Buck 501: Telling S30V and 420HC apart?

M

McGrain

Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
86
Hi Buck knives community!

I 've been playing with the thought on buying myself a CKS501 "Squire" (around 40$) with S30V blade from Bucks customizier-service (around 60-80$) as seen here:
http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=customKnife.build

After fiddling around with the settings and materials, I came to the conclusion that it was quite pricy.
Naturally I searched for alternatives on Ebay, Amazon and alike. Some had BOS and S30V laser etched or stamped on them whilst other said to be made of ATS34 and BOS(?).
Looking back into the BUCK Knives-Knives customizer I realized that there is absolutely no way to tell the S30V blade apart from the 420HC. At least in the flash-illustration both looked the same.

Someone owning a custom Buck with S30V blade, help! Is there any stamping or laser etching on the "other side" of the blade indicating what steel its made of?
How can I tell those two bladesteels apart? I don't want to shell out 80$ to buy a fake or a 420HC one!
 
McGrain said:
Hi Buck knives community!

I 've been playing with the thought on buying myself a CKS501 "Squire" (around 40$) with S30V blade from Bucks customizier-service (around 60-80$) as seen here:
http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=customKnife.build

After fiddling around with the settings and materials, I came to the conclusion that it was quite pricy.
Naturally I searched for alternatives on Ebay, Amazon and alike. Some had BOS and S30V laser etched or stamped on them whilst other said to be made of ATS34 and BOS(?).
Looking back into the BUCK Knives-Knives customizer I realized that there is absolutely no way to tell the S30V blade apart from the 420HC. At least in the flash-illustration both looked the same.

Someone owning a custom Buck with S30V blade, help! Is there any stamping or laser etching on the "other side" of the blade indicating what steel its made of?
How can I tell those two bladesteels apart? I don't want to shell out 80$ to buy a fake or a 420HC one!
Click to expand...

Every knife I have ( more than a few) that came from the custom shop with a premium steel blade is either stamped or etched with the steel type.
 
Thanks for the quick answer plumberdy.
So there is no fixed pattern if its etched OR stamped, on either side? It's great to hear they are marked in some way. :D
 
McGrain said:
Thanks for the quick answer plumberdy.
So there is no fixed pattern if its etched OR stamped, on either side? It's great to hear they are marked in some way. :D
Click to expand...

It seems that they have shifted from stamping to etching in recent times. For the most part mine are all stamped but the latest one from last year was etched.
 
Anybody can etch a blade with any markings they can dream up.

To avoid fakes, buy only blades that are actually hit with a physical stamp.
 
I received an S30V 501 from the custom shop a couple of weeks ago and the blade was NOT marked S30V.
 
Jeff O said:
I received an S30V 501 from the custom shop a couple of weeks ago and the blade was NOT marked S30V.
Click to expand...

That I would complain about to Buck, but if you get one that's etched direct from Buck you can be assured that it's the real thing. They don't sell fakes.
 
Trouble is, someday you or somebody else will have to sell that knife.

The next buyer will not have the direct experience that it came direct from Buck, so he will not know if it's really S30V or if some smart guy etched it.

Stamps can't be replicated.......etches can.
 
Jeff O said:
I received an S30V 501 from the custom shop a couple of weeks ago and the blade was NOT marked S30V.
Click to expand...

Buck can probably etch it for you......but it will still be just an etch and not a stamp.

Unfortunately, you can't go back and stamp them once they're heat-treated.
 
Plumberdv said:
That I would complain about to Buck, but if you get one that's etched direct from Buck you can be assured that it's the real thing. They don't sell fakes.
Click to expand...

Jeff O & All,

Did the last BCCI knife issue get sent back to Buck because they forgot to etch the steel type on the knives? If you bought a CS knife with the steel up grade and no etch, I'd contact them and hear what they have to say about it. Don't misplace your COA, it's the only proof that the knife is a CS made item!
jb4570
 
jb4570 said:
Jeff O & All,

Did the last BCCI knife issue get sent back to Buck because they forgot to etch the steel type on the knives? If you bought a CS knife with the steel up grade and no etch, I'd contact them and hear what they have to say about it. Don't misplace your COA, it's the only proof that the knife is a CS made item!
jb4570
Click to expand...

I sent mine back (paperstone 110's) and had them etched. Joe took care of that for me.
 
Custom Shoppe COAs don't state the steel used, but your packing list should have the steel type, slab type and order number.
 
Thanks gentleman, I thought about that. What is important is that I know it is S30V. I'm just surprised that it was not marked and I just wanted to illustrate the fact that there are some unmarked customs out there. Every other custom shop knife, or non standard steel knife for that matter, that I have is marked accordingly.

The tang stamp on this blade is just that, a stamp. I'm fine without mismatched laser engraving but the Bos flame and S30V would have been nice stamped on the other side.
 
BG42EDGE said:
Custom Shoppe COAs don't state the steel used, but your packing list should have the steel type, slab type and order number.
Click to expand...

Oh Yea? They must have missed the memo on not identifying the steel when they made this COA!
IMG_6207.jpg

jb4570
 
Mine don't give that information, but my packing slip does.

As with all things Buck, there are variations.

Yours is an improvement, I hope they stay with it.

(Hope they improve the steel offered, too.)

:)
 
Thanks for all the replies up till now. I guess I will have to order from buck-knives directly and ask them to stamp bladesteel-name and BOS logo on it for me.
I guess I am just not at peace if I were to buy one from elsewhere on the internet with a lingering possibility to get a fake or plain 420HC one.
 
I have a 501 from Buck’s custom shop with S30V with no marking on the blade. The packing list is the only thing that has S30V on it.
 
I saw from the start that this change to etching and lasering instead of stamping was going to bring trouble.

Apparently they refuse to stamp blades anymore, so I'll give them no more business in the Custom Shoppe.

If they thought they could increase their profits by etching instead of stamping......they miscalculated.
 
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