Was There a BEST Version of the Folding Hunter?

BG42EDGE

BG42EDGE

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Some here have said they'd like to see an exact copy of the very FIRST 110 reproduced (and sold) for the 50th Anniversary of the Folding Hunter.

Myself, I'd like an exact copy of the BEST rather than the FIRST.

But which 110 actually was the best?

The FIRST VERSION was not satisfactory and it took some changes in the design before the 110 became the greatest folding knife in history.

The only question is: when did Buck hit that particular high point?

Is the current version the best of all?

Improvements (or at least they are always called that) have been coming along regularly since the beginning.

So which 110 was the best? Third Version, Seventh Variation? Fourth Version, First Variation? Was it perfected by then?

Was the Three-Dot the pinnacle of perfection?

Were interior parts and mechanical design the key changes? Was the type of steel a deciding factor?

Or was it not perfect until the bolsters were finally rounded off to make it more comfortable to carry?

Do 110 fans have preference? What WAS the absolute best version of the 110?
 
I'm no 110 buff, although I have several. The 110 I really like has to be the 3 version. I love the look of the 440C steel and th flat square bolsters. They had a little thinner design, and I dont like overly big or heavy knives. The 110 is a great knife and this was a good idea. I think over the course of years and years of consistant change and tweeking to make it better, that really appealed to people, one day isnt the thing that was loved any more. I personally dont like the 110s of the last 25 years or so. The last 110 I really liked was the 4 dot, and that started getting rounded. I understand the comfort angle and all, but an Iconic knife such as the 110 needs to stay iconic in a world of high performance, light weight folders.
 
The best version was the 186 Titan into which I dropped a Stellite 6K blade.
 
My mind works more towards plurality rather than pyramid. There is no one BEST. Look at the gamut of steels used for the blades and the different handle materials, even the different bolster materials. Not to mention the craftsmanship of the different knife artists like David Yellowhorse, WBC, Ghostown etc.

So for me there is no best, unless best refers to a family rather than a unit.
 
Good Thread.

I think that we have to consider that technology of tooling and materials has played a major part in the 110's evolutions, ( and the coming models modeled after it) along with design changes.
I think the .085 first versions were more practical to carry at 5 ounces, but perhaps not strong enough. I looks as though on that version that the spring is integral to the butt spacer and is flat. A round spring, as is now used (since the second version I believe) is more efficient. (coil versus leaf spring) leading to a better longer lockup.
I think I would prefer a 3 dot if I was only able to have one and I depended on it greatly. You also gotta love real wood as opposed to pressure traeted for beauty. The maccasar ebony was really quite nice.
 
The 3 dot also has a full hollow grind 440C blade thus cuts better and retained the blocky frame with ebony handles. Thats why its my favorite and I try to buy it every time I see one at shows. I'll grant the Master series 110 is a real eye catcher and the recent build out 110 w/ charcoal handle and ATS-34 blade is striking. Each having different features, these are a cut above. DM
 
Well, I'm just thinking in terms of stock and standard 110s, not customs or other special models, and I'm in agreement with a couple of people at least who think the Three-Dot ranks at or near the "Best" ranking.

However, I DO like the lighter, slimmer versions of the late 60s very much......as has already been said, they are slim, light, pleasing to the eye and have genuine appeal (and I always found the variation stamped upside down on the right-hand side a really cool oddity).

If such a one could be reproduced with finger grooves and slightly radiused bolsters.......

Ah, we dream on.

:D
 
This one is the "best" for me.
P1017289-1.jpg

And thats exactly it, for me, and My needs it's perfect. Now of course different strokes for different folks, but this one suits me just fine.

I can see pros, and cons for the different variations, and I think thats why we won't find a perfect/best 110 for all of us to agree upon, thats why the 110 has changed so many times. I personally wouldn't carry a new 110 over my old one, but the newer ones are supposed to be the same knife improved upon.
 
What I'm seeing develop in some answers (including my own) is a tendency to pick one that may be the "Best" and then pick a favorite (which may be different from the "Best").

That's not surprising......and it still produces a lot of useful information.

