What do you think about the Buck 110 Folding knife?

This knife was introduced by Alan Buck in 1964. This model makes Buck as we know this manufacturer today - world leading knife company. Only Buck produce around 10 000 000 of this knives and who knows how many copies were produced by other companies.

So this is probably most recognizable American folding knife (much more American then any other even Bark River).

In addition to being legend it is also very comfortable working knife. It balanced, shaped, grinded and build for real use for long work. You really can whittle something with this knife for hours without hurting your arm - many knives today are more suitable for simple quick jobs, not for whittling out ax handle or something like this.

So it was produced in 10 000 000 for the reason - it is just simple real working horse!

Initially it was made out of 440C and this make it some reputation. Then unfortunately Buck decided that for customers it will be better to have 440A and finally 420HC. Majority of the customers (from 10 000 000), probably, did not see difference for real. But for others Buck has few special editions wth modern steels - Cabels's Alaskan Guide with CPM S30V:

Buck110S-20.jpg


Bass Pro with CPM 154 (which is different then 154CM BTW):

Buck-110-CPM154-07.jpg


Also there is custom shop Buck110 with BG42:

Buck110C-12.jpg


and regular 420HC model:

Buck110-02.jpg


All with exceptional Buck's HT done by Paul Bos himself or developed by him (for 420HC).

Thanks, Vassili.

P.S. And this is how it balanced. It stays this way on the chair

Buck110C-02.jpg


so it will stay even better in your hand without trying to dive out.
Also thick handle evenly disperse pressure on palm when cutting,
so you may cut hard and for long time without discomfort...

Well, this is really great knife. One of this optimal construction which
hard to improve. I only wish Buck will upgrade some materials use
titanium bolsters, G10 handle and ZDP189 steel etc...
 
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I recently purchased a Buck 110 and I have to admit that i liked it. Now understand that i have been buying modern type (and modern looking) folders till now but I decided to give the Buck 110 a try...

The weight (though bit on the hefty side) give a reassuring feeling of sturdiness and the 420HC blade can cut reliably. I was worried about the steel since it ain't an upper end type but it did fine cutting up boxes at my work place.

But the real advantage and the appeal of the Buck 110 to me is I wasn't getting the look of fear at my workplace (I used to use scary, modern, tactical looking knives) but more of admiration from the older staff. One geezer even commented one day that it looks more of a tool than a toy now :)

Get ur pap one mate, you won't regret it and it'll last till your kids turn to use it :) Try getting one in higher end steel if you can (still prefer higher end steel) and come back to us when you know how ur dad likes it (or not). Good luck...
 
I carry a Buck 110 at work and use it all the time. The knife is imo too heavy to carry in a pocket but it rides comfortably in a belt sheath. I was able to get my 110 smooth enough within a couple of days that I can easily spyderdrop it (or "biker drop") it open with one hand. 420HC steel is good stuff the way Buck heat treats it.

Why not get him both a 110 and a new prince?
 
jdailey4206966 said:
My father in law is an avid hunter, as I am. The thing is, he is old school when it comes to hunting. ... I have been thinking about stepping it up for him and getting him the Buck 110 Folding knife, which is also made of 420HC steel. I have heard alot of people say its a good knife, but do you think It would be a good gift for him?
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Definitely NOT! If you get him a Buck 110, he'll have it and use it for the rest of his life :D - then you'll be left scrambling for gift ideas year after year. ;)
 
nozh2002 said:
Initially it was made out of 440C and this make it some reputation. Then unfortunately Buck decided that for customers it will be better to have 440A and finally 420HC.
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The Buck 110 was never made with 440A, it went from 440C to 425M and then to 420HC.
 
You can find a Buck 503 Prince, with a blade 1/4" shorter than his old 501 Squire, as near as a better-stocked Wally World - for <$25. Nice dress-up pocket knife. They also carry the 110 Folding Hunter (That's it's name - and indicates it's orginal purpose!) for the same <$25 - with a nylon sheath. Their leather sheathed version is available from other retailers - like 'Academy Sports/Outdoors' chains - at $25-$30 - even $22 on sale. Some of their sheaths are Mexican, some are PRC-made. All of the discount house knives are the same as your Ma-Pa sporting goods - just a lot cheaper. The 110 MSRPs at $72!

The 420HC blade on a Buck is delivered hair-popping sharp - and the heat-treatment (Paul Bos) it received will keep it that way. Oddly, a decent ceramic rod sharpener - like the Spyderco 'Sharpmaker' - will re-sharpen it quickly. I EDC-ed one - in a back pocket - for some time. And, while it may get a whopping 0 or 1 on the 'tacti-cool scale' today, when it was an infant, it became one of the top five favorites in Vietnam, according to 'Blade' magazine.

