Billboard Knives....love em or hate em.. ??

DeSotoSky

DeSotoSky

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So to not hijack the 119 RMEF thread. Do signatures add value? How about blade etches on otherwise standard knives? Smoky Mountain is famous for adding a blade etch to an otherwise standard knife and calling it a limited edition. Think of all the "Last Production/First Production" knives we were hit with back in 04/05. Give your opinions and show some examples if you have them. Here is what I consider the all time worst.... this was offered by Smoky Mountain back in 2013, couldn't bring myself to buy it.

BU110.CrimsonTide.jpg
 
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Personally they don't offend me at all. Just like Buck, some of them are for companies I think a lot of. LL Bean being one of those.

pete
 
dislike them. im a simple man, like things simple. plus that particular example...i went to florida so......:)

that said, i know many collectors love these so im fine with them, long as they make a plain one.
 
I like the gold etch, black etch, and deep etched blade tattoo's if done tastefully. I'm not much a fan of the painted on Pad printed type blades. That said I still have a few of the pad print variations. Overall, I don't think this type of pimping adds much to values and some of the really nice old gold etch bladed knives sell today for way less than what Buck charged for them at issue (so I'd say most folks don't like them).

JB
 
DeSotoSky said:
Here is what I consider the all time worst....
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For that particular knife, the message is especially offensive.

Bert

EDIT: I think Alabama is to college football as Kentucky and Duke are to college basketball: you either love them or hate them.
 
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I like plain bladed knives, however, chipped flint and colored blades are OK, in my view. I like to look at others folks blades with ads, printed, etched and blades with cutouts. I do have a few, but tend to stay away from any knife that doesn't have a plain blade. I did buy a 805 signature issue, it will be lonely I like that BCCI knives now come with the special tang stamp and that they issue them with plain blades. Preston
 
I like the advertising freebie knives(just have acid etch logos on the blade) that get handed out to farmers but beyond that text and logos, IMO, make a good knife like a Buck look like something you might find in a case at a truck stop for $5. Actually working on a trade with a friend for a Buck 112 that's advertising for a fertilizer or herbicide, my cousin has a 110 I plan to buy from him that has an etching advertising for Ferodo brake pads, and years ago I had several Imperial Double Eagles(they looked like a more trim 110) that had etchings for Dow and Banvel herbicides.

Most of the ad knives tend to be Chinese cheapie stuff, but I've run across lots of common-model Buck, Schrade(when they were still an American company) and Imperials, all in the pockets of farmers who said one of the ag reps gave it to them.
 
That 110 is so over the top. ..I kinda like it. If it was a 112 I definitely would have it in my odd 112 collection lol ! I think Bucks like that are really not meant to be users just like most Yellowhorse knives are displayed or see what I call Dress up carry. I will say I never bought the 112's with the first or last production pad prints mainly because of a high premium price demanded. One of my all time favorite SP 112's was for the 16th anniversary of the Zeal company (plastic manufacturer ) When I slid it out of the Buck box it had a 3/4" long metal insert in the handle with bright red thick letters Cool as all get out! I do like to use my 2007 BCCI club 111.. mirror polished gold etched Elk. ..it's a little gaudy but has held up well. I think it really depends on what you are going to use it for. For my own use about as far as I want to go is mirror polished. For my display... Sure love them!
 
bucksway said:
That 110 is so over the top. ..I kinda like it. If it was a 112 I definitely would have it in my odd 112 collection lol ! I think Bucks like that are really not meant to be users just like most Yellowhorse knives are displayed or see what I call Dress up carry. I will say I never bought the 112's with the first or last production pad prints mainly because of a high premium price demanded. One of my all time favorite SP 112's was for the 16th anniversary of the Zeal company (plastic manufacturer ) When I slid it out of the Buck box it had a 3/4" long metal insert in the handle with bright red thick letters Cool as all get out! I do like to use my 2007 BCCI club 111.. mirror polished gold etched Elk. ..it's a little gaudy but has held up well. I think it really depends on what you are going to use it for. For my own use about as far as I want to go is mirror polished. For my display... Sure love them!
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I don't mind a little window dressing but when, like you say, over the top it turns me off. I really like the gold etched blades they're done tactfully and don't have a lot of needless markings all over the place. Real nice engraved bolsters are always a plus but a bunch of meaningless scrawls or stamping of the bolsters doesn't look good to me but to each his own that's what makes the world go around.
Don
 
Something like this is a obvious give away. And could be polished off if wanted.
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Even some of the Limited Editions have pad printing. Likely to easily ID the award or organization.
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But one like this 307 is collector fodder, SMKWs, meant to attract a collector, not necessarily of just Buck knives. This is excess to me.
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I do like gold etching on blades and especially like everything by Aurum Etching, especially the wildlife scenes. Wish they would have done more 300s, I only have two.
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300Bucks
 
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I like all but the Paul Bunyon and the Virginia State they're over the top 1 blade would have been enough.
The last photo is the best one.
I just received the new C**e factory outlet catalog, oh wait I mean the SMKW catalog. On the front page and inside the front is a prime example of gaudy and over the top. I call it that because there are 30 pages of C**e and 6 pages of Buck? Which means there is something seriously wrong with that catalog.
I'd post it but I probably would get into trouble?
 
