Buck 110 Folding Hunter Knife Evaluate

Weber, Leatherman, Buck. Anytime I come throughout a storied model that by no means surrendered its repute for manufacturing high quality to bean counters’ “loss of life by a thousand cuts,” my coronary heart warms by a number of levels.

You’ve heard the time period “Buck knife” earlier than. It’s a family identify, in spite of everything. Buck is the identify of the corporate, based in 1947, and the Buck 110 Folding Hunter Knife ($65) is the knife that gave delivery to the time period “Buck knife” in 1964. Now the design is ubiquitous, extensively imitated and copied by numerous knife producers in any respect value factors.

Buck wished to perform two issues that it felt folding knives all lacked again when it was conceived. One, Buck wished it to be robust sufficient to perform duties that had at all times been seen as solely the area of fixed-blade knives, and two, Buck wished it to be lovely.

I’d say that for this Area Race–period design that’s hardly modified since, Buck might declare mission achieved.

Briefly: The Buck 110 Folding Hunter Knife revolutionized the locking, folding knife market 61 years in the past when it debuted, promising the comfort of a folder with the energy of a set blade. Buck had successful on its fingers, because the knife hasn’t solely continued on as one of many model’s strongest sellers, however it’s additionally spawned an trade stuffed with imitators, descendants, and copycats.

On the lookout for a brand new knife for the outside? Try GearJunkie’s Greatest Knives for Mountaineering & Backpacking Purchaser’s Information to match the Buck 110 to our different suggestions.

Buck 110 Folding Hunter Knife: Evaluate

I’m a sucker for the classics, and so I used to be wanting to evaluation one of the crucial basic knife designs of the twentieth century. Earlier than you ever even flick the blade open and pull the clip-point blade by way of a chunk of wooden or an apple, the knife’s magnificence whallops you over the pinnacle.

Ebony wooden scales be a part of the polished brass bolsters, held collectively by six seen brass pins and a pair of seen chrome steel pins for the pivot pin. For $10 extra, you should purchase a model with finger grooves carved into the deal with, however I like the graceful authentic grip.

Buck nonetheless makes the 110 in Level Falls, Idaho. The match and end are lovely, particularly contemplating that this knife sells for $65. Sixty-one years later, there are lighter folding knives with the identical robust locking mechanism, manufactured from fancier steels.

The Again Lock That Modified Knife Design

Buck is known for its cussed use of 420HC chrome steel. Whereas now you can order customized Buck 110s in S35VN and MagnaCut steels, Buck’s 420HC is the basic. Cork sniffers could flip up their noses at such a pedestrian metal, however I’ve extensively encountered the sentiment that Buck’s Paul Bos warmth therapy makes its metal one of the best 420HC within the trade.

Anytime I hear knife lovers criticize 420HC for not holding an edge lengthy sufficient, they observe it with a postscript: “Nicely, apart from Bucks.” There’s a cause that 420HC is the de facto chrome steel for many knives. It’s straightforward to sharpen, extremely corrosion-resistant, and while you bounce the blade edge off one thing, it tends to roll the sting fairly than chip, making it simpler to restore.

There’s a big nail nick that makes it straightforward to swing open the knife. It locks routinely when totally opened, and to shut it, you could press the lockback mechanism to swing it shut. So many locking, folding knives lately use this mechanism that it’s laborious to do not forget that when the Buck 110 debuted in 1964, it was a novel innovation.

Buck’s entire advertising angle was that right here, lastly, was a folding knife that was robust sufficient to do the work of a fixed-blade knife. The lockback design was sturdier than the frequent slip-joint mechanism of most folding knives as much as that time. Whereas I wouldn’t say that the Buck 110 will out-muscle a fixed-blade, full-tang Buck 102 ($75), the Buck 110 is a robust design.

Buck loves the clip-point blade form, and who can blame them? With a big 3.75-inch blade, the Buck 110 has loads of reducing energy for cleaving by way of wooden or flesh, and a basic clip-point profile that narrows from 0.120″ towards the tip for precision whereas reducing.

