I'm here to brag about my "barn find" 1989 Buck 124

Randall Mountain

Randall Mountain

Joined
Feb 14, 2022
Messages
17
Yes, it's true. My first post and I'm already bragging haha. I just bought this Buck 124 in absolute perfect condition. I don't imagine it has ever been really used or sharpened. The sheath is very good too, showing tiny bits of wear from probably shifting around in a box inside the barn for 33 years. What surprises me is the absolute mirror finish of the blade. It's a 1989 so I believe it's 425M steel. It has the "V" symbol next to 124. The scales are very dark brown with a very tight grain. I don't recall ever seeing a Buck sheath like this for a 124. It's a taco style with a dangler. The snap has Buck on it so I suspect it's original. I'm American and live in France. I found it on a local buy/sell website for a silly price. The elderly gentleman said he's had it for 30+ years. I'm a happy camper.

buck124.png
 
Beauty indeed! Very lucky to find in such fantastic condition. I often miss those high polish blades. Only one I have is my old Puma Skinner from 67 with the nickel/chrome alloy added for that great shine. Great looking knife your have there. Thanks for sharing.
 
TAH said:
That's a great looking knife! I'd like to know more about it. Did it come from the custom shop? Are the pins brass? The guard appears to be sculpted and the handle material appears to be solid wood, not laminate. Welcome to the forum!
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I don't know much about the knife but here is the (slightly) interesting story:

I live in France and saw it on a site like Craigslist. Yes, the pins are brass. The blade is mirror finish. It is in perfect condition. Now that you mention it, the guard does look more rounded than standard but I'm no expert. I'll post a few more photos shortly. The scales look darker than what I've seen on other late 80's 124s. The seller listed it for 50 euros shipping included (about 57 dollars) on the website. He also had a few old things for sale like a French machete from 1916. I sort of figured by the way he wrote that he was a much older guy. He used a very formal writing style that the older generation tends to use here. So I sent him a message telling him that I wanted the knife but I would offer him 100 euros instead of 50. I feared I was taking advantage of the old guy. He sent me back a rather terse message that basically said "Listen, I am selling it for 50 euros not 100. I've had this knife for more than 30 years and I never used it. If you want it, give me your address and I will send it to you. Once you receive it, send me 50 euros"

So I gave him my address and he sent it. I received it today.
 
Fantastic knife and great story, I'm looking forward to learning more about it's origin.
 
DeSotoSky said:
Welcome to the Buck forum Randall. Looks a bit like Ironwood to me. The direction of the blending lines on the tang stamp are a clue that the mirror polish was done before assembly so factory original.
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Thank you for the input. Yes it does look like ironwood in real life too.
 
pjsjr said:
DeSotoSky DeSotoSky Roger, I wonder if that could not have been done if the blade was stripped of guard, handle and pommel by an after production customizer, like Leroy Remer?
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Good morning Preston. Of course we can only speculate but I'm playing the clue of the knife having been in the barn for 30 years. Could very well be that Leroy had something to do with it but I'd say before the fact not after. If they could only talk, what stories our knives would tell..... :):):)
 
Interesting find!

I'm no expert, but if I had to guess, it's an aftermarket modification, but could certainly be a lunch-box knife that found it's way to Europe. Pretty cool nevertheless!!
Palm swell
Brass pins with aluminum guard and pommel
Shaped guard
Polished blade

Who knows.... but very cool find!
 
DeSotoSky said:
Good morning Preston. Of course we can only speculate but I'm playing the clue of the knife having been in the barn for 30 years. Could very well be that Leroy had something to do with it but I'd say before the fact not after. If they could only talk, what stories our knives would tell..... :):):)
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I thought that the knives coming out of the 'old' custom shop(1980-1992) had numbers engraved on them. This one doesn't seem to have one. Yes, for sure, if the knives could talk what stories they could tell.
 
pjsjr said:
I thought that the knives coming out of the 'old' custom shop(1980-1992) had numbers engraved on them. This one doesn't seem to have one. Yes, for sure, if the knives could talk what stories they could tell.
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I can confirm that this knife does not have any marks or engravings other than the original Buck ones.
 
pjsjr said:
I thought that the knives coming out of the 'old' custom shop(1980-1992) had numbers engraved on them. This one doesn't seem to have one. Yes, for sure, if the knives could talk what stories they could tell.
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Not all had numbers. