Promoting thecollection anddisplay of Buck

Knives since 1988

Famous forHoldingan Edge!

Great KnivesSince 1902!

June 2017

CLUB NEWS by John Foresman

The Blade Show Team has changed things up for all collector displays this year at the Blade Show. Instead of being inside on the show floor, display tables will now be out in the lobby of the show. The BCCI was allotted 19 tables. This will be a new experience for our group of exhibitors. I am hopeful that we will have many show attendees taking the time to view our displays and to intermingle with our club members. Buck Knives will not have a booth again this year, but both CJ and Lori Buck will join us at the show. I hope that you will be able to join us this year!

The Shenandoah Valley Knife Collectors show was a great success for the BCCI. Our club table was bustling with good sales. Thanks go out to Jim and Becky Seagle, Gene and Barbara Merritt, Larry Oden, Brian Hugh, Brent and Dee Schindewolf and Vickie Burns for filling our tables with awesome Buck knife displays. Ken Burns was sorely missed at this show by not only me, but all of our fellow club members who attended. I had many people stop at the club table to talk about how much they enjoyed visiting with Ken at this show over the years. Everyone mentioned his eagerness to share his vast wealth of knowledge regarding Buck knives and his smile that always lit up the room! His memory will live on! You’ll find a show report elsewhere in this newsletter.

Hats off to Vickie Burns for taking on the responsibility of performing our annual audit again this year. She does such a thorough job and it’s comforting to know that she is handling it. Thanks again Vickie!

I’m sad to report that we have lost two former BCCI Board of Directors. Both Elgin Thomas and Jimmy

Holbrook have passed away. I am honored to have been able to call them both my friends and for having served with them on the Board. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families. Look for tributes to both men in the September newsletter.

My wife Georgia and I participated in the BCCI Panama Canal Cruise. We had a wonderful time cruising with our BCCI friends. This was such an entertaining and educational trip for us. We are already looking forward to a future BCCI cruise! Our travel expert, Marj Donoghue did a fantastic job of coordinating every little detail! Thanks Marj!

I am very excited about our 2017 annual member’s only knives. We are offering the fixed blade folding hunter model 110! The user version will have S35VN steel! The etched blade version will have Buck’s standard 420HC steel. Take a look at the order form, they’re great looking knives!

I’d like to thank everyone who contributed an article to this newsletter. I know I’ve stated it many times, but it’s our member’s contributions that make our newsletters! Many thanks!

Long time club member Gene Bayer called me last week with a little bit of news. Carol Watson Auctions is holding an auction on June 10 that includes many Buck knives. You can visit: http://www.cwocauctions.com/ to check it out. Thanks for the heads up Gene!

Happy Collecting!

John Foresman

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CJ’s UpdateWe have had a long and wet winter up here in North Idaho. Our days are finally warming up and I was so happy the other day I showed off the pearly. (in California that always meant your teeth in a smile but in North

Idaho it is your legs after a long winter)

The spring fly hatches are a popping, the trout are rising in the rivers, the local rancher’s cattle are all calving, ducks and geese have their tiny puffball tagalongs and I had to switch out the snow plow for the lawn mower. We even pulled the camping trailer out of the barn and spent the better part of a week camping down in

Southern Idaho (our campgrounds are not yet open up here). Ask me to tell you my Tick story if you really want to be creeped out…

I did quite a bit of business travel over the last 4 months as there are quite a few consumer shows that take place

in the winter and spring. From Dallas Safari Club, to SCI, to the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo (Mule Deer Foundation) and the just recent annual NRA convention. NRA was in Atlanta this year and was just me and 82,000 screaming fans of the 2nd Amendment. President Trump spoke and even though I had a ticket I was not able to stand in line away from the booth long enough to get inside. I ended up watching his speech on TV screens located in the NRA booth which was very close to our well located 10 by 30 foot booth this year.

We had a narrative going into this year that a Trump presidency would be helpful to our business for two major reasons. The hysteria that has surrounded the buying of firearms before they become illegal is gone so folks can spend their discretionary money on other things like Optics and Knives. The second reason is in the slogan Make America Great Again, and the focus on buying American Made goods. Both of the above create positive energy for our business and we are running ahead of the prior year in all measurements.

The family continues to grow with the most recent addition through my son Josh’s, and his wife Mindy’s, little baby girl Vera who is 3 months old. My youngest The 2017 NRA Show Booth in Atlanta, Bob George is

behind the counter.

Josh and Mindy Buck with baby daughter Vera

A successful day at Winchester Lake

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daughter Rachel and husband Tony’s little girl Charlotte is 16 months now and beginning to talk. I got to see all three of my grandkids while we were all together at Josh and Mindy’s celebrating Josh’s graduation from college. Since he couldn’t get it done when he was single and it was all paid for, he stepped up while married and working full time on his own nickel and finished the final surge with

straight A’s…sorry had to crow a bit there. Sarah’s boy Tan is coming up

on birthday number 9 and is already a full blown digital whiz-kid. He even has his own youtube channel.

On upcoming new products I have to share that my stepdaughter, Brittany and her husband Todd are expecting their first child as well in June. They live back in Minneapolis and the due date is mid-June so I will be on pins and needles while at Blade. I had tasked my four married children that I wanted 5 new grand kids in 5 years…so two years later there will be 3…gotta love production goals…

Buck Knives will not have a booth at the upcoming Blade Show however my mother and I will both be there. I look forward to being able to spend more time visiting and less time anchored to a booth. There are a number of things in the works on the knife law front, both federal and state law, that I will share with you in our Saturday meeting. I am currently President of American Knife and Tool Institute however that gavel gets passed at Blade to John Sullivan from W.R. Case Knives, who will take the helm for the next two years.

