503 Prince

While I own what I would consider to be some very good knives, I am an office dweller by trade, and most of the knives I own would draw some very unwanted attention in "polite company." I could take bets on how quickly I would be visiting the security office if I pulled out my Kershaw Blur in the middle of the cafeteria. Because I didn't have anything else handy at the time, I'd been carrying around a cheap imported lockback that was stamped "China" on one side of the blade and "Sharp" on the other (which was false advertising, because there was nothing you could do to make that knife sharp). If I remember right, it was a dollar-store stocking-stuffer I got 10 years ago. It did an OK job (I guess), but the blade didn't even close the whole way and I was catching stuff on the point in my pocket. I also wasn't fond of carrying around imported junk for what should be a useful tool.Because I have a habit of over-analyzing purchases for seemingly-mundane items, I actually spent several weeks doing research on all kinds of different knives. I looked at Case, Kershaw, Queen Cutlery, CRKT, and several others. In all honesty, I probably would have bought another Kershaw if it weren't for the fact that their small folders are made in (you guessed it) China. I'm glad I kept looking, because the Buck 503 Prince has everything right. It looks very classy, locks up tight with no wiggling, feels substantial in the hand, isn't too heavy to carry, and is just the right size to perform most small cutting tasks without looking scary or aggressive. The drop point blade is what makes this a gentleman's knife (vs. the clip point on the Buck 55, which looks a bit meaner).The quality is top notch. As I mentioned, the blade doesn't wiggle at all when it locks, and it is reasonably well centered in the handle. When you open this knife up, you know that you are holding a quality tool. Just be careful when you do open it, because this knife came out of the box sharper than any knife I have ever seen. I'm not sure if they all come out like that, but it effortlessly shaved a patch off my arm as clean as any razor blade. The blade is hollow ground, and they left the finish a little rough (which I think looks good). This is not a polished blade (although I think you can order one with a polished blade from their custom shop) which I have seen some reviews complain about. It is personal preference if you ask me, and doesn't take anything away from my impression.I will admit that I was uncertain about buying this knife because it "only" uses 420HC in the blade, but I will say this: While it isn't one of the new fused-powder cryogenically-hardened miracle steels, people (including me) sometimes spend too much time looking at numbers and graphs on the internet. I have several Leatherman Multi-tools which I have used heavily for many many years, and they are also "only" 420HC. I have never had an issue sharpening my Leathermans or keeping them sharp, and Buck's steel is equal-to-or-better-than what Leatherman uses by all reports. My personal experience so far has supported this. Actually, 420HC has been a lot easier to sharpen than the Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel in my Kershaw Blur and holds an edge almost as well.The blade is sturdy enough to do its job, but again, this is a gentleman's knife (whether for a real gentleman, or someone like me who has to pretend to be one for 8 hours every day). It is not made for heavy-duty cutting tasks. Use the right tool for the job at hand and you'll do yourself well.Buy this knife. Whether this is your first pocket knife, a gift for a loved one, or you have a whole drawer full of folders, you won't be disappointed. Even if the price were double what it is, you would still be getting a good deal. This is American craftsmanship that you will carry with you for a long time, and one of your kids might just carry it after that.

I purchased this to replace my old 055 Buck Knife which I have carried for the last 3 years. I have always carried a 055 Buck and have probably owned 3 or 4 of them. I finally decided to replace it after sharpening it soooo much that the blade was getting a curve in it from just too much use. I decided to try this 501 Squire Buck and so far it has been a great replacement. Slightly larger than the 055 but not too big. Very sharp, looks great, and will purchase again.

This is a really nicely made little knife. It is nice to hold and looks polished and finely crafted. It is small and easy to carry in your pocket. I’m glad I got it.

