Is the Buck 110 Folding Hunter still the greatest of all time, or has quality control slipped in recent years? In this video, I’m doing a deep dive into the iconic Buck 110 to help you decide if it’s still worth your money. We compare everything from the classic 420HC steel to the premium S30V upgrades, and I share the specific things you MUST check before walking out of the store with one.
I also reveal my “Home Depot hack” to protect those beautiful ebony scales from snap-wear and show you the difference between the vintage 1981 models and what’s hitting the shelves today. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of the 110 or looking to buy your very first one, this guide will ensure you get a “perfect” specimen.
In this video, you’ll learn:
Steel Showdown: Is Buck’s 420HC “garbage” or a masterpiece of heat treatment?
The Consistency Check: Why you should always ask to see the boxed stock instead of the display model.
Handle Comfort: Comparing the ergonomics of squared-off vs. rounded brass bolsters.
The Felt Pad Hack: A simple, cheap trick to prevent your sheath snap from scratching your knife.
Sheath Quality: What to look for in the leather and how to properly break it in.
Don’t buy a Buck 110 until you know exactly what to look for in the fit, finish, and blade centering!
#Buck110 #KnifeReview #BuckKnives #EDC #VintageKnives #KnifeCollecting #FoldingHunter #KnifeMaintenance #KnifetimeStory
@BuckKnives
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Chapter Index:
00:00 – The Obsession: Why the Buck 110 Still Matters
00:15 – Steel Talk: 440HC vs. S30V and the Paul Bos Heat Treat
01:00 – Performance Comparison: Buck vs. Spyderco and Benchmade
01:32 – The “Cardboard Test”: Why Edge Retention Matters
01:45 – Lockup and Centering: Rating the “Bank Vault” Action
02:14 – Pricing History: From $38 Walmart Finds to Modern Costs
02:34 – The 1981 Legacy: Why Older Models Set the Standard
03:01 – Personal Mods: Convex Edges and Smoothing the Brass
03:27 – Ergonomics: Why Squared Edges Feel “Unfinished”
04:16 – The “Buck Stops Here”: Why I Keep Buying Them
04:47 – Buying Advice: Why You Should Always Ask to See Both Options
05:07 – Pro Tip: Box vs. Blister Packs (Avoiding Hidden Flaws)
06:01 – Sheath Deep Dive: Checking Leather Quality and Stitching
06:42 – The Proper Break-In: Forming a Secure Sheath Pocket
07:44 – The “Felt Pad” Trick: Protecting Your Ebony Scales from Scratches
08:52 – Application Tutorial: Using Tweezers for a Precision Fit
09:12 – Final Thoughts: Signing Off from the Garage
Closing Credit Music:
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
1. All comments are welcome. Seriously…don’t be shy.
2. If your question / comment requires more than a sentence or two in a reply, feel free to visit my free Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/c/KnifetimeStory. Leave a DM or start a Chat and I’ll be happy to answer you. I’ve spent untold hours providing thoughtful detailed answers with the result more often than not, not so much as an acknowledgment or “thank you.” So…that ship has sailed.
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Buck’s 420HC is pretty good. Not junk at all.
The edge geometry and heat treatment is more important than the steel in most cases unless you use a steel that can’t be hardened.
They hold a good edge, are easy to sharpen, cut well, and are just about rust free so you can clean them well.
Your videos convinced me to buy 110 in S45VN and micarta scales. There was a slight amount of side to side blade play, so I gingerly adjusted it with a vice. The pivot pin now sits ever so slightly proud of the bolster, barely enough to catch my finger nail. Do I need to peen it, or should it stay put?
*Thank you for setting the expectation with fit/finish. For $180 I hoped for a little better, but I guess that is part of the 110 character.
It’s gonna be tight. *At First.* 😆
Their sheaths suck nowadays and don’t even fit the knives well. If the snap comes loose the knife will fall out. Not fit to it at all.