I will end by saying I am looking forward to spending time with you all in Atlanta

See you in Hot-lanta

cj

Grandpa CJ’s little cherub Charlotte

PresidentJohn Foresman (2014-2017)

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

buckcustom@aol.com

Vice PresidentLarry Oden (2015-2018)

1112 Veach’s CourtPeru, IN 46970(765) 244-0614

loden@dka-online.com

TreasurerPat Donovan (2016-2019)

56600 Edgewood DriveShelby Twnsp., MI 48316

586-786-5549patrickjdonovan@wowway.com

SecretaryDoris Beall (2016-2019)

3400 W. Riggin Road. Unit 35Muncie, IN 47034

(765) 749-1089dabeall46@comcast.net

Board MembersBrent Schindewolf (2016-2019)

5225 Pin Oak DriveAlton, IL 62002(618) 466-3200

habitat95@charter.net

Bruce Dollinger (2016-2019)20 So. Linden Ave., #6B

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

bsnakebyte@aol.com

Tim Lindsey (2015-2018)103 Meadowbrook Lane

Polo, MO 64671(816) 739-6673

lindseytim488@gmail.com

Craig Heflebower (2014-2017)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

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Lori’s Corner

Just finalized plans with CJ to be at the Blade show in June. It's been 2 years since I've been there and it will be my delight to see everyone this year! I am looking forward to a wonderful time of fellowship with our BCCI family. Have recovered very well from surgery, just passed the 6 month mark and I thank the Lord for His healing touch.

I want to say a special thank you for all the wonderful birthday cards I received... quite an unexpected surprise. Here at Buck and at home my mail box overflowed. I suspect that "someone let the cat out of the bag." :) Looking back I can only wonder how 75 years have passed so quickly and reflect that God has blessed our family in so many ways.

MEET "GEN 6"

The night Vera Buck was born I left the hospital remembering that Chuck had spent three weeks there during his last two months here on this earth. I had driven that same route alone from the hospital many nights over those weeks and my heart was indeed heavy as I drove home that night. Just a few days before I’d passed the 2 year mark since Chuck’s death on February 6. It seems grief hits over and over when I least expect.

But... something unexpected happened that night as I approached the turn off from the freeway towards my house. The hospital had definitely stirred in me the pain and loss of one I’d loved and cherished beyond measure for 56 years. Suddenly I was reminded that God had sent “new life” that night in the form of a tiny precious bundle from Heaven and she arrived in that very same hospital. Joy suddenly filled my heart with thanksgiving as I traded a sad memory for one of new life.

What a blessed hope we have as we put our trust and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. He soothes our broken hearts with love and hope that continues to bring a sense of peace and comfort and healing through His Holy Spirit in the midst of whatever trouble we face.

Lori Buck

Tandrup Charles Hauge born May 16, 2008 to Hans and Sarah (Buck) Hauge (CJ’s oldest daughter)

Charlotte Loraine Wagner born January 26, 2016 to Tony and Rachel Buck-Wagner (CJ’s youngest daughter)

Vera Valerie Buck born February 11, 2017 to Josh and Mindy Buck. Vera is pictured in her grandfa-ther CJ’s arms

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PLAn noW For BCCi 30 YeAr AnniVersArY eVenT!

When: July 24 – 27, 2018

Where: Post Falls, Idaho – Spokane Valley

The BCCI 30 Year Anniversary Committee has been hard at work planning another great club anniversary event.

If you have attended previous club anniversary galas, you are familiar with how much fun and how informative

they are. Our goal is for the 30th party to be even better and our friends at Buck Knives are eager to have their

biggest fans on hand. From our Kick-off Banquet on Tuesday evening, July 24 until the closing picnic at the

home of Lori Buck on Friday afternoon, July 27, this celebration promises to be an outstanding occasion.

We are planning informative new seminars, fantastic event related Buck knives for sale, great meals and

fellowship, presentations by Buck Pro Staffers, demonstrations by your favorite Buck artisans, an enhanced

Buck Factory tour, a Knife Show and Swap with all Buck Knives’ employees invited to participate, raffles and

auctions, a special Lake Coeur d’Alene dinner and cruise, interaction with the Buck family plus other key Buck

Knives’ employees, member displays and more!!!

Men and women alike find our events to be enjoyable. Some of our most glowing reviews of past events have

come from wives who met new friends, learned a bit about their husband’s hobby and had a fantastic time. We

guarantee that all attendees will have a great time and go away with memories that will last a lifetime.

Watch upcoming newsletters, the BCCI website and BCCI Facebook for more information and registration

details as they become available. Start planning now and we will see you in Post Falls during the summer

of 2018.

1 9 8 8 2 0 1 8THIRTY YEARS OF COLLECTING BUCK KNIVES

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I thought it would be a good idea to let our club members know of some recent changes that occurred at Buck. Nothing earth shattering, we just moved some responsibilities around. For me, I no longer run the warranty department. Long-time employee Jeff Hubbard now has the wheel there…more about that later. Instead of running warranty, my biggest responsibility now is making knives. Which I absolutely love doing! What kind of knives? Mostly Limited Editions and this is how they come about. As I am sure you know, Buck offers quite a few Limited Editions through our catalog and Special Project knives each year. Let’s say we want to make 250 of, let’s say, the Red Widow 119. (Shameless shout out for the author’s first LE! ) In order to make that many, we typically make enough components to make more than 250, because we have to allow for fall out in the manufacturing process. The good news for me is that we don’t always use up all of these extra parts and over the many years of us doing this, we have accumulated quite a few really cool odds and ends. We have exotic materials such as Paua shell and Turquoise, along with many parts for knives long discontinued. We have blades, handles, and raw materials of every kind. The amount of this “left over” inventory is enough to keep me as busy as I have ever been, making knives, until I retire someday. Depending on the quantity of a given model, these knives will either be sold on Buck’s web site, at one of Buck’s factory sales, or even to a Buck dealer.

