Buck Knives 501 Squire Folding Pocket Knife with Leather Sheath

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.

Excellent pocket size knife, very sharp. Easy to open and close.

Great little knife. Takes and holds an edge well. Looks nice and seems very durable.

A great pocket knife

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..

Always a top notch product.

factory sharpness was pretty good but I have a nice sharpener that made it EXTREMELY sharp... seems extremely durable and just looks awesome. I originally thought it was larger when ordering but it was entirely my fault for not realizing it's actual size, so I don't feel cheated at all.. On that note I actually really like the size of it now cause it is not too big and not too small. had it for about 3 months and have not noticed any issues at all, I imagine I will have and love this knife for years to come if I don't lose it! also the case is super nice and helpful, when I plan on having keys in my pocket I just loop it on my belt and it works great! 5 star knife.UPDATE** - 5 years strong and I still LOVE this knife. buying it for my father for father's day. He used to always carry a buck knife but it would fall out of his pocket and he lost it I believe. He has another one but since this one is small he will be able to wear it comfortable with the holster and never lose it!