What is the very best year or years for the Buck 110 ?

Wowbagger

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Well I did search. Maybe I'm lazy; I assume there is a thread here.
Q : What is the very best year or years for the Buck 110 ?

I suppose I should have posted in the Buck forum. Move if you must. I'm hoping for more eye balls here.

Thanks
 
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Any Buck 110 from any year is good. That said, the old(er) ones in 440C were a b*tch to sharpen but they held an edge once you got it. I prefer the current 420HC to the old 440C; my BassPro 110 in CPM-154 is even better. Buck's S30V blades (Cabela's or Custom Shop) are simply superb when it comes to edge-holding... go the Custom Shop route with stag grips or whatever meets your fancy.
 
Alberta Ed,

Thanks. The Stag is a good idea. I like 440C in other brands so looking forward to trying Buck's.
 
Like my pal Ed said the very early Buck 110s were a real pistol to sharpen from my memory too, but the edge held up very well.I've tried to find a post by Joe Houser from Buck but was unsuccessful in reference to the multiple refinements to the Buck 110 over the years and I maybe wrong but I believe it's thirty something. If you were to ask ten different 110 collectors what year was the best,I bet you'd get ten different answers. I still really like the Buck 110, made in America and cuts like a laser. Imho still the best buy for the money amongst folding knives. This has been my edc for the last month or so.
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I read that the older 110's had a convex edge on them and a lot of folks had a hard time getting them sharp trying to sharpen them the regular v type grind sharpening and not knowing this.
 
Ed said it, any year will do. Go to one of the large chain sporting goods shops, like the one that rhymes with Rick's and see if they have some clearance Xmas tin can 110's. You can try a 110 out at a reasonable value and see if you like it, then upgrade to the Custom shop 110. Just a fair warning they are addictive:thumbsup:.

JB
 
The Buck 110 with 425 MOD steel are pretty darn good knives, but I have also had good luck with the 440C and 420HC versions - everyone of them cut the deer or turkey or fish I was working on. OH
 
Some say the three dotter 110 is the best 110. That is the last knive with 440c steel but the first one with the Paul Bos heat treatment. Two good things came together in these knifes. Top steel and top treatment. That makes a durable user. No wonder that the price of the three dotter always goes up into the sky.

Haebbie
 
So far, I think 2017 was probably the single best year for the 110.
In 2016 we got flat ground D2 with a clip point, CPM-154 with a drop point, S30V in a drop point, I think there was a short run of BG42 in either 2015 or 2016 from SK. In 2017 SK Blades also brought us S90V to go with their D2 and CPM-154, and Copper & Clad brought us aluminum frames and a sheep's foot blade.
I don't know of another year or years with such a variety of steels and shapes.
In 2014 (the 50th anniversary year of the 110), there was 440C, 425M, and S30V along with their 420HC. Models with these steels can still be found on the auction sites, but you can expect to pay a pretty penny for them.

I've had or still have them all and I can't decide which I like better. 420HC is a great every day steel in the 110 and comes at a bargain price.

420HC $ (1994+)
440C $ (-1981)
425M $ (1981-1994)
S30V $$ (Drop point or clip point)
D2 $$ (SK Blades Flat Ground Clip Point 2016+) - Edited to correct "Clip", not "Drop" Thanks OH
CMP-154 $$ (SK Blades drop point 2016+)
154CM $$ (if you can find it BPS)
S90V $$$ (SK Blades drop point 2017+)
440C $$$$ (2014 Buck LE)
BG42 $$$$ (if you can find one)
Damascus $$$$

The properties of the steels can be found pretty easily. Figure out what you're going to use it for and determine what steel suites you best. Then you might have even more choices:
Handle Material: Bone, stag, G10, Micarta, wood, CF, etc...
Frame material: Brass, Nickel Silver, Aluminum, Copper
Blade shape: Clip Point, Drop Point, even Sheep's Foot, plain edge, serrated

The basic design of the 110 hasn't changed in 50+ years. Improvements have been made however, and any newer than 1970 or so are virtually identical mechanically. The earliest 110s from the 60s and 70s I would probably not seek as users. The 60s models had thinner blade stock, in the early 70s the blade was thickened to what you have today (.120") the blade and the spring holder was changed from brass to stainless.

Yeah...
 
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I like the 3 dot 110 and the feature it got was a fuller hollow ground blade, still of 440C steel and real macassar ebony handles. We've seen so many good ones come out recently that what ever you want can be found. I carry a 3 dot 111 Classic and Ole Blue. These 2 are my favorite. The 4 dots were the first year of finger grooves. Another feature I like on a 110. DM
 
d762nato said:
I read that the older 110's had a convex edge on them and a lot of folks had a hard time getting them sharp trying to sharpen them the regular v type grind sharpening and not knowing this.
Click to expand...

Nowadays, you can send your old 440C 110 to Buck and they will put the Edge 2000 on it if you request it (for seven or eight bucks......Call them to make sure).

I have not tried this or heard feedback from any who have taken advantage of it.......but........That should make for a very fine knife.
 
Haebbie said:
Some say the three dotter 110 is the best 110. That is the last knive with 440c steel but the first one with the Paul Bos heat treatment. Two good things came together in these knifes. Top steel and top treatment. That makes a durable user. No wonder that the price of the three dotter always goes up into the sky.

Haebbie
Click to expand...

Haebbie, as it turns out, we had a major kerfuffle about that a while back here on the forum, and..........

The traditional story has now changed. Bos himself is now saying he heat treated most of the Buck blades for many years before 1980.

So.......as with all things Buck.....stories change.

It seems possible that 1980 was the first year he did them in-house, but even that seems to be based strictly on memory rather than physical documents.

We know the three dotter is a great knife......at least we still have that popular opinion.

:)
 
Wowbagger said:
Well I did search. Maybe I'm lazy; I assume there is a thread here.
Q : What is the very best year or years for the Buck 110 ?

I suppose I should have posted in the Buck forum. Move if you must. I'm hoping for more eye balls here.

Thanks
Click to expand...

You could get many different opinions on that one.

My favorite is the Four-Dot finger groove model.

But........I have also my almost favorite Three-Dot model.......and I have carried my old 1968 model happily, too.

Oh, I have Custom Shoppe BG-42 and Damascus, too........and I suppose they're kind of my favorites, too.

The only thing I'd say is I don't care much for the 110s of the last ten or 15 years.....they're just OK most of the time.

:)
 
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I really like 2 dot 110's and most of the ones made after they moved to Idaho (2005).

But I will say that the worst year for 110's was probably 2014. With it being the 50th anniversary year Buck sold a lot of them. Probably more than in previous years. I think they were putting them out too fast though because I've seen a lot of sloppy 110's (fit/finish) from 2014. Especially ones where the 50th anniversary badge were put in too deep or too high. Trying to find a decently made 50th is like mining for gold.
 
Choose your steel. Then that will guide you to what years. All of them are fine depending on what your expecting from the blade.
 
If you read MtPokt response above its broken down perfectly.
 
RevolverGuy said:
I really like 2 dot 110's and most of the ones made after they moved to Idaho (2005).

But I will say that the worst year for 110's was probably 2014. With it being the 50th anniversary year Buck sold a lot of them. Probably more than in previous years. I think they were putting them out too fast though because I've seen a lot of sloppy 110's (fit/finish) from 2014. Especially ones where the 50th anniversary badge were put in too deep or too high. Trying to find a decently made 50th is like mining for gold.
Click to expand...
Never heard about that before, I will have to check mine, got 2 of the 50th 110’s.
 
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