This is my 3rd Buck folder - I bought it to replace a Prince (503) that I thought I had lost, and I also own a 55. So far, this is my favorite of the bunch. I'm not sure if it's just poor quality control or sample variation, but the Prince that I have has somewhat rough, cheap looking wood, while the Squire's wood is gorgeous, smooth, and perfectly fitted to the frame. Every joint, facet, and curve is beautifully finished, and as tight as a bank vault. The knife locks in the open position positively, with very little play in the joints, and stays that way until you want to fold it back up. A+ for workmanship.The knife arrived literally shaving sharp - probably sharper than I'm likely ever to get it again with my shoddy sharpening skills. It comes with a sheath which, while a nice thought, is a bit overkill for a knife that's meant for your pocket (I mean really, if you're going to put it on the belt, may as well carry more knife - the whole point of a knife this size is that it's pocketable). It's noticeably bigger than the Prince, but not exactly "large". I do notice the difference in size and weight after having carried its smaller cousin around for a year or so. I'm already used to it after a couple days in my pocket.Some people will likely take issue with the lack of a clip, and I'm sure that I wouldn't have lost the first one if I was carrying a knife with a clip. However, clips add bulk, and I'm not the kind of guy that likes to advertise that I'm carrying a knife anyway. Some will also dislike the two-handed open / close, but it's never bothered me much. If you want a one-handed open, look elsewhere (while do-able with the Squire, it probably isn't reliably safe, and it's certainly clunky).At under $40 bucks, it's a steal, considering that it's a classy blade will last long enough for my grandkids to carry one day (provided I don't lose the silly thing, which is a BIG if...) I have literally nothing bad to say about this knife. It's a great EDC blade, and I'm looking forward to a lifetime of putting it to work on life's small everyday chores.

I’ve been a 110 customer with the same 110 knife for over 40 years. I recently went and purchased a 501 to use as a pocket knife. The one thing I notice between the 40 year old knife and the new one is the finish on the blade. I remember getting the 110 as a gift from my sister, and that thing was polished sharp. My new 501 is sharp, but you can see the grind on the blade. I plan to finish the job and polish the blade, and I also polished one side, so far, to get rid of the rough satin type finish on the blade face. At Buck, I realize that the extra work would greatly increase the cost of the knife, but for me, the extra couple hours will make a gem out of this knife. CheersUpdate: Second photo is finished blade. Finished polishing and came out nice. I used 1500 and then 7000 wet and dry sandpaper. It took a little longer, but I did not want to put any additional scratches on the blade. I put 3-4 hours into it.

Great folding knife, but I think it was a return. The 501 Squire arrived in a partially destroyed Buck box, inside an Amazon bag. The knife had fingerprints and smudges, and the sheath had obviously been used and even form-fitted to the knife, which usually takes some time to accomplish! I kept it because I needed to use it right away.Despite the obvious 'second hand' appearance, the blade is very sharp as it should be.I don't really blame Buck either, I think this may have been handled by a retailer via Amazon. 🤷‍♂️

I got the 55, 503 and this 501. This is the goldilocks of small knifes and is the perfect EDC that slips away in your jeans 5th pocket/coin pocket. Its not too big,, not too small, not too skinny and not too thick. It really just felt "right" when I held it.. It looks good, well made and made in the USA. I bought the 55, 503 and 501 to let the person pick what one he liked best as a gift, but I know he's going to take this 501 since it has that "thats it" feel. So it seems like il be getting one for myself since its just an all around nice.If you're looking for a knife to get as a gift this would be perfect, its just the right size to be used by anyone, as a gentlemans knife, a knife collector, a tradesman/outdoorsman or just an envelope slayer.. also you can get them custom made from buck knifes and get engraving and pick the handle material too..

Very happy with the quality of my Buck knife. Great looking, smooth movement of the blade and comes extremely sharp!!!

Wer sich vorher Informiert der wird auch nicht enttäuscht. Die Klinge hat kein Spiel weder Horizontal noch Vertical. Der Backlock geht Butterweich. Sehr gut verarbeitete Materialien. Über 420HC kann man denken was man will. Siehe Oben.

Da ich mein altes Messer leider verloren habe, musste ein neues, kleines Messer für die Hosentasche her. Das Messer ist sehr gut verarbeitet, ein Spiel zwischen Klinge und Heft ist nicht vorhanden, alles passt sehr gut und funktioniert sehr leicht. Die Klinge ist sehr scharf und macht einen sehr soliden Eindruck. Eine klare Empfehlung von mir für dieses Messer und fünf Sterne für die Qualität.