I have always liked these two knives.Who like one more than the other,and why?
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Life is short,live it fully.

I like em both too! I do not currently own either but glad you posted as I would like to hear comments on both. Maybe one built more rugged than the other? Steel used in making? Both look to be excellent EDC knives.

Case XX - only because it was the first knife my granddad bought me. Which I lost in a river in Arkansas in college when my canoe tipped over..

I never got another one. I think I may have to remedy that now.

110. It’s what I have. They are both much bigger than what I like to carry, and I don’t need another big trailing point anything.

The Case looks like it might be more comfortable, but who could say without having it in hand. In any event, the Buck defines that class of knife. If you are only going to have one, the Buck is the one to have.

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Years ago I couldn’t decide either. Ended up with both and still have them. I consider them equal.

What Case model is that? In size it looks like a Hammerhead, but the current listings I find for the Hammerhead do not show the pronounced choil of the model pictured.

I'd be a 110 person, but only because I got my first one in 1980, and I totally agree with Marshwheeling that the Buck 110 defined this class!

I still have my original 110, and two or three others.

Don't get me wrong, as I think Case makes a great knife, but in this class, the 110 rules!

This is like asking which is better Ford or Chevy?

It boils down to the quality of construction and blade steel. Today's Case and Buck knives are about equal in overall quality, they both use 420HC steel, but Buck has the advantage in their proprietary heat treatment and they have their blades at a slightly higher RC hardness, so technically they should have a better edge retention.

What I like about Buck is the ability to get knives in 5160 or S30V blade steel, with Case, as far as I know, it's all the same steel.

But I like the classic look of the Case pocket folders, and they have a much greater variety of styles than Buck.

For outdoors, I go with Buck. For a Gentleman's pocket knife it's a Case.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

Funny, 40 years ago I was big into pocket knives, wasnt old enough to buy guns. Buck and case were never even a consideration of mine, the only huck I had ( still have) is a fixed blade.
The death, or switch to Chinese manufacturing of so many American knife makers has left us with few choices.
I have picked up some case copperlocks , and they are nice.

Case xx,the blade has a Shark picture,and the words Shark Tooth on it.

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I pick the Buck 110. Like Gunhacker posted, you can get a 110 with S30V steel and a drop point blade like my knife in this picture.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

Or, you can get a 110 that is even cooler like the Buck Automatic in this picture.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

They currently catalogue Hammerhead and Mako shark models. I bet that one is an out of production model and probably very collectable. There should be a number on the blade which will denote the handle material and style number. It will probably end with an L for locking. There may also be a CV or SS, for chrome vanadium steel or stainless steel.

Both are great. I've always liked Case for the variety of handle materials, but that's just a cosmetic thing. I recently purchased a large collection of Case pocket knives. Far more than I'll ever need. I've selected a few to "collect" and I'll slowly sell or trade off the rest as I get time.

I have both I'll give a +1 to the 110 cause I don't like the blade configuration on the Case the finger grove just isn't right and shortens the blade use.Also the nail nic is too close to the joint on the Case..

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New it cost $200.00 because it is a collectable,but I got it used for $50.00 in a pawn shop.They had some new ones in the shop when I bought this one.

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Life is short,live it fully.

Quite a few companies made or make a knife similar to the Buck 110 but I've no experience with any of them. Most seem to be any where from a nearly identical "clone" of the 110 to just sharing the most basic features.

With similar materials and workmanship I'm guessing they all do pretty much the same thing in the same way. The Case example the OP posted has a more rounded profile than the Buck and that might make it more appealing to a particular buyer.

My 110 purchases these days are more for collecting than using but I've thought about trying some of the Case offerings. Puma makes or made a couple that I find interesting as well.

As mentioned above Buck and or its vendors do offer a variety of features for the 110 be it blade steel, blade profile and grind as well as scales and frame materials. Plus the Buck Forever Warranty is something to consider.

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Here is a photo of my Uncle Henry Bear Paw, Case Large folding hunter and Buck 110. Each of them are in their own rights nice knives. I have cleaned a truck load deer with the Bear Paw. I like the fact that the brass bolsters are a little smaller and more rounded than on the Buck. The Buck is bomb proof though and I cant imagine any way to break one without seriously abusing it. My favorite of the three though is the Case. It takes an edge easily and holds onto it well. I like the fact that there is a second blade there. I generally use the second blade for rough stuff and then keep the edge on the main blade for fine cutting. The Case is the perfect camp knife and I use it for cleaning game and fish, cutting meat and vegetables for cooking and assorted camp cutting chores.

