Buckmaster with Fuller (Blood Groove)

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porterkids

Joined
Feb 10, 2000
Messages
96
I picked up this Buckmaster last week. It is an early model with the three line marking and the compass in the pommel. Odd thing about it is the fuller (blood groove) in each side of the blade. I've never seen this on any other Buckmaster and I am wondering if this came from the factory this way or if it was added by a previous owner. Has anyone seen this on any other Buckmasters? Also, the sides of the grip have been machined flat. The grip was wrapped in blue tape when I purchased this knife and I didn't realize this until I unwrapped it last night.

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humm neat seeing this one..
i only collect the 110
but the fuller is not a "blood grove"...
it is a way to lighten the blade and give better balance with out much affect on the streanth of the blade...many like the looks of them..
blood groves were on arrows at one time to direct blood to the ground for tracking .. but i could be very wrong ...
 
I am mainly a bayonet collector and have always referred to them as "fullers" but many people do call them "blood grooves". In fact, when I first contacted Joe Houser about this particular knife he told me that at Buck they call these blood grooves.
 
porterkids said:
I am mainly a bayonet collector and have always referred to them as "fullers" but many people do call them "blood grooves". In fact, when I first contacted Joe Houser about this particular knife he told me that at Buck they call these blood grooves.
Click to expand...

hummm... yes i heard that term used in post falls my self.. ref to the 120.
but fuller is correct to my best belief ..

many do call them blood groves
it is some thing i think we need to get away from especially as it is not correct..
wow i can see papers now:
victim bled to death due to use of a "blood grooved knife" designed to cause a victim to die of loss of blood at a much faster rate then normal!

like if he had been stabbed with a 124 he would have a better chance?

i vote to use fuller and when ever i can to discourage the tough guy talk of blood groves!
to many silly idiots want to use any reference to blood to ban any thing!
i would not want a knife to be ban-ed because it has
""groves to encourage bleeding to death""..
like look at what incorect wording did to guns..
to me -
there is not a simi automatic fire arm..
there is a automatic reloading fire arm ... or a single shot capable of automatic fireing with one trigger pull.
realy what it is it.. "simi auto fireing"? the term dont make good logic..
that was some mil speek that went wrong!
single shot auto loader would be correct for my last gun..
if the word simi had not been used as it was we might have not had so much liberal bad press on the gun issues..


after all the best way to not get shot is to not be a target right?
 
Since this is basically a knife forum and I was informed by a reliable source about the nomenclature used at Buck in reference to the groove in the blade, I included the term in the item description. If anyone were to use this term on a bayonet forum they would quickly be corrected. I think you were to poll the members here about what you call the groove in the blade you would get a lot more blood groove responses than fuller. After all, Buckmaster Fuller was an architect, right?
 
The term blood groove is popular, especially among ninjas and wannabes, who have no clue what a fuller is. :)
It never hurts to reevaluate our terminology, especially when blood groove is based on a misunderstanding.
 
Nice Buckmaster. Looks like someone else did the work and not Buck. I would bet one of my Buckmaster's on it. ;) Please Chime in Mr. Houser
 
rich XDguys said:
Looks like someone else did the work and not Buck.
Click to expand...

It is pretty sloppy work...(on the Fuller, anyway)...but I kind of like the flattened grip... :)

What is the purpose of the white tape??? :confused:

It also looks like the base of the tang (on both sides) was masked off before blasting...
 
is it an escaped knife from the factory? got away like wine before it's time?
i for sure had a Fuller life from going to the BCCI event ;)
 
The grip was wrapped in a blue tape to give it a no slip surface. The white tape appears to be a reflective tape. This knife was obviously used. I'd guess that the reflective tape was to make it easier to spot if it were dropped.

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Well for fun I checked a recent Buck catalog and there was no reference to the fuller/blood groove. Then I grabbed one from 1984 and it did refer to the blood groove on the 119 blade. Interesting thing, I was always told its purpose was to prevent a suction effect created when the knife was stabbed into meat. The fullers allowed air in to break the suction so you could retrieve your knife.
I'm not much of a fan of being PC but do think we should call it a fuller.
What is the dimension of that fuller by the way? If it was done at Buck, it should be about 1/4" because that is how wide the belt was that we used. The fact that one side is wavy might be because it was held by hand under the "Blood groove machine" since it would not fit the 119 fixture.
I saw that extra line through the stamp area too. Like something was done to it at one time and they masked it off.
Very interesting knife.
 
Joe Houser said:
...I was always told its purpose was to prevent a suction effect created when the knife was stabbed into meat. The fullers allowed air in to break the suction so you could retrieve your knife...
Click to expand...

I was told that also, during bayonet training at Parris Island in '69...we were also told that the contracted muscle tissue tended to hold on to the blade as well...requiring a round to be fired to release the bayonet... :eek:

I never had the opportunity to prove or disprove this theory... :D

(Maybe next deer season!) :p
 
"porterkids"
Yet another mystery!
But judging from the picture close-ups, I do declare that it looks to be a personal modification rather than something R&D.
Firstly, it's a sound enough modification to flatten the sides of the otherwise well rounded and somewhat abrasive diamond checked handle.
No doubt, an oval handle profile would mean better blade orientation and less chance of developing blisters too.
As for the blood groove, who knows?
Perhaps a mad-cap idea for hunting sharks or maybe just an ideal way to lighten an already burdensome package for the landlocked warrior!
It's all rather sad that the previous owner didn't get the late production model with readymade fullers or anti-suction device... and thus to ruin a perfectly good knife in original form!
.
 
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