Promoting thecollection anddisplay of Buck

Knives since 1988

Famous forHoldingan Edge!

Great KnivesSince 1902!

December 2012

ChuCk’s Corner CLuB neWs By John Foresman

First I want to tell you that I have recovered remarkably well from open heart surgery last February and again want to thank all of you for your prayers, your special cards, fruit baskets and florals. It was truly overwhelming the love we felt extended to us from all the wonderful people that make up the Buck Collector Club!

Many of you attended the BBQ lunch at our house 5 years ago. I want to extend a warm welcome to all of you that are planning to attend the BCCI 25th anniversary celebration.

Lori and I will be hosting that event again! Since then I have wanted to create a nice park on the acreage adjacent to the area we used for parking at our picnic 5 years ago. I actuated the well on that lot and had freeze-proof hydrants installed 4 feet underground throughout the forest there. Next March it will be hydro-seeded with Kentucky Blue Grass which will of course attract more deer and Elk as they love to graze on Blue Grass. It’s tough and comes back up each year!

We hope to have a nice open air building or gazebo by that time for relaxation and fellowship. We extend a special invitation for you to come, relax and enjoy God’s great outdoors with us that day.

And a special thanks to all of you on various c o m m i t t e e s that have been working on this event for several years now, we pray it will be a great success!

Chuck and Lori Buck

Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy New Year! I hope you all have a joyous and meaningful holiday season this year and a very healthy prosperous 2013.

It’s hard to imagine that this year is near its end! That means that the Buck Collectors Club 25 year anniversary event is just around the corner. The event’s planning committee has been hard at work for quite some time now. I personally am very excited about our upcoming celebration and I urge you to attend. You’ll be glad you did, I promise!

In this issue, you’ll find more information on the event, an RSVP form and order forms for some very special Silver Anniversary knives. We’re offering two Frontiersman model 124s and two Folding Hunter model 110s. All four knives will have Lucite handles. Perhaps the most special knife we’ve ever offered is the 110 with D-2 steel! Yes, D-2 steel! Never before available, this 110 will be highly desirable collectible.

I failed to report on three recognitions made during our annual meeting at the Blade Show this year in our last newsletter. Dick Matheny was presented with the prototype of the 186 style 110 that was offered in the June newsletter for all the hard work and effort that he puts into researching and compiling the annual Special Projects list. Leroy Remer was also the proud recipient of a Lucite handled barbecue set from Heath Stone. Heath thanked Leroy for his mentoring and contributions to the BCCI. And Larry Oden offered a heartwarming thank you to Georgia Foresman for all of her behind the scenes work.

We have had very little response from our youth in regard to the essay contest that was announced in the June newsletter. Parents and Grandparents, let’s get those kids working on this! The prize of a Buck knife customized by Heath Stone is too great to pass up!

Happy Collecting,

John Foresman

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The end of summer 2012 has been a very busy time. This quarter I wanted to share some of the legislative efforts underway.

Most of the issues we were working on this year were stalled somewhere in the process. 2010 had created so many committee changes with Republicans overtaking Democrats in state legislative houses that the confusion and election agendas took priority. Most efforts were sailing on their way to the Gov’s desks so we will pick them up again next year. With every state victory we accomplish it makes it easier for the next state to justify passing a similar bill.

Near the end of September, the American Knife and Tool Institute held our third quarter board meeting back in Washington D.C. We were there to attend the annual banquet for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. Our board meeting was all day on Wednesday September 19th. That night was the banquet. On Thursday, the 20th we “walked the hill”. We met with both Idaho senators, Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, we met with the chief of staff for Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon.

Did you know that sportsmen spend $90 billion annually, that license fees, special stamps and donations to conservation organizations adds up to more then $3 billion per year on wildlife and habitat conservation? It would not be happening otherwise.

Our involvement with the hunting and conservation community is really important for non-hunting knife enthusiasts because the economic impact of hunting and fishing is one of the key legislative motivators for the clarification or elimination of bad or unclear knife laws. The conservation community knows

that without knives the outdoor activities are not possible. Legislators understand that if sportsmen are concerned about the legality of the knife they are carrying, they might choose a more hunter friendly state to spend their money.

