I wanted one ever since my brother graduated from the police academy 13 years ago. His department issues these with the leather sheath. I've had this one for about 2 years and the craftsmanship is clearly obvious from first glance. In fact, I'll still see veteran officers with their worn, torn sheaths carrying their Bucks on their duty belts.
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R9S19
Any Buck 110 love?
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I wanted one ever since my brother graduated from the police academy 13 years ago. His department issues these with the leather sheath. I've had this one for about 2 years and the craftsmanship is clearly obvious from first glance. In fact, I'll still see veteran officers with their worn, torn sheaths carrying their Bucks on their duty belts.
![Image]()
I've still got the one I bought in HS back about '69-'70. In the mid 70's I wanted something stronger, sharper and more robust, so I bought a Rigid Knives Apache R9. It was more expensive than a Buck 110, but you got a beefier knife. Rigid hand-ground their 440C blades, as I recall. Rigid had a terrific selection of folding and fixed blade knives, and I still have several of them. The company was formed by former Buck Knives people forming their own company, originally located in Santee CA.
https://www.countryknives.com/brand-history/rigid/
I bought a couple of the R9 Apache folders at the time, even though they cost $41.99 on sale, keeping one put away and not carried.
I don't keep my knives with brass fixtures highly polished, and only go in and wipe off the verdigris caused by contact with leather now and again. It gives the knives some character, and it's not like I let the steel rust.
My old 110 has seen a variety of tasks and a variety of sharpening methods, some of which scarred the steel (older early ceramic rod kits). It wasn't a "pretty" knife for me, but a working knife.
The R9 was/is a beast of a folder. It felt more like a heavy fixed blade knife once locked open, and it had a lot of weight and heft in the hand.
One of the budget competitors of that time was the G96 line of knives, with their G960 copy of the Buck 110. While the steel was supposed to be better than the steel used in Buck knives, and tempered to be hard, the overall QC of assembly and fit just didn't please my eye.
My 110 and R9's.
https://www.countryknives.com/brand-history/rigid/
I bought a couple of the R9 Apache folders at the time, even though they cost $41.99 on sale, keeping one put away and not carried.
I don't keep my knives with brass fixtures highly polished, and only go in and wipe off the verdigris caused by contact with leather now and again. It gives the knives some character, and it's not like I let the steel rust.
My old 110 has seen a variety of tasks and a variety of sharpening methods, some of which scarred the steel (older early ceramic rod kits). It wasn't a "pretty" knife for me, but a working knife.
The R9 was/is a beast of a folder. It felt more like a heavy fixed blade knife once locked open, and it had a lot of weight and heft in the hand.
One of the budget competitors of that time was the G96 line of knives, with their G960 copy of the Buck 110. While the steel was supposed to be better than the steel used in Buck knives, and tempered to be hard, the overall QC of assembly and fit just didn't please my eye.
My 110 and R9's.
That was the go to folder of my youth in the late 70’s early 80’s. Almost standard issue with both outdoor and nefarious types.
Forgot to mention that when I was a young cop I saw a lot of guys who had either had their Buck 110 sheath stitched to their leather Buscadero rigs, or they had one tucked (sans sheath) inside the tunnel loop of their double speedloader carrier. Tucked inside the tunnel loop of the carrier kept the 110 fairly tightly pressed between the front of their gun belt and the inside/front of their speedloader carrier.
You just had to remember to remove it when you removed your revolver from your holster and your speedloaders from your carrier when booking prisoners in the jail, and leave it in the jail's gun lockers (or the trunk of your car, back then).
You just had to remember to remove it when you removed your revolver from your holster and your speedloaders from your carrier when booking prisoners in the jail, and leave it in the jail's gun lockers (or the trunk of your car, back then).
my... dad carried one to work in the 70s all the way to his retirement....I always fancied it.
The 110 is a good solid low cost knife. It is very well made, but with low quality steel.
It's definitely not a knife enthusiast's blade, but for the once/year deer hunter, it's all he needs.
It's definitely not a knife enthusiast's blade, but for the once/year deer hunter, it's all he needs.
What is it about Buck's blade that makes it poor quality for knife enthusiasts? Is the "low quality steel" more likely to rust, break, chip, dull with little use, tarnish, or otherwise perform poorly as a 'working' blade?
I have an Edge brand knock off that my wife bought me when we were first married. I carried it for years. She then bought me a 110 that stays in my safe. I don't want to ruin it. I do have two Bucks with plastic handles that are nice and light to wear on my belt. tom.:cowboy:
NOrmally, they're made with 420HC stainless. An inexensive steel with little abrasion resistance. Edge holding in heavy use is less than stellar.
Most folks will not get through dressing an elk without touching up the edge. Better steels, like S90V, K390, Maxamet, etc are also stainless and will dress out several elk without resharpening.
The 110 is a good low cost knife. But it doesn't compare well to knives of better steel.
The 110s made of S30V are far superior to the older ones. And, of course, more expensive.
Most folks will not get through dressing an elk without touching up the edge. Better steels, like S90V, K390, Maxamet, etc are also stainless and will dress out several elk without resharpening.
The 110 is a good low cost knife. But it doesn't compare well to knives of better steel.
The 110s made of S30V are far superior to the older ones. And, of course, more expensive.
Buck isn't the only company who uses 420HC steel. They also use some other steels, but the 420HC is still reportedly their longtime standard.
There's always going to be a balance of the hardness desired versus the ease of owner resharpening. Then, of course, there's the practical amount of corrosion resistance needed, especially for people who aren't going to take the time to pamper their knives.
Scroll down to the bottom of this linked page for a list of the steels Buck uses, if interested. https://www.buckknives.com/about-knives/choosing-the-right-knife/#types-of-steel
https://www.buckknives.com/product/110-folding-hunter-knife/0110FAM01/
I prefer a different grind and bevel for the edge, myself, but the venerable Buck 110 became a common standard because it provided a very practical compromise of attributes for an affordable price.
It's been one of the most copied lockback folders ever made. Iconic, even. While other companies have made improvements on the design and materials, it's still a good workhorse folder. (Sound familiar? )
There's always going to be a balance of the hardness desired versus the ease of owner resharpening. Then, of course, there's the practical amount of corrosion resistance needed, especially for people who aren't going to take the time to pamper their knives.
Scroll down to the bottom of this linked page for a list of the steels Buck uses, if interested. https://www.buckknives.com/about-knives/choosing-the-right-knife/#types-of-steel
https://www.buckknives.com/product/110-folding-hunter-knife/0110FAM01/
I prefer a different grind and bevel for the edge, myself, but the venerable Buck 110 became a common standard because it provided a very practical compromise of attributes for an affordable price.
It's been one of the most copied lockback folders ever made. Iconic, even. While other companies have made improvements on the design and materials, it's still a good workhorse folder. (Sound familiar?
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I rather suspect they're phrasing their product description of the S30V steel that way for the "average" owner who may not really know how to sharpen a knife, let alone possesses better quality sharpening equipment.
This thread is making me think about putting my old 110 in some limited service and sharpening it again. I seldom wish to wear a belt knife, but I could easily work it into my daily activities again.
Using a Buck 110 makes you slow down just a little, which is not a bad thing in today's world. For a few, fleeting seconds, you aren't checking Twitter or thinking about AOC. And that alone is worth the price of admission.
I had one in the 70's that ended up missing later. I bought another several years ago and have mostly just used it to skin deer. The Buck 110 is a sturdy, iconic knife and a good value. I sometimes carry a knife roll (kitchen knives) when I go on vacations or deer hunting trips. I have a Henckels Pro S boning knife that I prefer to use for cutting the deer up.