Last March was our first offering on the web site and we had very limited quantities of knives such as the Curved tang Elk 124 Frontiersman, a genuine Sambar Stag handled 119 in 5160, and a couple versions of the popular 916 Bowie. The bulk of these knives sold out in 2 days! I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to produce enough knives for the next web site sale in June but more than that, I was amazed, honored, humbled, and a few more big words when I considered the fact that folks liked what I did! It still brings me to tears if I think about it for too long so let’s move on. One last word on this is that I will strive to make a wide variety

of knives as I get more and more proficient at making the different types of models that are available. Also know that as I am assembling, grinding, buffing and polishing each knife, it’s as if Chuck Buck is looking over my shoulder the whole time. Sometimes I find myself saying, “well this is good enough”, and that’s when I sense Chuck beside me, and it reminds me that as long as I have the privilege of working here, the knife needs to be good enough for Chuck’s last name to be proudly stamped on that blade! If you ever purchase one of these knives, and are not happy with it, please let us know. The feedback will make me a better knife maker and we also want you to be happy with your knife.

Now back to Jeff Hubbard running the warranty department. Jeff has many years under his belt here at Buck and most of that time was spent in the Quality Assurance department. When they told me that he would be running warranty, I let out a huge sigh of relief because we could not have picked a better person for the job! He gets to see, first hand, if any issues are arising on our products. If he sees something, he can head straight to the shop and have it taken care of. His knife knowledge reflects his many years in QA. We talk all the time and I feel confident that he will do a terrific job and take care of our customers. If you have any warranty questions, please send them on to Jeff now…hard as it is for me to say that…and he will take care of you. I am still available through email although I spend the bulk of my time in the shop. We won’t leave our collectors hanging, so if you have a question that stumps Jeff, or any of the other warranty personnel, they typically forward those questions to me and I get to them as soon as I can.

Well that sums up what’s going on in my part of the Buck world. Make sure you check our web site often to see what new Limited Editions are being offered and if you get a chance, send Jeff an email and say Hi at jhubbard@buckknives.com

Things Are ChAnging AT BuCk kniVes BY Joe houser

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Youth

BU

CK

110

YouthT H E S H A R P Z O N E

W o r d S e a r c h

Sharp Zone Word FindV B H F Q A K Q X K R N S O B W X G M Z O O Y A M U R J Z D A L U C I T E Q F X U U E B J T P E Q W N L K J J L X Q E H A N V I L O W X S G N P O U T D O O R E Q F Y C X M U V T N I V Q X K H I H O M S U F J D A X P M O V Q B T H G I N K F F T O I J T J N N B E L H R E P P I Z M Z X E N I I T N F R R U J Q P Q P X N E F T T E S C M A M A S U B D A D R I S D I W A T L E N E M C A I U W A P C Y O R S C M S P R T A H E R I T A G E C O H P H T I J E X L Z K I Y P K O Y D W O G A I E S L L E G E R T O N L W E E G N W A N K I H O D S Z Y B L A C K S M I T H G G F V S A N K C U H C T Y O H T R A R N E J B D K R E E W I N G R K N I F E D I B A M T G Y P H T B K E J U B F K U E L H D X K R L A C P A S A H P H S K T K A K V H K E Y A R Y F H H L E G E N D J K G F Q F Q T X Z X Z T K C O L S S O R C

Words: AUTOMATIC, KNIFE, HOYT, BLACKSMITH, ANVIL, SHARP, FILE, STEEL, BOS, CHUCK, HUNTING, FISHING, TACTICAL, OUTDOOR, HERITAGE, LEGEND, PHENOLIC, ROSEWOOD, QUONSET, LUCITE, ASAP, LEGERTON, CARBON, CROSSLOCK, KNIGHT, DUKE, KALINGA, ANNIVERSARY, ZIPPER 1. Why is the Model 191BK called the “ZIPPER”?

2. Early CrossLocks were known by what model #?

3. Name a Heritage Knife made by Jeff Lergerton in 2017.

4. What four words does the acronym ASAP stand for?

5. Name three popular Buck tactical knifes.

6. What was the handle material on the very first Gen5?

1. Why is the Model 191BK called the “ZIPPER”?2. Early CrossLocks were known by what model #?3. Name a Heritage Knife made by Jeff Lergerton in 2017.4. What four words does the acronym ASAP stand for?5. Name three popular Buck tactical knives.6. What was the handle material on the very first Gen5?7. The 75th Anniversary 119 Specials have 5 different handles. What are they?8. What exactly is a Quonset hut?

Words: AUTOMATIC, KNIFE, HOYT, BLACKSMITH, ANVIL, SHARP, FILE, STEEL, BOS, CHUCK, HUNTING, FISHING, TACTICAL, OUTDOOR, HERITAGE, LEGEND, PHENOLIC, ROSEWOOD, QUONSET, LUCITE, ASAP, LEGERTON, CARBON, CROSSLOCK, KNIGHT, DUKE, KALINGA, ANNIVERSARY, ZIPPER

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GOOD NEWS - KNIFE SHOWS FOR 2017 REPORTING HIGHER ATTENDANCE & SALES

By Bruce DollingerDuring the last weekend of March and the weekend of April 7-9, I attended both the SO-CAL BLADES KNIFE EXPO in Pasadena, California and the OREGON KNIFE COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION SHOW in Eugene, Oregon. The attendance at both shows was better than I have seen in perhaps ten years. Below you will find my synopsis for each show.