The relationships we have built with both Federal and State legislators is why we are making so much progress with almost a dozen active projects in motion.

On a lighter note, I just returned last week from an elk hunt that was on camera for a TV show. Boone and Crockett Country, which airs on Sportsman’s Channel, filmed Bob George and me harvesting two elk standing together in a field. We counted off “1-2-3” shoot and were successful in getting both animals. The meat from these animals will be made available to the folks here at Buck so will benefit many people.

I hope you all had a great thanksgiving and keep our country in prayer.

Best, CJ

BCCI Custom ShopThe Buck Collectors Club is proud to announce the Grand opening of the BCCI Custom Shop. The shop

will be run by Custom Knife Maker Leroy Remer, Buck Knives first Custom Knife Maker. The BCCI Cus-tom Shop will give BCCI Club members the opportunity design their own Customized Buck Knife. Club

members can send in their own knife, order, or purchase from what is currently in our inventory. Each knife will have the BCCI Custom Logo either on the blade or tang. In addition to designing your own Custom-

ized Buck Knife, the BCCI Custom Shop will be selling a limited run of customized knives that will be available to BCCI members only. Please call Leroy Remer for pricing and availability. Please check the

following websites for upcoming specials: www.buckcollectorsclub.org

www.triplerknives.com www.stoneknifeworks.com

re-assemBLing the titanium 186In the upper row, assemble as shown with screws finger tight. With the side plates properly spaced and aligned, tighten the center screw. In the middle row, with the clip repositioned and exerting reverse pressure on the spring, tighten both clip screws. In the third row, put the blade pivot bushing back in the blade, slide the blade between the handles, and tighten the blade pivot screw. This procedure eliminates the problems associated with the belt clip shrouding the rocker pivot screw and the spring holder twisting out of alignment reducing the walk and talk of the blade.Courtesy of Norm Sevensma

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PresidentJohn Foresman (2011-2014)

110 New Kent DriveGoode, VA 24556(434) 610-7482

buckcustom@aol.com

Vice PresidentLarry Oden (2008-2012)

1112 Veach’s CourtPeru, IN 46970(765) 472-2323

loden@dka-online.com

TreasurerPat Donovan (2012-2015)

56600 Edgewood DriveShelby Twnsp., MI 48316

586-786-5549

SecretaryRuss Donoghue (2010-2013)

2751 Ft. Union BlvdSalt Lake City, UT 84121

(801) 699-3159rustyo3@qwestoffice.net

Board MembersKen Burns (2010-2013)

7069 Highland CourtWarrenton, VA 20187

(540) 349-4440kenburnssr@msn.com

Bruce Dollinger (2010-2013)20 So. Linden Ave., #6B

South San Francisco, CA 94080(650) 873-0224

bsnakebyte@aol.com

Heath Stone (2012-2015)3700 West 103rd Drive

Westminister, CO 80031803-317-9310

stoneknifeworks@gmail.com

Craig Heflebower (2011-2014)601 S. Poplar

Sallisaw, OK 74962(918) 774-4973

cheflebower@earthlink.net

Liaison OfficerJoe Houser

660 S. Lochsa St.Post Falls, ID 83854

(800) 326-2825 Ext. 233jhouser@Buckknives.com

KentucKy cutlery AssociAtion FAll show

Jerry Bodner’s Kentucky Cultery Association 2012 Knife Show was the scene of our BCCI October get-together in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Our Friday morning set up time just barely beat a cold and windy drizzle but inside was the warmth of fellowship we’ve come to expect at this event. Those representing BCCI were: Craig and Pat Heflebower, Charlie Beall and Doris Shoopmon, Chuck Reed, Allan Horner, V.P. Larry Oden (“Best of Show” recipient), and Brent and Dee Schinde-wolf who received a “Judges Award”.

