model 500

S

slingblade51

Joined
Jun 9, 2004
Messages
5
I have a buck model 500 can anyone tell me how old it is. I have had it for over 10 years I think it was made before 1986.
 
slingblade51,
It will help to know the following:

micarta or wood inlays?
script or block letter tang stamp?
any dots before or after the model number in the tang stamp?

If we know the above, we can give you a range of years during which your knife was manufactured.
 
It don't look like wood grain I guess micarta its a dark chocolate color.Block letters,no dots.

Buck
500
U.S.A.

thanks for reply.
 
If the knife has burgundy micarta inlays, the original blade would have had script lettering on the tang stamp. If your knife is micarta and has a blade with block lettering on the stamp, it must have been re-bladed later. It was about 1981 that Buck switched to impregnated birch inlays and I believe it was about 1984-1985 when Buck switched to block lettering on the tang.
 
I saw 500 today, script lettering. The scales are dark brown (I suppose they could be called burgandy), and they have a grain pattern, but also very clearly a fabric pattern. It doesn't look like any wood I've ever seen, but I don't really know the difference between treated birch and micarta. Any ideas?

If it was micarta, would the bolsters have been stainless or nickel?

Thanks, in advance.
 
Hi Guys,

Take a look at the top knife; it has micarta handles. Also look at the tang stamps to see block -vs- script.



This pic show the micarta a little better. Sorry the scanner glass was a bit dirty.







jb4570
 
jb4570 said:
Hi Guys,

Take a look at the top knife; it has micarta handles. Also look at the tang stamps to see block -vs- script.


jb4570
Click to expand...

Thanks, that was very helpful.
 
Larry Oden said:
I meant 1981.
Click to expand...
Larry,
Did Buck go to impregnated Birch for all knives in 1981 or just the 500? I'm looking at my 110's and the ones from the 80's look like the original ebony. :confused:
Mike
 
Mike,
110s were ebony until sometime during the last quarter of 1993 when Buck switched the inlays to obechee wood. For, 112 models, the switch preceded that for 110s as it was to occur during the summer of 1993. This is per a Buck in-house memo dated 5/25/93. I have no reason to believe that the anticipated schedule did not materialize.
Hope that helps.
 
Thanks Larry,
Always a source of knowledge. I wrongly assumed that the change occurred universally throughout their knife models.
 
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