Pocket Knives

Knives by Buck with special channel inlay on handles blending turquoise and other stones, wood, and metals. Navajo artisan David Yellowhorse individually hand-tooled bolsters and decorative work, no two knives are exactly alike. Today, David’s sons Brian and Ron work with him in his shop at Lupton, Arizona, Navajo land, USA.
The first Yellowhorse decorated Bucks were produced in about 1980. Yellowhorse has also collaborated on knives with United Cutlery and Spyderco.
In 1966, the company expanded its line of folding knives by introducing the 300 series pocketknives, first produced by Schrade but switched to Camillus in 1968. In 1975, the 500 series models were introduced and were also made for Buck by Camillus. Production of Buck pocketknives was moved to the company’s own factory in 1979.
Buck moved to El Cajon, California in 1980, and more recently to a new facility in Post Falls, Idaho in 2005. The company still manufactures many of its products as the Idaho plant, though portions of its line are manufactured overseas as well.
Buck Knife Stampings
The evolution of Buck Knives from church basement enterprise to high-tech cutlery manufactures is reflected in the markings found on the company’s products. The earliest marked knives are called “four strikes” by collectors, because each of the letters in BUCK were struck with individual letter stamps of the type found at any hardware store back in the days when real hardware stores still existed. One a related note, the general availability of such stamps and the current value of early Buck knives means that the inexperienced collector should use caution before taking a chance on one.
BladeTactical Knives


There are many variations among the early, pre-factory Buck markings, with or without dots on either side of the name, four or one strike stamps, stamps location, etc. In 1961, the marking was standardized as a one-strike BUCK stamp on the left side of the blade. Buck began marketing knives in Canada in 1967, and the stamping became BUCK U.S.A. or BUCK MADE IN U.S.A. The company mark was again changed in about 1971, adding the knife’s  BladeTactical Knives  model number to create a three-line stamp.
Acknowledging collectors interest in the company’s line, Buck decided to add an additional symbol to their mark in 1986. This symbol allows collectors to determine when any Buck knife after 1986 was produced. Alternative symbols were used in 2002 (an anvil) and 2005 (the outline of Idaho, signaling that year’s move to that state).
Older Buck fixed blade knives and Model 100 folding hunters have become very popular with collectors, as have several recently marketed limited editions, such as the David Yellowhorse line. In recent years the Buck Collectors Club has done much to promote collector interest in the brand, with a good company interface and a very active membership. Those with an interest in the company’s products would do well to join, if only to receive the club’s fact filled newsletter.

There is a great book out on Buck Knives called The Story of Buck Knives, a Family Business by Tom Ables. Search eBay and Amazon and see if you can find this out-of-print book.

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