All About Pocket Knives

I just picked up a nice Buck 119 the the local Gun and Knife Show. It is a pattern number 119 and there is a V immediately following the 119 pattern number. I looked on the web site but find nothing to indicate the significance of the V. Any of you Buck collectors that might be able to give me some info on this one?
I am attaching a photo of the knife and of the stamp.
Thanks in advance.

might be a date stamp. see this thread.http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... php?t=6036

Yes, it is a stamp indicating the year of manufacture. Here is a link to the Buck site, same information that's Classic Case's thread, plus a little more Buck information.

http://www.buckknives.com/collectors_vintage.php

A "V" would be a 1989 manufacture. Check the middle of the page, Production knives for more dating info, symbols started in 1986. There is also a bit of information about dating pre-1986.

Thanks very much guys. This one goes onto Ebay tomorrow night.

Ray

Good luck! It's a good knife and Buck's most popular fixed blade hunting knife.

I know that they use 420HC currently and Paul Bos can get it to perforn quite well with a hardness of 58Rc, which is better than anyone else can do. ATS-34, BG-42 and S30V blades can be hardened to Rc 59.5-61. Paul Bos does work miracles IMO, the 420HC on my Buck Kalinga knives is hair popping sharp and I would rate the edge retention as slightly better than good.

Buck knives switched to 420HC in 1994. I believe they used 425M steel 1981 to 1994 and before that, it was 440C.

425M is similar to 440A.

Thanks, Hukk! I appreciate the input, as always!

Ray