At noon on Saturday (10-27-12) our BCCI group gathered near the Club Banner for a very special presentation. Jerry Bodner was recognized for the many years of support he has given to our club and about two dozen other clubs at last count. As most of you know, Jerry is famous for his beautiful and intricate miniature knives. As many more of you know, club member #1863 Dee Schindewolf is known for her beautiful and intricate QUILTS. It seemed appropriate that our appreciation for Jerry would be expressed in the form of a quilt made just for him. There’s only one catch to this story: the quilt chosen to be most appropriate was a Miniature Quilt. Pictured with this article is a quilt just 14” x 16” with BCCI Club Logo in the middle. Although Jerry could chose to keep one hand at a time warm with this “trophy”; we’re really hoping he will find a place in his home or workshop to hang this token of our appreciation.

Brent Schindewolf & JerryBodner

For Sale: A small list of Buck knives is available by contacting Georgia Stroud. These

knives belonged to her late husband, a BCCI member:Georgia Stroud (760) 749-8826 georgiapeach8@cox.net

10961 Treeside LnEscondido, CA 92026

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BCCI SILVER ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONJuly 30 – August 2, 2013

Post Falls, ID & Spokane Valley, WAWe are excited to introduce the BCCI Silver Anniversary Event!! The 25 year anniversary event planning committee has been diligently working to bring this celebration together and we are convinced it will be spectacular. Please look for the RSVP information elsewhere in this newsletter. It is very important that we know how many members and guests we will need to accommodate. Please note this is a “fee charged” event. We are confident you will find it value-rich, with banquet, lunches, seminars, demonstrations, auctions, raffles, picnic and more included. Following are scheduled highlights:

Catered Kick-off Welcome Banquet (Tuesday evening)*New BCCI DVD, Door prizes, Free gifts to club members & guests, Photo opportunity with Chuck & CJ Buck, Catered dinner, Guest speaker Steve Shackleford - Editor of BLADE Magazine, Great fellowship time, BCCI Hall of Fame induction, Meet Buck Knives’ VIPs, Meet friends and make new ones, BCCI member displays

Seminars, Factory tours, Catered lunches (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday a.m.) *Enhanced tours of Buck Knives’ factory *catered lunches (Wednesday & Thursday) with commemorative give-aways *Seminars - (tentative list –still under consideration): - What is on the Horizon from Buck Knives? -Buck Special Projects Basics -Use of Advertising and Buck Advertising materials -Yellowhorse knives -Pre-factory & 100 Series Buck knives -Buck Custom Shop knives -Buckmaster/M-9/Tactical knives -Buck Knife Survival Seminar – Karen Hood -Knife Photography and Record keeping

Dinner and Cruise on Lake Couer d’Alene (Wednesday evening) This will be a very memorable time of fellowship and fun on one of the most scenic lakes in the U.S.A. Extra fee - limited availability - please make your reservations early. We urge you to make this a priority in your planning. It will be very special.

Knife Swap Plus (Thursday evening) *Special presentations, raffles & auctions, Demonstrations by BCCI artisans, Buck employees will be invited to attend and bring knives to sell or trade; bring any Buck knives you would like to market. If necessary, you may ship your knives to Buck Knives in advance. Club members will also be able to ship home any acquired knives to avoid airline issues.

Catered Picnic at home of Chuck and Lori Buck (Friday afternoon) All event attendees are invited to a catered picnic at the home of Chuck and Lori Buck as we close out our Silver Anniversary celebration. Their hospitality was the favorite highlight for most attendees at the 20 year event. The view of the Spokane Valley is spectacular, almost as good as the fellowship and food!

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Host Hotel *Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center, Spokane Valley, Washington (situated between Spokane, WA and Coeur D’Alene, ID), Just off I-90, Exit 291B (N. 1100 Sullivan Road). Check out www.mirabeauparkhotel.com for more information. Our special group rate is $119/night (double occupancy with breakfast included). Please note that Post Falls is located in a tourist attractive location and we are arriving in the middle of their busy tourist season.

