You know that feeling when you've bought a new video game, you've been playing it in
all of your free time- then you realize it's Sunday and you don't have dick written for
your weekly youtube bullshit?
I knew you could relate!
This weeks upload is the Buck 110 collection, minus the 110 auto which answers the question..
uhh guys what if we added a button- could we stick em for an extra $100?- Yeah let's
keep it 420HC because we hate our customers.
and the LT version- the light pocketable version of the 110 but without a disgusting pocket
clip.
But in order to review the new 110 variants we need a good old, brand new 110 to compare
it to.
And while I wait on Buck for a personal phone call thanking me for spending over a $150
on Buck 110s a few weeks ago, which is presumably because they're still washing cars for anyone
buying the 110 autos- let's take a look at the dimensions... off all three knives, as
the blue line cult collectively screams HOW DO I KNOW WHAT YOUR MEASURING INCORRECTLY,
like the overall length and weight.
You think the standard 110 is heavy, just be glad they discontinued the Buck 110 Pb.
Blade size and cutting edge.
However with the recent resurgence of Asbestos, expect Buck to cautiously roll out the Pb
again.
Handle size and grip area.
I know that's a little weighty of a topic for a knife review.
You weren't prepared.
That's ok I'm not ready for the paid Asbestos trolls in the comments telling me I don't
know what I'm talking about.
Are we at spine and handle thickness yet.
I hope so, because this is a lot of reading when you're 5 beers deep.
Tallnesses?
Yay we're done!
I mean with this section, unfortunately there's another I dunno 10 minutes to go?
Lynn help us.
So the Buck 110 is a classic knife for a lot of people, mainly old guys or people who inherited
many remarkably unscathed 110s from old guys who never carried it because it was too heavy
for a mid 3 inch blade.
The Buck 110 was introduced in 1964 according to the historians at Wikipedia.
Hoyt Buck wanted something classy and reliable, and said in no uncertain terms to his design
team, “I don't care the details but It has to be 90% brass,” which at the time was
popular in cheap hotels, doorknobs, and kick plates everywhere.
“The every man's gold, I'd always say” "yes sir we know" So here we are in 2018 and
some of the heretics at Buck finally had their way and decided to add a pocket clip and make
the buck 110 out of lighter materials while keeping the blade size similar.
I believe the 112 also has similar lightweight variations now for people who like 2 3/4 inch
cutting edges, and I like that they like them.
So here we have the regular 110, the 110 slim Hunter Pro, and the ultralubricated slim 110
select.
It's like it's barely there.
The connection these three knives share are the basic 110 shape and blade size, and the
you-can-go-to-hell-if-you-don’t-like-tradition lockback on the rear of the handle.
The standard and select 110 blade is made from 420HC steel, with a hollow grind in a
clip point style.
Now the new Pro and Select have a less pronounced clip than the standard, and the swedge while
not sharpened on the OG 110 is definitely more aggressive.
All knives are hollow ground, and the pro has the upgraded S30V- the entry level knife
snob steel.
S30V will offer better wear resistance than the 420HC, so longer times between sharpening
by a bit, but also slightly harder to sharpen as the theory goes.
There is some side to side wobble on the Pro, not noticed on the standard.
I would attribute it to the design of the pivot, which looks sorta like a rivet.
It can be moved from side to side on the Pro, but the select and it’s more rigid GFN handle
material doesn’t have this.
The original doesn’t have this.
Lockup is handled by a lock back mechanism on the back of the handle.
Effectively making all three versions two handed closers like our forefathers preferred.
There is a noticeable aggressive snap on the Select and Pro when locking open.
And when closing the select and pro also have a stronger suck back into the handle.
The Buck 110 while is a two handed opening mostly, I found it's so heavy on the handle
that if you hold the blade tight you can fling it downward one handed.
When closing it kind of just gently fades into a close position with no discernable
stop, if you ease it closed.
The pro and select have similar openings to one another.
Both can be deployed one handed, but not quickly.
My first decent knife was a spyderco endura 4, and that is similar in deployment speed.
Although I can flick the Endura hard enough for a quick deployment, and my finger would
slip and I'd shave off some thumb meat when trying that with the bucks.
So one handed, but slow and steady one handed...
(Old guy voice) Still a little too quick for my tastes.
Handle construction.
The OG has two bigass brasslinerframe bolsters, with some wood scales.
Although legend has it Hoyt, (or is it Hot Buck) originally wanted them brass too.
The original feels nice, weighty and comfortable in the hand, and has plenty of room to spare
for larger more tactical grips too.
The Pro, has micarta scales with no liners, and about the same amount of hand room.
There is steel hardware for the clip and back spring, and some handle rivets.
No screws here, so average knife bros will have a tough time disassembling.
The blade pivot has side to side play but not the rest of the rivets.