Of course, I am probably a little biased towards case. Regardless of the model of Benchmade or Spyderco that I have clipped in my pocket I always have a Case trapper snuggled down inside the pocket and it is the Case that gets used for everyday chores. I guess I have had a Case trapper in my pocket almost everyday for the last 45 years.

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I was never crazy about Buck steel, I bought one when 1st out.
They were good knives but hard to sharpen. The Case Surgical
SS is in the same boat. I would much rather have the CV blades.
I have never had any trouble sharpening knives until they went
to SS. I have a SS 440c hunting knife that I had made in 1970.
I have no trouble sharpening it to a razor edge and it will hold
it. The SS in this blade is hard and you can tell it by the feel
when you are sharpening it. The Soligen steel knives are a
little harder than CV and hold their edge.

I carried the big folders for several years and went back to a
fixed blade for deer. I have field dressed deer with a big Case
stockman more than once. To me the 110 size knives are to
big and heavy to be any advantage over a fixed blade,

My knife in that spectrum is a very well worn Browning Outfitter I, given to me by my father in 1977. Never saw the need to change or upgrade . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Depending on when it was purchased Buck used 440c followed by 425m then 420HC which continues today. Not sure which one you had trouble sharpening?

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I had several new Buck knives, late 60s early 70s. all were the
same as far as sharpening. I think the move to SS by the knife
companies is cost savings on heat treating, cold blanking ect.
I have never seen one of these knives chip, they seem to be
more of a tough nature than hard. My daily carry knife is a
small lock back . Buck or Case. I had a Buck mini lite blade
snap off right at notch in front of trade mark. This surprised me
I didn't think them hard enough. The case mini lock backs are
the same for sharpening purposes but have never broke one.
I go through these often because of loss. I have a Gerber of
the same type which is complete junk. As far as Im concerned
the off the rack SS blade knives are a shiney piece of metal
sold on a fancy handle. The old trusted brands of German knives
have went the same way, Puma-Boker-ect.

The Camillus C-3 .30-06 Cartridge knife is an interesting knife in the same vein. In addition to the locking clip point, the gutting blade has a separate lock. Nickel silver bolsters with jigged synthetic scales. The shield mimics the butt end of a .30-06 cartridge.

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I prefer the Case Shark Tooth as the rounded profile of the handle is much more comfortable in my hands than the Buck.

YOUR PHOTO IS QUITE USEFUL IN MAKING A VISUAL COMPARISON.....

I FAVOR THE BUCK, BECAUSE OF THE FEATURES YOU POINTED OUT, AS WELL AS THE METALLURGICAL CHOICES. THE TERM "BUCK KNIFE" HAS COME TO REPRESENT THE ENTIRE GENRE OF LARGE FOLDING LOCK BACKS.....

I COLLECT BOTH BUCK AND CASE KNIVES. IN TRUTH, I PREFER A LINER LOCK TO LOCKBACK FOR EDC, BECAUSE OF ITS EASE OF OPERATION WITH ONE HAND......

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

110 are awesome knives, one of the best dollar values out there, new knife wise. I prefer the 500, slightly more tidy package and comes with a drop point.

Both of those knives will put a smile on your face. But I like to remember it was Buck that put this type of knife on the map. There were other lock back knives before the 110 but I bet not more than 1 person out of 100 can name them (I can't but I could look it up). I remember the Buck's taking the knife world by storm when they first came out. Every kid in school was jealous if you had a 110.

Don't get me wrong. Case makes great knives. I like their stag handle, multi-blade knives a lot. Great knife to carry in your pocket. If you want a drop point you have it, etc..

IMO the knife making world has passed these great champions by but at a price. There are some really good knives being made these days. But I still have knives made by Buck and Case. I'll always have them. They were always good knives and they still are. I just think there are better knives around made by companies like Benchmade, Spyderco and Kershaw. Yes they will cost more usually. But you get a better knife. A lot less weight for one thing and better steel. You can get Bucks in S30V which is a step up. But they are still heavier than they need to be. I still love them though mainly for what they meant to me growing up. The funny part is I always had Uncle Henry knives way back when and I wanted a Boker Tree Brand by the time I was in high school. I finally got some Buck knives and some Case knives but never did get a Boker.