You need to be extra cautious with stressing the knife to at least one aspect or one other with a clip level, since there’s much less steel thickness close to the tip than on a drop-point or spear-point knife, however amongst clip-point blades, the Buck 110 doesn’t appear significantly delicate.

A Charming Match and End

After I tore open the Buck’s field, which incorporates on the again a captivating story of the household’s ethos in founding and persevering with the corporate, I acquired the Buck 110 inside with reverence, not not like how Harrison Ford lifted the idol within the opening scene of Raiders of the Misplaced Ark.

Every thing concerning the Buck 110 felt excellent in my hand. The knife balanced superbly, and even with out the fashionable, sculpted deal with of a contemporary tremendous knife, it felt as snug as a pair of well-worn boots.

There wasn’t a stray mark, hole, or crooked line on the whole knife. I inspected each millimeter with the analytical, piercing gaze of an astronomer, and it was fairly actually flawless. There was one catch, although. One minor catch that’s simply and endlessly fastened for a couple of dollars and in a couple of minutes. Nevertheless it nonetheless irritated me a bit.

Nitty-Gritty Locking Mechanism

Extra so than most different knife manufacturers I’ve skilled, Buck leaves a ton of grit — leftover steel bits and mud — from the manufacturing course of within the knife’s pivot level and, particularly, within the lockback mechanism. You’ll really feel it while you first unbox your knife. It’s as should you simply dug it up as buried treasure on the seaside.

Buck’s penchant for transport out its Buck 110s with such grit left inside them is a minor annoyance, however it doesn’t considerably dent my opinion of the knife as a result of it’s simply and completely solvable. Purchase some Kershaw Knife Oil ($9), apply a number of drops sparingly to the pivot level the place the knife blade rotates and meets the lockback mechanism, and work the knife about 50 instances.

You probably have an irrigation syringe, akin to these used for medical kits, even higher. You should use it to blast a few of the grit out of those hard-to-reach, tight areas. Simply use small quantities. You’re not attempting to flood your workspace. As soon as the grit is gone, you must really feel how far more easily the knife opens and closes. After it’s oiled, it operates superbly.

Odds and Ends

The Buck 110 comes with a black leather-based pouch. The pouch is made in Mexico, however don’t let that ship you off in search of a alternative. I’m a little bit of a leather-based snob, however it seems to be good, thick leather-based with straight stitching. The one subject with the pouch is that the steel snap on the within could rub towards the knife deal with’s wooden or brass bolsters, doubtlessly creating seen put on over time.

I used to be in a position to tug the entrance of the pouch to carry the snap away from the knife deal with as I slid it out and in of the pouch. Appears tedious to do over time, although. My knives are customers, not protected queens, so I’m not all that involved about it. However I figured I’d let you know now in case you cared. It’s higher than a nasty shock in your lovely knife in a while.

Buck 110 Folding Hunter Knife: Conclusion

At 7.2 ounces, the Buck 110 Folding Hunter Knife is heavy for a climbing or backpacking knife. Because of its lockback mechanism, it’s robust as hell for a folding knife, positive, however you don’t want that a lot energy in a knife while you’re climbing. You’re going to spend extra time reducing sausage and cheese than reenacting your childhood fantasies from the novel Hatchet.

When you’re unmoved by my borderline sacrilege and nonetheless need a significantly robust folding knife for the path, as many hikers I do know do, then I’d usher you towards the Buck 110 LT ($31). It weighs 3.2 ounces and can also be manufactured from 420HC chrome steel. It makes use of thinner, plastic scales to cut back weight and bulk. Whereas it’s not as lovely as the standard Buck 110’s brass and ebony wooden, at half the burden, it makes for a extra intelligent knife on the path.

For extra informal pursuits, akin to a knife to maintain on you across the yard, within the truck, or on the campsite, I can’t consider a greater knife than the Buck 110. For greater than 60 years, it has impressed copycats and imitators, even because the knife world has begun to lean extra towards the Lamborghini Countach than the Chevy Silverado lately. I’d wager the Buck 110 will nonetheless be right here in 60 years’ time, and simply as standard as ever.