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Off Topic Question on the length of the blade Buck 102
- Thread starter ilvexyret
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I don't know if anybody can narrow it down to a year, but most Bucks shrunk a little over the years. Early 110s were a little longer, too.
This mid-60s 102 measures about 4 and an eighth inches. Blade shape, of course, is far nicer than the new ones.
This mid-60s 102 measures about 4 and an eighth inches. Blade shape, of course, is far nicer than the new ones.
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I don't understand the question, but maybe this from my notes will help with spacer issues and other old fixed-blade questions.
The spacers are either micarta or hard bone fiber and both are kind of reddish brown and vary in darkness or lightness. Sometimes hard to tell apart until you get used to them.
The knives stamped BUCK were made 1963-66.
The knives stamped BUCK* were made only in 1967 (and probably only a portion of 1967). They probably did not slop over into 1966 or 1968.
The two-line Buck, U.S.A. stamp was used from 1967 to 1972. If the spacers on your knife are the bone hard fiber, not red Micarta, it would put the knife in the 1967 to late 1969 timeframe. These are all read point down and called “inverted.”
If a three-line stamp is read with the tip pointed up, then knife is from Group 2, timeframe from 1973 through 1980. Red Micarta is the spacer material as we had switched from the bone hard fiber in 1970.
In 1981 Buck removed one Micarta spacer from the guard. Sometime around the same time the "extra" Micarta spacer in the pommel was also dropped.
Buck, U.S.A. stamp was used from 1967 to 1972.
A 70's 120/119 will have 2 micarta spacers in the guard and 2 at the pommel end. The micarta is the reddish colored spacer, sometimes the red is so dark as to appear black.
A 80's 120/119 will have 1 micarta spacer in the guard and 2 or 1 micarta spacers at the pommel end.
Group 1 1972- Blade stamped BUCK, XXX, U.S.A. Stamp is upside down or inverted, read with the point down, Guard has two micarta spacers and two aluminum spacers. Pommel has two micarta spacers and one aluminum spacer. A holster style, or Flap over sheath was used and the knife came in a two piece yellow bow.
Group 2 1973-1980 Blade stamped BUCK, XXX, U.S.A. Stamp is right side up, read with the point up, as it is on today's knives. Guard has two micarta and two aluminum spacers. Pommel has two micarta spacers and one aluminum spacer. Holster style, or Flap over sheath still used and the knife originally came in a two piece yellow box but the switch to a one piece yellow box probably started around 1978.
Group 3 1981 Blade stamped BUCK, XXX, U.S.A. and is oriented the same as the previous group. Guard has one micarta and two aluminum spacers. Pommel has two micarta spacers and one aluminum spacer. I should note that I have only seen the 119, 120, a couple 121s, and one 118 in this configuration and it is likely that the other models skipped this and went straight to the next version. Holster style sheath still possible but also wrap around the handle type is introduced. The belt loop on the 120 swivels. Same one piece yellow box as previous.
Group 4 1981-1986 Blade stamp is still the same as the previous group. Guard has one micarta spacer and two aluminum spacers. Pommel has one micarta and one aluminum spacer. Holster style sheath is still in use on some models. Just about every type of sheath is found in this group. Still the same one piece yellow box as previous.
Group 5 1986- Blades now have a date code following the model number and are stamped BUCK, XXX<, U.S.A. This is the only difference between this group and the one previous. Sheath styles used are probably the same as the group above. Although the logo on the box may have changed slightly, it is still a one piece yellow construction. Over the next many years the boxes used were one piece Black with white letters, then green and tan, category boxes, and now the present orange and black.
The spacers are either micarta or hard bone fiber and both are kind of reddish brown and vary in darkness or lightness. Sometimes hard to tell apart until you get used to them.
The knives stamped BUCK were made 1963-66.
The knives stamped BUCK* were made only in 1967 (and probably only a portion of 1967). They probably did not slop over into 1966 or 1968.
The two-line Buck, U.S.A. stamp was used from 1967 to 1972. If the spacers on your knife are the bone hard fiber, not red Micarta, it would put the knife in the 1967 to late 1969 timeframe. These are all read point down and called “inverted.”
