Another What Is It Question?

[TheFishman]

I saw this on the bay the other night and it has been bothering me ever since. I cannot figure out the purpose of this blade design. I also cannot figure out what it started as. The blood groove and length of the knife suggest a 120, but the ricasso area looks too wide and it is full tang. The description is below. Maybe it is a “prototype” as the seller suggested. Anyone have any ideas? All speculation is welcome.

From the seller, “I got this from an X Buck employee. There is no model number or even Buck stamped on the blade, but this came out of the Buck shop has a Buck handle. I asked Buck and they would not put a model number on it. it has a very beefy blade on it in perfect but chopping branches would make a good camp knife.”

 

[David Mary]

"What is it?"

While I can't tell you what the knife is, I can tell you the feature that was referred to as a blood groove is actually a fuller and has nothing to do with blood in reality.

Adding a fuller reduces the blade's overall strength, contrary to the popular misconception that it increases strength. However, it effectively preserves much - though not all - of the lateral stiffness relative to the blade's original stock thickness while reducing the knife's weight.

 

[Generalist]

I wondered about that one. There's not enough evidence to make me confident it was truly made in the Buck factory. The blade design looks like a large hawksbill for aggressive slashing/attacking , which typically isn't Buck's style.

 

[DeSotoSky]

The knife is a radical regrind-reshaping of a Buck 807 Mini Talon.
A rare 12" knife, a mini-version of the 16" 808 Talon.
Sold at a factory sale in 2021, fewer than 50 made.
This one possibly a lunch box knife from a left over blade or blem so it makes sense it came from a x-employee.
.... I guess I should add..... IMO...
I did a thing on the Talon variations about a year ago, search "807 808 Talon"
addendum: now it really does look kinda like a "Talon"

 

[TheFishman]

The knife is a radical regrind-reshaping of a Buck 807 Mini Talon.
A rare 12" knife, a mini-version of the 16" 808 Talon.
Sold at a factory sale in 2021, fewer than 50 made.
This one possibly a lunch box knife from a left over blade or blem so it makes sense it came from a x-employee.
.... I guess I should add..... IMO...
I did a thing on the Talon variations about a year ago, search "807 808 Talon"
addendum: now it really does look kinda like a "Talon"

You are correct. I wasn’t that familiar with the 807 or 808. I was stuck on the handle and the fuller with the handle suggesting GCK, but the blade was definitely not from a GCK. Since the blade is uncerakoted, that explains why there are no Buck or model number markings. They only would have been added after the cerakote. Thanks for the help.

 

[GPyro]

It looks like a modified Ground Combat series knife.
I don't have a Mini Talon, but the handle and blade near there definitely looks like something Buck made.

Those Mini Talons were pretty hard to come by.

 

[Generalist]

The knife is a radical regrind-reshaping of a Buck 807 Mini Talon.
A rare 12" knife, a mini-version of the 16" 808 Talon.
Sold at a factory sale in 2021, fewer than 50 made.
This one possibly a lunch box knife from a left over blade or blem so it makes sense it came from a x-employee.
.... I guess I should add..... IMO...
I did a thing on the Talon variations about a year ago, search "807 808 Talon"
addendum: now it really does look kinda like a "Talon"

Well done, thanks for the lesson!

 

[killgar]

Because pictures are fun .

 

[DeSotoSky]

.Since the blade is uncerakoted, that explains why there are no Buck or model number markings. They only would have been added after the cerakote. Thanks for the help.

Are you sure on that order of operation? I thought knives had to be stamped before they were even heat treated.

 

[pjsjr]

knives had to be stamped before they were even heat treated.

That's what I have been told.

 

[TheFishman]

Are you sure on that order of operation? I thought knives had to be stamped before they were even heat treated.

But are cerakoted knives stamped or are buck and the model number printed on top of the cerakote? I don't have a cerakoted knife so I am not sure.