Help aging my grandfathers Buck

I

Ilikesharpstuff

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My grandfather, shortly before he passed, gave me his Buck 102, so that when I shot my first deer, I could use his knife to clean it. It's been several years ago, but as my interest in knives grows, I'd like to know a little more about this knife.

It's a Buck 102 with the black handles, and it's in a black leather sheath that encases the whole knife, with a flap over the top that closes and snaps shut. The snap is silver and has "BUCK" stamped on it, and right above that "BUCK" is stamped into the leather. On the back of the sheath where the belt loop is attached, "102" is stamped in very plain numbers, and it looks like it could have been stamped by hand, as the gaps are all different and it's off center to the right.

When holding the knife with the spine up and the blade down, the right side is marked:
"BUCK
U.S.A"

The bottom of the letters are towards the blade, with the top being by the handle. Those are the only markings on the knife, other than my grandfathers initials, which he etched in various places.

Any help would be great.
 
Ilike...:
Your grandfather's 102 is from approximately the 1967 - 1971 era. If the spacers are bone hard fiber, it would be from the 1967-1969 era and if the spacers are micarta, it would have come out of the 1969-1971 era. In late 1971 or perhaps early 1972, Buck added the model number to the tang stamp and it was situated between "BUCK" and "U.S.A." The earliest knives with model numbers were stamped to be read with the knife point facing down. Very soon thereafter, the stamp orientation was switched to be read while pointing up. It is thought that this orientation change was made to allow the tang stamps on fixed blade knives to be easily read in the new rotating display cases that Buck issued at that time. I hope this is helpful. Oh, the steel in your knife is 440C.
 
Sharp,Your knife was made between 1968-1971.The steel is 440C a excellant cutlery steel.I think your Grandfather liked you alot in giving you a prized posession.DM
 
Just a quick aside...the 102 was my first knife when I was 12 (6th grade). Wonder where that little knife went....

The Woodsman is a very versatile little fixed blade which was why it survived from when my grandfather was making custom knives to what he chose to be part of his small knife company's opening production line-up.

I love to hear about knives passed down like this...it is why it is so much fun to be in the knife industry
 
CJ Buck said:
I love to hear about knives passed down like this...it is why it is so much fun to be in the knife industry
Click to expand...
CJ knowing you and your dad
it would not mater if you was in the knife bus or not
you both have a sweet spot for good family stories!:D
ugh you did call your dad today right?;)
 
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