501 Esquire

R

Russell Payne

Joined
Oct 9, 2000
Messages
183
We have a huge gun show/flea market in Hillsville over Labor Day weekend and while my wife, son and I were walking around I came across this knife. It is a Buck Esquire (the Buck name is in a scroll or fancy lettering). It has some sort of Micarta handles I think. The handles are a dark color. It had the box and papers. The box is a yellowish color. I got it for $20. It is in very good condition. Did I do OK? I liked the fact that it had the box with the message from Al Buck still inside as well as warrenty info. Don't know much about lockbacks. I figured it was worth $20 with the box and all. There are so many knives at the place and so little time and money.
 
Hmmmm...guess you did just OK. Hehehe...20 bucks sounds about right for a recent well used 501 with no box. Does your Esquire have two or three pins in the handle scales? The ones with three pins are the earliest.

Oops, forgot the important part...Yes, you did very well. Buck had to change the name from Esquire to Squire for legal reasons.
 
This one only has two pins showing in the handle scales. It looks like it could have been carried but not much. There is a date on the warranty paper of 4/77. Does this sound like the right date for this knife? I don't buy knives for any future value but because I enjoy them but it is nice to know they might be worth something to my kids someday. It's a neat hobby for me. Thanks for the replys.
 
The 501 "Squire" (Not Esquire) is still in production. MSRP is $49.00. Typical street prices run around $35.00 - $45.00 new. (I sell them in the store for $39.95). Good mid-sized pocket knife. Comes with a leather belt pouch. (Did yours have the pouch with it?)

$20.00 is a good price for it with the box and papers. The blade on it may be 440C instead of the current 420HC. That makes it more desirable since it's a better steel. You did good.
 
Thanks Dennis. Mine did not have a pouch. I thought it was a neat knife and knew it was not made with that handle material and under the name Esquire. I mostly carry traditional pocketknives, 300 or 700 series but do love my 503 Prince. It is a good size knife to carry. I don't know about the steel on the 501. It is a different grind than the new ones have. Thanks again for the info.
 
I own a Buck 501 with 3 pins in the handle.I bought it in 1973 and it's hardly used.
I wonder if it has the 440c blade?
I also at the same time bought a Buck 110 still have the leather sheath with that one.

I wonder what their worth?
 
Freedom 1, your 501 is most probably 440C if it was made in '73. I think it was the late 70's or early 80's when they switched. First they went to 425 "modified" and a few years later changed over to 420HC. I don't know the exact years when these changes took place but Joe or Larry or Vern should know.

Old 110's are pretty common out there and they haven't seen much of an increase in price over the years. A while back, at a gunshow, I picked up two 110's, one a 4 dot with a bent tip and no pouch and the other, as new,(I think also a 4 dot), still in the yellow box, with papers and an as new pouch, all for $10.00. A lot of patience and some careful hammer work made the bent tip straight on the first one and I kept the other in the box in a drawer, someplace. I'll probably give it to my grandson when he's old enough. (He's 4 now.)

I realize that is not a common occurance but it isn't as far-fetched as some might think. Unless it has something distinctive to set it apart, an old 110 is just that...an old knife. Not quite an antique and one of thousands that have been made over the years. They can be found in pawn shops, flea markeets, swap meets, gun shows, knife shows and garage sales all across the country. With that kind of proliferation, it just doesn't follow that they would bring premium prices.
 
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