June 2023 Buck Of The Month BOTM - The 55 - Ironwood, 154 CM, Pewter Medallion

pjsjr said:
Now that is funny, thanks John! Where did you find your ironwood 55?

There have been four BOTM 'The 55'
2019 April | The 55 | S30V, black Micarta handle with nickel silver bolsters | 149 available | $115
2020 February | The 55 | S30V, granadillo wood with nickel silver bolsters | 180 available | $115
2022 January | The 55 | S35VN, red canvas Micarta inlays, satin finished nickel silver frame with hidden rivets | 500 available | $125
2023 June | The 55 | 154CM clip point, ironwood inlay handle with polished nickel silver bolsters and pewter medallion | 500 available | $149.99
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Here's a visual representation of the models you mentioned, in case anyone was interested... (*Obviously, I don't have the Ironwood version yet)



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The other day I was in a thread (*I believe it was here) where folks were mentioning every small folder that Buck made, with the exception of "The 55". (*It was quite obvious to me at least) Anyhow, as the thread went on, what seemed like an oversight quickly became to look like some kind of aversion to this particular model, however minimal.

For me, therein lies the crux of The 55. I read a lot of posts about guys not really liking it. However, as we saw last night, it seems to sell-out in record time. If the numbers are correct, and my rudimentary math even somewhat accurate, it seems that Buck sold about 1.25 of the BOTM offering, every minute, for seven hours straight. In my eyes, those numbers speak pretty loudly.

As y'all can see, I'm in the "fan" camp. "The 55" is my favorite small/classic Buck knife.
 
pjsjr said:
Now that is funny, thanks John! Where did you find your ironwood 55?

There have been four BOTM 'The 55'
2019 April | The 55 | S30V, black Micarta handle with nickel silver bolsters | 149 available | $115
2020 February | The 55 | S30V, granadillo wood with nickel silver bolsters | 180 available | $115
2022 January | The 55 | S35VN, red canvas Micarta inlays, satin finished nickel silver frame with hidden rivets | 500 available | $125
2023 June | The 55 | 154CM clip point, ironwood inlay handle with polished nickel silver bolsters and pewter medallion | 500 available | $149.99
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Preston,

This set the 111 & 55 were LEs from the 2005 catalog, I fished them out of the bay over the years. Sorry if I offended the tiny Buck knife users, I collect the little guys (I don't use them). That said IMHO, I have noticed that Buck does not do a great job with Ironwood on these little knives. What do I mean by that, they are often not finished well and have a ruff unfinished look with holes (look at the photo buck used on their site to sell this knife). For me that is not ok for a collectible $150 knife.
 
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Alone said:
Here's a visual representation of the models you mentioned, in case anyone was interested... (*Obviously, I don't have the Ironwood version yet)



View attachment 2219239



The other day I was in a thread (*I believe it was here) where folks were mentioning every small folder that Buck made, with the exception of "The 55". (*It was quite obvious to me at least) Anyhow, as the thread went on, what seemed like an oversight quickly became to look like some kind of aversion to this particular model, however minimal.

For me, therein lies the crux of The 55. I read a lot of posts about guys not really liking it. However, as we saw last night, it seems to sell-out in record time. If the numbers are correct, and my rudimentary math even somewhat accurate, it seems that Buck sold about 1.25 of the BOTM offering, every minute, for seven hours straight. In my eyes, those numbers speak pretty loudly.

As y'all can see, I'm in the "fan" camp. "The 55" is my favorite small/classic Buck knife.
Click to expand...
The top knife in your picture appears to absent of the tang etch. Did you remove it or did it come that way?
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Railsplitter said:
The top knife in your picture appears to absent of the tang etch. Did you remove it or did it come that way?
View attachment 2219438
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It's there, it's just very faint.

For a while there, I stepped-away from my "Brasso" and started using "Blue Magic" to polish my Bucks. I think Brasso is more of a chemical polish, while Blue Magic actually has some very fine abrasives. While Blue Magic is wonderful for getting the light scratches and hazing out of the bolsters, it's hell on the "etched" ricasso emblems.
 
Alone said:
As y'all can see, I'm in the "fan" camp. "The 55" is my favorite small/classic Buck knife.
Click to expand...
Alone said:
If the numbers are correct, and my rudimentary math even somewhat accurate
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Thank you for your post. Let me dig at you, all in fun!

IIRC when the 55 first came into being, Buck billed it as 'half a 110'. Thus the name 'the 55'.

The thing that gets at me is that the bolsters are not that of a 110, but a 111. So my 'rude' imentary math skills tell me it should be it should be called 'the 55.5'. ;)

Seriously, I like 'the 55' just can't support the name...

Buck has had the 500 series for many years. 'the 55' doesn't fit in with that gang.

Then I see this...
jb4570 said:
This set the 111 & 55 were LEs from the 2005 catalog
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Buck trying to cover their, well you know.
 
DeSotoSky said:
Well, it did not take long. There is one on the bay for $299 plus shipping. I just don't see how it will go for that.
Many people had pause at $150. Wish my investments did that well....:D:D:D
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I was just going to mention this as well. But the one I see is for a bargain basement $249 plus $17 shipping. I bought one for $150, but like you said, it wasn't an easy sell for me.
 
Tecate said:
I just received mine today. Nice looking knife. Adding to collection.
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That was fast! For some reason, USPS tracking from Buck is usually wonky for me. It's rarely accurate. I never have the same problems with USPS tracking other packages, and I'm a bit resigned to it now. It'll get here, I just don't know when.
 
I'm not going to talk about the speed at which my knives travel across the country to ri. It is surprisingly fast and consistent. I must be on some sort of hot route.
 
This one has just about perfect fit and finish, good grinds, and the ironwood is beautiful. Back spring is perfectly flush open and closed, and the blade is perfectly centered. There are a couple really small gaps that are only noticeable if you hold it up to the light, definitely not an issue for me. Lock up is rock solid in all directions. Although I'll admit being hesitant with the price tag, I love this little knife and I'm happy I bought it.

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pat9198 said:
This one has just about perfect fit and finish, good grinds, and the ironwood is beautiful. Back spring is perfectly flush open and closed, and the blade is perfectly centered. There are a couple really small gaps that are only noticeable if you hold it up to the light, definitely not an issue for me. Lock up is rock solid in all directions. Although I'll admit being hesitant with the price tag, I love this little knife and I'm happy I bought it.

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SCORE!! 🤝
John 👏
 
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