buck date chart

Hoyt Buck produced the first Buck Knife in 1902. Hoyt and his son Al moved to San Diego and set up shop as H.H. Buck & Son in 1947. Al Buck revolutionized the knife industry in 1964 with the infamous Model 110 Folding Hunter. The company's innovative history and attention to quality have made for many great collectible knives.
300Bucks
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Re: buck date chart

Post by 300Bucks »

OK, Everyone with with a Black scale slipjoint listen up for aging lesson.

Schrade made the Buck 301 and 303 the first few years of production.
They have a S shape, brass rivets on scale, one on each end and the middle spring rivet. The rivets are all the same size. Breath on the bolsters and see if you can see the telltale outline of a blade pin. You WON'T on a Schrade. Don't worry on the tang stamp, look at the above stuff. That only goes for those two models, other models haven't been born yet. Schrade made them good but hard to repair for warranty work. Hence the move of the contract.

So they switched contract to Camillus. Now look at tang it will say Buck, Made in U.S.A. and there will be two rivets on the scale, SMALLER than the middle spring rivet and it will have a model number on reverse. 301, 303, 309 and 305. After that you will see BUCK, model # ( NO date code), U.S.A.. This era is when other models are introduced and different scale materials introduced.

OK, now read close. In 1986 Buck started making there own 301,303,309 and 305s IN HOUSE. And the date code for 86 was < , AFTER this all of those 4 models were coded. NONE of the other different models were date coded until Buck introduced the 312 and 314 trappers and the 310 Whittler.

These "Other Models" 313,311,307, 315,317, etc follow the Made In U.S.A. as earliest version, then Buck, model #, U.S.A. never getting date coded. Even a few never were stamped with a model number, generally those were made special for SMKWs. ONLY BUCK MADE MODELS HAVE DATE CODES. Camillus models were never date coded even till factory shutdown. China made Bucks are date coded.

This date code method does not apply to 110s and 112s till after 1986. Read the chart for those pre 86 110s and 112s...

I have confused you enough....good luck..

300Bucks
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Re: buck date chart

Post by 300Bucks »

ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION

The dot date code system for Buck does not apply except for the
110/111/112 family of knives. Everything else is either dated by differences of manuf. or after 85 the date code symbol chart.

Please do not think you have a knife older than 74 because it has no dots......in truth it probably is a 1990s knife......

The small print on top of one date chart can fool you, that info is just for 110/11/112s.

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Re: buck date chart

Post by Top »

Speaking of no dots, The photos of my 110 that was given to me by my Mother-in-Law Christmas 1966 does not have any dots or other marks. It only has BUCK over 110 over U.S.A.
Think she gave it to me hoping I would fall on it. :wink:

In case anyone is wondering my avatar is a 2008 Buck 309 USA custom I picked up in SouthEast New Mexico late last year.
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Re: buck date chart

Post by stockman »

I came into a Buck 112 that I would like to know when it was made. It has no nail mark.
It is stamped Buck /112/USA. There is one dot left of the USA and two dots right of the USA.
Two pins at the lower bolster. BRL fourth said that they did not have a nail mark until 1983.
I had trouble figuring out the dating system as described in BRK's book.

Thanks Stockman
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Re: buck date chart

Post by Jacknifeben »

i have a BUCK general with the BUCK stamp upside down. what does that mean?
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Re: buck date chart

Post by orvet »

Has anyone found out yet what the date code is for 2011?

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Re: buck date chart

Post by ShadyDave »

So im confused about the DOT chart. I have a 110 with 2 dots, a 110 with 4 dots, and a 112 with 2 dots. I didnt see a dot chart above, just a symbol chart.
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orvet
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Re: buck date chart

Post by orvet »

Dave,
The 110 was dated differently early on.
Check out the thread on the 110. - http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 53&t=11569

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Re: buck date chart

Post by ShadyDave »

I saw that post but didnt get it fully i dont think. I may have to look into it a bit more. Thanks though :)
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Re: buck date chart

Post by Aimus Moses »

orvet wrote:Has anyone found out yet what the date code is for 2011?

Dale
Here's the year date codes from Buck for Buck knives. Hope this helps.
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Buck Year Date Codes 1986-2022.jpg
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Re: buck date chart

Post by orvet »

Hey, they got ahead of the curve! ::tu:: ::tu::

Thanks Aimus for posting it!