How about the Schrade version, the LB-7?

Schrades and Unclehenry lb7&8 are fine in there own right.

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Get both of them, and don't stop then.
Buck is on the left.
Case is #6
#2 is a Puma Prince
#3 is Marble's Damascus
#4 is by Schrade
#5 is a Bear
#7 Camillus
#8 Gerber Gator II

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge.
Then click on the photo to enlarge again.

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In Omnia Paratus

The Buck 110 gets too much credit for popularizing lock backs. Mostly the 110 popularized a single blade combined with a thick handle with a curved shape that your hand is unlikely to slip forward from onto the edge. Previously most large single blade folders that did not have thick stag had thin handles that were not near as comfortable.

For those willing and able to pay for them lock backs and liner locks were available at least as far back as the early 19th Century. However, used as a tool rather than a weapon blade locks are frivolous and most work men had higher priorities for their wages.

Since you sort of challenged us to rattle off the names of lock backs that preceded the 110 without looking them up here's a few that spring to mind. The early 20 century Remington R1306 was 4 1/2" closed and had a very comfortable handle. Camillus and Queen made reproductions with a variety of blade steels and handle sides. Queen called theirs the Mountain Man. The Case that's now usually called a Cheetah dates to before WWI as do their Large Coke Bottle folders. Both have been offered both with and without a back lock for a century. Case's best know Folding Hunter two blade slip joint was also offer as a single blade lock back.

Buck 110, only because it's what I have.

Yeah, I could have done that with the help of Google also.

You may have done that off the top of your head, but I certainly doubt it.

You feel free to believe what you want, for many (millions) of us the Buck 110 will always be THAT knife, I guess you'll just have to deal with it!

I used Case knives until I tried a Buck. I found that the Buck holds and edge better. I broke a pin and Case replaced the blade and pin and charged me. I broke a pin in a Buck and they sent me a new knife at no charge. I got rid of my Case knives and now you can't run fast enough to will me a Case knife. Just my opinion and worth what you paid for it. Larry

I collect recently made traditional knives. I bought my first Buck 110 about 1970 with money made cooking and serving fast food so I am well aware that 110s and 110 copies displaced many older large folders in store displays about that time. There are plenty of collectors here who can rattle off dash numbers and minute details of pre-model number S&W revolvers from memory so my knowing what may be the few best know traditional locking knives should not be a surprise. If you want to stump me with a knife question just about any question on modern flicky dickies will do it. It's just a matter of what interest you.

By the way, Google exists to collect information about you to sell with no regard for the morality of the buyers of that information. I suggest using Fire Fox's private browsing combined with Ghostery and searching with duckduckgo. There are talk forums that specialize in pocket knives and others blades of all types. While they are not direct competitors of this forum posting their names might violate the rules but you can find them with duckduckgo.

Knives are like guns, just because you like one it does not mean you cannot like another. As a collector I have a couple of 110s that appeal to me. If I had a choice between getting another 110 or a Case Shark Tooth, I'd buy the Shark Tooth because they are more rare. For field dressing a deer or hog I'd use my Cabela's branded fixed blade that suspiciously resembles a Buck Vanguard.

Here's how the Buck website describes the Model 110:

"The 110 Folding Hunter® is a classic and traditional favorite! Buck's Folding Hunter was created in 1963 when Al Buck decided that a revolutionary lockblade knife was needed by outdoorsmen who wanted a sturdy knife but did not want to carry a long, fixed blade knife. He was right and the result proved to be the key to the company's future. The challenge was to combine the strengths of other folding knives with locking mechanisms into a good-looking, reliable product. It wasn't easy, but after a series of refinements, the Model 110 was unveiled. Within six months, this innovation was the hottest knife in the industry."

There really is no best knife, there is only the best knife for the job at hand.

i have two buck 110 knives and i love them both and they have both gotten a great deal of use.

In my observation Buck's advertising quoted by kwselke over emphasizes hunting. To repeat myself from other threads during the 1970s and into the 80s Buck 110s and their copies became the closest thing there ever was to a universal workman's knife. Their pouches were on the belts of blue collar workers every where.

Also I think I can improve your statement:

And the best knife for the job at hand is the one you have on you.

