I know well a UDT guy who was issued a Buck 122 nemo in the 60's. He thinks nemos are about as good as it gets. So I bought a NIB one. Hidden tang 122/124's are definitely a grail knife and feel about as refined, natural and confidence inspiring in my hand as a porsche steering wheel. Certainly the centerpiece of almost any Buck collection. Buckmasters are the Nemo's descendants. So I got a Rostfrie copy, which in comparing to the Buckmaster my neighbor has is reasonably close. The buckmasters I'd more compare to a barely streetable solid rear axle mustang with about 800 hp. Pure fury, questionably useful in daily life, utterly down to business and highly smile inducing. What a lucky kid you were to have such a cool mom to save up to send you off to scout camp with such a knife! I hardly remember anyone having anything but small folders in my scouting days.
Thank you, my friend. It certainly is one of the "anchors" in my collection ... lol 😁 I will never forget the look on the other kids' faces during the Scout Days Campout when I showed up with her. Even the Scout Masters were in awe 😎👍🇺🇲
Wow! Excellent shape. I wanted the 185 LT version when I was a teenager but could never afford one, no way my parents would pay $100 for a knife. I worked in H.S but at $3.35 pr hr back then wasn't gonna happen. 😃
@GregoryHorn-bg2nv Thank you, my friend! My mom had it on layaway for months before Christmas... It was a really special gift, and I took very good care of it. My family did not have a lot of money, but my Mom made sure my two sisters and I had one special gift under the tree each year. Thank you for your comment, and Have an awesome day 😎👍🇺🇲
I was gifted a japanese arisaka bayonet, m1905 bayonet, a hitler youth knife, Sykes Fairbairn, a mark I knuckle trench knife and a kukri. I still have them all, they were carried by several men of the same family in different theater of different wars. A guy my mom dated and who i jad hoped she would marry, gave me his dads m1 bayonet (m1905) amd the arisaka bayonet from Okinawa. His uncle was in the 82nd in holland and had the knuckle duster. He himself went to Vietnam three times and first got the sykes, then second and third tours he carried this kukri. They all came to me and i may or may not be burried with them. Probably go e them to my daughter and brothers boys.
Very cool! I love to hear about stories like yours. I have always said that the best thing about knife collecting is the history and the stories behind each blade! Thank you for sharing, my friend 😎 👍 🇺🇲
Were I to plunk down on a hollow handle survival knife I’d probably be more comfortable in the $200 range for a Schrade SCHF1 on ebay. Firstly they are machined from a single piece of stock (including handle and pommel) and I’m that one guy out of 100 who isn’t really into the threaded spikes on the guard. Now, if you asked 12 year old me…. pouring through Black Belt Magazine’s Asian World of Martial Arts ads….. circa 1984….
Thank you for your comment. The Schrade SCH1 was certainly an interesting reproduction of a CRK Project one-piece knife. While its life was brief on the market, the BUCK 184 was deployed in testing phases and carried by many in the BUDS/SEAL communities in and after 1985. The SCHF1 was created out of high carbon 1070, while the BUCK 184 was made from 450HC primarily due to its intended use in fresh/saltwater environments. Many years ago, an article appeared in Blade Magazine. Cold Steel performed one of their famous torture tests on It which featured a broken Buck 184 with the blade fractured into 4-5 pieces. Then it explained that Cold Steel had used a vise and the leverage of a 6 foot pipe to break the knife. And after all of that, the handle was still firmly attached to the tang. The ad ran in exactly one issue of Blade Magazine. The biggest concern during the 80s was the tang integrity on hollow-handled knives, and this ad demonstrated that there was no such concern with the Buck 184. I remember that article, and how the tester at CS said he had a terrible time trying to break that blade and congratulated BUCK on their build. The spikes on the hilt caused a lot of confusion for those not familiar with their intended purpose; not as a grappling hook, but gear/stationary underwater anchors. Many in the 80's and to this day try to copy the iconic 184, but no one has come close both production-wise and market value-wise. My first 184 was purchased for around $100. NIB with papers and box, the knives have been reselling for over $1500. My CRK Project one-piece knife is holding around $1000, but I have seen them at shows for less. The Schrade SCH1 I had broke when I dropped it, and I could not keep rust from forming on it despite my routine maintenance. No such issues with the original thankfully. BUDS has since been issuing the CS SRK and OKC MK3; and while the BUCK 184 was honorably retired, many operators still have those pieces and are very proud to own such a great blade of history... as am I. Thank you again for your comment, and have an awesome day! 😎 👍🇺🇲
It is a gorgeous blade, but asking prices for them for even non-complete ones is insane! The new 084... not even made from a specialized steel... almost $800 for it!? When I received this knife back when I was a child it was only a hundred bucks. Granted... A hundred bucks back then might have well been a thousand... But still, the prices are insane. Thank you for your comment my friend have a great day 😊
Gracias mi amigo. Los puntos de la guardia son anclajes que se utilizan bajo el agua para asegurar el equipo o al buzo SEAL mientras se ejecutan las operaciones bajo el agua.
Boat anchor. I remember that someone fubared the heat treatment and they would shatter. Trail Master beat it like a bad puppy. Give me the knife, and $1000, ill sell this turd, and fill my freezer with steak.
Actually, first created for the US Navy Seals, the 184 was carried by BUDS and other Special Operations Groups. The heat treatment issue ended with the 3rd prototype and was resolved in the preliminary run. Still one of the most sought-after US MADE knives worlwide. BUCK USA 🇺🇸
Never saw any spec ops guys talk about this. Ka-Bars, 119, Benchmade, and others, never 184. It's like the HK 23, too big, too clunky, too much everything. For me, a 124. A Nemo would be better because it had a lanyard hole for chopping.
@bharnden7759 Because the 184 was old school... at the time BUDS was around. Just like the weapons you mentioned. It saw its time but was soon replaced as most SOCOM equipment was during the time compared to todays tech...
