Buck 102 Question

[peterinct]

I recently picked up a Buck fixed blade knife with a two line stamp that is a 102.

My question is on the year it was made. The BUCK USA stamp is read with the tip pointed down, and it has two of the brown spacers in the guard. The handle seems a bit grainier (for lack of a better word) than the black phenolic handles on other knives I have with 3 line stamps but could just be a result of the wear on the knife.

Would that make it a 1968 vintage?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Peter

 

[gd526]

Yeah, Peter, your knife is circa '67-73 with the two line stamping but I too have a 105 with the 'grainy' handle. It appears as though it had not been buffed-out but it 'feels' like it is softer too. I don't know if the phenolic formula was temporarily changed or our knive were exposed, at some point, to something that damaged them. I suspect the former change and it is the only phenolic like described I have seen .... until your post.
Interesting. I would like more information on the subject too .... guess I have always had more pressing questions and never got around to this one.
Folks?

 

[Joe Houser]

Thats a great question! In 1968 we added the U.S.A. to the blade stamp and in 1972 we added the model number. We can narrow it down some more though. If you compare the handle spacers in your 2 line to the ones in your 3 line, are they slightly diferent in color? In late 1969 we changed the spacer material from a hard fiber to the current red micarta. Sometimes the diference is hard to see as they are both red in color.
If it is hard fiber, your knife is from 1968-late 1969 timeframe. If its micarta it is from late 1969 to 1972.
I have seen a diference in the phenolic in some older knives and usually I can trace it back to exposure to lots of sun, or lots of moisture. Sometimes it will buff back up. I have seen a few that were just from a "grainy" batch of phenolic too.
I hope this helps.

 

[peterinct]

Thanks for the information Joe. In looking at the spacers, I can see a distinct difference under magnification. They have sort of a wavy texture running the length of the spacer as opposed to a straighter sort of laminated look of the spacers on another knife.

Under magnification the handle material also has a different texture. Sort of bumpy look as opposed to the smoother look of the shinier, harder material.

Thanks again,
Peter