My Buck 110

[kootenay joe]

I 'won' this knife on ebay 10 or more years ago. After winning, i asked the seller if there was any history to go with this knife.
She told me it was her husband's. He was a Highway Patrol man for Washington State, i believe it was. She said he wore this knife on his belt every day that he worked from the day he got it until he retired 17 years later. She said he considered it part of his uniform and he would not even touch it when not dressed for highway patrol.
The blade has the original edge and it likely has only made a 'couple' of cuts. Handle is finger groove. Tang is 110 with 2 dots on either side. I think this dates it about 1982-85.
The sheath is a "Safety Speed" Montebello, CAL. (before it became "CA" ?)
I really like this knife and i have a few questions:
does this sheath alter the value ? It is not the usual Buck 110 sheath.
does finger groove alter value ?
with the 4 dots blade is 425M steel. Are the older 440C knives more valued ?
To a Buck collector, is this quite a collectible knife ? or fairly common so limited value ?
Thanks for your help. I bet you like this knife too
kj

[Rdubya21]

Nice knife with a good history story to go along .

[eveled]

At the time finger grooves cost an extra $5. The sheath is an upgrade over the original probably came from the police supply store. The basket weave probably matched everything else on his duty belt.

It’s a nice knife. In my opinion, it’s not really old enough to be worth more than a new one. Especially now that they are using Ebony again. Although I like the old Macassar Ebony better than the new stuff.

[kootenay joe]

Thanks for these responses and your assessment. Are the handles "Macassar Ebony " ? I had thought "Pakkawood" from the Pakka tree
kj

[eveled]

That era was Macassar Ebony. Before they switched to diamond wood laminate scales. I just noticed what looks like the snap chafing on the scale. Shows how many miles it rode in that sheath. Yet it obvious saw little actual use.

[philco]

Roland that is a very nice Buck and the sheath adds to the overall package IMO.

[jmh58]

Nice 110 outfit Roland!!!
John

[doglegg]

Great pick up Roland.

[kootenay joe]

Thank you all for your helpful & enthusiastic replies.
It is odd how a knife can seem to have a personality, a 'presence'. I feel a calm friendly confidence that seems to emanate from this knife.
It is as though the respect that the original owner had for this knife now gets transmitted to me from the knife.
I'm sure many here have knives that give them a similar experience. Maybe one day science will be able to show that our attitudes affect inanimate objects.
kj

[KLJ77]

Roland...I'm just seeing this. You have an awesome 110 with a great historical provenance. I agree with Eveled that this LEO desired the basketweave sheath due to matching uniform belt, cuff case, etc. This knife was made between 81-86. Personally, I believe you have a very nice keepsake in most excellent condition. Shine those brass bolsters up and it will be even more attractive. The 425M steel is a very good steel and a lot of Buck aficionados prefer this steel over 440C or 420HC. That doesn't mean value is any better, but just a personal choice.

Yep...I like this knife too.

[Old Hunter]

Nice Buck 110 Roland. You don't see many Finger Grooves with Four-Dots, guess not a lot of them were ordered. Mark me down as one who really likes the 425MOD steel for a using blade, especially with the improved edge they have over the 440C blades - best of both worlds in my opinion. As to value, I'd give more for it than the current knife, about what I would pay for a similar condition Two-Dot (but you know how "value" is perceived on older items - it really varies with the owner/users preference). OH