What's As Tough As A Buck Knife

Modoc ED

Modoc ED

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Mar 28, 2010
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The sheath they come with.
I don't know who sent this Buck 112 to hell but when they did, they sent the sheath too. I brought the knife and sheath back a week or so ago.

This is them as they arrived. (Vendors photo)
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I've since worked the sheath over with Saddle Soap and have worked on the blade removing the nicks in the blade edge. I've a bit left to do on the point but it'll stick you pretty good as is and the blade has a sharp edge. I'm going to leave them and use them as shown in the following photographs. They weren't pampered before I got them and won't be pampered now - just won't be abused any longer.

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Anyone else brought a knife or knife and sheath back from hell, the grave, the dump, or where ever? Show em if you have.
 
what blew out and burned chunks of steel from the tip side of the blade. looks like it was cutting live wires and electrical arcs. that would be hot enough to kill the heat treat of the steel in that area. the tip area may not hold an edge for very long anymore......
 
jbmonkey said:
what blew out and burned chunks of steel from the tip side of the blade. looks like it was cutting live wires and electrical arcs. that would be hot enough to kill the heat treat of the steel in that area. the tip area may not hold an edge for very long anymore......
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I was thinking along those lines - electrical arc or grinding/filing the edge and tip. However, I've done a couple/three sessions of cardboard box cutting and wood shaving and the tip is just fine. Sharpens well and stays sharp while cutting. It's the sheath that gets me. After all this time, the rivets and sewn edges and sewn belt loop are still strong not wearing. The leather was mostly dirty and oily not worn or torn. Buck has always provided very decent sheaths with their knives.
 
Modoc ED said:
I was thinking along those lines - electrical arc or grinding/filing the edge and tip. However, I've done a couple/three sessions of cardboard box cutting and wood shaving and the tip is just fine. Sharpens well and stays sharp while cutting. It's the sheath that gets me. After all this time, the rivets and sewn edges and sewn belt loop are still strong not wearing. The leather was mostly dirty and oily not worn or torn. Buck has always provided very decent sheaths with their knives.
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Nice job bringing that one back. Any date indicator on the tang of that 112? Do you think its 425M (one of my personal favorites)?
 
Slice-and-dice said:
Nice job bringing that one back. Any date indicator on the tang of that 112? Do you think its 425M (one of my personal favorites)?
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Tang Stamp

BUCK
*112*
U.S.A.

Stamped BUCK, *112*, U.S.A. 1974 to 1980.
Version 1. Left hand stamp, stainless spring holder, Macasar Ebony inlays, two brass inlay rivets and stainless rocker rivet.
Version 2. Same as above except four brass inlay rivets.
Version 3. Same as above except three brass inlay rivets.
Version 4. Same as above except the brass inlay rivets are now approximately 1/8” in diameter

The dots on the tang stamp are very light and it's hard to see the dot on either side of the 112. Also, the lighting when I took the pictures wasn't ideal.
 
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Looks like some previous owner sharpened it on a bench grinder or something. Nice job cleaning it up getting it functional again. This is one of those knives that I like to find for sale because you can use it as a guilt free beater if you want because of what it’s already been through. Nice find!
 
Here is one of many MD ED,

here is the knife that survived Hell in its former life


I sent it to the Buck Resurrection Spa (This is what came back)



As you can see with a bit of work and a lot of love, they can have a new life!
 
Modoc ED said:
Good save on that one. Buck does one heck of a job.
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You got that absolutely correct Ed, I should have taken more before photos. You don't see it well in that before photo but there was not one spot on the brass that was not dinged or dented. I believe a painter owned the knife before I did, opened paint cans with the blade and used the frame to hammer them closed. Buck got all the dents and dings out, replaced the blade turning it into a like new knife.
 
Modoc ED said:
Anyone else brought a knife or knife and sheath back from hell, the grave, the dump, or where ever? Show em if you have.
Click to expand...

The last time I rescued an abused Buck (someone else's knife), it was long before cell phones and commercial internet access. No photos!

I was working at a lab tech in a factory that produced the machinery to make plastic bottle closures as well as some of the actual closures. A guy in the tool build area had a Buck 110 with about 3/8 of inch missing from the end. I put it in a vise, filed a new point, and then sharpened it for him.
 
Here's a little story about how tough Buck knives can be. I've told it on BF before.

I was on my way to work one morning when I saw what looked like a knife or multi-tool sheath lying in the middle of the road. "AWESOME" I thought to myself. Being on a motorcycle it was easy to spot and identify stuff lying in the street.

I rode back, picked it up, and yep, it was a knife, a Buck Alpha with the black rubber handles. It was obvious that the thing had been run over at least once.

The sheath had some road rash, the snap on the sheath was completely crushed and useless, and one of the rubber handle scales had been yanked out from the screws leaving the screw holes permanently enlarged. But to my surprise the rest of the knife showed no damage whatsoever, it functioned perfectly. And the blade was in great shape.

A co-worker saw me fiddling with the knife and took a serious interest in it. I had no interest in it myself, I had lots of knives, and the Alpha just didn't do anything for me. But my co-worker was totally enamored with the knife and like a little kid asking for candy or a new toy he asked if he could have it. I told him he could, but first I wanted to take it home, replace the snap on the sheath, and add some small washers to the handle screws to compensate for the enlarged holes and securely hold the handle on.

But he did not like that idea. Just like a little kid, he seemed to think that if I left with the knife that he would never see it again. But I assured him that I would give it to him first thing the next morning, and that he would be glad he waited.

I took the knife and sheath home, replaced the snap (an easy procedure, and I always keep a supply of cap snaps on hand), I added the washers to the handle screws, and aside from a little cosmetic damage from being run over, functionally speaking both knife and sheath were as good as new.

As I had promised, I gave my co-worker the knife the next morning, and he was THRILLED, like a kid on Christmas morning. For the rest of the day he walked around with the knife in his had flicking it open and showing it to everyone who would bother to pay attention (we worked in a warehouse where knives were commonplace).

Sometimes I wish I had kept the knife, just as a conversation piece. But the guy REALLY liked it, and I'm sure he's gotten more out of it than I ever would have. I didn't own a camera at the time, so unfortunately I don't have any pictures.
 
Slice-and-dice said:
Nice job bringing that one back. Any date indicator on the tang of that 112? Do you think its 425M (one of my personal favorites)?
Click to expand...
the only 425M 110 I have is the one I drilled through the lock bar spring in an attempt to make a lanyard hole. I’d love to have it repaired one of these days but I can’t do it myself. That knife took a wicked working edge.
 
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