Buck 120 date

D

DocT

Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
5,437
Hi folks, I am hoping some of you experts can help me date a 120 my father gave me many years ago. It is a 3 space (one on the guard, two rear). The spacers are clearly dark burgundy red, almost black. The mark reads pointing the tip in the air with:
Buck
120
U.S.A

The blade is not full hollow ground. It is the older type of hollow grind that thickens again towards the edge.

It came with a flap sheath that says BUCK in fancy lettering on the flap and the snap below it says BUCK. The back, below the loop (stitched at the bottom and grommeted) says 120.

I am thinking 1976 to 1980 or so (based on my bad memory) but the deep red spacers throw me for a loop. Any ideas?
 
Last edited:
I don't think you can tell by the spacer color. I recall there has been some discussion on that previously and the micarta color varied slightly from order to order. Micarta was certainly much darker than the reddish fiber spacers used in the 60's.

My (unproven) belief is that in the models 119 and 120 the change from 4 spacers to 3 spacers may have happened as early as late 1973 or 1974 and then dropping to 2 spacers sometime (late) 1981. That fits with your memory of 76 to 80. I don't know if the sheath helps any, swivel sheaths make an appearance sometime in the 70's but I think flap sheaths were available all along. Also, who knows how long the knife sat on the shelf at the hardware store before being purchased.

If I understand correctly what David Martin has posted recently, the grind you describe on your blade would make it 440c steel which is also consistent with this time period.

So my final best guess is that your 3-spacer 120 dates about 1974 to 1981.
 
Last edited:
Yes, me thinks that covers it. I don't think we have a firm consensus on those models with 3 spacers (1 & 2) as to when they started. Perhaps as early as 1977. Yet, Buck employees writings give it 1981. I'm hoping this topic will be revisited in an article in the Collectors Newsletter. 1980 would make good sense because that year they had moved into a new plant in El Cajon and often that's when changes occur. Spacer color doesn't matter and the flap over sheath was offered all along thru the 80's. But I'm bending a year or two prior as it's not impossible. DM
 
I am fairly certain it was 1976 to 1978 time frame because of events that would have made a later date untenable. It was a Christmas present so the latest date I could have gotten it would have been 1978 and the earliest Christmas of 1976.
Thanks for the information, guys.

I cannot remember, but didn't they change the blade grind when they went with 425M?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top