If you find one in-stock for $25 at W-W - or the leather sheathed one at Academy, which was 'sale-priced' recently as low as $22, why not grab one and gift your pappy now - tell him it's a tardy 'Father's Day' gift - or 'just because'. We never know how many sunrises our loved ones have ahead of them. I know I'd appreciate it.

Have a happy and safe Fourth, everyone!

Stainz
(BCCI #1411)

"Schizophrenic Emeriti"
 
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Its an icon...Mom's Apple Pie...americana...It's a classic. Made in the USA...It's THE American classic lock blade!...most recognizable American folding knife...It has a life time warranty from a company that stands behind their product 100%.
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The only thing I can add is that if you don't have one, you need one!
 
A world renown American classic. When I was in the service and training with our European allied troops they would trade just about anything for a Buck knife. Though some of them called it a "book knife" or "booka knife" they all meant the venerable Buck 110.
 
Go for it. Ypu can't go wrong.

Heck, ikt's $25 at Wally World, and I think Dicks carries one with a leather sheath for $10more.
 
$25 eh...well thats even better because I saw some on here that were up in the $60 range, and they didnt even have the s30v steel either
 
I just got my first 110 last week. I got the last one on the hook for $19.88.

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Like everyone has said so far,it's a classic AND a bargain!

Cliff
 
I think getting him a Buck 110 is a GREAT idea. May I also suggest that you take a look at the Buck Custom Shop as well.
 
nozh2002 said:
BTW, Was 110 always hollow ground or it was introduced in 2000 as "Edge 2000" or something like this?

Thanks, Vassili.
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I'm not sure, looking at ones made in the 70's-90's the overall grind seems to have been the same, with the Edge2000 bringing the sharpened edge itself down thinner.
 
There was a significant effort in the late '90's at Buck. The result was that they changed the profile of the blade. The reprofiled blade vastly outperformed the old profile in CATRA tests.

I found the most coherent telling of the tale here, although I've seen bits and pieces in various places:

http://www.thehuntingknifedepot.com/page/1098848

Here is a printout of their section 12
12. Edging
Edging the blade with Buck's Edge2x™ Technology.For 35 years, Buck Knives followed a blade-edging protocol that produced blades with excellent edge-holding qualities. In 1999, Buck decided to edge out the competition with the most exciting innovation in edge technology-Edge2x.Chuck Buck, along with Buck engineers, quality and production supervisors, and experienced blade edgers, experimented with angles and materials before coming up with the exact edge geometry specification to create this new, thinner, sharper edge. This edge was achieved by changing the included angle (the total of the angles on both sides of the blade) from a range of 35° to 50° to a range of 26° to 32°. This range allows Buck greater flexibility to match the angle of the blade to the function of the knife. The initial part of creating the edge is performed during step #7, hollow grinding, which is a computer controlled, automated machine process. During this grinding process, blades are tapered to a specific profile. This yields a consistent blade thickness at the edge that cannot be duplicated by hand. Then the human hand takes over on an edging wheel. Another key to the success of the Edge2x process is that we converted to using laminated leather stropping wheels instead of stitched cloth. The sturdiness of the leather wheels enables us to eliminate "rollover" (where the edge can lose its ideal keenness) and create razor-sharp blades with consistency.The human touch lessens the risk of burning, which can lower the hardness of the steel. Experienced edgers, who have been with Buck for many years, went through extensive training to learn the new system. It took many months for them to perfect the process, but it has been well worth the effort.A computerized test for edge retention, developed by CATRA (Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association), is performed on blades for each knife model. For inspection, a laser-measuring device, called a goniometer, is used to check the precise angle measurements to verify that the edge matches specifications. Edge2x blades have been compared against our older Buck blades and evaluated using the CATRA tests, which proved the superiority of our new edging process. With Edge2x Technology, every knife made by Buck is sharper out of the box, holds an edge much longer and is easier to re-sharpen when needed. "

Note that Buck got a tremendous increase in performance, using the same steel, by changing the blade shape. I added the blue highlight because the indication is that Buck's blade is not just modified at the edge, but along the entire profile. The CATRA test uses a special paper, but it essentially consists of controlled cutting of cardboard, and the Buck blades have been optimized to excel at it. Not a bad thing, since an awful lot of us use our knives for cutting similar things.

I can see the difference between the old profile and the new.
 
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