After Buck's success with the 110 Folding Hunter back in 1964 it didn't take long it's siblings turner up. First out was the Buck 112 Ranger in 1969; a more compact version with a about 20 mm shorter blade and a updated shape of the front brass bolster. This particular knife is from 1994 and ended up in my hands after some help from a nice Danish couple.
Design
The chubby clip point blade of the 112 is made of Buck's well known stainless steel 420HC; a nice all round steel that has been the company's standard steel since 1993. I especially like the blade length that allows me to put my finger on the tip of the blade not to damage any intestine when field dressing my game.
The famous Buck lock back mechanism locks the blade nice and tight when opened. 1994 was the first year Buck started using laminated birch in their handle scales. The wood is colored darker to imitate the previous scale material used; Makassar Ebony. The handle scales is nicely fitted into the robust brass frame.
As this is a pretty heavy folder it comes with a black 2,8 mm thick leather holster with a 30 mm wide loop for attaching to the belt. A more pocket friendly version of the 112 you can find in the EcoLite version produced between the years 2010-2013. If you want a Ranger with finger grooves you should check out the Finger Grooved (FG) 112.
Specs
Blade Material: Stainless steel 420HC, HRC 58
Blade Length: 75 mm
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Knife Length: 109 mm / 184 mm
Handle Material: Brass, stainless steel and birch
Handle Thickness: 15,6 mm
Knife Weight: 175 g
Holster Material: Leather
Total Weight: 237 g (knife and holster)
Price: 590 SEK (Sweden 2013)
Out Hunting
This particular knife was actually the first folder that made me to "only" bring a folder to a big game hunt. The fact that the Buck 112 Ranger is a price worthy and robust folder in combination with Buck's genuine history makes this a ultimate hunting folder according to me. At this moment the fluffy snow is slowly falling outside my cabin window and I'm looking forward to this weekends Hare hunt. And of course then my 112 Ranger get to tag along.
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