Buck 103

Must admit never seen something like that, what are the scales, must be expensive enough to justify the additional work and lack of good looks.
 
Scales are a nice reddish-brown jigged bone.

I really don't like the idea and I'm wondering if the reason is just to cut cost or does it offer the user some advantage? There's a thread on it on the Buck Forum with more pictures. Nice knife.....except for the plywood.
 
I put on such a handle of birch ply just because I had some scrap lying around and thought it might be an interesting effect. The jury's still out on whether or not I like it, but it is interesting. Probably better off to just use Dymondwood. Similar, but the Dymondwood looks cleaner and would be more durable.

Mark.
 

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Well, at least yours is all the same material.

It was the plywood/jigged bone sandwich that blew my mind.

I mean, slapping a thin veneer of bone on a chunk of plywood?

I'm thinking some bean-counter got a brainstorm.
 
Two questions relating to this.

1. Is dymondwood stabilized?
2. Did you stabilize the plywood? I know a cabinet maker who swears by the thin-ply birch plywood. I would love to use some of it stabilized for a handle.
 
OK, here is my take on all this. I have been doing carpentry work since I was 14 yrs. old. and no matter how good plywood looks from the face side, the edge still says plywood.
When I started doing knives and being naive to some of the materials for sale I ordered some stuff called Pakawood. I thought the colors were fantastic! Boy was I ever disappointed to find it was, nothing more than expensive, glorified colored plywood. :eek:
Trying at least to recoup my money I was determined to use it though. I cut it out and got it rough shaped and laid it on the knife blank I was using and the carpenter in me could not get past the edge profile says "plywood"!!!
I left it lying on the bench for a month thinking I would warm up to it if I looked at it long enough. I never have used it on any of my knives. I just couldn't bring myself to cheapen a knife like that! I am sorry if that offends anyone. Well actually, I am not sorry as I love wood, real wood that is!:D
 
no matter how good plywood looks from the face side, the edge still says plywood.
Click to expand...

And......as you can see by the picture linked in the very first post, Buck is using it in a way that only shows that edge.

Go figure.

As a customer, I would have to raise holy hell, but apparently, some are just accepting it.

Go figure.

The knife sells for $105 and the Buck website calls the handle bone even though it is plywood with a bone veneer.

Link: http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&productID=3864

I hope this isn't a trend among knifemakers.
 
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I agree that it looks cheeseball, especially thrown in between otherwise high end materials. It was probably someone's idea to save a few bucks (sorry!) on the production line. Don't know how much would really be saved, though, so a bad idea all around and I could understand someone being upset if they forked over the cash only to find plywood stuffed into their handle.

zaph1 said:
Two questions relating to this.

1. Is dymondwood stabilized?
2. Did you stabilize the plywood? I know a cabinet maker who swears by the thin-ply birch plywood. I would love to use some of it stabilized for a handle.
Click to expand...
Zaph, I've never used it, but it my understanding that Dymondwood is stabilized, unless someone can correct me. I did not stabilize the plywood. It doesn't really require it, its made up of such thin layers (14 plies @ 3"4") that it it stable enough on its own. But then I did it more as an experiment than anything. But if you like the looks, go for it.
Mark.
 
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