This hotel is just minutes from the Buck Knives factory and it will be a focal point for some of our activities. Our Kick-off Banquet and the Knife Swap Plus will each be held at the Mirabeau facility. Also, look for the BCCI Welcome Center to be operating in the lobby during the day, Tuesday, July 30. You will be able to register early and take time to make and meet friends. Displaying members may set-up their exhibits during the day before the banquet begins. We will have a room dedicated to the displays and it will be locked when we are not using it.

Please note that our special group rate will be honored both before and after the actual dates of our event should you decide to arrive early or stay longer and enjoy the many tourist attractions in the Post Falls area.

RV Options Check the appropriate box in the RSVP section to have an RV campground brochure included in your packet of information. It should be no problem to drive your RV to the hotel and/or the Buck factory in order to attend the various events.

Car rental Buck Knives has arranged to obtain the Buck Knives corporate rate from Enterprise Rent-a-Car for club members. Just let them know in advance that you are with the Buck Collectors Club and that you would like to receive the special Buck Knives’ corporate rate. The BKI account number with them is 45D4133 and their toll free number is 800-736-8222. Also, you may want to check with www.rentalcars.com to compare rates. According to Karen Cook at Buck Knives, the corporate rate from Enterprise is sometimes, but not always the “best deal in town.” Also, you may want to check out the hotel/airport shuttle and incorporate that into your plans.

Displays There will be a limited amount of space available for displays at the hotel in a separate room near the banquet area. If you would like to bring your Buck knives display, please contact John Hunt via email at jshunt@grantsburgtelcom.net or call him in Wisconsin at (715) 463-2485. All display items must be under glass or Plexiglas. This option will be subject to space and table availability but we hope to accommodate several displays.

Buck Factory Store The Buck Knives factory store will be open for extended hours during our event. Expect limited quantities of highly desirable Buck models to be built and available especially for attendees of this event. Also, club members will receive very special discounted pricing on everything in the store.

Other items of interest 25 year event and BCCI logo merchandise will be available in an upcoming newsletter and will be for sale at the event. We are arranging for many of the 25 year event happenings to be recorded and made available via DVD. You are also welcome to bring cameras and /or recorders to preserve your memories of this great event. If you are unable to attend, you will still be able to have a “taste” of what you will miss. Last but certainly not least, the introduction of the much anticipated BCCI history book authored by Russ Donoghue will be one more highlight of this celebration.

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siLver anniversary rsvP PaCket request Form

Please send me the information packet for the BCCI Silver Anniversary Event! (Please Print Neatly)

Name ________________________________________

Address ________________________________________

City, State, Zip __________________________________

NAMES OF ATTENDEES:1._____________________________2._____________________________3._____________________________4._____________________________5._________________________________ Yes, please include RV campground information in my packet____ Yes, I am interested in displaying my Buck Knives

____ Attendees @$50 per adult (children under age 18 are free)……………$__________ Lake Cruise Attendees @ $60 per person…………………………….….$______ TOTAL……….$________Check/Money Order enclosed __Credit/Debit card (MasterCard,Visa, American Express, Discover) Card Number _________________________________Exp. Date _____ (MM/YY) ____ (Security Code)

To receive your RSVP packet of information, please mail this completed form to Georgia Foresman as soon as possible.

AS ALWAYS, YOU MAY USE A PHOTOCOPY OF THIS FORM IN ORDER TO SAVE YOUR NEWSLETTER!!

GEORGIA FORESMAN SILVER ANNIVERSARY RSVP PACKET 110 NEW KENT DRIVE GOODE, VA 24556

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The Buck Collectors Club is proud to present The 8th Annual Yellowhorse Limited Edition Members knife

Grey Wolf

Inlayed on a Buck 532 . The blade is mirror polished with the Buck Custom

blade stamp. This is the first time for Buck to offer the 532 with the Buck Cus-tom ( only ) tang stamp plus with a mirror polished blade. The handle material is

black jet with the Grey Wolf design in nickel that is also hand textured. The design is inlayed on both sides of the knife and all bolsters are hand textured.

The knife comes with a custom glass topped oak display box.

