Buck 501 spring not flush

STM

STM

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May 27, 2006
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Quick question for the members here. I ordered a Buck 501 last week from Amazon and it came with side-to-side blade play and the main spring was not flush with the back of the knife. I exchanged the knife and the new one arrived today, same thing.

I have at least a dozen Buck knives and I love the quality and value, is this common for the 501? Should I send this on back too?

Thanks, I rarely post but am a long time lurker.

STM
 
It should last a lifetime and you should be happy from the very first minute. Keep sending it back until you get one you like. It's a great knife, one of my favorites.
 
I went through the process of returning, and returning, and returning a model 55 purchased from Amazon. I never did get one that was right. Jeff Hubbard contacted me after I posted here and I returned the last one to him at Buck. They sent me a good one. It is very frustrating.

When they are good, they are good. But, I have been wondering what is going on with quality checks, if they have any. I have received many excellent knives from Buck and some very bad ones.
 
The 501 is one of my favorite knives, and not just a favorite from Buck. I had one that had the scales come loose and I sent it to Buck. The replacement had more issues than the first and Jeff sent me another one after that and it still had minor issues but it was better. I reckon I can sum it up by saying you may never find a perfect one. Buck will do whatever they can to make you a happy customer, that you can count on. Even with imperfections, it's a fantastic knife that will do whatever you need it to. Keep trying until you're satisfied, but you might have to live with a less than perfect 501. I have mine on me nearly everyday and I don't give it a second thought...
 
This is all sad to hear. My older 501s are my favorite and they are tight and the springs are flush. It should be that way on all of them. (I wish they would go back to the micarta)
 
I just sent the second knife back to Amazon. I've been thinking about getting a Custom 501 because I do like the size, design and feel of the knife. I might order that later this afternoon. :)
 
It kinda makes a difference how much blade play we're talking about and how far from flush the spring is? If I wiggle a blade with all my might and there is maybe the slightest feeling of movement then that must be blade play and obviously a major QC issue. Or maybe I can hold the handle and the blade just flops from side to side. Same with the back spring. If I measure it with a laser and it's .000005 out of flush that must be an issue. Or maybe it's sticking up a 1/4".

Obviously these are extremes to most but it's really an individual thing and hard to illustrate to any degree even with a photo but that would help. My concern is, is the knife safe to use and will it preform its intended function?
 
I completely agree with you and on its own the blade play was not an issue. The spring was catching on my pants when put it in my pocket. My other 110 and 112s are very close to perfectly flush. I'm still a Buck guy, any company or person is going to have a miss now and then.

Scott
 
If you order a custom shop knife, make certain to post pictures. I'd be interested to see your choices and the quality from the custom shop, too.

I once had a stag 501 someone decided they wanted more than I did :mad: . I also have (now in storage) a micarta 501 I carried for years, including in the Army. I used it hard. There is no up and down play but there is a little user induced side to side play because I used it harder than it was meant to be used. The knife still took what I dished out but needs tightening up just a tad. It is still okay, but not as tight as when new. This is really a superlative pocket knife design.
 
I would have to say my '78-'80 micarta 501 (daily carry/use) is quite a bit better quality and f&f than my '16 501. I was actually surprised. I don't feel it's really a valuable enough knife to send in though, because the issues are minor definitely don't effect functionality, and the blade locks up solid. The quality difference is definitely there though. I think it can sometimes be hit and miss. Certainly much more hit than miss. These guys do the best they can, and when something happens or slips through the cracks, they make it right. Buck is still, and will probably always be, my favorite knife brand.
 
After looking at the custom shop options I realized that I prefer the stock knife so I just placed an order from another website. What can I say, I'm a plain vanilla guy. I'll update this conversation when I comes in.
 
I would order one from Buck directly. I did not know they had so many options to choose from on their website. I'm curious why Amazon. Price?
 
Amazon is my goto site for internet shopping, I like the fast/free shipping. Never thought about ordering directly from Buck.
 
I believe Buck has a 30% off coupon code right now for Fathers Day but it some restrictions on what it can be used on.
 
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I ordered a 501 from the custom shop about two years ago. It came with the spring so loose that the blade fell open about half an inch when closed. I sent it to Joe after talking to him on here, and it was fixed up...but the spring does stick up about 1/8" above the liners. I didn't complain further, but I have to say it's not what I was expecting...especially when compared to by 1977 501: F&F on that is just perfect. I've got my eye on a 501 with the buckeye burlwood handle from the custom shop, but I admit that I'm a little gun-shy after that experience. I might just see if I can find a red micarta 501 on the auction site.
 
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VTer said:
I ordered a 501 from the custom shop about two years ago. It came with the spring so loose that the blade fell open about half an inch when closed. I sent it to Joe after talking to him on here, and it was fixed up...but the spring does stick up about 1/8" above the liners. I didn't complain further, but I have to say it's not what I was expecting...especially when compared to by 1977 501: F&F on that is just perfect. I've got my eye on a 501 with the buckeye burlwood handle from the custom shop, but I admit that I'm a little gun-shy after that experience. I might just see if I can find a red micarta 501 on the auction site.
Click to expand...

That's a shame. A custom 501 is on my list and I would hate to get one with sub par fit and finish. I know Buck would make it right because they've done it for me in the past...but I don't want to wait two or three months to get it (depending on if it would have to be sent back).
 
VTer said:
I ordered a 501 from the custom shop about two years ago. It came with the spring so loose that the blade fell open about half an inch when closed. I sent it to Joe after talking to him on here, and it was fixed up...but the spring does stick up about 1/8" above the liners. I didn't complain further, but I have to say it's not what I was expecting...especially when compared to by 1977 501: F&F on that is just perfect. I've got my eye on a 501 with the buckeye burlwood handle from the custom shop, but I admit that I'm a little gun-shy after that experience. I might just see if I can find a red micarta 501 on the auction site.
Click to expand...

I read this with a chuckle because just yesterday, I started to write about a similar experience with a custom 501, but then at the last minute, decided not to post it. I guess I was worried about appearing overly critical of Buck Knives since I really like them both as a company and for their traditionally-inspired products. Unless someone wants to know more specific details, I'll keep this short by simply saying that I'm surprised at the hit-or-miss quality that comes from the Custom Shop these days. If one craftsman is truly responsible for each custom knife, it's difficult for me to understand how/why some of the obvious flaws I've experienced were ever allowed to pass. At the price level of some of the Buck customs, there are plenty of perfectly executed production knives from a host of other manufacturers. But that said; I really like Buck's 112. It pushes all the right buttons for me. Also; their customer service and backing of the product has been commendable. However; they might not have to spend as much time on customer service if instead, the effort was re-directed toward inspecting the knives before they ever reach the customers.
 
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Well the 3rd time is the charm. The blade is nice and tight and the spring is flush the back of the knife when opened and closed.

And while I'm a very happy camper right now I'm still thinking that a custom 501 would be nice too. So just one more knife and then I'm done...
 
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