I finally got some pictures of this up on the web and I thought the people over here might find this interesting.
I've been told that you don't see a big variety of Buck knives over in Britain but they are extremely popular over here in the US. This is a Buck 104 set and this was one of the neater ideas that Buck has had and they have made versions of this over the years at various times.
In the US one of the prime outdoor activities that draws a huge number to the woods is hunting season, mostly deer but also elk and other game. For a woodsman and a hunter, this is an extremely good setup that covers a wide variety of game, fish, and bushcraft tasks. Not only is the 2in1 sheath concept handy and compact, but the Buck knives themselves are extremely well designed and well made. Just ad a hatchet, a folding saw, and a multitool and you're seriously good to go for almost anything in the N. American wilderness.
Here's a picture (hope it uploads) of my Buck 104 set. It dates from the early 1970's. It's a 5" Buck 105 Pathfinder and a 4" Buck 103 Skinner. It originally had a 4" Buck 102 Woodsman, but it was replaced with a 5" Buck 105 Pathfinder of a slightly older vintage.
Some of these sets originally came with a 4" Buck 118 instead of a 4" Buck 102 (the 118 is like a 102 but with a curved blade and a tip like a 105). These are the older 440C blades that had a hardness of around Rc60-61. You could skin a T-Rex with that 103 and it would still be shaving sharp when you were done. One of the reasons that Buck switched steels in the early 80's was that people complained that the knives were so hard that they were difficult to sharpen. The newer 420HC is also more resistant to breakage.
The more narrow Buck 105 has a 3mm thick spine and the more Nessmuk looking Buck 103 has a 4mm thick spine. Buck still makes versions of both of these knives, though they no longer sell the Buck 104 set with the 2in1 sheath. The newer production knives are 420HC with one of the best heat and cryo treats in the American knife industry. There are a handful of custom runs and special productions, such as the Cabela's 'Alaskan Guide Series' that Buck makes which are S30V.
I've been told that you don't see a big variety of Buck knives over in Britain but they are extremely popular over here in the US. This is a Buck 104 set and this was one of the neater ideas that Buck has had and they have made versions of this over the years at various times.
In the US one of the prime outdoor activities that draws a huge number to the woods is hunting season, mostly deer but also elk and other game. For a woodsman and a hunter, this is an extremely good setup that covers a wide variety of game, fish, and bushcraft tasks. Not only is the 2in1 sheath concept handy and compact, but the Buck knives themselves are extremely well designed and well made. Just ad a hatchet, a folding saw, and a multitool and you're seriously good to go for almost anything in the N. American wilderness.
Here's a picture (hope it uploads) of my Buck 104 set. It dates from the early 1970's. It's a 5" Buck 105 Pathfinder and a 4" Buck 103 Skinner. It originally had a 4" Buck 102 Woodsman, but it was replaced with a 5" Buck 105 Pathfinder of a slightly older vintage.
Some of these sets originally came with a 4" Buck 118 instead of a 4" Buck 102 (the 118 is like a 102 but with a curved blade and a tip like a 105). These are the older 440C blades that had a hardness of around Rc60-61. You could skin a T-Rex with that 103 and it would still be shaving sharp when you were done. One of the reasons that Buck switched steels in the early 80's was that people complained that the knives were so hard that they were difficult to sharpen. The newer 420HC is also more resistant to breakage.
The more narrow Buck 105 has a 3mm thick spine and the more Nessmuk looking Buck 103 has a 4mm thick spine. Buck still makes versions of both of these knives, though they no longer sell the Buck 104 set with the 2in1 sheath. The newer production knives are 420HC with one of the best heat and cryo treats in the American knife industry. There are a handful of custom runs and special productions, such as the Cabela's 'Alaskan Guide Series' that Buck makes which are S30V.