Cost is $360 per knife delivered in the USA, foreign delivery is extra.

To order the 8th Annual Yellowhorse knife, send check or money order pay-able to the Buck Collectors Club to:

Thank you for your support of the BCCI

Order received:___________ Date shipped:_________________

BCCI c/o Gene Merritt 7212 E Chelsea St Tampa, FL 33610 Email : genemerr@aol.com

Ship to: _____________________________

Address ____________________________________

City, State, Zip ______________________________

email or phone ______________________________

Member # ______________________________

On the right is the concept drawing for this year’s edition.

The bottom picture is the proto Knife finished showing theBuck Custom only tang stamp, 420 HC Mirror Polished blade.

Red Jasper and Blue Turquoise Highlight the Grey Wolf design

The BCCI again thanks David Yellowhorse for his Great support of the club and his ef-forts to enhance your member-ship with this Limited Edition

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From its beginning, the Buck Knives company has been inexorably linked to hunting and fishing. It is well established that the company has made various forays into pocketknife, kitchen, everyday carry and tactical knives among other cutlery segments. But it seems safe to say that hunters, in particular, have always been at the top of Buck’s target audience. Over the years, many BCCI members have indicated that their first introduction to Buck knives was in a hunting setting. Recently, I ran across an article in one of the national outdoor sports magazines that again triggered my thinking toward hunting and Buck knives. The article featured a Montana school teacher in his mid-forties who has successfully harvested an elk for thirty-one consecutive years, all on publicly accessible land with his hunting confined solely to weekends. If that in itself is not enough to impress you, an examination of the tips, insights and methods he shared in the very short article would certainly get your attention. This man is an expert elk hunter and his results are overwhelming proof he knows his stuff. Accompanying the article was a full page color picture of this hunter’s actual gear, laid out and primarily identified generically with only a few key pieces indicated by brand. There were twenty-six item groups of gear ranging from gloves and clothing to rifle and binoculars. Nothing was high tech. None of the gear was “top of the line” or unduly expensive. Each piece was obviously functional to Montana elk hunting and as you might expect, included in the gear was the impetus for this article simply identified as “Army surplus web belt with ammo case and folding Buck knife”. The black leather knife sheath clearly had some worn spots where the black dye was missing, obviously the result of much use in the field. The knife could have been a model 112, but based upon my visual size comparison with the web belt and ammo case, I am confident it was a 110.Again, I emphasize that this man is a sportsman who knows what he is doing and should be considered to be one who has taken his expertise in elk hunting to a higher rung than most would dream possible. I was not surprised that his choice of knife was a Buck. It could have been the model 112 or one of the Buck fixed blade knives such as a model 102, but that is not my point. This expert hunter, from all I could glean from the available information, chooses his gear with care. That he chose the value and functionality of the Buck brand was not unexpected to me. Rather, it was

just another example of why so many people select offerings from our favorite knife company. Serious knife users who want excellent quality and function and who wish to spend wisely, still choose to buy a Buck knife. As a hunter (small game – basically rabbit) myself, I greatly appreciate and can relate to the frugal hunter choosing to buy a Buck knife. I still remember that day back in the early 1980s when I finally convinced myself to part with the then princely (on my meager salary) sum of twenty-five dollars to buy my first Buck 110 Folding Hunter. This was a four dot model with a 100% radius perimeter frame for those of you who keep track of such details. At that time in my life, this was a major purchase and I justified it because I actually needed something much better than the cheap pocketknives I had been trying to use for cleaning rabbits. Finally, I had a knife sturdy and sharp enough to cut right through a rabbit’s backbone while maintaining an edge allowing all the other “dressing out” cuts and slices. I still remember a great feeling of satisfaction upon the realization I could prepare many rabbits in succession without needing to re-sharpen the blade. At the time, I could have never imagined where that first purchase would lead but I am so thankful it turned out the way it did. Those of us who use and collect Buck knives, are active in the BCCI and who interact with other people have the privilege of being able to tell our knife story. Whether or not you are a hunter, I hope each of you is doing your part to help those in your sphere of influence realize that knives are not only the first tool but also remain incredibly important today. We can do this on our own but it is especially rewarding to promote our favorite brand as part of a dedicated, committed group, the Buck Collectors Club. I urge you to become more involved in our club and help us spread the word about our favorite brand.

