Stag handled Buck 120 question

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gerry303ca

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Nov 24, 2010
Messages
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I recently bought a stag handled Buck 120 with an old style natural color sheath. On the back of the sheath is printed 120-S Custom. What does this mean? I have seen the same type of sheath on E-Bay but only in black. The knife still rattles around in the sheath the same as my 119. I never take them hunting because of the noise, although they are my favorites.
 
gerry, Welcome to the Buck forum . The sheath you mention is Buck's custom sheath . Sounds normal . Whats the blade stamped ? Mine would do that too (rattle) but this can easily be fixed with a folded piece of leather inserted in the sheath as the knife is being inserted . It presses the blade to one side and keeps things quiet while hunting . DM
 
Does it look like mine?

100-2797.JPG
 
David Martin said:
gerry, Welcome to the Buck forum . The sheath you mention is Buck's custom sheath . Sounds normal . Whats the blade stamped ? Mine would do that too (rattle) but this can easily be fixed with a folded piece of leather inserted in the sheath as the knife is being inserted . It presses the blade to one side and keeps things quiet while hunting . DM
Click to expand...

The blade is stamped
BUCK
120
USA
 
maybe the knife being custom? I thought stag was only an option with buck knives?
 
I guess so because there is nothing "custom" with the knife. Now if yours is a stag as you said then it could be a custom knife in a custom sheath.
 
gerry303ca said:
Is a stag handle only available in a custom knife?
Click to expand...

They may have been a custom shop option back in the day (before my time) when you could get just about anything you wanted from the custom shop. The stag 119 and all the others I've seen are Limited Editions, not true customs.

Here's CJ's answer regarding the sheath:


#10 06-04-2009, 07:47 AM
CJ Buck
Moderator Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Post Falls, Idaho
Posts: 866

The guy who designed those was Wes Chapman. He worked for our leather department and was an artist in leather and could make frameable pictures in leather. Really really talented.

I am pretty sure those were designed for the custom shop so we were not sending out custom knives with factory sheaths and then got added to the line as an option.
__________________
CJ Buck
Buck Knives, Inc.
AKTI Member #PR00003



I have several of the sheaths and have plain everyday knives in them so having one in a sheath like that (I've bought them like that) doesn't mean it's a custom knife unfortunatly.
 
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gerry, Yes, I agree with Plumber as we see those sheaths and they are common . But still, interesting Plus yours holds a model that has been customized or could be a LE or from the early Custom Shop . I've seen some like yours at shows and they are attractive . Does yours have a mirror polished blade ? Then look around carefully on it for someones stamped initials (the pommel and front of the finger-guard) . This could tell us something . With the antler handle and upgrade sheath your knife would have higher value than a standard production model . DM
 
In 1987 Buck introduced a line of stag knives as a catalog item but I don't see any mention of a 120 being part of that line. They would have had a date stamp I believe so your three line with no stamp must have been earlier than them. You may just have an old custom shop knife. Very cool!

BuckhornBucks1987.jpg
 
Plumberdv said:
They may have been a custom shop option back in the day (before my time) when you could get just about anything you wanted from the custom shop. The stag 119 and all the others I've seen are Limited Editions, not true customs.

Here's CJ's answer regarding the sheath:


#10 06-04-2009, 07:47 AM
CJ Buck
Moderator Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Post Falls, Idaho
Posts: 866

The guy who designed those was Wes Chapman. He worked for our leather department and was an artist in leather and could make frameable pictures in leather. Really really talented.

I am pretty sure those were designed for the custom shop so we were not sending out custom knives with factory sheaths and then got added to the line as an option.
__________________
CJ Buck
Buck Knives, Inc.
AKTI Member #PR00003



I have several of the sheaths and have plain everyday knives in them so having one in a sheath like that (I've bought them like that) doesn't mean it's a custom knife unfortunatly.
Click to expand...

Do your custom sheaths have "120-S CUSTOM" on them? I thought the S might be for stag.
 
I have been working with Joe Houser on this subject for sometime now. We do not have the exact dates nailed down just yet but I have a 102,103,105,116,118,119,120,121 all done in Sambar stag form the Buck factory in the box. All of the warranty cards are from 1981. Joe stated that these handles were an option in the regular line and did not make the trip throught the custom shop. All of my knives are stamped BUCK model # U.S.A. no date stamp. Joe may have more information.
Take care,
Heath
 
One more thing. All of the pre 1986 Sambar stag knives that I own or have seen have have three micarta spacers.
Heath
 
BUCK61 said:
One more thing. All of the pre 1986 Sambar stag knives that I own or have seen have have three micarta spacers.
Heath
Click to expand...

That's what I have noticed as well, with the exception of Custom Shop Knives.
This is a 121 I had handy...the last photo is from a Custom Shop catalog
Buck121Stag.jpg

Buck3line.jpg

CustomShopStag.jpg
 
None of my custom sheaths have the 'S' . Scott, in your last photo the knife has the old English script stamp, plus four spacers . A big clue . Whereas, the ones Heath is describing are like your first photos and he's saying were standard production knives mfg. in the early to mid 80's . Thanks for the photos . DM
 
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