:)
 
Buck_110 said:
..............xxxx
In my opinion, excluding the 1st versions, the .110.. is the best stamped version.
It's the only version that definitively has a Bos treated 440C blade.
Also, unlike the two dot 110s which only have blade pivot bushings in very late production knives, all three dot 110s have blade pivot bushings. Without ripping apart a two dot knife, it's impossible to know whether or not it has a blade pivot bushing.
Click to expand...

i agree with this one but more along the lines of it is my fave!
the best .. that depends on what the user needs
Ti frame with S30V steel is likely my choice for fave..

BUT i love the Damascus steel blades also...and mastodon ivory
wander if they could get boor tusk as inlays?
 
Oh, I think we're gonna see a lot of extremely valuable info coming to this thread.

:)
 
I have to admit, the somewhat available 'Buck Custom' BG-42, G10/Micarta scale, nickel silver knife from a few years back was/is a pretty fine example of a 110. Of course, so are most of my few Buck Custom Shop knives. I think the key is the nickel silver and non-rosewood scales - the brass and rosewood looks dated. A metal upgrade may help, too. Maybe it's time for an S30V blade, nickel silver bolsters, and Micarta/G10/or different color Dymondwoods? The current 110 construction works quite well. Just my opinion. Below is what $86, w s/h, from Buck's Custom Shop in S30V/nickel silver/blue Dymondwood will buy - it just looks more modern.

IMG_4578-1.jpg


My really old 110 is long gone - my newer ones are probably 12 years old or newer, so it's hard for me to compare old to new. I know the fit/finish/function of a current 110 still belies it's low cost - it is quite a bargain in today's knife world. While I love Ti frames, my one 110 blade with such a handle is a 560XLT - and the poorest quality Buck I own, in fit & function.

You know, a Stag handled 'Alaskan Guide' 110 in S30V was a pretty fine knife, too... I waited too long on that one, sad to say. The AG 110's needed nickel silver bolsters.

Stainz
 
Stainz said:
You know, a Stag handled 'Alaskan Guide' 110 in S30V was a pretty fine knife, too... Stainz
Click to expand...

Yes, I was thinking that the AG stag 110 must be among the best. I was just looking at the four that I have. One is a good sturdy user, the other 3 just sit there for now.

I'm sure there are some who may rate the BP 110 as among the best, too. I don't have one of those to be able to judge.

These aren't standard production, but they are production knives.
 
Although customs are nice and we can compare them all day long, I dont think that was what the OP was aiming for when he posted this tread. I may be wrong but before we get too far outside the parameters of the idea here, the question was and I am summing it up here, What was the best regular run of the mill factory made Buck110. That means Brass and wood, with one of the main steels that Buck used ie. 440C, 425Mod, or 420Hc.

There are so many to choose from and they all differ in such slight ways its hard to imagine the first 110 when you look at the 110s of today. I love the look of the slim line bodies of the early models like the 3 versions. The two line blade stamp always catches my eyes first and I look it up to the point of the blade and then I look it down to the brass, through the wood and back to the brass. It's like undressing a woman with your eyes. The look of an old 110 is like looking at a fine lady...
 
I don't know about the best or not,but the 110 2 dot is my favorite,its built like a quality knife should be .It has a blade made of good steel,handles withreal wood,not laminate,strong lock,and a real leather sheath.I handle that knife,then pick up a new 110 and i can't compare the two,i find the 110 of today a mass produced cheap version of the 110,they even changed the blades to have less of a clip,which i do not care for.Those 2 dot versions are bulletproof in my opinion,I've carried one for many years,and not long ago sent it to Joe for a spa treatment,its brand new now.LOL.I do love the ag 110 series,but something about the 2 dot/3 dot models peaks my interest.
 
Razorblades, I think your favorite may be the best, especially if you include the very similar Three-Dotter.

Lucky guy, to have best and favorite coincide in your mind.

And MBJ is correct. I just intended to compare the stock, standard production 110s......not any special productions with special steel or any customized versions.

Gets too complicated when you start looking beyond the standard versions because the "Best" quickly becomes some bizarre titanium S200V gold-plated something with integral GPS and Blackberry.

:)
 
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