Spyderco's Answer To The Buck Model 110?

J

JD Spydo

Joined
Nov 20, 2004
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First of all don't let the title of this thread throw you a curve ball or a knuckle ball either for that matter :D Because I truly have the utmost respect for both knife companys and have been a fan of both brands of knives for a long time. My days with Buck's model 110 go all the way back to when I was a teenager in the 70s. Because when I was in high school every red-blooded American male wanted a Buck model 110 with a belt sheath>> and they weren't cheap either. But few quality knives are for that matter.

BUCK's model 110 is truly a high standard bearer of the industry and I don't think many will argue with that. However in recent times Spyderco has made it's mark on the knife market and there is one model of Spyderco's that I myself deem to be as iconic as BUCK's model 110>> I proclaim the C-36 Military model as being Spyderco's profound answer to BUCK's model 110 :cool: And I say that with a ton of respect for both companys.

Now I know there are some Spyderheads here on Bladeforums that are probably cursing my name at this point :D So if that's the case and if you do disagree with me then please tell us what you think Spyderco's answer to the iconic BUCK Model 110 is. Truthfully I think the C-36 Military shares many great aspects of the BUCK model 110>> I also believe that both models have virtually identical target market groups as well. So if you disagree then what would be your favorite Spyder that you would deem to be Spyderco's answer to the BUCK model 110?
 
I love Spyderco knives, but there's absolutely nothing in their lineup with the heritage or iconic status of the Buck 110. Not a knock on them, as I think the only other knife that can beat it in that regard is the a generic Swiss Army style knife, but the 110 is such an instrinsic piece of Americana that it's just hard to compare.

As for a knife that echoes the philosophy of the 110 I have to give the nod to the Endura. Both are designed to be simple, solid, hardworking knives that are readily available and affordable to the blue collar non-knife guy.
 
Mmm.

I'd probably say the Delica as the most direct comparison to the 110- Both are economical, practical and long lived.
 
Delica? & Endura?!!!! Interesting to say the least but interesting from a standpoint I don't completely understand :confused: Because just from a hardware standpoint I myself just don't see the comparison. Now from a name recognition and popularity of the products I guess I can kind of see how you all arrived at your decisions.

But from a knife that has stood the test of time and has a reputation of being a great outdoor knife as the BUCK model 110 certainly has I would still have to go with the C-36 Military model because I would much rather use a MILI to skin a deer with than I would a Delica or Endura. OH would I like to even have a dime for every deer that has been skinned with a BUCK model 110 :eek: I could probably loaf for a couple of centuries to say the least.

But I still maintain that Spyderco's C-36 Military stacks up with the BUCK model 110 far better than either one of those models would. Oh don't get me wrong I've owned both the Delica and Endura models both but neither one remind me much of a BUCK 110 at all>> No I'll stick to the C-36 Military

But again I do find your selections interesting to say the least.
 
I'd probably have to go with the Delica too. For reasons that others have already mentioned plus it's iconic to the brand and I think it sums up the brand's ideology in one simple knife.
 
two completely different knifes! tactical vs common folder,i grew up using a buck 110,in those days because that all they had!its still sitting around hear someplace but i never use it,in fact i never use any folder that requires me to use my fingernail to open the blade,i think the spyderco hole is going to outlive the 110!but time will tell,ho and they offer better steel these days and that's a real big plus.
 
Buck 110...



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Endura or Delica, easily the first thing to come to mind. Mid/back lock, pretty basic. With that being said, I've never owned a Buck of any sort, nor do I have a desire to do so. Too big, too heavy, no clip, no hole, no thanks.
 
Endura/Delica here as well for Spyderco's 110/112 . I have always seen the 110/112 as an every-man's quality knife, often on the belts of men back in the 80s when I grew up. As awesome as the Military is, I just don't see non-afis purchasing or using them.
Also I think you were asking what we think is Spyderco's version of the 110, not what we want Spyderco's version of the 110 to be. If the later, then sure the Military will work as the flagship Spyderco.
 
No offense to Buck, but what makes Spyderco great is not one knife. It's their innovation and their willingness to think outside the box. That is why Spyderco has the reputation they have and Buck has a 40 year old design as it's mainstay. To me, Buck is just a hair above Gerber these days and the 110 may be iconic, but it's not a great design compared to what a modern folder offers theses days. If I had to pick one iconic thing about Spyderco comparable to the 110, it'd be simply the clip or the opening hole.
 
nccole said:
No offense to Buck, but what makes Spyderco great is not one knife. It's their innovation and their willingness to think outside the box. That is why Spyderco has the reputation they have and Buck has a 40 year old design as it's mainstay. To me, Buck is just a hair above Gerber these days and the 110 may be iconic, but it's not a great design compared to what a modern folder offers theses days. If I had to pick one iconic thing about Spyderco comparable to the 110, it'd be simply the clip or the opening hole.
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I don't entirely disagree. The 830 Marksman is a fantastic example of what Buck is capable of, but I frankly think they've had more than a little brand identity crisis over the last decade or more. I actually think their offerings at SHOT were a step in the right direction, as they were a cohesive move towards the outdoor, hunting, fishing crowd, which is a sensible direction to go given their storied history. Unfortunately, that's not my scene, so there wasn't much I was interested in, but I think it helps redefine their identity and focus.
 
Endura in my mind as well. I certainly don't see the Military as Spyderco's answer to the 110. Price point, size, locking mechanism, even end-user all point to Endura, if we're trying to make a comparison, IMO.
 
pmel018 said:
JD, wasn't the Renegade an attempt at a Buck 110 type knife?
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Hey Brother!! Long Time No Hear From!! :) And you might be onto something there. Now I was just getting my Spyder feet wet about the time they released the RENEGADE and BLACKHAWK models both. Because it was in 1995 when I got my very first Spyder which was a GIN-1, SE Mariner model.

Now from all the old timers I encountered back in the 90s they all told me that the RENEGADE and BLACKHAWK models were aimed at the Motorcycle enthusiast crowd. And I was told that by many knife dealers as well. That's not a bad selection to compare with the BUCK 110. And this is coming from a guy who carried/EDCed a RENEGADE model for over a year. If they would do a SPRINT RUN of the RENEGADE in one of the newer/better blade steels like M390, S90V or S110V I would pawn my truck for a couple of them in a heartbeat. I truly did love that design myself.

Also as far as I know the RENEGADE was one of Spyderco's IN HOUSE designs which is one important qualifier for Spyderco to have IMO. Again I'm kind of surprised to hear how many like the ENDURA for that matchup.
 
I agree with the Endura (as well as the Delica which compares more to the smaller Buck 112 Ranger). It was not the first model Spyderco just like the 110 was not the first model Buck. But it directly compares due to the enormous popularity that the introduction entailed.
 
DeadboxHero said:
Check out the Schemp Bowie
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I normally don't talk about other knife forums here on BF because I value my 11 year membership highly>> but in this case I do urge you to check out Spyderco.com where I have a similar thread up for discussion. One of my Brothers over there responded to my thread and he indeed put up some fantasic pics of the Schempp Bowie and voted for it to be Spyderco's answer to the BUCK 110 and I've got to admit that there are some striking similarities between the two models.

However and I don't want to kill anyone's enthusiasm but that is one of Ed Schempp's designs. A major qualifier in my opinion is for the knife to be one of Spyderco's IN HOUSE designs that they themselves did. And GOD knows the GLESSERs ( Sal & ERIC) have both done some really super designs over the years. I almost went with the C-07 POLICE model as I have had a couple of good friends suggest that one. But no I want it to be one of Spyderco's IN HOUSE designs.
 
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