Grain on the Rosewood 124?

L

Lawrence Helm

Joined
Jul 24, 2014
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This question has migrated: what exactly is the handle material on this 124 made of? Someone couldn't quite make out the grain. Hopefully some of the following photos along with some cocobolo-handled knives and my old Micarta 124 will show the grain:



























Lawrence
 
124 Production Notes - When they were first introduced, they had a phenolic wrap around handle, but I don't think that lasted long. They changed to a micarta handle and used 440C steel. The handles changed to resin impregnated birch about 1983. Buck continued with the 440C steel until about 1981 when they changed to 425M. In 1992 they started phasing in 420HC steel and that's what they used today in the new re-introduced models.
This is what I have but I'm sure there are other opinions.
 
On the BCCI website all the 124 Frontiersman catalogs and articles show production scales as impregnated birch, burgundy micarta (one year), black micarta and phenolic. Most of the ones I see offered on the big auction site are either like the OP's or they are the black micarta. Someone at Buck should know but my guess that what ever you want to call it it's some type of birch or birch laminate.
 
Found more detailed notes:


The Buck 124 was originally designed as a diving knife and called a Nemo. It started its life somewhere around 1967. The original prototype, around 50 or so, had a hole centered in the pommel. They are extremely rare!!!

This was followed by a production model that was offered in 1967 with either a diving sheath (NEMO) or a flap leather sheath (FRONTIERSMAN). Both were the same knife, other than the sheath. They made roughly300-500 of these and they had black phenolic handles with white teflon spacers.

1967
Black Phenolic wrap around handle
Stamped BUCK, U.S.A.
Plain edge, no serrations
Stainless guard, varying thickness, one piece stainless butt, one visible rivet
Lanyard hole on end of bird’s beak pommel
Red “bone hard fiber” spacers
Plastic Nemo or leather sheath.
Larger 2 piece off white box for Nemo and Frontiersman.

1969 to 1970
Black Phenolic wrap around handle
Stamped BUCK, U.S.A.
Plain edge, no serrations
Stainless guard, varying thickness, one piece stainless butt, one visible rivet
Lanyard hole on end of bird’s beak pommel
Red “micarta” spacers
Plastic Nemo sheath or leather sheath.
Unknown box style.

1971
122 temporarily discontinued late in this year
Grey/black “Buckarta” micarta, heavy grain slab style handle.
Upside down stamp. Buck, U.S.A.
Partially serrated blade.
Stainless guard and 2 piece butt with 2 visible butt rivets.
Lanyard hole
Swinging leather sheath.
Unknown box style.

1972
Grey/black “Buckarta” micarta, heavy grain slab style handle.
Upside down stamp. Buck, 124, U.S.A. 122 may exist with this stamp too although no 122 were made in 1972.
Partially serrated blade.
Stainless guard and 2 piece butt
Lanyard hole
Swinging leather sheath.
2 piece yellow box.

1973
Nemo back in production.
Grey/Black or just black “Buckarta” micarta handle.
Right side up stamp. Buck, 124, or 122, U.S.A.
Partially serrated blade/122. 124/ plain blade.
Stainless guard and 2 piece butt/ 122. 124/ aluminum guard and butt.
Lanyard hole
Swinging leather sheath.
2 piece yellow box.

1973
Nemo discontinued for good.
Tight grain black or red micarta, blocky or squared handle shape.
Three line stamp, 124 only from here on.
Plain edge from here on.
Aluminum guard and 2 piece butt.
Lanyard hole.
Swinging leather sheath.
2 piece yellow box.

1973
Black “Buckarta” micarta
Three line stamp.
Aluminum guard and 2 piece butt.
No lanyard hole from here on.
Swinging leather sheath or Snoopy style.
2 piece yellow box.

1980
Black Buckarta “micarta”
10,573 units sold

1981
Black Buckarta “micarta”
7293 units sold

1982
December
Pakawood (impregnated birch) handle
4705 units sold

1983
3850 units sold

1984
4688 units sold

1985
5206 units sold

1986
Three line stamp, BUCK, 124<, U.S.A.
Date code after model number from here on.
4724 units sold

1987
6143 units sold

1984 to 1987
Stag handle 124 was offered with a slab style tang, aluminum guard and butt, with a suggested list of $230.
 
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