HUNTING THE RIGHT BRAND By Larry Oden

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New Informative Buck Knives Seminars

Picnic at the home ofChuck & Lori BuckKick-off Banquet

with special guest speaker

and door prizesGreat Event

Knives for Sale

Enhanced BuckFactory Tour

Introduction ofBCCI History Book

BCCI Swap Meet

with demonstrations by

your favorite Buck Knife Artisans

Meet Buck Knives Employees

BCCI Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Meet old friends and

make new ones

Dinner and Lake

Coeur d’ Alene Cruise

BCCI Quilt Raf�e

Catered Lunches

IncredibleVacationDestination!!

Buck FactoryStore Discounts!

July 30 – August 2, 2013Post Falls, ID and Spokane Valley, WA

We are starting our party a day earlier in order tohave time for all that is planned!

Watch for Registration Details in the December 2012 BCCI Newsletter

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BCCI Silver Anniversary KnivesTradition & Technology Merge - Two Favorite Models - Four Great Versions!!

110-Mirror Polished With Acid Gold Etch 25 Year Logo $180

110-Satin Finished D-2 Blade $175

124-Satin Finished $165

124-Mirror Polished With Acid Gold Etch 25 Year Logo $200

WE ANTICIPATE SHIPPING THESE KNIVES IN JUNE

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What could be more traditional than the Buck Model 110 with split Lucite ring handles? Would a Buck blade in D-2 steel get your attention?! Double up and select a matching 110 with 420HC mirror polish gold etch blade featuring the BCCI Silver Anniversary logo. You may order as many as you wish.110 FEATURES *Satin finish D-2 blade and Mirror polished 420HC w/ acid gold etch 25 yr. logo *110 Lucite split rings *Nickel Silver frame *Brown leather sheath embossed with 25 year logo *Buck LE box with 25 year logo sticker *Certificate of AuthenticityModel 124 fans will be impressed with the same Lucite look also offered on two knives – both with Buck’s great 420HC blades. One version is satin finished and the second features a mirror polished gold etch blade with the BCCI Silver Anniversary logo. You may order as many as you wish.124 FEATURES *Satin finish blade and Mirror polished blade w/ acid gold etch 25 yr. logo *Lucite rings *Nickel silver pommel & guard *Brown leather sheath embossed with 25 yr. logo *Buck LE box with 25 year logo sticker *Certificate of Authenticity These knives incorporate state-of-the-art technology from Buck Knives, Inc. with a distinct throwback reminder of the previous generation, a perfect combination to commemorate our BCCI 25 year anniversary.ORDER NOW & TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EARLY PAY DISCOUNTS. *****************************************************************************************I understand there are no quantity limits and wish to order one or more sets:All four Silver Anniversary knives (Save $31) $689 + $25 S&H = $714(must pay $100 deposit per set by 2/15/2013 to receive $31 discount – installments ok - Balance due by 5/15/2013)# sets _______ x $714 = $ ______*****************************************************************************************I understand there are no quantity limits and wish to order individual knives: 110 D-2 $175 + $10 S&H = $185 x qty._____ = $______110 25 yr. logo gold etch $180 + $10 S&H = $190 x qty. _____ = $ _____124 Satin finish $165 + $10 S&H = $175 x qty. _____= $ ______124 25 yr. logo gold etch $200 + $10 S&H = $210 x qty. _____ = $ _____ Order and pay by 2/15/2013 and receive $5 discount per individual knife - # individual knives ordered ___ x $5 =( $______) Total for individual knives after discount $ ________NOTE: You may order both sets and individual knives as you desire.******************************************************************************************__Check/Money Order enclosed __Credit/Debit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover) Card Number _____________________________________Exp. Date _______ (MM/YY) Signature authorization __________________________________________ Phone # ____________________ PLEASE MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO BUCK COLLECTORS CLUB!!Member shipping address – Please print neatly – This will be your shipping label. Photocopies ok!Send orders to: Name ________________________________ Address________________________________Georgia Foresman ________________________________Dept. BCCI – 25 year City, State, Zip________________________________110 New Kent DriveGoode, VA 24556

