The One That Got Away, 124 Frontiersman, mfg before '86, as new, with sheath

[oregon]

I went to the show downtown and employed my usual MO when visiting on the last day of a three-day expo: A quick run thru to see what's available and then back to the best one to purchase, if there is one I have to get. Saved myself $150 today as when I returned to buy this as new 124 it was gone. A young fella, not obviously a collector, watched me photograph and discuss this with the vendor and bot it right after I left to complete my quick first go round. He's probably battoning it thru a bolt right now...

Model 124 Frontiersman, no date stamp, no wear at all on the knife, blade sharp and perfect, black micarta spot on, aluminum flawless and a tiny bit of wear, black worn off in a small area, on the sheath (no box, no paperwork):

Some pics of the other candidates discovered during my first sweep of the show for you amusement (note that I've removed price amounts from the stickers via magic, show is over anyway):

Vintage 110, inverted 2 line, wonderful condition with sheath, brass pins, brass lockbar pivot, brass spacer (QUESTION, is this a 3rd or 4th version and which variation or can it not be deduced from the three pics?):

Stag 110 with sheath, 1989 tang symbol, sharpened and used, proud and sharp scale pin, barky stag and both sides matched:

184 missing cap, sheath and accessories, probably unsharpened but dull, pins worn, all upper teeth sharp and intac (this knife needs a parts man ITE, oh yea, he had the gasket for the cap, said it was in his pocket)t:

I'm looking forward, now with renewed enthusiasm, to the soon-to-be-released new model 124 Frontiersman with black micarta and black sheath. Bring it on.

Thank you for looking.

 

[Plumberdv]

Dang Steve, you should have jumped on that 124 like a hen on a june bug as soon as you saw it! Hindsight is 20-20 though.:grumpy:

 

[oregon]

I've never been skunked before in all these many years. The vendor for it told me about another across the way, which I never laid eyes on btw, so I felt obligated to compare the two.

There were quite a few Theater knives with aluminum and Lucite handles that I had to examine. I like those knives. Colorful, different from the black on black knives to modern times and you can see the tang! Some are pretty well built and some the makers flew too close to the sun trying to make them (handle parts rotate, for example). A good example can be had for $50. I heard a good story about a Hoyt Buck knife: Bot for $5 at a garage sale in Portland area, sold to a vendor at one of the shows for $300 and later sold to a collector for $1k @ OKCA (can anyone verify this). I would have enjoyed seeing it. Fun story.

There was a nice twin set: 118 Personal and 103 Skinner, both mildly used, with correct sheath. Unfortunately, not pictured. Next time perhaps. I lost my focus after going back to buy the 124 and hearing about its sale from the vendor.

 

[RickJ]

Yea, I can wait for the new 124 too! I hope they start coming out soon!

 

[oregon]

I have an order or two in place already for the new Frontiersman model 124.

I'm wondering just how available they will be given the "L" & "E" letters in their model number 0124BKSLE-B. Maybe like the Hoodlum, slow to start running uphill in cutlery retailers windows so to say.

It was 1997 when the 124 last rolled off the assembly line. Gotta be some hunger built up for this terrific Bowie-style knife since then.

Do you think that it will resume normal production? Probably depends upon sales.

 

[imafritz]

That 110 looks to be a 4th version 1st variation since it has a brass spring holder not integral with the frame and the rocker rivot is brass.

 

[oregon]

OK. Thank you kindly imafritz. 4th version, 1st variation.

Here is Joe Houser's determinative portion of the roadmap, densely packed with information, for the 110 affi:

"Forth Version, Brass Spacer/Spring holder separate piece, 2 variations

Variation 1 (1970-1972)15
Stamp: BUCK, U.S.A., Inverted, Left hand, 440C steel.
Blade/Butt rivets: Visible on both sides of bolsters, 2 rear, 1 front.
Inlay rivets: 2 (tiny) or 2 small headed.
Rocker rivet: Brass, maybe headed.
Sheath: Black leather. C.
Packaging: 2 piece yellow box about 2” high-(1), Use and Care leaflet undated-(1) **""

I wish I had examples of both the 3rd and 4rh versions in order to plainly see the difference between the separate vs ingegral brass spacer/spring holder.