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Mike S.
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Re: buck date chart

Post by Mike S. »

So a single dot on my 112 to the right of the sign is pre 1986?
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Re: buck date chart

Post by Knife Nut »

Whoa, I knew there was a reason I didn't collect Bucks.
A tad bit corn fuseing. ::dang::
And I thought Puma's dating system was hard to follow!

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Re: buck date chart

Post by zed6309 »

Thanks guys this is such a big help ::tu::

1987 bucklite 426 ::tu::
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Re: buck date chart

Post by chetr1200c »

i have a 701 mustang that is in a leather bound box with the main blade of running mustangs etching by aurum. no synbols preceeding or following model number. so i guess it is pre 1986. but is there a way to pinpoint that date better?
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Re: buck date chart

Post by big monk »

I got these 110's, at the Flea Market recently_____ 1989 (with finger grips) and a 2010 ::hmm:: right ?????? ::uc::
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Re: buck date chart

Post by Hutter »

Is the 302 a new knife. I recently saw a knife marked buck, 302, usa. What period is it from?
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Re: buck date chart

Post by johnnierotten »

1989 (with finger grips) and a 2010
Yep...sounds right to me. ::nod::
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Re: buck date chart

Post by Mr Rick »

Thanks for the info. I can know properly identify my four dot.

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Re: buck date chart

Post by jerryd6818 »

I scrolled through this thread and didn't find the latest and greatest Buck Date Chart. Let me remedy that. This one goes up through the year 2022.
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Buck Date Codes thru 2022.jpg
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Re: buck date chart

Post by Beag1eGal »

Okay, So when did the 300 Series(or possibly other) have the model number on the back of the tang? And are the ones where all blades are stamped older? I know this is true with other manufacturers! Thank you
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Re: buck date chart

Post by deltaboy »

300Bucks wrote:OK, Everyone with with a Black scale slipjoint listen up for aging lesson.

Schrade made the Buck 301 and 303 the first few years of production.
They have a S shape, brass rivets on scale, one on each end and the middle spring rivet. The rivets are all the same size. Breath on the bolsters and see if you can see the telltale outline of a blade pin. You WON'T on a Schrade. Don't worry on the tang stamp, look at the above stuff. That only goes for those two models, other models haven't been born yet. Schrade made them good but hard to repair for warranty work. Hence the move of the contract.

So they switched contract to Camillus. Now look at tang it will say Buck, Made in U.S.A. and there will be two rivets on the scale, SMALLER than the middle spring rivet and it will have a model number on reverse. 301, 303, 309 and 305. After that you will see BUCK, model # ( NO date code), U.S.A.. This era is when other models are introduced and different scale materials introduced.

OK, now read close. In 1986 Buck started making there own 301,303,309 and 305s IN HOUSE. And the date code for 86 was < , AFTER this all of those 4 models were coded. NONE of the other different models were date coded until Buck introduced the 312 and 314 trappers and the 310 Whittler.

These "Other Models" 313,311,307, 315,317, etc follow the Made In U.S.A. as earliest version, then Buck, model #, U.S.A. never getting date coded. Even a few never were stamped with a model number, generally those were made special for SMKWs. ONLY BUCK MADE MODELS HAVE DATE CODES. Camillus models were never date coded even till factory shutdown. China made Bucks are date coded.

This date code method does not apply to 110s and 112s till after 1986. Read the chart for those pre 86 110s and 112s...

I have confused you enough....good luck..

300Bucks
Thanks all I sure of is my 301 is Pre 1986. And I can see the blade pins and it has but one brass pin visible on the scales.
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Re: buck date chart

Post by djknife13 »

I'm trying to date a Buck 110 anvil with "50" inside the anvil. Does anyone have a date of manufacture for this one?____Dave
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Re: buck date chart

Post by jerryd6818 »

djknife13 wrote:I'm trying to date a Buck 110 anvil with "50" inside the anvil. Does anyone have a date of manufacture for this one?____Dave
It's a 50th anniversary knife. It would make your knife 2014 made.
DSC07884.JPG
A little more research showed there were three tang stamps used in 2014. (those are not three different size knifes. The original picture I stole from the Big Forum had the knives in the horizontal position)
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Re: buck date chart

Post by djknife13 »

I was kind of guessing it was the 50th anniv. of the 110, but all the ones you showed have the 50th anniv. shield. Did they make some without?____Dave
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