Help with 102 dating

D

DocT

Joined
Mar 25, 2012
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Hi folks,

I have my father's 102 and I wonder if there is any way to narrow down the date the knife was made? I know it was made sometime between 1972 and 1986, but that is a huge span of years with a steel change to boot.
The knife has this marking:
BUCK
102
U.S.A.

No dots.

The sheath is one of the fold over the top enclosed snap sheaths in black leather. It has 102 stamped into the leather just below the belt loop.

Any guesses?
 
With a few exceptions, dots really don't apply to anything but the 110/112.
Is a picture possible? That would be best.
It's going to be about handle construction and orientation of the tang stamp.
Is the tang stamp read with the blade pointing up or down?
How many dark spacers are in the guard and pommel? (look close, they sometimes blend in with the black handle)
 
Without a photo you have to describe more items. 1) the number of black spacers in the finger guard and the same in the pommel. This will give us more info to help date it for you. DM
 
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Not to worry my friend. It's blowing, snowing and 24* here. So, I'm glad I have something indoors to do. DM
 
Fortunately, even though it is after midnight here, I am awake.

It seems to have 2 spacers on the guard, one in the middle and one behind. It also seems to have 2 on the pommel, one just fore the metal, and one in the middle before the final pommel. (Or another way to say it is there are 3 pommel spacers, 1 black, then metal, then black, then pommel).
 
Good. Thanks. Your 102 was mfg. between 1972- 1979. That's as narrow dating as I can give. Blade is of 440C. These I'm positive about. Others may have more. DM
 
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David Martin said:
Good. Thanks. Your 102 was mfg. between 1972- 1979. That's as narrow dating as I can get. Blade is of 440C. These I'm positive about. Others may have more. DM
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. It is too late and too dark for photos. But, at least it is not blowing snow, here. But it is cool, being only about 79 degrees F, as it has been raining all day.
 
Some my disagree and include 1980 which I could agree with. But I know the snoopy style sheath was out in the mid 70's and you said yours was the flap over. DM
 
I'd have to agree with Daves second post, to include 1980, because Buck didn't remove one of the top Micarta spacers until 1981. 1972-1980 is a as close as you're going to get.
 
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