Question on Buck fixed blade handles

tallwingedgoat

tallwingedgoat

Joined
Jan 13, 1999
Messages
1,422
Can someone tell me how the pommel and guard are attached to the plastic handled fixed blade line? Thanks.
 
Tall,
All of the sheath knives with black phenolic handles are attached the same way. The tang goes the length of the handle. First the guard trim is placed on the tang, then the handle and pommel trim. The the pommel is pressed into place and riveted to the tang under pressure. The whole assembly is also epoxied for extra strength. In early Buck catalogues, it is called the "new miracle glue!"
Hope this helps,

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Joe Houser
Director of Consumer relations
Buck Collectors club Administrator and member #123
 
Right on Joe! Except, remember how we made them at first? Oh, that's right, you weren't born yet! Seriously - in 1961-62 they were fastened by a nut in the the butt and the tang was threaded.

Vern Taylor
 
Thanks for the responce. I had a look at a Buck today, the finish is quite good for the price. But I could not see any riveting on the pommel. Is there a rivet through the side of the pommel?
 
Yes, it is pinned through the side. Sometimes if you puff warm breath on the area, the pin is more evident. If you find one of these knives stamped Buck only, and you cannot see the pin, it may be one of the early production "barrel-nut" models which Vern Taylor alluded to. These usually have a plug circle visible in the butt end of the pommel although I have one or two which did not need the plug. The lack of a pin through the side of the pommel is the most reliable method of observation to differentiate between the two production types. Any of these models with a two line stamp, three line stamp or year symbol are flat-tang construction and will not have the barrel-nut.
BUCK / U.S.A. = TWO LINE
BUCK / MODEL # / U.S.A. = THREE LINE
 
Vern,
I was born when Buck was making barrel nut knives! Ok, so i was only 2 months old, but i was in the same city!
Another very rare variation is the sheath knife that has both a barrel nut and is pinned. I have seen only two so far. I took apart the 119 and apparantly, we were using up that last of the barrel nut pommels when we made the switch to what is known as flat tang. We plugged the barrel nut hole with a piece of aluminum dowel. Thank you to Larry Oden for donating a 103 with this variation!


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Joe Houser
Director of Consumer relations
Buck Collectors club Administrator and member #123
 
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