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA:I'm so excited to report that the Pasadena Show, the continued existence of which I've seriously questioned for the past several years, experienced an impressive turn-a-round in both attendance and vendor sales this year. It clearly appears to have been the best knife show I've attended in over ten years and I believe the feelings of the BCCI members in attendance would match my impressions.

Before I forget, my most sincere thanks to all the BCCI members who so faithfully turn-out year after year to support this show and to thank them all, especially my wonderful friends and BCCI brothers David Yellowhorse and David Foote. This year’s show would not have been possible without their help. My wife Rosie has had some health issues and it appeared I might need to stay home with her. Both of these esteemed friends volunteered to fill in for my absence by stepping forward with less than 24 hours to go before show time! However, both of Rosie’s doctors and my grandson, Sean Jr. (aka Junior) assured me that our Heavenly Father would care for our loved one at home and bless us by enabling me to share His praises with others at the knife show. So, I went ahead and attended the show with some assurance things for Rosie would be fine.

As I stood in the background listening to the conversations of our BCCI members in attendance, talking with show guests, I witnessed the forming of numerous discussion groups about Buck Knives. They talked about topics ranging from "what's new at Buck Knives?" to "hey, what can anyone tell me about this Buck Knife that I . . . . ?" I can't express the feeling I get when I observe our BCCI members sharing their knowledge, experience, joy they've felt by being a part of the BCCI with other people. People like David Yellowhorse display their true character, passion and assets on behalf of Buck Knives and the BCCI! My sincere thanks go to both Davids (Yellowhorse & Foote) for their help and dedication to promoting Buck Knives.

My summary of the 2017 Pasadena Show - the best in over 10 years! Hope you didn't snooze and lose on this one? I don't have a count on how many new members we signed up this year because it was so busy I would just hand them application and have them mailed directly to John. I only have 3 or 4 to send from Sunday morning while things were slow!

Yellowhorse Display

David Yellowhorse (L) and Bruce Dollinger (R) helping show patrons.

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OREGON KNIFE COLLECTORS SHOW, EUGENE, OREGON:The OKCA Show was held in Eugene on April 7, 8 & 9, 2017. As usual this show is held at the Fairgrounds and there were a number of other shows going on at the same time. Fortunately there was a Firearms Show right next door to the OKCA show. I believe the firearms show combined with cold, rainy weather brought a lot more potential buyers into the knife show. Sales seemed to be good for all vendors.

James Gedlick and his lovely wife Roze joined my son Sean and me for the second straight year. James displayed a fantastic collection of Buck Custom Shop Knives that he's been working on for a number of years. I displayed my collection Buck Model 121 Outdoorsman/Fisherman knives with the old "scaler" style blade. Both of our collections were well received and we enjoyed meeting, talking and answering questions about Buck Knives. Included was the usual appraising of older Buck Knives along with plenty of buying, selling and trading of Buck knives.

Oregon buyers’ most frequently asked question was how many of the new 110 automatics did we have available for sale? Our answers of ZERO, ZIP, NADA and NONE were not well received since autos are legal in Oregon??? -- something for me to consider for the future?? We signed up several new members and were visited by many who had signed up over the previous years. I missed seeing Joe Capshaw, the first BCCI member I signed up at the first OKCA show where the BCCI was represented (perhaps ten yrs. ago?). Joe we missed you and I hope you will be back with us again next year, God willing!

In summary, the OKCA was another great show. It's the 2nd largest knife show in the world and has a real family atmosphere. If you ever get the chance please make the effort to attend the OKCA show. My thanks go to the Gedlick's for their attendance and support. In addition they're great people and so much fun to be around. Jim is a real outdoorsman with many wonderful stories to share even before you get him started talking about Buck knives!

If you've never attended or displayed at a knife show, let me encourage you to make an all-out effort to get involved. Believe me when I say you will really enjoy yourself!

Sales table loaded with Buck KnivesL to R, David Yellowhorse, Bruce Dollinger and David Foote at the So-Cal Blade Expo, Pasadena, CA

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Introduction

When Buck introduced date symbols in 1986, you didn’t need to look at the characteristics of a knife to determine when it was made. In some ways that is similar to navigating with a GPS: there is no need to look at landscape details. However, I think details are interesting; changes were made, and I will try to describe some of them. This is not going to be a year-by-year description of the 303 knife. Instead, I want to give descriptions of how different components changed over time. This will include the shield or escutcheon; the springs; the frames; and the blades. It will deal only with the standard saw-cut black production knives. I am stopping with the year 1997, which was the year before the blades were hollow ground. There will be some things that I miss, but I hope what I do provide is accurate and will be of interest. A lot of this material is pretty much common knowledge, but I think it is worthwhile to pull it all together in one place. I have one word of caution, although dates may be given for a change they should not be considered absolute. Sometimes changes were made mid-year and at times older parts may have been used.

The Buck 303 Cadet was produced under contract by Schrade from 1968 until 1972 and then under contract by Camillus from 1971 until 1985. In 1968, the first year for the 303, Schrade produced 19,000 knives. Production increased rapidly and by 1971, when Camillus took over, 50,000 knives were produced. The Camillus production peaked at about 114,000 in 1981, and then dropped dramatically to 66,000 in 1982. In 1985, the first year of Buck production, 60,000 knives were made. By 1990 production had climbed back to a little over 83,000 but dropped again to roughly 56,000 in 1995. For 1997, the last year dealt with in this article, production was only 31,000 (Houser, 2015, 2017). Any explanation for the decreased production is only a guess on my part, but there are a few things to consider. The big drop from 1981 to 1982 may represent the effect of the severe recession in the early 1980s. In many ways that recession was worse than the recent recession of 2008-2010, especially when the very high inflation rate is considered (a record 21.50 % in 1980). Maybe more important is that in the 1980s Buck began introducing more models of folding

knives. The Bucklites are a good example. The result was that the 303 had more competition in the market. I don’t know what the current numbers are, but there is no question that the 303 has been a popular model for almost 50 years.

