Some products are so good at their job that they stop changing. The Buck 110 Folding Hunter is one of them. It is a big brass-and-wood folding knife with a lock that clicks shut like a bank vault, and it looks almost exactly like the one your grandfather carried. Buck says more than 15 million have been sold since it launched in 1964.
Here is what the 110 is, why it mattered, which version to buy and where to find it.
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What it is
The classic 110 Folding Hunter pairs a 3 3/4 inch clip-point blade in 420HC (high-carbon) stainless steel with brass bolsters and Crelicam ebony handle scales. A lockback mechanism holds the blade firmly open until you press the release on the spine. Closed, it measures 4 7/8 inches, and it comes with a black leather belt sheath.
Because the handles are natural wood, Buck points out that every one has its own grain and markings. That is part of the appeal. No two look quite the same after a few years of use, as the ebony darkens and the brass picks up a soft patina.
Why it mattered
Before the 110, a hunter who needed a strong blade usually carried a long fixed-blade knife on the belt. Folding knives existed, but most were slip joints that could close on your fingers under pressure. According to Buck's company history, Al Buck decided in 1963 that outdoorsmen needed a dependable locking folder, and the company's board authorized development of a new lock-blade knife.
It was not easy. A blade of nearly four inches, a high-tension lock and a low-pressure release left little margin for error. A preliminary model came back by midsummer, and on August 8, 1963, the directors approved the basic design and asked for a brass liner. Refinements continued into 1964, and the Folding Hunter did not reach full production until that September. It became Model 110 in the next catalog.
The bet paid off. In a 60th anniversary piece on its own site, Buck calls it the first mass-produced locking folder able to handle the heavier work usually reserved for fixed blades. "It took the market by storm because it was the first dependable production-made folding lock-back knife in our industry," CJ Buck says there. Ranchers, soldiers, electricians, fishermen and hunters all carried one.
Which version to buy
Buck now builds a whole family around the 110. Three are worth knowing.
- 110 Folding Hunter. The original, with brass bolsters, ebony scales and the leather sheath. Buck also offers it with a finger-grooved handle shape. This is the one to buy if you want the icon.
- 110 Slim Select. The everyday carry version. Buck replaced the heavy bolsters and wood with lightweight molded nylon, added a deep-carry pocket clip and made the blade easy to open with one hand. It keeps the same 420HC steel and closes to the same 4 7/8 inches, but it rides in a pocket instead of on a belt.
- Customizable 110. Buck runs a build-your-own version of the 110 on its site, and laser engraving is available on the standard knife too, which makes either a good gift.
The honest tradeoff with the classic is weight. All that brass makes it a belt knife more than a pocket knife. If you want the look and the lock in something you will actually carry every day, choose the Slim Select. If you want the knife that started it all, buy the original.
Living with a 110
The 110 asks very little. Wipe the blade after cutting anything wet or acidic, put a drop of oil on the pivot now and then, and keep the lock area free of grit. The 420HC steel is chosen for corrosion resistance and easy sharpening, so a few passes on a stone or ceramic rod bring the edge back. Buck backs its knives with its Forever Warranty.
It also looks right with the rest of a heritage kit. A 110 on the belt suits a pair of Levi's 501s and boots from our heritage boots guide, and a hand-wound watch from our field watch guide completes the picture.
Where to buy
Buck sells every version, including engraving and custom builds, through the Buck Knives store. You can also pick up the Buck 110 Folding Hunter with ebony and brass or the lighter Buck 110 Slim Select, both listed by Buck's own storefront. Check current pricing before you order, since it varies by handle and finish.
For more pocket tools that earn their place, see our everyday carry essentials. More in our desk and everyday carry hub.
