Info sought on Buck 279 white covers/scales

Markeologist

Markeologist

Joined
Jul 21, 2018
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2,149
Bought this Buck 279 off eBay because of the white covers/scales. I can't find any info on them so I'm turning to the experts here. It has a 2003 date mark (T) and a sequential number on blade (155 / 200). I want to know what the covers/scales are made of as I want to remove the faux scrimshaw (machine stamped buck head) and add real scrimshaw (I did this on a Buck 193 with the oval polymer insert with machine stamped bear on it). I think it is polymer but it could be a ivory micarta (presumably paper)...they take ink differently and I want to know what to expect. Thanks.

O74vsJs.jpg
 
Nice knife. I was looking at that one on the auction site as well. The handle material would be white micarta which I believe would make it easy to remove the deer head and have it scrimshawed. It would not be white paper micarta otherwise you would see layers.

Info from the 2003 special projects list.

catalog# 9573
item # B279-SP2-0
279 ivory handle with deer scrimshaw, Buck River, Harrison & Asso.
 
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I have one of those and just checked it out. My understanding of Micarta is that you'll see some sort of grain to it? Mine has no grain in any type of light...
 
gedlicks said:
Nice knife. I was looking at that one on the auction site as well. The handle material would be white micarta which I believe would make it easy to remove the deer head and have it scrimshawed. It would not be white paper micarta otherwise you would see layers.

Info from the 2003 special projects list.

catalog# 9573
item # B279-SP2-0
279 ivory handle with deer scrimshaw, Buck River, Harrison & Asso.
Click to expand...

All micarta is some type of material or fabric (e.g., paper, linen, canvas, burlap), placed in layers, soaked in resin and then compressed until resins have hardened. Generally, the coarser the material used, the more the weave of the material as well as the layers become visible in the finished product. Some paper micartas are extremely fine and show little if any grain, thus my thought that if these covers are micarta, they would most likely be paper. It is because of the layers of materials that some micartas take ink oddly, sometimes allowing the ink to spread outside of the etch beneath surface (not a good thing).

AND thanks for the catalog info!
 
I looked at the 2004 catalog on the BCCI site and it says "Imitation Ivory" for the handle material. I'm thinking it's what they call "thermoplastic"??
 
If catalog didn't specify "Ivory Micarta" then yep, I bet this "Imitation Ivory" is a plastic. Fine by me, takes scrimshaw just fine. Thanks to you and gedlicks for weighing in. BTW if you Google "Ivory Micarta" you can find it for sale, and lots of the vendors indicate that it is a "paper micarta."
 
There have been 4 different versions of these scrim's.



The all white with the blade cutout was a buildout sale item. The other Scrim that I am missing is a bunch of Antlers stacked over the whole scale. There is one of the Eagle/flag version on Larry's new consignment list.
jb4570
 
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I have one but I'm going to say it's some version of plastic. Mine is stamped USN and WTP(warrior transition program) which takes place in lanstaal, Germany were my son is stationed.
 
gsea said:
iMEjnEr.jpg
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Cool! You can still find original Westinghouse Micarta for sale but it ain't cheap. The resins that the "laminates" are soaked in are the "plastic" part of Micarta unlike straight polymer handles/scales which are solid plastic. Buck similarly impregnates many wood handles/scales with plastic resins.
 
jb4570 said:
There have been 4 different versions of these scrim's.



The all white with the blade cutout was a buildout sale item. The other Scrim that I am missing is a bunch of Antlers stacked over the whole scale. There is one of the Eagle/flag version on Larry's new consignment list.
jb4570
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing! Are all these 420HC?
 
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