Dad showed me how to sharpen a knife after he gave me a Ka-Bar. It took a good edge using a cheap aluminum oxide stone. The Buck knife did not take a good edge with that same stone because of the harder steel. Today, I use Japanese water stones, so even super steel blades are not difficult to sharpen.
Dad showed me how to sharpen a knife after he gave me a Ka-Bar. It took a good edge using a cheap aluminum oxide stone. The Buck knife did not take a good edge with that same stone because of the harder steel. Today, I use Japanese water stones, so even super steel blades are not difficult to sharpen.
My wife bought this Buck matching knife/hatchet pair for me about 30 years ago. As you can see from this photo, neither piece has been used. The hatchet is no longer offered by Buck.
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My current favorite Buck knife is the 'Ranger' 112, which is the same style as 110 but it's a bit smaller. The 112 is easily pocket carried, and it serves my daily needs very well.
I have a couple of Buck knives on order, one with elk handles and one with buffalo. I guess my romance with Buck knives is more about tradition and personal memories than championship performance.
My current favorite Buck knife is the 'Ranger' 112, which is the same style as 110 but it's a bit smaller. The 112 is easily pocket carried, and it serves my daily needs very well.
I have a couple of Buck knives on order, one with elk handles and one with buffalo. I guess my romance with Buck knives is more about tradition and personal memories than championship performance.
If anybody has a copy of Levine's Guide to Knives 5th edition, there's reportedly an article in it that states that Buck went from 440 to 425M (modified) in about 1982 but they did use up all the old 440 stock even after the change. Then in 1994 Buck went to 420HC.
My own 110 is from my HS years, and as best I recall was probably bought '69-'70 ('71 at the latest, when I graduated?). It wasn't exactly a milestone event that would have reason to be clear in my memory.
According to the Buck date code info, since my blade is only marked BUCK U.S.A., that does put the production period as sometime in '67-'72, which means mine might indeed be 440C, at least according to other info regarding the Buck timeline for their 110 blade steel.
OP, thanks for starting this thread, as it's brought back some nostalgia ... and prompted me to go out to the bench and put a sharp edge on my old (and neglected) 110.
I think I'll even wear it today when I go over the hill to pick up our granddaughter for her sleep over for the July 4th events she likes to attend here. I can wear it strong-side because I'll be pocket-holstering one of my J-frames.
My own 110 is from my HS years, and as best I recall was probably bought '69-'70 ('71 at the latest, when I graduated?). It wasn't exactly a milestone event that would have reason to be clear in my memory.
According to the Buck date code info, since my blade is only marked BUCK U.S.A., that does put the production period as sometime in '67-'72, which means mine might indeed be 440C, at least according to other info regarding the Buck timeline for their 110 blade steel.
OP, thanks for starting this thread, as it's brought back some nostalgia ... and prompted me to go out to the bench and put a sharp edge on my old (and neglected) 110.
I think I'll even wear it today when I go over the hill to pick up our granddaughter for her sleep over for the July 4th events she likes to attend here. I can wear it strong-side because I'll be pocket-holstering one of my J-frames.
I wore a Buck 110 every single day for decades. I had a nicer model with (I assume) fake ivory handle as a "Sunday goin' to meetin'" blade - for church, dinners out, etc.
Hammer, screw driver, paint scraper, tree branch cutter, weed slicer... and sometimes just used as a knife.
Then I started carrying a Leatherman Supertool, and took the 110 off my belt just to save weight. I have 3 or 4 Bucks in drawers and car glove compartments scattered about.
Great, heavy duty all purpose knife.
Hammer, screw driver, paint scraper, tree branch cutter, weed slicer... and sometimes just used as a knife.
Then I started carrying a Leatherman Supertool, and took the 110 off my belt just to save weight. I have 3 or 4 Bucks in drawers and car glove compartments scattered about.
Great, heavy duty all purpose knife.
A buck 110 was almost mandatory if you rode a motorcycle in the '70's
Here's mine from the '70's, a couple of Damascus ones and a Kalinga.
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