Nitride & Ion Fusion Coated Buck Knives?

J

JD Spydo

Joined
Nov 20, 2004
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AS the title would indicate I want to know more about that series of BUCK knives. It was mainly the model 110 and the fixed blade model 119 that I seen BUCK use that Technology on. It kind of baffles me as to why those knives never went over big. I was always intrigued with them but I am the type of guy who likes to see new technologies on knives.

I guess a lot of purists just couldn't understand the concept of sharpening on one side :confused: I actually thought that it was a big step forward for the BUCK company. It didn't take me long at all to learn the sharpening technique. That one of mine gets sharper than a witches tongue. The one I have says the following on the end of the box >> "110 Champagne, B110-CH-0, Cat. # 2936.

I told you guys on the other thread I did that there was a backward "C" after the Nitride coated model 110 that I own, but I was wrong. It is the backward bracket instead "]". The box says "EDGE 2000". The bar code sticker number on the box is 377828. I am pretty sure this knife is newer than a 1996 model.

2 questions: Why did this "ION FUSION" technology not go over on the sales charts? Also just how collectible are these Nitride Coated BUCK knives?
 
Hi JDS...
The 110 I have is catalog #2501 and the rest of label can be seen on page 2 of the link in my signature. It says "champ" on it, so I presume that means "Champangne" as mine is golden in color.

I have two. One NIB and the other I have been (ab)using for two weeks now. Both of mine are 1996 model. Yours sounds like a 2000. The one I am using is reported on in this meandering thread:

http://bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=447702



Joe Houser (Buck) writes a bit about it in that thread.
I have heard that the first ones were pretty thin at the edge and would roll. The newer ones had the edge profile changed to address that problem. But the damage to public perception may have already been done. Too little, too late.

I think they are very collectable...but some peeps like to collect Spam cans too. To each his own.

Gonna be on the lookout for at least one mint 119 Buckcote.
 
JD Spydo said:
Why did this "ION FUSION" technology not go over on the sales charts?
Click to expand...

The buying public is weird. They also shunned the Buck Odyssey which was arguably equal to or better than any Spyderco of the day, especially the Odyssey in ATS 34. (Not knocking Spyderco)
 
I rolled the edge on my Vanguard, but I did it during a toughness test, not during actual use. I was trying to evaluate blade designs and materials for all around hunting use and I wanted to see how well edges would hold up to cutting through bone. I took two premium Vanguards, one with Ion Fusion coating and one with a BG42 blade (a Master Series) and I chopped notches into the side of beef rib bones with them. The coated blade edge rolled over in the impact zone, the BG42 blade showed no sign of wear at all. I didn't think that the problem with the coated blade was the thinness of the edge. The problem was that the edge was ground very asymmetrically. The coated side was almost flat while the bare metal honed strip was ground something like 25 degrees. The way that the edge rolled was over towards the flat side where it was not as well supported as on the bevel side. This a problem that is common to single-beveled blades more that to thinly beveled blades.

I think that the optimum fix is to use a stronger alloy under the coating. If the blade had the coating on top of BG42 it would have held up better. Now that would be an extremely expensive blade and you wonder if there is a practical advantage over a pure BG42 blade. I would still have been interested in the ultimate dirty-hide skinner that lasts all week.

I resharpened the edge and took out most of the ding. I loaned it to my son to take elk hunting. He thought that he had put the remnant ding in the edge and tried to resharpen the edge at a friends house. It totally frustrated them since they didn't have a diamond hone and they didn't understand the coating. I think that the technology may be a little too complicated for some people.
 
See? You know a helluva lot ;)

Do you know the years of each?

My Buckcote box says "Champ" and if I look at that one, it looks gold...but the one I have been using is a diff shade of gold yet has the same tang stamp (1996).

(And, BTW, I have the correct sheath in the box
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)
 
I think I have seen those Z2 puppies. It is a diff color indeed.
So, I'm guessing that both of these 110 Buckcotes I have are the champagne Z4.
Thanks B110 for the data.

(and I was beating my big head wondering what the "MMI" on the box meant...thanks again)

125333296-M.jpg
 
wh4f said:
How the H*ll do you come across all this info! Thank you! Now I know which ones are going to be users ;)
Click to expand...

B110 is the "Rain Man" of Bucks
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Or is he the "Cliff Clavin"?
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Or, the high end gun dude?
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Whichever, I'm glad he's here
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Buck_110 said:
There are actually three types of BuckCote(titanium nitride) that were used.

Z5 debuted first. The Z5 coating is titanium aluminum nitride. This is the grayish-clear coating. This tested second hardest on the Rockwell scale.

Z2 debuted second. The Z2 coating is titanium nitride. This is the gold coating. This tested third hardest on the Rockwell scale.

Z4 debuted last. The Z4 coating is titanium zirconium nitride. This is the champagne coating. This tested hardest of the three on the Rockwell scale. The Z4 was later re-named ion fusion; and is the only one to carry the ion fusion name. Z4 is also the only of the three to sport an E2K edge. This is due to the fact that Z5 and Z2 were no longer being used by 1999.

Blades were coated by a company named "MMI;" hence the label on the box. BuckCote 110s came with a sheath embossed with "BuckCote" on the flap. The included paperwork also has "BuckCote" on it as well; at the top.
Click to expand...

B110 (or anyone else)...
Received a 119 Buckcote. Don't know the diff between "gold" and "champagne", Am thinking it is the Z4 though.

Here's the area I'd like some opinions or facts on...
It has never been sharpened. And, looks like it has never been used when I look at it under a glass.
Tang stamped as a 1996 119.
The warranty paperwork has the El Cajon address on it.
BUT, the sheath is a cordura snoopy.
The box is labeled "C119-Z01"

What's with the "Z01" and was Buck doing cordura back in 1996?

Thanks...
 
Buckaholic said:
B110 is the "Rain Man" of Bucks
Or is he the "Cliff Clavin"?
Or, the high end gun dude?
Whichever, I'm glad he's here
Click to expand...

ME ALSO! ;)
read all the paperwork from buck dat came wit da knife?! :eek:
wow~ who'ed ever thunk ta do that ? :confused:
gee~ i mighta coulda got outa HS bfore i could buy beer doing that! :grumpy:
 
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