Buck 124 construction question

orca8589

orca8589

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Jan 27, 2007
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How are the Buck 124 Frontiersman models constructed - more specifically, how is the guard attached? I've wanted one for years, and finally got a 2012-made 124 this week. Looking at the tang, where the green micarta butts up against the guard, it looks like the tang is the same width after it passes through the guard, to area of the tang stamp.

On the 119 Special, the tang is a stick tang, and the guard butts against the blade and then the handle is put on over the tang, with the handle material "holding" the guard in place, so to speak.

So, how is the 124's guard attached? If it got hit hard enough from the grip end, could it break loose and slide down the blade? I know this is probably trivial, but I'm curious. Mainly I want to make sure that if I modify this one like I did my 119, I don't mess something up. (I reduced the guard on my 119, and drilled it for a lanyard.)

~Chris
 
Does the 124 have stick-tang construction? How is it built out to full tang?

~Chris
 
Yes, some (early ones) had the hidden tang construction. Now, they are built using a 'full' tang construction but the handle portion is a little more narrow than the blade. DM
 
orca8589 said:
Does the 124 have stick-tang construction? How is it built out to full tang?

~Chris
Click to expand...

The hidden tang 124 is in the middle.


Top 124 full tang.


All of these 124s are hidden tangs.

jb4570
 
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Ok just to add to the discussion, there must be a detent or something to keep the guard in place, if you look at say the 124LE, the blade portion just behind the guard and just in front of the guard is the same width, so the OP was asking how does it stay on, I think there is some kind of a detent just under the guard but that makes me wonder how did the guard get put on if just that portion is not as wide?
 
I think RickJ explained it pretty well. I'm dealing with a nasty cold right now, so I've pretty foggy for the last day or two - I'm probably not explaining my thoughts very clearly right now.

Years ago I had a nice little fixed blade (I won't say the brand - not a Buck, though) that the guard came loose on, and eventually slid down and off the blade. It was only epoxied to the wood handle slabs. Eventually, enough moisture got into the gap between the guard and blade that the wood finally let go around it.

I took a needle and cleaned the buffing rouge out gaps between the guard and the blade on my #124, and I'll probably figure out what I can put in there to make sure moisture can't get in and stay in.

Does anyone have a picture of a full-tang #124 with the handle slabs off, or a clear acrylic handle like some of the 110's I've seen?

~Chris
 
Robert Ptacek said:
On an 80's era 124 that I had you could faintly see where there was 2 pins that held it in place.
Click to expand...

Beat me to the answer.... 3 am.... ?? :o Yes they are pinned to the blade thru the edge of the guard. It'll be tough to photo, mine are polished in pretty good. There is no shoulder for the guard to rest against on the full width tangs. The 124's with the stag handles have stick tangs and the guard is pressed against the shoulder like a 119.
 
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Ok, here is a quickie picture done sitting here at my desk with a "breath fog" of the edge of the guard.
Played with the contrast a bit. You can clearly see the two pins. This particular knife is a 3-line pre date code.
My current production 124 (2012) is also pinned.

124pins003_zps6025656f.jpg
 
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DeSotoSky said:
Ok, here is a quickie picture done sitting here at my desk with a "breath fog" of the edge of the guard.
Played with the contrast a bit. You can clearly see the two pins. This particular knife is a 3-line pre date code.
My current production 124 (2012) is also pinned.

124pins003_zps6025656f.jpg
Click to expand...

Cool info, I would have never known because I have never seen a pin mark on my two 124's. Shows how good a job Buck does.
 
DeSotoSky - that's exactly what I needed to know - thanks! I'm curious though - do you see the pins on the other side of the guard? I can see the pins on my 2012 #124, same side as the one you have pictured, but I don't see them on the other side.

So I guess the pins don't fully penetrate the guard - just through one side of the guard, through the tang, and into the guard on the other side, kind of like the butt-cap on the standard Kabar #1217.

Either way, knowing how the guard is attached settles my question. Thanks for all the effort & input everyone.

~Chris
 
Personal experience is I've only seen the pins from the left side.
Buck does a really good job of polishing them in.
 
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