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Well I don't really like blade etches, and especially don't like when commemorative etches or printing are added to blades. I especially don't like stuff such as the Christmas case knives that always pop up in the smkw catalog like the new one I just got in the mail.
Now my only etched knife is a case sodbuster jr, and while I really didn't like the idea of the etch i really wanted the knife and bought it in spite of this.
The etch did bother me, but I started to really love the knife and now I don't even think about the etch much.

Advertising...ect on handles is a different story though,
I've really been eyeing a US ARMY case mini blackhorn, and wouldn't mind getting one of the Smokey the bear Victorinox classics.

So I'd say on the handle yes depending on what it is, but on the blade generally no. Different local advertising knives can be cool but will only like it depending on what it looks like and if the knife isn't total garbage.
I'd definitely prefer my Buck stuff to have nothing on it.
 
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I have stated this multiple times, anyone can have Buck pad print a blade, you just have to order several hundred. I could have a 300Bucks 303 made if I would buy and win with a lottery ticket. I could see Mak getting a leather sheath printing or Steelhead getting a picture of him with a jumping trout. Its just giving the customer what they want. A business likely can use it as a advertising tax thing. I have about a half dozen 300s with symbols and company names on the blades. Even a couple with special escutcheon plates with the company image on them. I will say go with the pad printing then when I buy it off the bay then I can polish it off if I don't like the image. I collected a few to make a display and gave up the idea for some reason.
On some knives you can order a name (limited number of letters) laser etched on the back of a blade. I buy a dozen of the small blaze camo one blade folders and get the local Boy Scout troop number etched on them for the Scoutmaster to give as awards. A act I would encourage anyone who feels so moved to do if they want to do a act of good will. Scoutmasters are aware of school rules and discuss the use of the knives for non-scout activities. 300
 
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300Bucks said:
I have stated this multiple times, anyone can have Buck pad print a blade, you just have to order several hundred. I could have a 300Bucks 303 made if I would buy and win with a lottery ticket. I could see Mak getting a leather sheath printing or Steelhead getting a picture of him with a jumping trout. Its just giving the customer what they want. A business likely can use it as a advertising tax thing. I have about a half dozen 300s with symbols and company names on the blades. Even a couple with special escutcheon plates with the company image on them. I will say go with the pad printing then when I buy it off the bay then I can polish it off if I don't like the image. I collected a few to make a display and gave up the idea for some reason.
On some knives you can order a name (limited number of letters) laser etched on the back of a blade. I buy a dozen of the small blaze camo one blade folders and get the local Boy Scout troop number etched on them for the Scoutmaster to give as awards. A act I would encourage anyone who feels so moved to do if they want to do a act of good will. Scoutmasters are aware of school rules and discuss the use of the knives for non-scout activities. 300
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I'm sure those Boy Scout's really appreciated what you have been doing and so do I.
I think the point of the thread is how much is too much? I don't know, that's the way I've been posting anyway. I believe we all understand why but don't understand going overboard with the advertisement, which to me makes them look cheap although someone paid some big $$$ to have them made.
Don
 
DeSotoSky said:
So to not hijack the 119 RMEF thread. Do signatures add value? How about blade etches on otherwise standard knives? Smoky Mountain is famous for adding a blade etch to an otherwise standard knife and calling it a limited edition. Think of all the "Last Production/First Production" knives we were hit with back in 04/05. Give your opinions and show some examples if you have them. Here is what I consider the all time worst.... this was offered by Smoky Mountain back in 2013, couldn't bring myself to buy it.

View attachment 786350
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Yep, that's totally awful.......but I suppose the right Alabama fan would love it.

I have a couple folders done with some gold.......Canadian Ducks Unlimited 112s and the 1994 H.H. Buck Blacksmith Shop 110 and I don't mind these and similar knives done as works of art in that fashion.......and I have a few that are tastefully etched like the erroneous Ranger 25th Anniversary, and a few of the old Western folders with deer, bobcat, etc. etched...... but that's as far as I go.

No signatures and no advertising.
 
I mentioned liking the ag advertising knives the other day..Traded a friend of mine a bunch of 7MM magnum brass for one today. Buck 112, date code looks to be 1974-1980, has the word "Mighty" etched on the blade. Best I can find, it's a herbicide company based in Iowa, about 3 hours from me.


He got the knife in a local pawnshop for $15. I traded 3 AR15 magazines that I got for nothing and wasn't going to use for the brass-146 pieces of brass and 100 bullets for the mags, I'm only into the knife for the $7.50 I paid to ship the mags for the trade. In terms of real value I'm behind(7 brass is expensive) but in terms of actual money spent I'm more than happy. First 112 in my collection, and has the same date code as one of my 110s.Good enough shape to keep, rough enough to use and great lockup.
 
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