old 500 steel

caseknife64 · Mar 30, 2021

Hey kind of a quick question, are all pre '86 500 series say Duke made of 440C steel? I know a bit about the fixed blades, not sure here.

Smitty0315 · Mar 30, 2021

caseknife64 said:
Hey kind of a quick question, are all pre '86 500 series say Duke made of 440C steel? I know a bit about the fixed blades, not sure here.

No anything made from 82-86 would have been 425Mod. I'm sure there was some overlap between 81 and 82 when they switched.

bertl · Mar 30, 2021

According to an article by Larry Oden, the first 500 Dukes in 1979 used 440C and then switched to 425M in 1982. This is true also for the 501 introduced in 1975, the 503 in 1977, the 505 and 506 in 1979, and the 507 in 1980.

Bert

caseknife64 · Mar 30, 2021

I have a bunch of 500 series cursive Buck tang knives with micarta handles, have no idea how to exact date them. thanks

bertl · Mar 30, 2021

caseknife64 said:
I have a bunch of 500 series cursive Buck tang knives with micarta handles, have no idea how to exact date them. thanks

If you are sure they are micarta, they are probably prior to 1981.

Bert

caseknife64 · Mar 30, 2021

Thank you bertl

David Martin · Mar 30, 2021

The old English script stamp went away in 84. And a block stamp came.
The wood birch handles came in 82.
Welcome case. DM

Old Hunter · Mar 30, 2021

All of my Olde English style tang stamped, micarta handled Buck 500 series knives have the 440C grind. OH

Smitty0315 · Mar 31, 2021

I did some digging and it looks like Buck stopped using "Buckarta" on the 500 in early 81. So if you have a micarta, "Scroll" BUCK you would have 440C. The 500 Duke made its first appearance in the 1979 Catalog so only a couple of years in that configuration.