Shield or Escutcheon

In 1985, when people saw the first Buck-made 303, the first thing they would have noticed was the new shield design. The familiar hammer, knife and bolt logo from Camillus was gone and replaced by the word “BUCK” in large letters. In addition, the ellipse shape was replaced by what is best described as a racetrack oval (Figures 1 and 2). The height and width of the old Camillus shield and of the new Buck shield were the same, but the racetrack oval gave more area and allowed for the new lettering. My guess is that the change was a marketing move to emphasize that the 303 was now made by Buck and was no longer a contract knife by Camillus.

Figure 1. Camillus hammer, knife and bolt shield 1974-1985 knife

Figure 2. Buck “BUCK” shield 1985 knife with odd angle

Unfortunately there were some problems with the new shield. First, the orientation of the shield appears to

BuCk ModeL 303 CAdeT, 1985 – 1997PArT 1: shieLds And sPrings

BerT LindsAY

11

be with the bottom of the scale, rather than with the centerline of the knife. As a result the shield was at an odd angle. That problem was fixed by late 1986 (Figure 3); however, there was a second problem: the ink for the printed shield was not durable and tended to wear off. The problem of the ink was never corrected satisfactorily. The biggest problem though was that customers just didn’t like the new shield design.

Figure 3. Buck “BUCK” shield 1987 knife

Figure 4. Buck hammer, knife, and bolt shield 1995 knife

In 1988, the familiar hammer, knife and bolt returned, but with the racetrack oval instead of an ellipse. Then in about 1990 the design was modified. The Camillus era logo had a hammer with a relatively short handle that was tapered and open at the end; a relatively slender knife with the blade a little longer than the handle; and a very visible bolt. The greater area of the new Buck shield gave room for a few changes: overall the hammer and knife are larger; the handle of the hammer is straight and longer with a closed end; the knife is stouter with a handle that has prominent finger grooves and is longer than the blade. In addition, the knife is at a slight angle to the hammer and the bolt is barely visible (Figures 1, 4, and 5).

The shield for all of the Schrade and Camillus knives and for the earlier Buck 303s was glued into a slight depression in the saw-cut black handle. In 1990 that changed when Buck introduced an integrated frame design. The shield became the top of a tower that was part of the frame (Figure 5). That configuration continues to this day for all saw-cut black plastic 303s.

Figure 5. Shield tower of integrated frame.

Springs

Traditionally, the stockman pattern had two springs, with the sheepsfoot and spey blades attached at opposite ends of the same spring. This was the configuration used for the 303s produced by Schrade and Camillus and by Buck when it took over production in 1985. However, in 1988 Buck made a major change and introduced a three-spring design. Of course the change required more than just adding another spring since when one thing is changed other changes often are needed (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Bottom view of two- and three-spring knives.

For the two-spring design, the main clip blade had a spring with what I call a “spacer” end and a “pivot” end; the spring for the secondary blades had two pivot ends, and the two springs were separated by a brass mid-spacer. (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Two-spring version components

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Since the secondary blades were attached at opposite ends of the same spring, adjustments were needed so that blades would bypass each other when closed (Figure 8). The solution was to put a slight bend in the blades at the tang. The sheepsfoot was bent towards the center and the spey to the outside. As a result, the sheepsfoot was the middle blade in the closed position. Since the blade was bent, it was not parallel to the frame in the open position. I have not made measurements, but I am sure that the sheepsfoot blade had more bend than the spey blade This bend often is called a crink. At Camillus it was called a set.

Figure 8: By-passed secondary blades on two- spring knife

When I asked about the technique for making the bend or crink on the secondary blades, Phil Gibbs (Gibbs, 2016), a long time knife maker at Camillus, wrote:

“Blade tangs were annealed after heat treat. Finished blades were set (crinking was not used as the term at Camillus) in the assembly department just prior to assembly. Most were set using a soft faced hammer, holding the blade in an air vice, and setting the blade to a pointer marking ideal set.”

Joe Houser (Houser, 2016) described a slightly different procedure used by Buck:

“From what I remember, we bent them while they were soft, then heat treated them. We used a bend fixture. You would lay the blade in the fixture, hit the button, and it would bend the blade.”

For the three-spring design, each spring had a spacer end and pivot end. There was no longer any need for the brass mid-spacer (Figures 6, 7), and there was no need for a crink in the secondary blades (Figure 9). Just as in the two-spring design the sheepsfoot was the middle blade except it now pivoted at the opposite end. I have seen some comments saying that placing the sheepsfoot at the end opposite that of the main blade was a good choice. In reality, there was no choice. Each spring acted as a spacer, and, therefore, two spacers could not be next to each other (Figures 10 and 11). In addition, the sheepsfoot is wider than the spey, from edge to spine, and unless it was the center

blade, it would cover the nail nick of the spey blade making it difficult or impossible to open the spey.

Figures 9: Top view of three-spring knife

Figure 10. Spring arrangement for three-spring knife.

Figure 11a and 11b. Blade arrangement for two- and three-spring knives.

