We Want Date Codes!

dsutton24

dsutton24

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2018
Messages
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We want date codes.

I say we demonstrate until we get the new date codes. Who's with me?

No food, no drink, no showers, no naps, no nothing until we get date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes! We want date codes!

Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willna' be fooled again! - Nac Mac Feegle
 
With less than a week until the new year, we can only conclude that the lack of a new date code must signify the demise of Buck. No other conclusion can be drawn! Oh! The Horror. Are they closing the doors and going the way of Camillus and Schrade’s US factories? J J Hubbard . Say it isn’t so! 😢
 
My guess is that it is going to be <. with the dot centered and not at the bottom. From 1995-2022 there is a pattern that has repeated. 1995-1998 date codes are repeated again in 2011-2014 with a slight modification. The codes from 1999-2001 are slightly modified for 2015-2018. The codes from 2003-2006 are repeated in 2019-2022 so the next logical step is a slight modification of 2007-2010. It may not be <., but it will have the arrow with a dot associated with it.
 
2007 started without a date code:
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We have some that were pre date code. Makes sense to have post date code knives.

I've always wondered why they bothered in the first place. When Ive asked before the practical purposes from the company’s view seem less than practical IMHO.

If it was for collectors benefit. Why bother?

Why is it a code? If its a secret why publish the answer sheet? Why not just put the year? Like Camillus did on the military MLK DEMO knives. Or like they did on the pilot survival knives. Then again why bother?
 
I think Case stumbled onto something in 1970. Their market was already shifting from predominately users over to collectors and they created the phenomenon of "date code collectors" - i.e., Ten Dot collectors, chasing every pattern they could find with Ten Dots, etc. I think a couple other knife companies decided to do something similar - didn't the Buck Date Code coincide with the rise of BCCI as an influencer at both Buck and among collectors? It doesn't truly matter, but it keeps interest generated (even in this thread). OH
 
Old Hunter said:
- didn't the Buck Date Code coincide with the rise of BCCI as an influencer at both Buck and among collectors? ...
Click to expand...

That's an interesting thought.

My membership dates from 1988. I don't remember the club being especially influential, but this was long before the internet and all that implies. I will say that Buck was a lot more responsive to questions from members back then than they are today. Maybe the date codes were a response the Club and collectors in general.
 
I imagine it is a benefit to them to know the age of a knife when it comes in for warranty, for when parts were slightly different, or if they were to have a bad batch of material, someone not being able to pass off a knife as being newer or older than it is, etc. but also if I were them I would like knowing how well the knife held up for it's age.

The code is probably better than doing the year, as I recall having a Buck 501C and thinking that was the model # (this was prior to knowing anything about date codes) imagine how confusing that might have been if it was "Buck 50195".

Personally I like the date codes a lot.
 
eveled said:
Why not just put the year?
Click to expand...
That is a really strange point. I would think it is a cost issue. Seems weird that it would cost that much to add 3 numbers than to come up with a complex single digit character. Possibly to prevent counterfeiting?
 
I'm thinking it's to prevent counterfeiting. The 110 and 119 are 2 of the most duplicated designs around the planet. The date code is a constant expense for the counterfeiters, who usually sell below retail. Makes it very hard to keep up, and most counterfeiters probably don't bother trying.
 
If it really was to trip up counterfeiters, they wouldn’t have published them in advance. As they did in the past

As far as cost goes. The Camillus demo knife and the pilot survival knives had the full year on them. They were not expensive knives.

If it is to document production changes its not necessary. People who work on them know the changes.

I’m going out on a limb with my prediction, the current regime at Buck knives doesn’t see the value in the date codes. And to cut costs eliminated the dates all together.
 
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Date codes and to a certain extent tang stamps in general never was a big deal to me for my 112 collection. No tang stamp at all? Yes. Double tang stamp? Yep. For me the handle and blade and in general how the 112 looked in my display was was the most important thing. But I collect rare,odd,1of1 and prototype 112's. It really never occurred to me to collect by year. But I admire those who do. I've heard many times folks want a knife from the year they were born or buy one for a child or loved one as a gift for there birth year. The dot system and 'lines' as in 2 line 3 line ect. Are a little vague to date any Buck. Having a year code IS important to many folks so why not?
 
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