The Buck 110. The most copied knife of all time. This knife was the knife of years ago, but can it still compete.
The Buck 110 is what many would call old, outdated, nostalgic. But there are many out there who appreciate the simple nature of this classic back lock, clip-point blade, brass bolsters, and wood handles. All of this combined with the universally recognized durable design leaves a knife that at one point would have been considered perfection. But with the advancements we have made in the knife industry in the last few decades, does the Buck 110 still have a place in the pockets of people?
Does this classic look still perform?
But there are many out there who appreciate the simple nature of this classic back lock, clip-point blade, brass bolsters, and wood handles.
The classic looks of the Buck 110 harken back to a simpler time, and to many people today it is instantly recognized as one of the signature knifes of decades past. The Buck 110 was the knife many would recall being in their dads toolbox. Or perhaps they have seen one of the countless copies of this knife, floating around in bargain bins everywhere (This tends to happen to the most copied knife ever).
Knives are one of the few things in this world that can look better with age, and the Buck 110 certainly does age well. The brass scales patina over time, and after cutting apples for a few years it will begin to develop an acid wash on the blade. It is very different than the knives of today that use screws instead of pins, plastic g10 scales instead of wood scales, and ergonomic contours on the handle compared to the simple chunk you get with the Buck 110.
Blade Steel
One of the things many people touch on when deciding whether the Buck 110 is outdated or not is the blade steel. With the super steels we have today like m390, m4, s30v, cpm154, etc. the 440c steel in the Buck 110 is pretty lackluster. 440c is closer to a stainless steel than it is a carbon steel. It may not rust for a while but the increased amount of sharpening can be a turn off for many people.
How good is to carry
Carrying the Buck 110 proves to be a bit more of a problem than with modern pocket knives. For starters the Buck 110 does not come with a pocket clip, unless you skimp for the "pro" version with stainless steel and plastic handles (Not recommended). This means that a standard carry would not be possible. The next option is to just leave it in your pocket, but with the size and weight most people would find it too much to carry. The only other option that leaves is to sheath carry it. The Buck 110 comes with a sheath out of the box, and while its okay for occasional use if someone wished to carry it everyday they will probably want to buy a custom sheath from a leather worker. One large downside of the sheath is it displays the knife to others. If you work in any office or inside job this is probably not advised. So while the sheath is your best bet, its probably best to only wear it outside of the work times.
Modding
One way you could get more of the features of a modern knife is by modding your Buck 110. For many years people have been modding their Buck 110's into push button automatics. This made it a breeze to open and not much harder to close. Luckily after years of this popular mod being done Buck took it upon themselves to create an automatic version of their own knife, bringing automatic Buck 110's to the people at a lower house. Many people have also added things like pocket clips to take this knife closer to a modern folder.
Conclusion
The Buck 110 is a very capable knife, but its lack of modern features, size, and weight make it best left for the campsite. This knife is too large to carry daily for most people, and the average person would appreciate a more modern knife with a smaller size and weight in their pocket more than they would the Buck 110.