Summary

From the time that Buck began its own manufacturing of the 303, changes were made to improve the knife. For the Buck logo on the shield, most of the changes were minor; however, with the introduction of an integral frame the shield tower was significant. The change from a two-spring design to one with three springs was a major change and can be recognized easily by the position change of the secondary blades. Part 2 of this article will discuss changes in the knife frame and minor changes in shapes of the blades.

Acknowledgments and References

My thanks goes to Craig Heflebower for sharing his information about the 300 Series and giving suggestions along the way and to Joe Houser for answering questions and providing information.

Bladeforums.com

Gibbs, Phil. 2016, December 2. Camillus Collector’s Forum. “blade crinking”

Email Correspondence Houser, Joe. 2015; 2016; 2017

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DO NOT FOLD!!HOW COOL ARE THESE TWO KNIVES? ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS TO ATTEMPT CLOSING ONE OF THESE SPECIAL 110s. ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE OFFERING TWO VERSIONS AND BOTH ARE LOADED WITH

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VERSION II – GOLD ETCH LOGO – MODEL 101EKSCC-B*NICKEL SILVER FRAME & BOLSTERS * BLACK LEATHER FLAPOVER SHEATH *ELK HANDLE INLAYS *COA *LE BOX *420HC MIRROR POLISHED BLADE WITH GOLD PLATED ACID ETCHED BCCI LOGO *AS EXPLAINED IN MARCH 2017 NEWSLETTER, THESE KNIVES WILL FEATURE A 2016 DATE ON THE GOLD ETCH AND A 2017 TANG STAMP DATE CODE *EACH KNIFE INDIVIDUALLY ENGRAVED WITH CLUB MEMBERSHIP NUMBER / TOTAL # PRODUCED. *ONE GOLD ETCH LOGO KNIFE PER CLUB NUMBER***IMPORTANT*** ORDER DEADLINE AND PAYMENT DEADLINE ARE NOT THE SAME DATE! ORDER DEADLINE IS AUGUST 15, 2017 BUT YOU MAY PAY FOR THE KNIVES IN INSTALLMENTS. JUST BE SURE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER IS PAID BY THE NOVEMBER 1, 2017 PAYMENT DEADLINE. ****************************************************************************************I WISH TO ORDER THE FOLLOWING:101CFSCC-B SATIN VERSION I - $130.50 + $9.50 S&H = $140 x qty.___ = $_______101EKSCC-B LOGO VERSION II- $165.50 + $9.50 S&H = $175 x qty.1 = $_______CLUB MEMBERSHIP # FOR GOLD ETCH LOGO VERSION ______ Total $ __________Check/Money Order enclosed ___Credit/Debit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover) Card Number _______________________________Exp. Date ______ (MM/YY) Security # ______ Signature authorization _______________________________ phone # _______________________

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ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY AUGUST 15, 2017. WE ANTICIPATE SHIPPING THESE KNIVES IN DECEMBER

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Each year when the cherry trees bloom, the jonquils and tulips pop out. All that fresh life ushers in the excitement of a new knife show season. The SVKCC show screams “Spring has arrived”! Whether warm or cold, rainy, snowy or awash with bright sunlight, it’s time to head to the Shenandoah Valley, to the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The SVKC held their 26th annual show on Mar 31, April 1-2, 2017. Members from afar arrived with displays in tow to educate and mystify visitors about all things Buck.

Yearly, active Buck Club members come together to display their favorite Buck knives here. Attendees expect us to be present. They come and seek us out. We are a fixture, a tradition, much like Buck itself. Think of it as a mini Blade Show. Once a year we gather, share pictures of grand kids, and other assorted relatives, and catch up on the news. Our table count is like the Blade Show. We don’t have a membership meeting, but this venue provides an opportunity to do fund raising, educate, and sign up new members. We

enjoy the camaraderie.

As with all things, the only constant is change. This year the Bealls could not make the show, and sickness kept Dan and Will Rickman in NY. I found myself sick most of the time from pesky allergies, other members were under the weather while at the show, and Ken Burns’ smile was missing. I believe he and John Foresman attended at least 22 of the 26 shows over the years. Our space lacked the normal sunshine this year.

Visitors mentioned his missing smile.

Many of the attendees have been long time displayers at this show. Dee and Brent Schindewolf, IL, brought “How do You Handle a Buck?” Jim and Becky Seagle, VA, brought an excellent display on the Buck 110, including his Charter Member belt buckle as BCCI member #1, and detailed historical data on the 110. He joked with someone that he was the first member of a club that didn’t exist! He had faith in this family owned Christian company called Buck, and believed in Vern Taylor! Larry Oden, IN, brought his winning display of Buck factory knives from the 1960s. Larry won the show’s Factory Display Award, and received rave reviews. Other Buck members had great

shenAndoAh VALLeY kniFe CoLLeCTor’s shoW

BY ViCkie Burns, WAnderer

Vickie Burns (L) and daughter Shelly Burnham (R) flanking Caleb and Jiles Burnham

BCCI table, from left- BCCI President John Foresman, Dee and Brent Schindewolf of Alton, Illinois and Jim and Becky Seagle of Amherst, Virginia. Jim is BCCI member number 1

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contest entries as well, and were highly complimented. Brian Hugh, IL, Gene and Barbara Merritt, FL, and Vickie Burns, VA, also displayed. Alan Horner helped with Larry Oden’s estate sales, as well as his own sales. John and Georgia Foresman staffed the club table and many BCCI members stopped by from numerous states. The Racey’s, WV, stopped by as they do every year. Dave Hefner, life member, from MD, and a whole bunch of other members dropped by throughout the show.

