Why I believe the 110 is so misunderstood .

There is always a need for the 110, it is a classic, but i will grab my 112 slim select for EDc because of the weight, I just need a lighter knife, not that I misunderstand the 110, my needs are different in my outs an abouts. If I were camping, more glamping, then I have no problem with the 110. I have just learned that smaller tasks can be handled by a light and smaller knife. I like it for what it is, a good solid heavy knife. I feel the traditional 112 is more misunderstood, I like the smaller package but still has a good heft to it. I actually prefer the 112. However, I really enjoy the 110 LT I received for Christmas one year, and I really enjoy the drop point 110 Slim select in red handle from Copper and Clad, so much so that I almost got the 110LT drop point in red too. So for EDc I will grab the lighter knives, but I still have the 110 and 112 classics because they are just that…classic.
 
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Ok, as a follow up, I got a buck 55 since I wanted a smaller knife knife in the 110 shape. I also feel I was one of the first to get the micarta handled versions of the 110 and 112 slim select pro. I liked the straight clip points and the steel upgrade. They are discontinued now as the lightweight handle ( GFN ) of the slim select has caught on. IMG_0182.jpeg
 
cbach8tw said:
Ok, as a follow up, I got a buck 55 since I wanted a smaller knife knife in the 110 shape. I also feel I was one of the first to get the micarta handled versions of the 110 and 112 slim select pro. I liked the straight clip points and the steel upgrade. They are discontinued now as the lightweight handle ( GFN ) of the slim select has caught on. View attachment 3036470
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I have a 112 Slim, and a couple 112 Slim Selects. I really like them, and I'm waiting for the Slim line to reappear in Magnacut, and maybe some new handle options.
 
I’m late to this thread and preaching to the choir, but the other undeniable element of the 110 appeal to me is the price to qualify ratio. I have been a 112 fan since I carried one as a boy. I liked the size better for my small hands back then. I’ve grown to appreciate and admire the 110 over the years. I bought a new stock 110 last year directly from Buck and am blown away by what you get for $64 in that made in USA package.IMG_3596.jpeg
 
BP_ said:
I love the 110 in all its iterations. The original is great. But I also like the aluminum handles because they are the same size and shape but lighter. I’d like to see another run of those as I prefer it over the 110LT. The middle two in the picture.

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I was just going to post about those. I don’t know why they weren’t more popular. The aluminum 110 I got was just about perfect and had the best lock up of any Buck I’d ever handled. Bought mine a few years ago as a dealer special run. I’d always wanted them to do a run of 112’s, but to my knowledge they never did.
 
jstrange said:
I was just going to post about those. I don’t know why they weren’t more popular. The aluminum 110 I got was just about perfect and had the best lock up of any Buck I’d ever handled. Bought mine a few years ago as a dealer special run. I’d always wanted them to do a run of 112’s, but to my knowledge they never did.
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I don’t hear a whole lot about them in general, I’m assuming most of the non knife nuts probably didn’t even know they existed. I really enjoy them, and wish they did a run of 112’s as well. I would also agree, very solid lockup and a really solid “feel” in hand, even being the lighter aluminum. They really did nail it with those.
 
BP_ said:
I don’t hear a whole lot about them in general, I’m assuming most of the non knife nuts probably didn’t even know they existed. I really enjoy them, and wish they did a run of 112’s as well. I would also agree, very solid lockup and a really solid “feel” in hand, even being the lighter aluminum. They really did nail it with those.
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So this may be a silly question, are the 110s with aluminum frames stronger or just as strong as a brass frame? I ask because I wonder if side to side twisting ( not that this is a good thing to do with a knife ) would make the handle take a twist and set in that shape? Just curious.i am pretty sure aluminum in different combinations can be hardened.

I finally got two 112s with finger grooves for Christmas, so I just decided to get a standard 110 in the wood, so my 112s would not be lonely. I like the size of the 112 better than the 110, maybe even for some carry time, but the 110 is a classic, everyone should have one in their collection, but i know what jobs the 110 is for, and I think that’s where the confusion comes in, having the right tool for the right job kind of thing. When glamping, I want a more sturdy knife for around the camp site, if I am about town, I want my 110 or 112 slim select.
 
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In 1972 My dad worked with a group that was the factory representatives for Buck Knives.He ordered a 110 with his name in it. He handed me the cataloged and told me to pick out a knife for my 18th birthday. I picked a Kalinga he had my name put on it. He claimed the only knife better than a Buck was a Randall. I got to see some of the returns he had these 110 were used as pry bars screwdrivers and hammers. He passed in 74. I inherited his knives and wore the 110 and used it for the next six years as a sporting goods wholesaler. Memories, I am sure we all have good ones about our Dads and knives how they taught us to sharpen and care for our tools. 110 his and mine
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I haven't read this thread fully before, so if I'm saying something others have already said, then hey, great minds think alike!

I would say that Buck 110s aren't misunderstood at all. I think they're definitely a product that's a milestone in time, and are a timeless classic as a result.

The reasons that a lot of folks give for not liking the Buck 110 however, are entirely reasonable, and perfectly valid. The Buck 110 IS heavy, it IS thick, it IS a large knife, it IS meant as a belt-pouch carried knife, in a world where most people would rather not telegraph that they are carrying a knife. The standard 110s are made of fairly pedestrian, non "high-speed" materials and blade steel(s). Lastly, the 110 isn't pocket friendly*. It just isn't.