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I know there were other lockbacks before the 110. I think I said so. At any rate I realize they just did it better and cheaper than most of the similar style knives before them. And my first experience with a 110 was through the eyes of a kid in grade school who was in awe of the big knife with the lock back blade. If you've ever cut your finger because a folder decided to try to close while you were using it (something kids like me were prone to do for some reason ) then you know why the 110, which was the first really popular locker that I know about, happened to grow into the legend it became. It was a great knife at a great price and it had a feature few knives had at least as far as I knew. But I was a kid and what the heck did I know.

I know what you mean about people following certain brands or types of knives. My dad collected every Case XX stag handle they made which took him years. He drove to flea markets 100 miles away because of a hint at finding the last ones he needed. He had a lot of fun collecting them and for some reason sold the collection all together almost as soon as he finished the set. I suppose he made a wad of cash on a complete collection like that.

He also had a bunch of S&W .357's all with short barrels. Every chair I sat down in likely had one stuffed down inside it somewhere. Scared my future wife silly when she discovered that lump in the truck seat was a revolver.

I care more about .44 mag Smith's. I can rattle off the dash numbers and the years they came out and what the upgrades were and all that. But I like lots of other stuff too. I have a big collection of knives but not like dad had. I collect whatever grabs my eye. And lately what has grabbed my eye are the knives my parents never dreamed of seeing. Bucks were great but there's a reason they came with a sheath. The knife I currently carry is about a third of the weight of a 110, has much better steel, and has other features the 110 never had. They do make a 110 with modern steel now but not the best modern steel. Those are the knives I can tell you about. We all have our interests. And as much as I love the 110's and other Buck's and Case knives I love the modern stuff more because they are extremely effective tools. And that is what I have always liked most of all.

Puma Game Warden then Buck 110. Also got a Benchmade i like. Carry the Benchmade more every day. Use the others when I'm outdoors.

Otherwise a fixed blade. Cold Steel makes some inexpensive fixed blades that sharpen easily stay sharp and cut well. Mora also makes a very good inexpensive fixed blade. I like Cold Steels knife better but prefer Moras sheath. Use one of those butchering game animals.

From there custom fixed blades from solid but not famous makers.

Knife has to feel good in your hand as well as doing the cutting. If it doesn't feel good to you your hand will hurt before you finish gutting skinning and quartering out a deer.

KaBar 1189, and not the newer 3189.

I doubt that as Stainless steels are more difficult to heat treat than high carbon. The addition of chrome makes it harder to get the carbon in (and out) of solution. Typical high carbon steels only need to be taken to 1500f for a short period, then quickly quenched. Stainless tool steels need to go to at least 1850f and held at temp for min of 30 minutes for the carbon to go into solution. This requires an inert atmosphere or sever decarbonation will occur. The only advantage is that most stainless steels do not require as rapid of quench and can be air cooled in thin knife like sections. Both type steels require 2 2 hour temper cycles to get the best results, although temper temps vary some as to desired hardness or toughness. Some the stainless steels tempers are higher than high carbon. Also SV30 requires higher temps than most stainless.

I have my own HT oven and have heat treated a lot of blades, both stainless and high carbon. It is the most critical step for best results. a well HT blade with any decent steel, and a lousy grind will, if sharpened well cut and stay sharp. A beautiful knife with great steel and a lousy HT is just a knife shaped object to me.

Making a good knife is still as much art as it is science and almost all of that is due to the differences in heat treating. Some companies seem to have mastered the process and turned it into a science though. And if the modern steels are treated well they can be extremely effective tools.

Still all types of steel have their advantages and disadvantages. For me I want a knife that will stay sharp until I get home to sharpen it again. I don't want to feel like I need a stone in my pocket to keep my knife sharp. My grandmother used a high carbon Old Hickory knife in her kitchen for decades. She wouldn't use anything else. They don't hold an edge a long time but you can sure put a sharp edge on them and it will last a while. She would keep the stone right on the table while she was working to preserve food. Every few minutes she would give it a few passes on the stone and go back to work. She had the middle of that blade looking like a rainbow (curved) where she had sharpened it so often over the years. But the thing stayed as sharp as a razor. I have one of those knives I use on a regular basis in the kitchen. I have stainless blades that take an edge and hold it a long time too. But that doesn't mean I can't get the job done with an Old Hickory. Knife steel can be done well many ways. It can be done badly many ways too. I just think some companies are doing it much better than ever before.