Need info on Mentors

Plumberdv

Plumberdv

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Sep 26, 2008
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I got a 470 Mentor and a 475 Mini Mentor today and I realised something strange. Neither one has any markings on the blade of any kind, No Buck, no number, nothing. I remembered that I had another 470 with the rubber handles and sure enough it's the same way. I've pretty much decided that the rubber handled one has to be from either '95 or '96 because of the hard plastic sheath, but I have no way of knowing when the others were made. I can't find them in the catalogs with the "rosewood" handles.

Does anyone else have one of these and if so, is yours marked?

Mentorsandsheaths.jpg


Mentorsa.jpg


Mentorsb.jpg


Mentors.jpg
 
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I like the wood on those two. Nice pair Dave. g

Edit: And I forgot but that larger sheath is really nice. :thumbup:
 
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Good looking wood !!!!

Two of the rubber ones laying around here are 1994 and one is 1995.
Tangs have the Buck, model/year, and USA.
 
Flatlander1963 said:
I like the wood on those two. Nice pair Dave. g

Edit: And I forgot but that larger sheath is really nice. :thumbup:
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That's the main reason I bought them. :thumbup: I really liked the looks of the wood and the large sheath. I haven't been able to find any reference to a wood handled one of either size in the catalogs, model history or the special projects list (except for L.E.'s) . It just bugs me that there are no markings on the blades at all.
 
Pack Rat said:
Good looking wood !!!!

Two of the rubber ones laying around here are 1994 and one is 1995.
Tangs have the Buck, model/year, and USA.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I just assumed 1995 or '96 because I didn't see them in the '94 catalog and it appears that they went to a cordura sheath in '97.

OOPs, I see that they still offered them with the plastic sheath after '96.
 
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Hi Dave,

I have two Mentor's. one has an Elk cut out on the blade with sun bleached elk horn handles and the other has Deer head cut out with Sambar stag handle. Both of these have the blades stamped.

jb4570
 
jb4570 said:
Hi Dave,

I have two Mentor's. one has an Elk cut out on the blade with sun bleached elk horn handles and the other has Deer head cut out with Sambar stag handle. Both of these have the blades stamped.

jb4570
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I also have a 475 L.E. with the dear head cutout and a Deer scene cut (etched?) into the Rosewood handles. It just has a #248/500, Buck and U.S.A. on the blade. No date stamp on that one either.
 
Plumberdv said:
I also have a 475 L.E. with the dear head cutout and a Deer scene cut (etched?) into the Rosewood handles. It just has a #248/500, Buck and U.S.A. on the blade. No date stamp on that one either.
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Both of these say Buck over USA...no date stamps
jb4570
 
Sounds like the two knives you have are the 470WD (Cat# 2473) and the 475WD (cat# 2474) which were mid-year special projects in 1997. FYI.
 
Richard Matheny said:
Sounds like the two knives you have are the 470WD (Cat# 2473) and the 475WD (cat# 2474) which were mid-year special projects in 1997. FYI.
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Thanks Richard, with your help I found them in the Dec. '97 newsletter. It appears that the sheaths that I have aren't original. The newsletter says they came with burgandy sheaths.

Do you have any idea why they would come out with no blade markings? Not even just "Buck".

Also, it says the blades have a "tycro" finish. What is that?
 
So if I read the posts correctly, you guys have a total of 4 with no stampings whatsoever? :confused: We stamped the ones that went through production so I cant offer an explanation. I would think that they were samples of some sort but its weird that they are in new and incorrect sheaths. I'm mystified!
 
Can I send them in and have them stamped? At least I'd be able to prove they were really Bucks!:D

Just kiddin'.
 
I have nothing to add other than I've never seen that model before and I really like it. They remind me of a fixed blade Spyderco Endura... the blade shape is nearly identical to the third generation Endura.

Nice lookin' knives.
 
Plumberdv said:
Now there's a shock.:D
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Now Dave, all my knives don't come from ex-empolyees... But I wish they did... :) ...

Here's mine, It's a 475, I was thinking it was a 470... So I have the mini one... My black handle one as no year mark on it either...












:)
 
Dave,

You have a rather interesting mystery on your hands.
That's one of the fun things about Buck collecting isn't it.

Is the wood a laminate. I was sure when I looked at it the first time but with all the discussion about the unusual nature of the sheaths and lack of stamps, I just had to ask?
 
I don't see any tang stamps on the knives in the fly sheet that advertized the knives for sale in 1997. My guess is you have the photo samples and the sheaths were added after the photos were taken. Just a guess though. If this is true the blades may not be hard!!!
 
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