A Buck 110 Story

Long ago and in a seemingly different lifetime, I entered the US Army and headed off to, hopefully, become a member of its Special Forces.  This was during the Viet Nam era.  Kansans usually reported for basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, but for a few days it was closed due to a spinal meningitis outbreak.  Instead, I was flown out to Fort Ord, California where I took basic and advanced infantry training which were required on the path to Special Forces.  It was there I encountered my first SF members. 

These guys were, of course, very interesting to me since I wanted to become one of them.  They moved and spoke with a relaxed, confident air as they taught a couple of classes on survival and squad maneuvers.  Since none of us were allowed to carry anything but a bayonet, we immediately spotted their black sheathed folding knives on their belts.

A few months later, after graduating from parachute training (called jump school) at Fort Benning, Georgia, we rode busses north to Fort Brag, North Carolina, home of the Special Forces.  Shortly, we were introduced to the standard unofficial knife carried by SF.  It was the Buck Model 110 folder.  It didn’t take long before we purchased our own from the fort’s PXs.  I’ve had one ever since. 

While I have plenty of other knives I carry from time to time, the Buck 110 serves well and is truly a classic.  Many millions have been produced and it’s still in Buck’s lineup.  

Growing up in the flatlands of central Kansas where one is rarely more than half a mile from a road of some sort, I would have had a rather steep learning curve to feel comfortable in the wilderness.  Special Forces training changed all that.  While virtually never completely alone in Army training, over the ensuing years since moving to Alaska I’ve spent many weeks on solo hunts.  Just last year, I spent a week alone, hunting bear and caribou down on the Alaskan peninsula, enjoying every minute of the solitude. 

I decided to engrave a 110 with some Jim White scroll and then added the portion of the Special Forces uniform patch that is the arrowhead, knife, and lightning bolts.  These parts symbolize the capabilities and mission of the U.S. Army Special Forces. 

The arrow head shape – symbolizes training and the ability to utilize native American skills, as in stealth, living off the land, survival capabilities

The Dagger – unconventional warfare and training

Three lightning bolts – the ability to strike from land, sea, or air.

The Airborne portion of the patch is for the mandatory airborne qualification 

On my engraving, I dropped the airborne portion, simply because, if I included it, the size of the engraving would be too small for my liking.  Anyone familiar with the Special Forces patch can mentally fill in that part.  

In the future I plan on offering these knives with engraving for those of us who were in Special Forces, those who want to remember someone, and those who want a symbol of a part of history.