Joe and others have put some real work into diagraming the subtle variations in the evolution of these folders. These details, laid out as they are for everyone to read here in the forum stickies, become more impressive with more field work. Seeing the differences between the knives over time almost forces you to seek out, or even collect, in order have a visual reference vs a cerebral one. Awesome.

 

[Pinesoldiers]

Hi, guys. I've got a Buck 124 as new with a box and paperwork that I'd like to sell. How do I tell how old it is? I could take some photos if I knew how to post them.

 

[BG42EDGE]

This should help.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ness-On-How-To-Post-Pictures-Sticky-Me-Please

 

[oregon]

How do I tell how old it is?

There is a sticky link at the top of this Forum's page that shows date codes and what they mean (if your knife was made after 1986 it will have a date code to the right of the model number "124" stamped into the tang): http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/716179-Buck-Date-Codes

Or, send it to me and I'll date it plus post photos.

 

[Pinesoldiers]

OK, thanks BG42EDGE, I looked up how to post photos and think I can handle it when I get some time. Thanks, Oregon for the way to date the knife. I looked on the tang and it just says BUCK 124 U.S.A. in three lines BUCK above 124 above U.S.A.. I bought it some time back, but I don't think it was before 1986. I actually have two of them, because I bought the first and it looked so good I told the guy I didn't want to use it. He said he had a scratched one, so I bought that one too. That one I used and have sharpened, but it still looks pretty good. After all, what can you use a 124 for except to admire? Oregon, I might just call your bluff and send it to you, after all I'm 71 and getting a little senile. You'd have to send it back, or money...

 

[Pinesoldiers]

OK, here are the photos of the Buck 124s. The one with the squarish handle is the good one and the rounder handle is the user -- much more comfortable, I might add. How old are they? The crud you see on the guard is just from the sheath and will rub off. I can take more photos, given a little time. Comments?

 

[oregon]

Excellent photos Pinesoldiers. Congratulations on being a quick study learning to post photos on the forum. And doing so is much appreciated because I'm not along in really enjoying seeing your terrific Frontiersman knives.

The handles, on both, look like phenolic and not like Micarta from your photos. I don't see detailed layers that you usually see with Micarta.

The earliest 124s, according to my notes, had pommel holes, and black phenolic handles, so yours are older than 1967 (the first year of production, and production ended in 1997).

The lack of a date code, which if present is just to the right of the model number on the tang, means that they are both no older than 1986 when the year mark was added.

Send me email, click on my name.

 

[Pinesoldiers]

OK, I'll try to photograph the handles and show more detail. I'm sure they are Micarta, but it's hard to see black Micarta -- and even harder to photograph.

 

[oregon]

That is Micarta. Good pics, THX.

1971 to 1986. Thank you Mr. Matheny, BCCI, History of Product Variations: 122 Nemo & 124 Frontiersman.

Is the tang exposed?

 

[sudonym]

Pinesoldiers. I left you a message on your profile page.

 

[Mitch W.]

Dang Steve, you should have jumped on that 124 like a hen on a june bug as soon as you saw it! Hindsight is 20-20 though.:grumpy:

I would have bought it without a seconds thought, and then went looking for an ATM in case I found any other toys to purchase.

 

[oregon]

The show took place in a huge huge hall and this 124, 1st pic, was at the first table that I stopped at in a sea of tables.

Story: One year at OKCA, unique to this day. A year when all of the collector cognizanti were at Solvang and not in Eugene, both shows took place over the same weekend. There was a table chock-a-block with pristine customs and highest-end production knives of fame and no two alike (no boxes). I acquired a vintage custom Boguszewski, in flawless condition, for a song and a dance (notice the jeweled liner). I should have bot them all. The vendor, selling only the knives, had bot the entire gun collection of a top-tier collector (now departed). The collection was kept under glass with a spectacular knife used as a spacer between each fantastic gun (so you saw, gun - knife - gun - knife - etc.) None of the guns or knifes had ever been used. The table was full of famous cutlery from multiple decades/generations. I spent as much time explaining the cutlery to a gun guy as the guy could stomach, which wasn't very long. I spent about 4 hours after speaking with the vendor until I returned to his table, he had sold nothing while I procrastinated, and bot the Bogi, one of four. I took all the time in the world and still got what my heart desired. Not last Sunday, however . You Mitch W., of course, are right.

Anyone else got a tell a skunk or bad beat story to tell? The biggest fish have a tendency to break the line...