The Deer Hunter - Buck 118 Personal (permanent thread - keep adding)

I’m sure you are correct. I did look it up but months have passed and my recall is foggy at this stage of my life.
I contemplate reuniting all my knives with their respective boxes and taking an inventory and possible price point/range to make it easier for my family to sell them to collectors.
I would say 90% of my knives are unused and spent their lives being admired by me and photographed for this forum.
I certainly want them to go to people that will appreciate them.
On a positive note not i’m still in good health and enjoying life to its fullest.
 
Well, I traded a beat up marbles knife for a 118. Came in a 105 sheath. Tip up it reads Buck 118 USA(Buck over 118 etc.) 440c I assume. Ran it over a steel rod to touch it up.
My son and I trap beavers, so I had one to skin, and gave the 118 a go! Very impressed with the way it handled and zipped thru the skinning process!
 
Went back and read some post I apparently missed. It’s so inspiring to see those who while out browsing at antique stores you occasionally stumble on an old Buck. I don’t go out intentionally looking by myself but thankfully i have a wife who loves to go antiquing. I used to sit outside but since i had my awful knee replaced i tend to add to the hunting party. Lots of fun!
Wishing y’all good hunting!
 
the Black Spot said:
Tip up it reads Buck 118 USA(Buck over 118 etc.) 440c I assume
Click to expand...
HTH...
Dating Buck Fixed Blade 100 Series Knives 1972 to 1986 BY Joe Houser

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 bow 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.

Change to 425M in 1981 and to 420HC in 1992 not hard and fast dates as production and supply varied.
 
Something that just occurred to me. If the earliest blades just displayed:
BUCK or
BUCK
U.S.A.
How can you tell what model it is other than dimensions and blade shape? Am i missing something here?
 
David Nowlin said:
Something that just occurred to me. If the earliest blades just displayed:
BUCK or
BUCK
U.S.A.
How can you tell what model it is other than dimensions and blade shape? Am i missing something here?
Click to expand...
Dimensions and shape are pretty much it.

The closest comp would be the 105. And if you're familiar with it, it's pretty easy to see the difference.

The 118 is shorter, more belly, and has a swedge at the tip.

Here's a barrel nut, 1 line, 3 line, and a modern S35VN. Can't find my 2 line pic.20230922_142007.jpgScreenshot_20240801_192544_Photobucket (1).jpgScreenshot_20240801_192459_Photobucket (1).jpg20241117_080845.jpg
 
I think I might of used my 118 once for steak because it had patina toward the tip. I decided I wanted to try it tonight in the kitchen. I’m impressed.My plain Jane 105 lives in the windowsill above the kitchen sink so I compared them a bit. The 118 is a great food prep knife.

I think I’m going to spend a bit more time with it. I feel like I’m rediscovering some of the knives that have just been sitting around.

If I’m ever able to get back in the woods or back to camping this one is going to see some time.It’s just a handy size.56219CB3-9CD2-459F-9001-1E8C371A20B4.jpeg926D0A9D-F58E-444C-B3B2-955DBFABEA11.jpeg
 
I just used mine to slice some steak. It did a fine job I’ll have to keep it handy in the kitchen.

H7xEZlg.jpeg
 
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