The select has a GFN handle, which is a glass filled nylon, a standard hard wearing plastic
found in many knives.
The select is constructed similarly to the Pro, as in linerless but with steel hardware.
But it feels more solid in the hand.
Clips.
My first thought, as is the people I've seen post on instagram about them, is they're ugly
as hell, but they are deep riding and functional.
They have that buck logo, letting you know the micarta and plastic were forged right
here in the USA by master blacksmiths.
The clips are tight steel deep carry and swappable to the right or left side in a tip up configuration
only.
The original buck 110 has a black sheath, made from leather.
It rides high but out from the belt.
I'm not really into belt carrying sheathed folding knives.
I do so with my multitool at work though because it's smaller and is hidden under my work jacket
so people don't laugh and point.
Comparisons.
How do I make this section manageable with three knives?
I don't really know Let's look at them all side by side, first and compare the three.
Out of these three knives I like probably the Select- even though I want to like the
pro more.
I love the feel of micarta scales, because they remind me of fabric bandaids, but also
give nice grip even in the wet.
The Pro, while having some weird slight blade play, that I can't say really affects its
actual functionality is still nice.
It's S30V steel means it will have more cuts before resharpening which is one of the most
important things to people who don't use knives very often.
The select has a solid handle feel and little give, and plenty of texture in the wet.
A great value for only about $30 The OG has a thicker handle, but it's too heavy of a
knife for me.
My leatherman wave takes up less space and can do more.
And it's only about an ounce more.
In case you aren't aware or only collect medfords, first thanks for watching this video about
a Buck you 1%er you, also the 7.10 ounces of the original Buck 110 is really heavy for
it's size.
And it's center of balance is somewhere mid way in the handle, and not closer to the pivot
like most knives.
Now the Benchmade full size crooked river, larger and $130 more than the Buck 110.
It's also quite a bit lighter, mainly due to Benchmades courage and forward thinking
design team for not going with brass anywhere.
S30V steel like the Buck Pro, reliable axis lock.
If I had to carry a big ass knife it would be this one.
Deploys much faster and closes easier and one handed too.
Too bad these are so expensive comparatively.
There's also the smaller Crooked River mini, about the same price as the full size despite
having 2 ounces less materials overall.
The tooling I guess.
Ok let's take a gander at the Benchmade Bugout.
A less than 2 ounce knife that I batoned the shit out of in the review.
This knife feels more solid than the Buck pro and about the same as the select.
Uses the steel of the pro but the handle material of the select, and no blade play anywhere.
Also the Buck Pro has more handle flex than this one when you squeeze.
Ok, let's look at my favorite lock back knife.
The Spyderco Endura 4.
This knife is about $70 now, because that's what Spyderco thinks you will pay.
FRN handles like the select or is is GFN?
Who cares.
The lock back is in an easier to close one handed position because it's not the damn
butt of the knife.
I understand that if the buck 110 moved the lock button it wouldn't be the buck 110.
I'm not saying that's what they should do, just a lock back in the center or forward
still allows for a one handed closing.
Nice long handle too.
If you want cheap like the Buck Select the Spyderco Byrd Cara Cara 2 is also nice for
the price, and even a bit cheaper than the select.
I think I may like the styling of the Buck Select a bit better.
So surprisingly I like the select the best of all.
I mean I knew the original really wasn’t going to be my favorite.
In theory I like the micarta handle and blade steel of the pro, but it feels a little less
solid overall than the original or select.
$90 feels a little steep considering there’s that weird flex in the hand, and the pivot
sorta moves back and forth.
If you need something with a smaller blade, the 112 seems to be a good option.
The Select is a great value for a made in the USA knife at only $30.
Nice big blade, and seemingly durable.
Another ding, is that the Bucks are going to be harder to disassemble because they lack
screws holding things together- I’m not saying it can’t be done, just that it’s
not as straightforward.
This isn’t a knife disassembly channel though.
The Original 110 is too heavy a folding knife for me, especially since it doesn’t have
a pocket clip.
If I needed an outdoor knife for my belt I’d probably go fixed blade.
There are of course perfectly legitimate reasons for carrying a folding knife in a belt sheath,
although I personally can’t think of one.
I commend Buck though for taking a traditional folding knife and clipifying it.
A while back a subscriber and I got into a discussion on why a knife needs to have a
pocket clip.
The school of though among traditional knife enthusiasts is they don’t need them, is
that a knife is perfectly fine in your pocket without one.
I don’t agree, I carry knives on an inside suit jacket pocket at work, and a clip keeps
it right there and easy to grab.
I also like I don’t have to fish around in my pants pocket because it settled to the
bottom of my pocket.
Anyway, if you like this channel, subscribe, thumbs up, baton that bell, comment, patreon,
buy through my links to support, or whatever you feel like doing or don’t doing.