Youth members asked questions, did surveys and learned fascinating things. BCCI board member Brent Schindewolf goes the extra mile to help our youth members be a vital part of these shows. For example, Jiles Burnham learned a lot about the Sawby models, including a first-hand look at a BuckLock 531 owned by Brian Hugh. A birdy told me that at least three new youth members were signed up. Caleb Burnham, youngest grandson of Ken and Vickie Burns, became the last of nine grandchildren to reach the required family age to join as a BCCI Youth member this year.

You never know what you will find at a knife show. My focus has changed, and I no longer collect advertising knives, but while I browsed Larry’s table I saw a framed advertisement for Wolverine Boots. The advertisement offered a Buck 110 at $19.95, with the purchase of a pair of Wolverines. That very same Wolverine 110 (1983-1987) was on my table for sale. I never saw that sign before. I told Larry I had the knife on my table, and brought it over for show and tell. Later that day, a couple bought his sign, and came to retrieve my knife. That’s an example of the cool things that can happen at a knife show. I would have loved to own the sign a few years back. Instead, two new Buck knives collectors have the fun of making two tremendous finds at one show. How great is that? In thirty years of collecting I never saw a copy of that ad/sign. Thanks, Larry, for making it happen for someone new.

Jim Seagle’s Model 110 displayBrian Hugh, Lockport, Illinois manning his sales table with display at his side

Alan Horner at sales table

Brent and Dee Schindewolf – fantastic display featuring various handle materials used by Buck Knives.

Gene Merrit of Tampa, Florida with his Buck Knives’ David Yellowhorse display

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The BuCk-sMkW 110/112 BY BiLL Perez

I think that at a certain point in the hobby most collectors, myself included, reach a point where finding something interesting and different to add to a collection becomes somewhat more difficult within a given area of interest. I only collect the Buck 110 large Folding Hunter, plus similar size and vintage models like the 111,560, 186,428, and V52 Selector. Once the catalog models are in a collection, then the Customs and Special Projects can be an option for something different. For newer members to the Club and hobby, when Buck makes a knife to order for other companies like Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Smokey Mountain Knife Works (SMKW) etc. it is called a Special Project, and of course is not offered for sale in the Buck catalog. The bug for something different had already bitten me, when I first became aware of the Buck-SMKW 1101112 two blade Folding Hunter Special Project.

Leroy Remer worked at Buck for many years, and now has his own custom knife business, RRR Knives, as many of us already know. Back around 1986-1987 while Leroy was working in the original Custom Shop at Buck, he developed the prototype for the 110/112 two blade Folding Hunter. The knife was a 110, but the handle was thicker to accommodate the addition of a 112 blade, separated from the 110 blade by a brass divider. Both blades used the rocker, blade locking system. Leroy showed the prototype to his Custom Shop Supervisor, who at that time was Mack McKinney. Mack then took the prototype to the higher ups at Buck who decided that the design was not practical. That determination of impracticality was understandable, due to the fact that with two blade lock releases so closetogether at the butt of the knife, they were somewhat difficult to operate individually.

Sometime prior to 1990, the 110/112 prototype became the origin of the 428 Selector. The 428 Selector was a two blade design in a black composite finger groove handle, with the blades separated by a brass skeleton divider. It featured a non locking, non removable 110 size clip point blade, and a 110 size locking, drop point, removable, serrated, slip joint blade in the handle. An additional, slip joint, short, non serrated, drop point gutting blade was also included, stored in a compartment of the black nylon belt sheath the knife was supplied with. That additional blade came with a black plastic cover for storing the blade in the sheath, and to keep cutting edges covered while changing blades. Because only the slip joint removable blades used the handles lock release, the impracticality of side by side lock releases so close together in the original 110/112 design was avoided. The 428 two blade came out in 1990 but was only offered for one year, and was replaced by the single blade V52 Selector (available in Black, OD Green, and Orange handles). My best guess is that the non locking feature of the 428s clip point blade was not very popular. The V52 went on to enjoy several years as an offering from Buck, and multiple blade styles were available.

Sometime toward the end of 2003 to early 2004, Buck began planning the move from EI Cajon California to Post Falls Idaho. During that time, SMKW expressed an interest to Buck for a special knife to offer in the SMKW catalog. I have not been able to determine how it can about, but apparently SMKW was aware of, or had seen the 110/112 prototype, and was interested in it to fill the need for a unique SFO ( Special Factory Order) with Buck. Realizing that it would be more of a collectors item, SMKW was not concerned with the impracticality of the knife having two lock releases so close together. The end result was that Buck made 1500 of the 110/112 two blade lock back folding knives for SMKW, model B 110-SP78-0. The knife frame was sintered brass, with Dymondwood scales. The left scale had a multi colored medallion featuring the outlines of California and Idaho over an outline of the United States, and an arrow pointing from the California outline to the Idaho outline. The 112 blade had an upside down “T” 2004 date code stamp, and a black “Last Production Year EI Cajon, Ca.” etch. The 110 blade had the 2005 Idaho outline date code stamp, and a black “First Production Year Post Falls, Id.” etch. Although a standard leather 110 sheath is sometimes seen with this knife, it is actually too tight to accommodate the extra thickness of the 110/112 handle, and is incorrect in terms of what was originally issued with the knife. Apparently someone at Buck had discovered that the 278/279 Folding Alpha Hunter black nylon sheath, model 0276-15-BK fit the knife perfectly, and that sheath

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is what the SMKW 110/112 was originally supplied with. The sticker on the end of the box my 2004 example came in is dated 12-16-04. Because 1500 copies were made, the original 2004 model is the most common, and most familiar to collectors.

