V5 110 - Forged vs Sintered frames.

[dsutton24]

Once again I'm down the Buck 110 V5 rabbit hole. Is there a definitive way to identify a forged or sintered frame? I've got knives that span this era, and I've never really been able to tell them apart. The frames were machined, then cast for a long time, then forged, then sintered. It's that brief forged to sintered frame transition period I'm wondering about. I know that somewhere around the 2 dot era the frames were sintered, the scales are not glued, and the grind lines disappear from the liners.

For example, a recent acquisition. Stamped BUCK / 110 / U.S.A.. It has two small scale rivets, the butt end rivet is offset away from the lock bar side of the knife. The scales are glued, and grind marks are visible on the inside liner surfaces. How do I identify it as forged vs. sintered?

 

[bertl]

First, the sintered frames are larger top to bottom. Second, the lockbar is set back from the front edge of the front bolster. This is especially evident for the 2 Dot knives, but can be seen in the first sintered frames that occurred between the last forged frames and the 2 Dots. Third, there is a difference in the relative position of the blade rivet on the front bolster. For the forged frames, the rivet sits slightly below the center of the bolster, and, for the sintered frames, the rivet is pretty well centered top to bottom. The first photo shows the lockbar for the forged frame on the left; the center is the first sintered frame; and the right is a 2 Dot.. The second photo shows the relative position of the blade rivet on the front bolster—on the left is a forged knife; on the right is a 2 Dot; and the two in the center are the first sintered.There is more information in the December 2012 Newsletter.

Bert

 

[dsutton24]

First, the sintered frames are larger top to bottom. Second, the lockbar is set back from the front edge of the front bolster. This is especially evident for the 2 Dot knives, but can be seen in the first sintered frames that occurred between the last forged frames and the 2 Dots. Third, there is a difference in the relative position of the blade rivet on the front bolster. For the forged frames, the rivet sits slightly below the center of the bolster, and, for the sintered frames, the rivet is pretty well centered top to bottom. The first photo shows the lockbar for the forged frame on the left; the center is the first sintered frame; and the right is a 2 Dot.. The second photo shows the relative position of the blade rivet on the front bolster—on the left is a forged knife; on the right is a 2 Dot; and the two in the center are the first sintered.There is more information in the December 2012 Newsletter.

Bert


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Thanks for that, it's exactly the kind of detail I was looking for. I need to look up that newsletter.

The knife in question is undoubtedly a sintered frame knife. The lock bar position and the general dimensions lean that way anyway. It's interesting, though, that the blade pivot looks more like the example identified as a forged knife. I need to examine my V5 knives and see how they fit with the information you so helpfully posted.

 

[bertl]

It's interesting, though, that the blade pivot looks more like the example identified as a forged knife.

It is a slight difference; but the more you look at examples, the easier it is to see. Essentially what happened is that the bolster was made larger top to bottom. However, the position of the blade rivet relative to the top is the same in both the forged and sintered knives, so the extra size of the sintered bolster shows up below the rivet. If that hadn't been the case, the whole design of the lockbar would have needed change.

Bert