All About Pocket Knives

I got this Buck this week and I am not sure what I have.
Perhaps one of you Buck experts can enlighten me.

The handle is 1/8" narrower (from top to bottom measured across the handle at the rocker pin) than the new production 110s. It fits my hand better than any other 110 I own. I LOVE it!
The blade seems narrower as well.

It also has some sort of device attached to facilitate easy opening with the thumb. This device works better than any other one-handed opening device I have seen!

As I read the 110 info it seems like one of the first 2 or 3 versions.
Can someone help me out here and let me know what version I have?

It is a cool knife & I really like it. It may be a favorite EDC!

Dale

The opening device is after-market. I bought the exact one in the early 1970s.

As for the "narrowing" issue, I cannot respond. Every 110 I've owned or repaired was of equal width overall.

I measures a new 110 at just over 3/4" across the handle at the rocker pin.
This one measures 5/8", substantially narrower.

I can't speak for the assist for opening, but as I recall the earlier ones were narrower. Some of the bolsters were one piece with the liners. There were about three phases in the early form. Check the nail nick. Is it small compared to the newer one? I had this information about the 110, but do think I could find it when I need it.!!! Where's gino when we need him. He could help you out here.

Buck wanted to make the knife stronger, thus bigger because he realized with the popularity of the knife folks were using it for more than just hunting. It was becoming an all around tool .......and so forth........

EDIT: I see you did read about the early version. I missed that, sorry.

Very interesting Joe, thanks for the input.
As you can see in the pics the nail nick is about 1/8" shorter than on the newer 110 and it is narrower as well.

In this second pic you an see that the liners and bolsters are cut from one piece of brass and that spacer between the rear liners is not steel as in the newer 110 (bottom knife in the pic) but is one piece with the upper liner & bolsters.

The differences in the construction are very interesting (to me at least).

It just looks like a nice old one. Have you gone up to the 110 aging thread and tried to run it thru. Bet you won't go to far. Those old ones other guys show look slimmer than modern. I have one old one, it is a couple versions younger than yours. I have never seen the 'flipper'.

300Bucks

Opener called Flik-It.. Have one on my 112.. Installed on or about 78-79.. Had to use a bearing press at the auto parts store that I worked at part time in the evenings.. Still on it today and I think it works great but tough on the sheaths.. Just pulled the 112 out and polished and cleaned it up after a long time in the retired knives box.. John

Retire a 112 I tried in 94 when I got a 110,didn't work out

Thats a cool OH opening device dale, the 110 is on my list of to get knives , plus the puma game warden, i just discovered pumas german site due to my first ever pocket knife this is a favourite style of knife for me, but sadly due to its locl not uk legal anymore thanks for sharing dale, enjoy it

Paul,
The Buck 110 & 112 are also lockbacks.
Aren't they illegal in the UK too?

orvet wrote:Paul,
The Buck 110 & 112 are also lockbacks.
Aren't they illegal in the UK too?

yep if its over 3inches and locks its illegal i tend to backpack carry a lock as they have no reason to search me, but thats mainly when moutainbiking or hiking,

is this little gadget easy to get hold of and fit as like the idea

I haven't seen any Flik-its for sale since the 1980s.
Someone probably has some somewhere, but I have not seen any for sale.

orvet wrote:I haven't seen any Flik-its for sale since the 1980s.
Someone probably has some somewhere, but I have not seen any for sale.

Thanks dale, ill keep my eyes peeled or possibly make one

that knife is pre 1971 most likely it dates from jest after 1968 which is the last of the one line tang stamps and before the three line stamps
it is collectable but i think were it has that flick thing the blade has been cut down
not one i would pay a lot for but not one i would toss away either

As I recall the Flik-its slipped on over the blade and were held on by a tight fit and epoxy.
There is no indication that this blade has been modified in any way.

orvet wrote:As I recall the Flik-its slipped on over the blade and were held on by a tight fit and epoxy.
There is no indication that this blade has been modified in any way.

When I put mine on, no epoxy was needed but a 10 ton bearing press was!! That devil is not coming off!! John

I never had a problem removing them, all it takes is a vice and a hammer. Open the vice just enough that the blade back slips down between the jaws but the Flik-it doesn't. Position the knife so the Flik-it is near the corner of the vice, with the handle sticking out on one side. Take your hammer and smack the back of the blade straight down, about like you were driving a 16d nail. (This actually works best with a waffle-faced framing hammer.) The Flik-it will be either off or nearly so; if need be you can gently tap it off from here.

Buck 110s--most with a Flik-it or some variation of that idea--were still the standard construction knife back when I was in high school working construction. They'd last about a year or two before the blades were broken (it usually involved a hammer) or ground away (80 grit belts on belt sanders do a number on blades). We'd salvage the Flik-it and sometimes the pouch, the rest went in the trash. As much as we abused them it didn't seem right to send them back to Buck for a re-build.

These days, the main source for genuine Flik-its is probably salvage from worn-out knives. I've picked up a couple on eBay, and one or two more at rummage sales.