All of these are factual gripes when compared to countless folding knives on the market today which are thinner, lighter, smaller in every dimensional metric, more convenient to carry thanks to pocket clips, easier to one-hand open and close thanks to different lock types and thumbstuds/Spyderholes, flippers, etc.), and which don't force the choice of "Either wear this belt pouch or else have this five-inch long brick swimming in the bottom of your pants pocket like an anchor." Modern knives are pretty great, all things considered, which is why Buck has been essentially forced by the market to come out with modern knives that have all those features that just happen to be 110 shaped. 🤷

If you carry a Buck 110, it's because you want to. A lot of us are totally fine with that. I know I am, I've got like something like 30 110s (and 112s) that I carry often, because I had a pocket sheath with a pocket clip on it made by a friend, and I just put up with the rest of the downsides because I just love Buck 110s. In many ways, we're fortunate that Buck still makes the venerable 110 today, because it would probably be pretty easy for them to discontinue the classic version, given how many modernized variants they've got on offer at this point.





* Yes, yes, plenty of us Buck fans do it, but we aren't the majority.
 
On paper it seems like discontinuing the classic 110 would be easy because it's not modern, but they still sell far too many of them for that to happen.
It's a minority segment of the knife community that still loves the classic 110 I'm sure , but I'd say that the only general minority would be people who care about knife quality.
I'm willing to bet that the average non enthusiast person who carries a knife either knows the 110 for it's quality or doesn't know the difference and carries a gerber paraframe.
 
It's still a great hunting knife when you're not backpacking in. One of the best. Especially the models with upgraded steel.
 
My 110 is used entirely to open up new movies, keep it directly on my 4K shelf lol. But it is timeless. I have tons of non knife friends who will see a clone when we're out at antique malls or the like and go "oh a buck!" to which i give them a long winded reply about the thousands of 110 clones in existence.
 
I think it is still around because it is a classic and still fits the bill for use among those who hu t or the general usefulness of a large folder, and those who love the classic materials. I think it fits the same sentiment as the classic Canadian Belt knife by Grohmann, the #1, sure there are more modern knives but it still fills a need among hunters and is a classic design. Grohmann has survived all these years with some variation but still the classic line still exists.
 
DrRollinstein said:
My 110 is used entirely to open up new movies, keep it directly on my 4K shelf lol. But it is timeless. I have tons of non knife friends who will see a clone when we're out at antique malls or the like and go "oh a buck!" to which i give them a long winded reply about the thousands of 110 clones in existence.
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Posted some 110 clones
 
The 110 is a hunting knife. While it’s used as a daily utility knife by many people (including me once upon a time), if we’re talking about intended use, that use is processing game with a knife that has the convenience of folding, but still feels as reliable as a fixed blade. For clarity though, Buck’s marketing for the 110 originally stated “may be carried in pocket or sheath,” so asserting that people don’t understand the 110 because it’s not a pocket knife is erroneous. Nevertheless, I agree, because I would never want to carry that thing in my pants pocket, it comes with a belt sheath for a good reason. And that reason is… because at 7oz, it absolutely is heavy. It’s heavier than a lot of fixed blade hunting knives. It’s 2oz heavier than its fixed blade counterpart, the 101. It’s heavier than every single other hunting knife Buck makes, until you get up in size to the 119, which at nearly 2x the blade length is only 0.3oz heavier. The reason people have an issue with the weight isn’t because they can’t carry their 110 in basketballs shorts, it’s because the 110 is heavy.

I used to carry a 110 daily, and at first the weight didn’t bother me. At a certain point though, I realized I kept having to pull the right side of my pants up. I also got unwanted attention for carrying a belt knife. Eventually I moved to lighter traditional slip-joint pocket knives and found that they do every daily task the 110 did, but less ostentatiously, and more conveniently. I don’t mind using two hands, I don’t mind not having a pocket clip. So, I think I understand the 110, and have chosen to stop carrying it because I think the utility of carrying it daily is exaggerated. I don’t need a 7oz folding hunting knife on the outside of my pants every day. When I do hunt, I carry a traditional fixed blade and usually a two-blade slip-joint folder, which combined equal the weight of the 110. More bang for my buck. Pun intended.

While I disagree with you, thanks for the thread. Good debate/conversation.
 
I don't find the 110 to be particularly heavy myself, but my perspective may be different because the BTS belt buckle I've worn all day every day for nearly 15 years is at least a 110 frame worth of brass.

I've had 110, Leatherman, belt pouch , and my belt buckle, plus all my pocket contents on me all at once without feeling weighed down or needing to adjust my pants because of it.
Maybe my choice of belt played a factor ?
 
That’s a lot of belt flair.

I’m only saying that arguments against its weight are valid. It’s objectively the heaviest knife Buck makes of that size, closer in weight to a 119. It’s no reason to hate on the knife, it’s great for what it’s intended, I just don’t think the intent is edc. But also you’re not really arguing that, you’re just arguing that when carried it makes more sense to belt carry, which I agree with.

Just as an analogy, someone could carry a 3lb revolver with a 6” barrel as a daily carry if they wanted. But if someone else said they didn’t want to because of the weight, I wouldn’t argue that that person misunderstands the revolver, I would say it’s a valid reason not to want to carry it. But if the person with the 6” revolver turned out to not like it because he couldn’t conceal it in his pocket I would absolutely say he misunderstands the intent of the tool. I think that might be more where you’re coming from?
 
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