Buck Knife

Are you buying vintage or new? Just check the Tang.

Buck Production Knives

Actual production started in 1961 and continues today, so this is a very broad category.

The early production knives are very different from those made today, so
this area can really be divided into sub-categories.

The 1973 to 1985 production knives bear a model number as well as the BUCK and the U.S.A.

Starting in 1986, a year mark was added.

To know the year of your Buck knife, compare the symbol on your blade to the following chart.

Knives with no date symbol are pre-1986.

Here is some additional date information about the 110 Folding Hunter and the 112 Ranger:
  1974 to 1980: one dot on either side of the model # (example: .110.)
  1980: two dots on the right side of the model # (example: .110..)
  1981 to 1986: two dots on either side of the model # (example: ..110..)

Custom knives

Buck's Custom Knife Shoppe produced about five thousand knives between its inception in 1981 and December of 1994. Most of them have been documented in some way.

Almost all of them are stamped BUCK CUSTOM.

Today, the blades are designated on the back as "Designer's Choice." Not included in this category are the knives by Dave Yellowhorse and the Harley-Davidson knives because they stand in categories all by themselves

Buck knives are truly special knives. Just pick one up you'll see the quality and craftmanship. I hope this assists you in indentifying your knife.