really qualifies as a copy of the Buck knife.
The handle is a little bit skinnier through the middle. The bolsters and the liners are stainless steal and integrated into each other, that is to say that the front bolsters and the front liner are all one piece. The scales are checkered black ABS with a Puma badge on the front side. The scales are slightly raised proud of the bolsters. The rivets and axel pin are not flush with the bolsters. They are raised up and hand peened to hold them in place. The back spring is not flush with the bottom of the handle. It is recessed which leaves a trough in the bottom of the handle. There is a lanyard hole. The spacer that is between the two rear bolsters on a 110 is integrated into the back bolster/liner assembly. This single piece would be four pieces on a 110, two bolsters, liner & spacer.
The blade is very similar to the 110 in over all shape. The chole is identical to a four dot that I have. The edge has a little more belly than a 110. The nail nik is long and rectangular. It is parallel to the back of the blade.
The action is like budda. This is a really nice knife. I don’t know why I don’t carry it. I have had it for years and as I recall it cost about the same as a Buck from the Custom Shop. This knife is no longer in Puma’s catalog but it’s three little brothers are.
 
Do you happen to know what kind of steel Puma uses?

Do they grind the edges really thin like Buck?
 
I don’t know what kind of steal they use but there is a little dimple in the blade where it was Rockwell tested and the blade grind is thin like a Buck. It’s a really nice knife all and all.
 
I was just looking at some prices on the pumas only site ... whew! SPENDY!
 
I had Kershaw that was not a copy but was along the same lines as a 110/112. It was called "Black Gulch." It was pretty nice, but not as nice as a Buck, and it cost just as much as a Buck. The model that's 110 size is called "Wildcat Ridge."

http://www.knivesplus.com/KE-3120-Kershaw.HTML

Geothorn -- I know of a close by Sears Hardware that may have the 110 clones. Next time I go there I'll let you know.
 
Somewhere around here you'll find a post or two where I opine about my days growing up with an LB7 on my belt or in my back pocket. Loved that knife. Still do think they're solid knives. But what REALLY makes the 110 tops, IMHO, is the edge geometry and fit and finish. And at the prices they're going for new, I just can't imagine anyone who's hankering to carry around a workhorse folder NOT going for the real deal instead of some knockoff.

FULL DISCLOSURE TIME: I do not own a Buck 110 (I'm a 55 guy, and am waiting for a custom shop 112) and have not even carried my LB7 in years. I just don't like carrying around such a huge, heavy hunk of cutlery. Maybe when the kids are older and we can get them out in the woods camping and such, I'll go back to a big dog knife ...... hopefully a custom shop 112! Have I made it clear that I'd love to be able to buy a custom shop 112!? :p
 
KeithAM said:
Geothorn -- I know of a close by Sears Hardware that may have the 110 clones. Next time I go there I'll let you know.
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Thanks, KeithAM! If the Sears near you isn't too far out of your way, that'd be a terrific thing for you to do! If nothing else, you might discover that the Craftsman 110 knock-off is headed for extinction!

GeoThorn
 
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