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Transition of the Model 110 from the 5th Version to the Two DotBert Lindsay

I didn't become a "serious" Buck collector until a few years ago. Of course that means spending more money than can be rationalized, but it also means looking more closely at the knives. Not too long ago, I bought a Model 110 on the Internet, and from the photo, I thought I was getting a 5th Version Variation 3. When the knife arrived, I saw that there was something different about it. It looked like a 5th Version blade in a Two Dot frame. Joe Houser's 2009 data sheet didn't mention such a knife, but luckily I went back to George Stinzel's 2010 video seminar and found that he calls it the first 110 with a sintered brass frame. This model is rarely mentioned by collectors, and I have been trying to figure out where it fits in the grand scheme of the 110s. That has meant looking more closely at the 5th Version and Two Dot knives, and I have come to think of the first sintered frame 110s as Transition Knives between the 5th Version and Two Dot knives.What follows is a description of the knives, a lot of speculation and some questions. If nothing else, it may stimulate some discussion.In 1970, Buck switched from cast to forged frames, which were made by Revere Forging. The 4th Version was the first Model 110 to use forged frames, and, although these had some advantages, they also had their own problems. Joe Houser (2011) wrote:"The forged brass were a pain to use. You can usually tell one by looking inside the case. You will see grind lines because they had to be sanded flat before we could use them."

The 5th Version Variation 3 was the last of the forged frames before Buck switched to sintered brass frames. Without going into details, sintering is the process of using metal powder in a mold and then subjecting the powder to high temperature and pressure. The result is a uniform product with virtually no porosity. As noted by Bill Keys (2010), longtime Director of Manufacturing and Engineering for Buck,"In early 1975 we began a conversion to the sintered brass, from Pacific Sintered Metals, which is what we still use today. For the first few months of using the new sintered brass, we glued the wood to the brass, but by mid year had transitioned to only riveting the wood to the brass."My guess is that Buck stopped using adhesive because of the uniformity of the sintered frames. The adhesive wasn't needed to hold the scales or as filler between the wood scales and the frame.

5th Version

Transition

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Elimination of grinding the frames and of adhesive must have lowered production costs for Buck. Cost of the adhesive and solvent per knife probably was minimal; however, savings of material and elimination of a

few minutes applying and cleaning the adhesive and grinding the frames for each knife was significant in the course of manufacturing tens of thousands of knives.These first sintered frame knives were produced in 1975, and used a blade with the stamp "BUCK/110/U.S.A.". Joe Houser does not mention them in his 110 Data Sheets (2002, 2009). They are called 3rd Version Types 7 and 8 by George Stinzel. He differentiates between the two on the presence or absence of interior grind lines and says that Type 8 did not have grind lines or adhesive (Stinzel 2012). I have two of these knives, neither one shows grind lines, but one has adhesive, while the other does not. Based on Bill Keys statement, the first must have been produced in early 1975 and the other mid-year or after in 1975. I think of them as 5th Version to Two Dot Transition Knives.

A quick glance at the photos shows some differences between the 5th Version and Transition knives: 1) The bolsters of the Transition are larger and "blockier" than those of the 5th Version 2) The position of the inlay or scale pins is different. 3) In the closed position, the tang end of the blade is almost covered by the front bolster in theTransition, while in the 5th Version it protrudes well above the bolster. 4) The thumb depression on the rear bolster of the Transition is farther from the point where the bolster meets the wood and it is shallower. 5) The blade rivet is centered on the bolster of the Transition but on the 5th Version it is slightly off center.

