If I ever need a replacement for the Buck 110 that’s in my pocket right now, I’ll probably go for the upgrade: the Buck 110FG Folding Lockback Hunter with Finger Grooves. I hope the Buck Company stops trying to improve this knife beyond that minor change, because it’s an idea that doesn’t need fixing.
The Buck 110FG lockback is a little heavy for some people, with a single 420HC high carbon stainless steel clip point blade and solid brass liners and bolsters. The handle slabs are genuine rosewood, a material so naturally dense and stable that — even without an occasional rubdown with oil — it remains lustrous and smooth. Other hardwoods may become rough and splintery if abused, but rosewood carries on. It seems to become better with use. Those good construction materials add up to a 7.2-ounce folder with a closed length of 4-7/8 inches. Buck makes modernized full tang hunters that weigh about the same as this pocket knife. The 110FG with scalloped finger grooves in the belly of the handle is big enough and strong enough for serious work. The lockback is solid and trustworthy. I don’t run across everyday tasks that are too much for my pocketknife to handle if I carry the 110, and the 110FG matches that standard.
The leather pouch sheath that comes with this knife is very useful, because keeping a knife this big in your pocket will actually wear a hole in your jeans in a surprisingly short time. Check the stitching on the back, because the loop on mine wasn’t sewn on well enough — something I noticed and fixed right away.
Probably the best thing you can say about a knife is that you’ve got one just like it right here. OK, mine’s the 110 — the 110FG is just a little bit better.
