Vintage Buck Squire

H

hawaiianhawk

Joined
Dec 25, 2009
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953
I picked this guy up (with original sheath) from one of my favorite local dealers. He puts out bits of his personal collection from time to time and this was part of it. I've been carrying it consistently since November when I got it. According to the date stamp, it was made in 1991, three years after I was born. I carry it in my right rear pocket next to my wallet and use it often to open boxes or trim paper signs at work. If anyone has any more information regarding this knife I would appreciate it. The steel seems harder than my 2012 110; was Buck using a different grade of steel back then?

Thanks in advance.



 
I believe your 501 was made in 1991 with 425M steel. I also believe (but could be wrong) that the scales are "brown bone", at least they remind me a good bit of that scale material.
 
Yes, Badhammer, the scales are indeed brown bone. I like them a lot more than the wooden scales on the current 500 series. If the steel is indeed the 425M, it would explain the feel of being harder than my other Buck's 420HC blade. It's taken quite a bit of work on an Arkansas stone and my Sharpmaker to get this knife's very obtuse factory edge into decent shape.
 
Thanks for the information, Oregon! It was in pretty good shape when I picked it up. There was some slight storage patina on the blade and the bolsters were pretty tarnished, but a day in the pocket shined those right up without any other work on them. Little mineral oil on the bone and in the pivot and all that was left was to sharpen. :)
 
oregon said:
The 501 is the heavy-weight and glamorous version of my EDC the Bucklite 424. Yours is a real gem looks new. Thank you for the photos.

Here is a recent discussion of the 425M timeline of usage for your amusement: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-Blade-Steel-Timeline-Question?highlight=425m
Click to expand...
Hey Oregon I think u have it backwards. The 424 is a light version of the 501.
The 501 is a great edc been carrying one for 24 yrs. There have been several custom variations of the handle including your BB.
The buck lites r nice to carry u don't even know it's there, but I just have a hard time carrying a plastic knife.
 
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