new materials for 110

[lone ranger]

i cannot beleive with such a wonderfull design as the 110 ,buck has not moved into using modern materials to lighten such a great knife. titanium frame g-10 handle scales pivot bolt with washers to be able to adjust blade i know the traditionist are not for it but the 110 was my folding tactical knife in vietnam and i beleive it still can be that for a lot of slodiers if it was just made lighter oh well one can wish

 

[2manyknives]

Its funny but I had similar ideas about the 110 for a while. I love the knives but living in the tropics I usually get around in light shorts and sometimes a shirt on weekends. With no belt it's not easy to lug one around and they don't carry well in the pockets of shorts.

While thinking of how nice it would be to have a lightweight 110 I discovered that Buck was years ahead of me. I vaguely remembered those old ads in magazines for Bucklites but they had never interested me at the time (I knew very well that synthetic handled knives would never catch on). Anyway I tracked down a few 426 models on ebay and brought a mint camo handled one and a lightly used one in basic black. Well some of you might love these knives but they didn't do much for me. They were functional and they were light but if you appreciate the way a well made 110 opens and locks up, the 426 seemed sort of 'lifeless'.

The next experience was the titanium gripped 560. Once again I got an unused one off ebay. This knife was really ahead of its time. Unfortunately I just didn't take to it. Too much blade play and the balance was all wrong for me.

Anyhow, like the poet I ended up back where I started from etc. It took me a while but I realised that the 110 was built right to begin with. It seems as though changing the composition of the 110 changes the whole "feel" of it as well.

I haven't completely gotten over it. I love the classic look of the 100 series fixed blades. That black and silver looks great and they are not heavy knives for their size. I would like to see a 110 with black phenolic scales and stainless or polished alloy bolsters. I don't know enough about metal to know if alloy liners would work but ideas don't have to be that practical do they?

 

[Stainz]

Some grooved canvas Micarta scales, a thumb stud, a hardened plexiglass/safety glass puncher on the back bolster, some 154CM steel for the blade - partially serrated - we'll dress that 110 puppy up properly! Of course, keep mine as the base units... that's all I want! Maybe some more 'normal' custom variants.

Stainz

 

[Rocinante]

i cannot beleive with such a wonderfull design as the 110 ,buck has not moved into using modern materials to lighten such a great knife. titanium frame g-10 handle scales pivot bolt with washers to be able to adjust blade i know the traditionist are not for it but the 110 was my folding tactical knife in vietnam and i beleive it still can be that for a lot of slodiers if it was just made lighter oh well one can wish

Roc says:

If it worked for you in Vietnam it will work for anybody anywhere.

And.....adjust the blade? The last thing we want is a blade that has to be adjusted.

What we need are bullet-proof knives that NEVER need tinkering.

The reason they won't dink around with the 110 is that it is not only perfect, it is a bread and butter product.

It's suicide to come out with an "improved" model of your bread and butter product because it could cause people to think your bread and butter product was becoming obsolete......and suddenly you are without the butter.....or bread......or both.

 

[DaveH]

This thread topic came up a year or so ago. IMO the answer why they don't or haven't is simple: 1) Buck knife audience is traditional not modern tactical 2) Any of those changes would up the price, putting the knife under additional market pressure from existing knives with more modern features.

 

[lone ranger]

why not offer both modern and traditional?

 

[tholiver]

how about going in the other direction (i.e even more traditional) offering a variety of carbon steels for the 110? Or at least offer them in the custom shop version.

 

[Rocinante]

why not offer both modern and traditional?

Roc says:

The reason they won't dink around with the 110 is that it is not only perfect, it is a bread and butter product.

It's suicide to come out with an "improved" model of your bread and butter product because it could cause people to think your bread and butter product was becoming obsolete......and suddenly you are without the butter.....or bread......or both.

There are already a host of modernistic Buck knives out there anyway.

Now, offering more steels and other selections in the Custom Shoppe.....that would be good.

 

[Juggler2]

Personally, I like the heft of the 110 the way it is. And I think the idea of retro "steels" is a great idea! Not likely to happen, but a great idea!

 

[tholiver]

Yeah to me a carbon steel blade just seem to go naturally with brass and wood.
So what kinds of carbon steel would people want for the 110 blades?
I am not a carbon steel expert but i like good old 1095.
Lets hear from the all the carbon steel users and gurus!

 

[jb4570]

Yeah to me a carbon steel blade just seem to go naturally with brass and wood.
So what kinds of carbon steel would people want for the 110 blades?
I am not a carbon steel expert but i like good old 1095.
Lets hear from the all the carbon steel users and gurus!

IMHO carbon steel blades on a 110 or any other Buck knife will never happen. Buck has a forever warranty and that does not go well with carbon steel and thats all there is to it!!! I also think that the current steel offering's are quite fine....But, what do I know .

jb4570

 

[RAZORBLADES]

I dunno,my grampas pocket knives all had carbon blades,some dated back as far as 1898,and they held up,for carbon steel i would like to see 52100 for a 110 with REAL SOLID WALNUT SCALES.

 

[Magnum22]

i was just thinkin the opposite. it is so awesome that this knife, optimized for real world chores long ago, remains unchanged and refreshing next to the prybar model of the day. as for the modern buck, they had one with a rubber grip, there are currently plenty of modern models in the lineup, and spyderco already exists.

110 rocks, just the way it is.

 

[tacticaloperator]

Just a week ago received my first Buck: Ti 560 finger grooved handles with the blade marked "Buck 110". Light, strong, a modern classic or in other words: the best of both worlds.

 

[tholiver]

IMHO carbon steel blades on a 110 or any other Buck knife will never happen. Buck has a forever warranty and that does not go well with carbon steel and thats all there is to it!!! I also think that the current steel offering's are quite fine....But, what do I know .

jb4570

Hmmm don't they offer a damascus blade in the 110 custom shop?
I always thought damascus was carbon steel. lol.

Hmmm or is the Buck Damascus a type of stainless thats meant to look like damascus?

 

[Mike Kerins]

It's suicide to come out with an "improved" model of your bread and butter product because it could cause people to think your bread and butter product was becoming obsolete......and suddenly you are without the butter.....or bread......or both.

This is absolutely true! Just ask Coke how well it worked for them when they decided to tinker with the Coke formula.

 

[A.P.F.]

This is absolutely true! Just ask Coke how well it worked for them when they decided to tinker with the Coke formula.

Good point, Mike, Coke is still living it down.

 

[mnblade]

the 110 was my folding tactical knife in vietnam and i beleive it still can be that for a lot of slodiers if it was just made lighter

Given the multi tools available today that didn't exist during the Vietnam War, I would think 99.9 out of 100 soldiers today would choose a full-size multi to go on their belt over a 110 no matter the weight.

 

[lone ranger]

i would have both

 

[555]

I would buy a High Tech 110 also. And still own the classics.