If a three-line stamp is read with the tip pointed up, then knife is from Group 2, timeframe from 1973 through 1980. Red Micarta is the spacer material as we had switched from the bone hard fiber in 1970.
In 1981 Buck removed one Micarta spacer from the guard. Sometime around the same time the "extra" Micarta spacer in the pommel was also dropped.
Buck, U.S.A. stamp was used from 1967 to 1972.
A 70's 120/119 will have 2 micarta spacers in the guard and 2 at the pommel end. The micarta is the reddish colored spacer, sometimes the red is so dark as to appear black.
A 80's 120/119 will have 1 micarta spacer in the guard and 2 or 1 micarta spacers at the pommel end.
Group 1 1972- Blade stamped BUCK, XXX, U.S.A. Stamp is upside down or inverted, read with the point down, Guard has two micarta spacers and two aluminum spacers. Pommel has two micarta spacers and one aluminum spacer. A holster style, or Flap over sheath was used and the knife came in a two piece yellow bow.
Group 2 1973-1980 Blade stamped BUCK, XXX, U.S.A. Stamp is right side up, read with the point up, as it is on today's knives. Guard has two micarta and two aluminum spacers. Pommel has two micarta spacers and one aluminum spacer. Holster style, or Flap over sheath still used and the knife originally came in a two piece yellow box but the switch to a one piece yellow box probably started around 1978.
Group 3 1981 Blade stamped BUCK, XXX, U.S.A. and is oriented the same as the previous group. Guard has one micarta and two aluminum spacers. Pommel has two micarta spacers and one aluminum spacer. I should note that I have only seen the 119, 120, a couple 121s, and one 118 in this configuration and it is likely that the other models skipped this and went straight to the next version. Holster style sheath still possible but also wrap around the handle type is introduced. The belt loop on the 120 swivels. Same one piece yellow box as previous.
Group 4 1981-1986 Blade stamp is still the same as the previous group. Guard has one micarta spacer and two aluminum spacers. Pommel has one micarta and one aluminum spacer. Holster style sheath is still in use on some models. Just about every type of sheath is found in this group. Still the same one piece yellow box as previous.
Group 5 1986- Blades now have a date code following the model number and are stamped BUCK, XXX<, U.S.A. This is the only difference between this group and the one previous. Sheath styles used are probably the same as the group above. Although the logo on the box may have changed slightly, it is still a one piece yellow construction. Over the next many years the boxes used were one piece Black with white letters, then green and tan, category boxes, and now the present orange and black.
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From my experience, all Bucks that have been made over many years 'morph' in exact production as time passes. Unless date stamped on tang, the blade anyway, gives a high degree of accuracy. All other parts, grinds,blade length, scale material, spacers, etc. can cross over in a production period across the calendar change. Thats why its always a year or three on any older knife as a past production date. They have even been known to find some old blades in a box and assemble them and sell them in the store or on a "special" sale. Get it down to two years and call it good or your eyes will cross.......300Bucks
DeSotoSky
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This past summer I examined a NIB BUCK* 120 with a November 1966 purchase date.
I am of the belief that the 119/120 transitioned from Group 2 to Group 3 very early in the 1970s whereas the other models followed the traditional timeline changing in 1981. The result is 3 spacer 119/120's are common but very scarce in the other models. 4-spacer upright 119/120's are very rare but is the most common variation found for all other models in the 1970's. /Roger
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That sounds real logical in terms of numbers.
Thanks, I'll add it to my notes.
Oh.....was the purchase date on that 120 proven by a receipt in the box? And if so, is it possible it could have been a receipt from another 120? These things DO get added later to enhance value or moved from box to box by owners and collectors......quite often, actually.
DeSotoSky
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It was NIB 120, the date was on paperwork in the box but who knows how stuff gets shifted around over the years. My 'gut' feeling was legit. I didn't have my normal poker face on when looking at it and the dealer took it off the table saying he changed his mind about selling it..... go figure.
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LOL! Sometimes the look of shock and discovery trumps the poker face. I wonder what he did with it after that. He probably never figured it out.
Well, your gut feeling deserves validation. Sometimes things just look right and intuition says yes.
So, slop-over back a couple months into 1966 has more credibility to me. We are almost never positively sure on any of this stuff.
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