In July I visited the Wal Mart in my home area and found a number of knives for sale at close out prices. One of them was a Buck 112. I didnt buy anything on that trip. I went back to the store in September and most of the knives had been sold. The 112 was still there. Price was $20. When the clerk saw I was interested she called the department manager who lowered the price to $15. The clerk then took another dollar off and I couldnt resist the 112 for $14. The knife was new but had no box or sheath and the bolsters were beat up with lots of dings and dents. The pin through the rocker bar also hadnt been peened down enough and stuck out a little too far on one side. The blade has the 1995 year mark on it so there is a chance that this knife had knocked around the store for seven years. I figured to have a go at making it look better. The wood was in good shape and the blade was nicely centered and locked up tight. I sanded the bolsters smooth and the pins flush with 220, 400, 600 and 1000 grit sand paper. The knife turned out great and I now have really good looking 112 for not much money. While I have never been a fan of the 112, after having one for a while, I like it. For me, the knife has surprisingly good ergonomics. I dont think this is apparent from just looking at a 110/112. You need to carry and use one to fully appreciate how nice they are.
I am posting this for a few reasons.
1. You can get some nice buys at Wal Mart on close out items and the managers have authority to lower prices so dont be afraid to ask for a better deal.
2. If a knife is sound mechanically, one can remove most blemishes with a little work.
3. I had to tell somebody. My wife thinks I have a major screw loose when it comes to knives and my friends and co-workers find me a bit, shall we say, eccentric when it comes to my interest in blades. So I thought the folks in the Buck forum might appreciate my story.
4. I have wondered for a while if I could type something in Microsoft Word and then just copy it into a post on the forums so this is what I have done here.
I am posting this for a few reasons.
1. You can get some nice buys at Wal Mart on close out items and the managers have authority to lower prices so dont be afraid to ask for a better deal.
2. If a knife is sound mechanically, one can remove most blemishes with a little work.
3. I had to tell somebody. My wife thinks I have a major screw loose when it comes to knives and my friends and co-workers find me a bit, shall we say, eccentric when it comes to my interest in blades. So I thought the folks in the Buck forum might appreciate my story.
4. I have wondered for a while if I could type something in Microsoft Word and then just copy it into a post on the forums so this is what I have done here.
