I received my Buck 55 from Dante's Knifeworks a few days ago and am very pleased. I've longed for a clip-point lockback in that size for a long time; I'm sure there's been such a thing available from SOMEBODY, but never in the price range I was willing to pay, nor from a manufacturer I trust. Having such a knife come from Buck, PLUS the mystique of the 110 tradition, made it icing on the cake.
My 55 hasn't seen much use yet, but my initial impressions are very positive. Mine was shaving sharp out of the box and locks up tight with no wiggle in any direction.
The new radiused bolsters are not only attractive, I would swear that they have been resisting patina more than the bolsters on my 110 and 112. That is, I polished up all three knives with Metal-Glo on the same day, and the 110 and 112 are already showing patina from light handling; the 55 has had at least as much handling and the bolsters are still very shiny (all three are kept in belt sheaths). I wonder if it's my excitement over the 55 that's making me see things, or if the new bolsters are somehow more resistant to losing their shine? Or, they could have been coated with something between the factory and me that hasn't work off yet...
Anyhow, for anyone looking for a pocket carry lockback, the 55 is a great deal as well as a worthy addition to the 110 family.