By 2006, Buck had already completed the move from EI Cajon to Post Falls, and SMKW had probably sold through the first batch of 1500 110/112 knives. Anew order for 500 more 110/112 knives was placed with Buck by SMKW, probably in early 2006. This resulted in what has become known as the “Reagan Freedom”, or “Reagan Quote” 110/112. Again, the frame was sintered brass, with Dymondwood scales. The medallion in the left scale was changed to show the entrance to the Post Falls Buck factory. The 112 blade, was stamped with the 2006 date code “T”, laying on its side, with the bottom of the T pointing to the left. The flat of the 112 blade was silk screened” No arsenal, no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. - Ronald Reagan”. The 110 blade bears the same 2006 date code, and is silk screened in red and blue with, Buck Knives, the outline of the United States, and the outline of Idaho. The 278/279 Folding Alpha Hunter black nylon sheath was again supplied with the knife. The 2006 model number was B 110-SMI-0. Since only a third as many of the 2006 model were made than the 2004 model, it is much more difficult to find.

Generally, if something varies from the original it could be considered a Custom. A two blade 110/110 has been made from time to time from current Buck parts. However, a two blade 110/112 cannot be made from current Buck parts. The reason for this is that the original 2004 and 2006 models used a special rocker for the 112 blade, specific to that knife. That special 112 blade rocker fit the length of the 110 handle, while at the same time was of a slightly different length compared to a 110 rocker, in order for the locking lug to engage the locking notch in the 112 blade. Once the 110/112 orders with SMKW had been filled, the 112 special rocker was no longer made. As a result, Custom 110/112 knives that are seen from time to time, had to have been made from one of the original 110/112 SMKW knives.

Over the years, many well known customizers, such as Yellowhorse, Prater, Remer and others, have made Custom knives from original SMKW 110/112 knives. These Customs range from simple scale replacements, to complex designs like those done by Yellowhorse and Prater. I have a few in my own collection, made from the original 2004 knives, although I personally would not use a 2006 version because it is a much more difficult model to find in its original form. One of my Customs is a 2004 110/112 with wormy jig dark honey brown bone scales, and I have not seen another like it. Those scales are identical to a 110 that was done in 100 copies for the BCCI in 2004. As a result I believe that someone at Buck made the knife as a “one off’ in 2004. I am hoping the knife may be authenticated by Joe Houser at Buck.

Just as I thought this article was complete, the April SMKW catalog arrived in the mail.Featured on the front cover was a new for 2017 (2016 tang stamp) version of the Buck-SMKW 110/112! Imagine that! This new version has some nice differences, compared to the 2004 and 2006 models. Now, for sake of description (here as well as previous references to left or right side), the tang stamp side of the knife is left side, the non- tang stamp side is the right side. First, the previous versions placed the 112 blade on the left side of the knife, whereas the new version has the 110 blade on the left side. Second, the 112 blade is a drop point with nail nick on the right flat (normally the nick is on the left flat). The 2004 and 2006 versions both used clip point 112 blades. Lastly, the Dymondwood scales with medallions on the originals have been replaced with nice brown bone scales, inlaid with nickel “Buck” script logo on the left scale. Whether or not Buck has resurrected the original special 112 rocker, or found a new solution for the 112 blade and rocker, I have no idea at the time of this writing. SMKW lists the model number as BU11284 (Buck # 0110BNSSMI ), 750 pieces made, for $99.99 ea., plus about $7 shipping. Naturally I ordered one right away,and have included it in the pictures for this article. Once more, the included sheath is the black nylon 278/279 Folding Alpha Hunter. If history repeats itself, perhaps we will see a new version of this knife again in 2019 or 2020. Maybe a nickel frame?

The sharing of information is one of the things that I think makes this hobby so enjoyable. While I have made every effort to be as accurate as possible with what I have offered here, I certainly do not know everything there is to know about this or any other subject. To that end, any discussion from my fellow club members that might supplement or differ from what I have put together for this article would be welcome. My thanks to

Leroy Remer, and Joe Houser for filling in bits of information for this article.

Enjoy Collecting, Bill Perez BCCI Lifer #2652

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Nineteen members of the Buck Collector’s Club had another great adventure while recently sailing through the Panama Canal. They enjoyed traveling on the Coral Princess because it was a smaller ship where everyone bumped into each other all of the time.

During the 15-day trip, the group even had their own private area each evening in one of the lounges to relax and visit with each other about their day’s excursions in to the various countries. They would go from there to dinner where they were seated together in the dining room.

There were a small number of people from Utah (Carbon County) that joined the group, (thus their mention on the sign) and they blended in like they had always been friends. Everyone came back ready to plan the next trip. With the 30th Anniversary scheduled for next summer in Idaho, the decision was made to plan the next group cruise for 2019. Watch for more information in future issues of the Newsletters. Discussions are already in the works! Plans will be finalized over a year in advance to enable more BCCI Members to make plans to go. Now that they have sailed Alaska and the Panama, there is much anticipation for the next cruise Adventure.

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BCCI LOGO BELT BUCKLEThis Sterling Silver overlay with Jeweler’s Bronze is two inches by two and three quarters inches. Please expect six weeks delivery.Please send me ____BCCI Buckles @ $90.00 each ________ Shipping…………………… $5.00 Total……………………… $________ __Check/Money Order enclosed __Credit/Debit card (MC, Visa, AMEX, Discover) Card Number ___________________________________ Exp. Date __________(MM/YY) Security Code________Signature authorization ________________________________Phone number ______________________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 City, State, Zip_______________________________Dept. BCCI Buckle110 New Kent DriveGoode, VA 24556

BCCi goes Cruisin AgAin!

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Knife Show Reports Model 303 Detail Report, Part 1 2017 Members Only Knives The Buck/SMKW 110/112 Special Project Panama Canal Cruise Report