5th Version Transition

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The centered versus off-center position of the blade rivet is not a result of moving the blade rivet. The distance from the top of the frame to the rivet is the same for the 5th Version and Transition knives. The centering results from adding more frame below the blade rivet. Of course that makes sense. If the blade rivet had been moved relative to the lockbar side of the frame, major changes in the blade-lockbar-spring geometry would have been necessary. That addition at the bottom of the frame also explains the difference in exposure of the tang blade end when closed.Note that although the blade stamps of the Transition knives appear the same, the font for the "U.S.A." is smaller on the "no adhesive" knife; in fact, there appears to be three different fonts for the four knives shown. The shape of the bolsters is slightly different, and the nail nicks differ between the "adhesive" and "no adhesive" Transition knives. Also, there is a difference in shape between the exposed portions of the tangs of all knives.The Transition Knives are larger than the 5th Version, and are the size of Two Dot 110s. Frame width was measured at the narrowest point. Combining the frame width and bolster thickness gives a handle perimeter of about 2 5/8 " for the 5th Version and 2 3/4 " for the Transition. The values in Table 1 are averages from repeated measurements. The arc radius measurements are for the curvature of the handles. There is a difference in frame size going from the 5th Version to the Two Dot knives; but some other features are important, also. The blade width at the tang often indicates some minor design change, and special attention should be paid to the shortening of the lockbar. Note that the lockbar of the Two Dot knife is shorter and set back from the front of the bolster. This indicates an important change in the tang-lockbar geometry.

All of this raises some questions.Assigning dates for the variations of the early 110s is a real problem. Company records just don’t seem to exist. Table 2 gives the dates and equivalent terminology used by Joe Houser and George Stinzel, for the last of the forged frame 110s through the first of the Two Dot knives. Each of them has spent a lot of time studying the Model 110, and they have different estimates.

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If Bill Keys’ date of 1975 for sintered frames is correct, should the Two Dot knives be given a date of late 1975 or early 1976, rather than the date of 1974 (Houser, 2002 and 2009)? George Stinzel, who was collecting 110s in the 1970s, has no doubt that mid-1976 was when the Two Dot became available for purchase (Stinzel, 2012). He also points out that there is a lag time between the dates of design, production and marketing.For classification, it is easy to forget that when changes were made, Buck Knives did not announce, "This is the 3rd Version Variation 4" or "This is the 4th Version Variation 2." In fact, the company never made these designations. The classification for the 110 is an attempt by collectors to make sense of design changes and to date the knives, or at least put them in chronological order. George Stinzel's classification seems based on frame types: cast, integrated cast, forged or sintered, and yet he calls the transition knives 3rd Version, even though they have sintered frames. His reasoning is that even though the knives had sintered frames, they did not have the new lockbar and tang geometry of the Two Dots.Should what I am calling Transition Knives be considered 5th Version variations, or is the "transition" term more descriptive? Considering the major frame-lockbar-tang changes of the Two Dot knives, should they be thought of as 6th Version 110s (Houser, 2007) or as 5th Version variations (Houser, 2009) or maybe just Two Dots? On the other hand, maybe more important than classification is an understanding of the knives. Collectors need to look at, and communicate about, the details of these knives: grind lines, adhesive, blade stamp, tang shape, bolster shape. The more information exchanged, the more we will understand these "transition" knives.Finally, speaking of exchanging information, I thank George Stinzel for his comments about my ideas for this period of the 110 development. References:Houser, Joe (2002) "Buck Folding Hunter, Model 110 Timeline 1964 to 1986" BCCI Newsletter February 2002, pp 2-3Houser, Joe (2007) 03-05-2007 "Buck Folding Hunter, Model 110 Timeline 1964 to 1985" Buck Knives Forum, bladeforums.comHouser, Joe (2009) "Updated Data Sheet for the 110" BCCI Newsletter June 2009, pp 12-15Houser, Joe (2011) 09-07-2011 private e-mailKeys, Bill (2010) 09-15-2010. Buck Knives Forum, bladeforums.comStinzel, George (2010) "110/112 Timeless Favorites" BCCI Smokey Mountain Rendezvous DVDs, Disk DStinzel, George (2012) 01-23-2012 private e-mail

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