- Joined
- Jul 24, 2014
- Messages
- 328
I hiked with a recent Buck/119/USA purchase. I was especially inteested in trying out a new sheath purchase. I like the snake-skin sheaths but prefer day in and day out to have something simpler. Perhaps the one I took today will do. Time will tell. In the course of the hike I was struck with the solid color of the handle material; which wasn't the way I remembered my Buck/124/USA; so when I got home I compared them. Even though they were both made in the same time range the handles are very different. I took the knives out into the backyard and hopefully have a couple of photos that permit the differences to be seen:
What were the different materials used? In another thread the following old add was posted:
I bought my 119 (not photographed but it appears to have the same handle material as the one I did photograph) and 124 in (probably) the early 80s, but it is possible that I bought the 124 in the very late 70s, I just can't remember for sure. I suspect the 119s had the "ebony-colored phenolic" handles mentioned in the add. The 124 handle was made of something else. If it weren't for the word "golden" I might think it was made of "golden-grain Macassar ebony wood" or perhaps a composite involving ebony. It could be the "impregnated birch" if the impregnation process turned the 124 handle nearly the same color as the 119 handle.
When I run my finger down the grain-grooves shown in the photos I can feel the grain. There isn't anything like that on the 119 handles.
I checked all my other black Buck knives and they all have handles like the photographed 119. Only the 124 has the grains.
some other photos from the hike:
Lawrence
What were the different materials used? In another thread the following old add was posted:
I bought my 119 (not photographed but it appears to have the same handle material as the one I did photograph) and 124 in (probably) the early 80s, but it is possible that I bought the 124 in the very late 70s, I just can't remember for sure. I suspect the 119s had the "ebony-colored phenolic" handles mentioned in the add. The 124 handle was made of something else. If it weren't for the word "golden" I might think it was made of "golden-grain Macassar ebony wood" or perhaps a composite involving ebony. It could be the "impregnated birch" if the impregnation process turned the 124 handle nearly the same color as the 119 handle.
When I run my finger down the grain-grooves shown in the photos I can feel the grain. There isn't anything like that on the 119 handles.
I checked all my other black Buck knives and they all have handles like the photographed 119. Only the 124 has the grains.
some other photos from the hike:
Lawrence
