My Old #105 Pathfinder

[TAH]

My father gave me a Pathfinder in 1975 when I was 14 years old. Why is it, over the last 32 years, a lot of knives have come and gone, but I continue to return to this knife as one of my all-time favorites? Is it sentiment or is the knife design just that good?

The flap sheath is built like a tank and there are absolutely no problems with leather or stitching deterioration. Were these sheaths made in the Buck factory or were they outsourced?

Thanks!

 

[mainewoodsman]

My father gave me a Pathfinder in 1975 when I was 14 years old. Why is it, over the last 32 years, a lot of knives have come and gone, but I continue to return to this knife as one of my all-time favorites? Is it sentiment or is the knife design just that good?

The flap sheath is built like a tank and there are absolutely no problems with leather or stitching deterioration. Were these sheaths made in the Buck factory or were they outsourced?

Thanks!

It's hard to beat the 105 for a knife that feels good in the hand. Don't know about the sheath, I'd be willing to bet it was made in the USA.

 

[Stubai]

I have a 105 without a date code. That knife has been passed down to me from an old friend who used to take it hunting in Montana. The blade has just the right curve for kitchen work which is where it is used mostly these days.

I'd venture a guess that the sheath was made in the US. Anyway, the knife feels great in the hand.

 

[TAH]

The blade has just the right curve for kitchen work which is where it is used mostly these days.

I'd venture a guess that the sheath was made in the US.

I agree. The #105 does a great job on food prep.

Regarding sheaths from the 70s, I assumed they were made in the U.S.A. I was just wondering if Buck made their sheaths in house or were they outsourced? More specifically, did Buck have their own Sheath/Leather Department in the factory?

 

[Dr. Pepper]

I have one that I think is only 10 or 11 years old. The point of my post is that I own a lot of user knives but always reach for the 105 in the kitchen or for working on a deer.

 

[Joe Houser]

The 105 is the longest running Buck knife in the line. The earliest ads from the 1940's shows this knife although it was just refered to as a good all purpose knife back then, not the Pathfinder.
The sheaths were made by Ida Buck, Al's wife, and her brother Charles Shapter back then.
When Buck incorporated in 1961 Don Hume Leather made the sheaths, but only for a year. Then Buck contracted with Angeles Souvenier company in Los Angeles i believe. They made them for a few years till about 1968 when we switched to Atchison Leather Company in Kansas. We only used them for a year then brought it all in house. Atchison helped out a lot with that and were our supplier of leather for many years.
In the late 1990's, (early 2000's?) we started having the leather sheaths made for us by Atchison in their factory in Mexico. They have always been an awesome company to work with, even after 40 years!
This is all off the top of my head so hopefully it is accurate.

 

[TAH]

Joe,

Many thanks for all the sheath information. Very interesting! I must say, for a production company, Buck has always offered some fo the best sheaths out there. :thumbup:

 

[Buckaholic]

... a lot of knives have come and gone, but I continue to return to this knife as one of my all-time favorites? Is it sentiment or is the knife design just that good?...

Same here TAH. My son gave me my one and only 105...a Rosewood. I find that it is also my one of my, if not "THE", all time favorite fixed I have.

The 105 is the longest running Buck knife in the line. The earliest ads from the 1940's shows this knife although it was just refered to as a good all purpose knife back then, not the Pathfinder....

Well...add that "longest running" to my "What I Learned Today" book.
I already knew that it's a great all purpose knife