Spacers on vintage 119's between the handle and the guard

DLE60 · Aug 19, 2011

Question: Should the spacer between the handle and the top of the guard completely cover the guard or just come out past both sides of the handle. I have seen both and wonder if the shortened spacers have been damaged and therefore trimmed.

If both variations exist without owner modification, then is the difference specific to a variation within a year, etc. Thanks for the education :thumbup:

ItsTooEarly · Aug 19, 2011

DLE60, now that's good question... I have them both ways on my the older ones... I think they have been trimmed down... But I don't know for sure...

... I like them either way... ITE ...

David Martin · Aug 19, 2011

DLE, I've seen both as well and cannot tie them to a definate year. Perhaps its more 'model' specific than a year. Also, Buck would use any small spacer as long as it fit that knife (a small model) and larger spacers were used on their 119 and 120. DM

mbjannusch · Aug 20, 2011

The spacers were trimmed in factory. The spacers in question, I'm assuming are micarta. The micarta spacers that went all the way out to the edge of the finger guard would start to seperate. Inevitably things would get caught in the gap and it would break off or people would send them back to get fixed. Buck started trimming them to so they didn't have to continue to fix this issue. I believe they started trimming them in the '73ish era. You will find some that are trimmed and some that remained full. In '81 they removed that spacer to save money and the need for spacers was quickly comming to an end. Spacers were used to true up the handles. The full tang design made the assembly of the handle almost as science and the need for spacers obsalete. At the end of '81 Buck removed the second spacer in the pommel of the knife leaving only two, one on to and one on the bottom...

BG42EDGE · Aug 20, 2011

MBJ has got it correct.

Or perhaps I should say that that's been the consistent explanation for many years among the most experienced old Bucks here.

Like many things Buck, I don't think there is any official record in writing on it.

DLE60 · Aug 20, 2011

Thanks all - I appreciate the information. Thats good because I do not want the "assumed value" to get in the way of my appreciation of the Buck - I like them all.

Joe Houser · Aug 23, 2011

As with a lot of historical Buck questions, answers are scarce and assumptions abound because its all we have. I think Mbj hit the nail on the head. The only thing is, I thought it was on the fixed blades with bone hard fiber spacers, not micarta? I might be remembering wrong though.
If this occures on both types of spacer material, that would throw water on the assumption I think.

mbjannusch · Aug 23, 2011

Joe Houser said:
As with a lot of historical Buck questions, answers are scarce and assumptions abound because its all we have. I think Mbj hit the nail on the head. The only thing is, I thought it was on the fixed blades with bone hard fiber spacers, not micarta? I might be remembering wrong though.
If this occures on both types of spacer material, that would throw water on the assumption I think.

I went back and looked at my knives and I have both fiber and micarta spacers that were trimmed. I guess that this spacer was been getting clipped ever sence it started and finally they just took the thing out. It seems as though the knives you find with the spacer that runs all of the way out are the more appealing ones and collectable...