Buck´s "Limited Edition" knives.......

R

rtorre

Joined
Mar 12, 2002
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I just got 2 Limited Edition knives from Buck (this are my firsts), and well....I´m kind of disapointed. Not with the knives, for they both are beautiful, but with the seriousness of the "seriality" of this knives. Let me explain:
**The first one (970 damascus dagger) came with a "0531/1000" serial number on the blade, but the little certificate (signed by Charles T. Buck and Charles B. Buck) says there will only be 2000 made. So, what is it? 1000 or 2000? or they initially planned for 1000 and then "increased" the "limited" quantity to 2000?
**The second one (204 Koji folder) doesn´t even have a serial number. So, I guess I´ll (we´ll) never know how "limited" was the production...will I.
Or, am I missing something here. Is it something widely practiced at Buck Knives that "every-knowledgable-Buck-collector" knows. Except me, that is.
(I must make clear thou, that the only information I had of these knives before I order them was what I read at the buckknives.com site)
Any compasionate soul out there who tranquils my spirit?

Regards from Mexico,
Ricardo
 
Ricardo,
This will take some research. I want to make sure i get it right so I will have to report back later with the info.

Take care,
 
I´m sorry to keep bothering with the 970 but, I have a new one:

I just saw a "Buck Knives´ Geronimo Peace Dagger" 1986, limited edition # 302/1000 at eBay (being offered by "the Junkyard Jeweler"),
and on the "limited edition" pages of buckknives.com the info. of the Damascus Dagger reads: ...Buck´s first dagger...

So the new question is: What "buck´s first dagger" means?

(or is the eBay knife a fluke?)
 
The damascus dagger is the first Buck standard production dagger. The Geronimo dagger and some other daggers originated in Buck's Custom Shop during the 1980s and early 1990s. Also, this does not include any daggers made and sold by mail order prior to the 1961 incorporation of the company and commencement of factory production.
 
Larry,
That must be the explanation.
And although my ingenuity and the omission of the word "production" mislead me to put the word "ever" beside "first" on the frase, now thanks to you, I can defend my damascus' reputation a bit better.
I really appreciate it.

Ricardo
 
I've noticed that it is difficult to get any accurate info. on the Buck damascus 970 dagger as well. I've posted out here trying to find out what type of damascus is used and how many layers. So far there has been "0" responses. Surely someone at Buck knives has the answers to our questions.
I had the handle on my 970 dagger customized and it is now an awesome little fixed blade. I love it!:p
 
I think I remember hearing that X amount of the 970s are being produced but only half are numbered. Hence the first thousand are numbered and the second thousand are not. However, I could very well be mistaken.

Here is an old thread about the damascus that is being use at PCKS. Perhaps it can provide some insight as to what is being used in the 970.
I know this is not exactly what you are looking for but it is one step closer.
Jeff
 
You have been more patient than I would have been! :)
Our plan for the 970, as far as I can determine, was to make 2000, the first 1000 to be serialised. Originally, we were only going to make them in 2001 but we experienced some production issues and were not able to make very many last year. That is why they are still offered this year.

Hope this helps some,
 
BUT...
Doesn`t that ruins the WHOLE point of serializing a knife in the first place?
I mean....My sense of logic tells me that the point in serializing an item is to "guaranty" the client the "only" so many products will be made. (if the manufacturer doesn`t keep his promise, well...there is a chance (little, but there is) that 2 clients with the same 0352/1000 will bump into each other and discover the misbehavior)
BUT.....if the manufacturer "serializes" 1000 and doesn`t another 1000, well....the manufacturer could make 10,000 unserialized items and the clients would never know (the ONLY way that we could know is if we could get together more than 1000 clients....which in practice could never happen)
So....I might be a moron, but I don`t see the point of having a "1 in a 1000" serialize knife of a model which production could actually be 1,000,000.
I may understand the marginally raised value of "one of the first 1000 knives produced", but then, they all should read "1 of 1000", or "1st production run", or somethig like that.
You shouldn`t do what you did. If I see a knife that reads "0531/1000", you are making me believe that ONLY 1000 are to be made, and that I have one of them.
I`m having a hard time swallowing this issue. Specially from Buck!

Ricardo
 
I'm happy with my 970, as I posted earlier this month. To me it was pretty clear that 2000 of these were being made... and the first 1000 were to be serialized (Bernard Levine has some interesting things to write about serialized numbers in his BL4). When I ordered mine, I made sure it was one of the #ed knives, and I was glad to get one. I could not care less if Buck makes the projected (and promised) 2000 over the course of one, or two, or more years. I can understand 'production issues' with a knife like this, ie: Damasus steel and imported wood. Manufactors make serialized, limited runs to give us collectors something special, that MAY increase in value. Like a club knife or limited commemorative. Of course they are doing this for themselves, as well, to make profit. I do not beleive Buck, or any major manufactor would pull a fast one like making two or more of the same serial numbers. And how big a market is there for something like the 970, anyway?
 
By NO means I am sugesting that Buck would pull something like that; please do not misunderstand me.
I was talking about the "logic" behind serializing an art-piece; and in my opinion there is no point in serializing just "part" of a production (unless there is an specific physical difference). You see, I didn´t know about the 2000 beforehand....and I´m having a hard time trying to understand why not to serialize xxxx/2000 and make everything clear from the start. Wouldn´t that be much simpler?
Of course....that way I would not have the incredible chance to show off to my friends and say: Look! ther were only 2000 made of these, and I have number 0532 of 1000! and continue amazing them with the whole explanation of the 2000-1000 deal....
On the other hand....I am very happy with my 970 and would have bought it EVEN if Buck were to make 1,000,000.

It´s been fun......thank you.
Ricardo
 
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