little Bucks

[Psychopomp]

Nothing new or life changing here, just thought I'd share a few pictures.

Lately I've really developed a fondness for the smaller lockbacks. I was very impressed with the 55, because it's a very small knife but it is actually usable. The 503 is pretty much the same size but with a drop point blade. The 505 is a little too small, but I'll probably pick up a few of them along the way to compliment my 501s and 503.

The 503 here was originally intended to be a second project knife, but it was in nearly perfect condition. 440C blade is wickedly sharp and ground very nicely (much nicer edge grind than my older 110s in 440C). The maroon micarta is beautiful.

I love the 55 and really hope it sticks around as long as the 503 has. It's as solidly constructed as any 110 or 112 I've ever picked up and has a pretty good heft for a knife this small. It was a little less than sharp out of the box but that was easily corrected.

I'm on the look out for more 503s. I think a 503 (or 501) with blue G-10 scales would look mighty fine, or highly polished carbon fiber (but I'm not sure I want to undertake working with carbon fiber right now... it's nasty stuff).

(EDIT: the background of the scans is a pristine 1952 hardcover edition of Steinbeck's East of Eden. My other hobby is collecting old books.)

 

[DarrylS]

:thumbup: ...Nice knives and pics there psycho...I love my 55 as well. Buck did well when they whipped that one up. The 500 series sure are great knives in general aren't they?...A 501 is about as small as I can go as my "meat-hooks" are too big to wrap around anything smaller. What kind of camera did you use for the pics?...Mine is an Olympus and I think it sucks...(lousy pics)

 

[Psychopomp]

No camera... just a very, very old scanner. HP Scanjet 4200c. I got it new in 1999, and learned last week that I can set the resolution to just about anything . For six years I'd been scanning everything at 150dpi. The scans here are at 2400dpi.

I am in the market for a camera. I think when I get my vacation pay sometime in March I'll set a chunk of it on a nice camera.

 

[DarrylS]

...Thanks psycho...Gotta try that scanner thing...IIRC Trax mentioned that he uses a scanner as well...

 

[Psychopomp]

if you use a scanner, I've found you get better results with a colored background. The white scanner lid makes it hard to see the edge grinds on some knives, and a textured background brings out the colors a little better.

I've got a lot of old hardcover books that I like to use. The pictures in my 501 thread were scanned under an old music text book from the early 60s.

I do wish I had a nice digital camera though, because I'm not a half bad photographer, and I live in the perfect setting for some good outdoor knife pictures.

Back to the knives... I agree with you about the 501 being a more usable size. The 503 and 55 are both fine for those times where you don't really need a knife, but want to have one anyway. But they will cut whatever needs cutting.

I have medium sized hands I guess you'd say and the 501 is still a little too small for me to use comfortably for any heavy duty cutting, and the 112 is too thick for its length to feel comfortable for any long use. I really need to get my hands on a 500 since they seem readily available on ebay at the moment and not a bad price either. That may be my next bigger knife purchase.

 

[DarrylS]

:thumbup: ...You will certainly not go wrong by picking up a 500 psycho...I have to laugh though because it seems like almost every knife Buck makes is one of "my favorite" knives...and the 500 Duke has sure been one of them. My EDC's consist of a 55, 110, 112, 501, 531, 532 and a 500 that I like so much that all I asked it to do was open envelopes and such demeaning work that I'm sure it was mad at me. I guess you can tell I'm a fool for folders huh?...LOL...And if you noticed...all seem to be "wood" handled folders...

 

[fudo]

Thank you Psycopomp for posting the pics. I have not yet seen a 55 IRL. I like the size of my 503, but I like the 55 blade shape. You just put the 55 on my shopping list.

 

[Mike Kerins]

the background of the scans is a pristine 1952 hardcover edition of Steinbeck's East of Eden. My other hobby is collecting old books.)

Psychopomp,
I just thought I'd let you know that you're the only other person I know here on the Buck forum that is a book collector as well as a knife collector. I collect first editions, some signed. My older books are few, but I have some newer ones that are pretty good. I collect pulitzer and other prize winners as well as anything else that I think I would enjoy reading. I try to make sure they're signed also. (sorry to hijack the thread)
Mike

 

[Psychopomp]

Psychopomp,
I just thought I'd let you know that you're the only other person I know here on the Buck forum that is a book collector as well as a knife collector. I collect first editions, some signed. My older books are few, but I have some newer ones that are pretty good. I collect pulitzer and other prize winners as well as anything else that I think I would enjoy reading. I try to make sure they're signed also. (sorry to hijack the thread)
Mike

Neato! My collection isn't really anything to brag about, a few older books and some that I've picked up from library sales here and there. The prize of my collection is a first edition of The Grapes of Wrath (my very favorite book ever). It's not in the greatest of condition, the spine is tight but there's some yellowing to the page edges. It's what you'd call a "reading copy" I guess, but it's got a special place in my heart.

I recently picked up a 1941 English translation of Hitler's Mein Kampf, just to see what was really going on in his mind. It was published before America entered the war and there's an interesting little editor's note at the beginning about how because of the situation in the world, they weren't given much time to edit and publish.

I recently lost an ebay auction for a signed (with certificates) first edition of Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls :grumpy:. It went for a commanding price, but would have been worth it to me (I was out bid whilst sleeping).

My interest in literature tends towards early 20th century America. Stuff like Hemingway, Faulkner, Jack London, Steinbeck, et al really floats my boat. It's certainly not the most demanding literature, but I feel a connection sometimes with Steinbeck's down and out characters.

If they'd been around back then, I bet Tom Joad would have carried a Buck 110.

 

[Mike Kerins]

I would love to get my hands on a nice first edition by Jack London (one of my favorite authors) I do have just about everything that James Michener wrote including a copy of Tales of the South Pacific. Recent stuff includes a signed first edition of The Kite Runner ($750) a 1st edition of the Da Vinci Code ($400) and the Gunslinger by Stephen King ($1200) among others.