We’ll admit it, we have a soft spot for the Buck 110. It’s the knife your grandfather carried, the blueprint every lockback folding hunter has copied since 1964, and a design we’ve watched Buck remix over and over again throughout the years (for better or worse).
But every one of those variants kept that sacred lockback intact. Well, not anymore. Meet the Buck 110 Crossbar Elite, the most radical rethink of the platform we’ve ever seen.
Sacrilege, or Long Overdue?
We love the 110’s famous lockback, and it doesn’t necessarily need changing. It’s absolutely rock solid, but unfortunately, it requires two hands to close the knife. And that might’ve been okay back in 1964, but it’s certainly less acceptable for modern-day EDC.
So for the first time in over 60 years, Buck is offering the 110 without one. In its place sits a crossbar lock, the axis-style mechanism the brand debuted on its Range Series last year. Paired with dual thumb studs and a reversible deep-carry clip, the classic old Folding Hunter is now fully ambidextrous and a newly-found fidget machine.
Bos-Treated MagnaCut
The 3.75″ clip point is cut from CPM MagnaCut, the do-everything super steel we all know and love at this point, and there’s a sharpening choil at the base to make touch-ups easier.
Better still, it wears the stamp of Paul Bos, the heat treatment legend whose name has been tied to Buck blades for decades. That’s about as good as production knife metallurgy gets.
Half the Knife, Literally
The brass bolsters are also now constructed from Cobalt Cerakote aluminum, flanking DymaLux Macassar ebony inlays that keep the classic two-tone loo. And, the whole knife is screwed together rather than pinned, which means you can easily field strip it and service it at home with ease.
The result weighs just 3.5 oz, roughly half the original’s 7.2 oz heft, in a body that’s just half an inch thick. Our favorite detail? The crossbar’s spacer sits right about where the rocker rivet lives on the original. It’s a cool little nod to grandpa’s knife, hidden inside the new one.
Spec Sheet
Brand: Buck Knives
Model: 110 Crossbar Elite
Blade Length: 3.75″
Blade Thickness: 0.120″
Blade Steel: CPM MagnaCut (Paul Bos heat treat)
Blade Shape: Clip point
Handle: Cobalt Cerakote aluminum with DymaLux Macassar ebony inlays
Locking Mechanism: Crossbar Lock
Carry: Black nitride reversible deep-carry pocket clip
Weight: 3.5 oz
Manufacturing Origin: USA
Price: $254.99
Pricing & Availability
The Buck 110 Crossbar Elite is available now, made in the USA, and priced at $254.99 direct from Buck. There’s also a smaller 112 Crossbar Elite with a 3″ blade for compact-carry fans, tipping the scales at just 3.1 oz.
Recap
Buck 110 Crossbar Elite
After 60-plus years of lockbacks, Buck rebuilds its most iconic folder around a crossbar lock and MagnaCut at half the original’s weight.
