Customer Reviews

Buck 503 Prince Lockback Folding Knife

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have actually owned this knife a couple of years now, purchased at a local store in my area. I am a big fan of buck folders, and have owned many of them in my life. I am also an avid collector of knives, specifically functional, high-quality knives, and Buck ranks near the top of my list.

The blade of this knife is made from 420HC stainless steel. This is the standard steel that Buck uses, and makes for a good knife blade. Notice I said "good" and not "superb." There are several stainless steels that make for better blades, but Buck's use of this 420HC steel does not detract from the overall quality of their knives. I can still achieve a razor edge on this knife, and with a minute or two of touching up per week, can keep that level of sharpness with this blade. It is easy to sharpen, and makes for one of the best folders I have ever owned.

The solidity of this knife's construction is superb. Buck makes, perhaps, the strongest lock blade mechanisms on the market that I have come across, and when this knife is locked into place, it is closer to the strength of a fixed blade knife out of all the other brand's folders I have ever owned. There is NO play in the blade at all, not when locked into position, and not even when you are opening this knife. It is smooth to open, and easy to close.

This is my permanent-carry knife. I usually carry two folders; this knife, always, and usually a larger, higher-grade steel work knife. This knife's small size and beautiful design is what I usually pull out to use when around people, as my work knives are larger...and a bit scarier. It is a very non-intimidating blade, and can be carried anywhere (not withstanding federal buildings and airplanes, of course). This particular knife's slim design completely obscures this knife when carried, both by the carrier, and people around you. It is probably the most comfortable pocket knife to carry that I have ever owned. Despite being small, the quality of the knife makes it suitable for basically any cutting task that you need it for.

The shape of the handle allows for a good grip, and the wood handles are beautiful. The nickel bolsters add to the beauty of this knife, without sacrificing its quality. The only thing that would make this knife better would be a higher quality steel, such as the 154CM steel that Buck uses in some of their more expensive knives...still, this is a great knife, perfect to carry anywhere.

One thing I do have to note, however, is that this knife is NOT designed for one-handed opening. I have seen many posts condemning Buck's folders for the difficulty people have in opening these knives one-handed. This knife was NOT designed to open one-handed. It does not have studs embedded into the blade to allow for such action. If you look closely at the blade of this knife, and of the other Buck folders whose blade design is similar, you will see a small, crescent-shaped indention near the spine of the blade. That indention is made to get a grip on the blade using a fingernail...so that you can hold the handle with one hand, and open the blade safely with the other. While I CAN open this knife, as well as the Buck 110 Folding Hunter, Lockback Folding Knife that really has people hating it for its lack of ease in opening one-handed, I don't recommend it. The blades are simply not designed for it, and you run the risk of slicing into your fingers trying to attempt a one-handed opening. Use a little common sense when looking at a knife blade; you can see whether or not they are really designed for one-handed opening.

Anyway, this is a fantastic folding knife, for everyday carrying and use, for pretty much anywhere that you go. I would recommend to anyone that they carry this knife, for its ease and comfort of carry, and its functionality and quality.

I purchased the Buck Prince knife for my son, upon his completion of the Royal Rangers tool craft merit. It's a really well-made knife, with which he can safely perform camp tasks. It came out of the box with a very sharp edge, and hasn't shown much wear after some whittling, fuzz/feather stick making, and general cutting tasks. In my opinion, it's the perfect size for boys under 11 years old who know how to handle a knife.

I've carried this knife for years--had to replace ones I lost a couple of times and have always gone back to the same knife. A good size for slacks pockets--not too long and fairly thin. Typical Buck quality--takes and holds a very sharp edge.

This knife is small enough to fit into your pocket comfortably and big enough to be useful. It's made in USA and made well. Great everyday knife.

This is a wonderful knife. I have had it for over 10 years. In that time the only time it is not in my pocket or in use is when I am flying. I carry it everywhere and have found it useful for anything I need (even cutting a steak once).
It has gotten wet many times since some summers I have worked in or near the water. It has never rusted. The blade easily sharpens and aside from a little tarnish where my thumb sets when in use it look brand new still. I am not an easy owner and have killed other knifes after a couple of years of use, but this beauty keeps looking new no matter what I do to it.
If you are looking for reliable, easy to use, and looks nice this is the knife you should go with. I've never wished I had received any other knife as a 14/15 year old.

Great gentleman's knife. A knife to be carried with a sense of class. Not too small but not a hunting knife either.

This is a nice knife but it seems that buck has changed its steel in them or at least the manufacture and finishing of the steel. I have an old one and the blade is finished much smoother and has the state of Indiana stamped on its tang. Also, the feel of the steel is different but I'm not sure what steel mine is (on the old one). It does seem that this new blade is 420hc steel...so fyi if you have/had an old one don't expect the same blade. I think to cut cost they have changed materials or the manufacture of these classic knives...and, it's not what i expected.

This knife was selected by my son as being one of the best out there. He was very pleased that he received this for a Christmas present. Thank you for making it so easy for me to make my purchase through your company.

Lee

I have long been a fan of Buck knives, having owned several model 110 Folding Hunters (I was absent-minded and lost them :( ) over the years, and that grand old knife has richly deserved respect among hunters and outdoorsmen.
Great as the old 110 is, it does not very well lend itself to everyday carry due to its rather large size and heft.
You don't exactly comfortably carry the 110 in your shirt pocket!
Enter the pen knife sized 503 Prince, which features the industry standard lockback mechanism that made "BuckKnife" synonymous with folding knives as strong and rigid as sheath knives.
The build quality is typical buck, featuring nickel bolsters, very attractive resin impregnated birchwood handle scales, and (best of all) Buck's vaunted 420HC semi-hollow ground blade.
The locking mechanism is the now familiar pushbutton released lockback, and the closed knife is slightly shorter than my index finger and narrow enough that I can completely cover it with the same finger, and it is slightly thinner than an ordinary pencil.
This makes for a very nice little knife that practically asks the owner to drop it into his pocket, where it won't even be noticed until you casually reach in, then put it to quick use.
This is not a heavy use knife, as the 110 is intended to be, but it will be much more likely to be on you at all times, since it is smaller than a finger and lighter than your average ring of keys.
I have had mine for about ten years now, and it still looks great, and the blade is still pretty sharp, even though I have not sharpened it just yet.
Also, for those of you to whom it matters (it does with me), this excellent little lockback is made in the USA.
I suppose I should break out my Lansky sharpener to quickly turn this into a pocket razor again.
My sole quibble with this little knife is that it is a bit small for my very large hands and has somewhat squared contours, but I also qualify that by acknowledging that there is no such thing as a free lunch.
It would be impossible to have such a wonderfully easy to carry knife and make it fill my hand the way a full sized model 110 does.

This was my first knife my dad bought me around 15 or so years ago. It cost around 25-30 at Wal-mart back then, with no sheath. I still have it and it still looks just perfect with the proper care I have shown it. I love this knife and it will handle anything a normal person will throw at a pocket knife. I used to carry it when I went hunting as a 'whittling' knife. It can become a little hard on the palm of the hands though I admit, due to the sharp corners of the handle. But, thats not a big deal. It is afterall a pocket knife - not a bowie knife; so the handle is bound to have a couple edges along it.

Anyways, like I said - I have had this knife for at least 10+ years and it has held up perfectly with oiling and sharpening when needed. Would I recommend it over any other of my knives? I dunno. At the 40+ price tag: probably not. I would recommend a Sodbuster knife which really feels like a powerful knife when you hold it. It doesn't feel like you might damage the blade when you really bare down on it. Plus you can get them all day long for under $25.00 So my final conclusion: Buy this knife if you find it at a bargain for under $30.00. If not, buy something else.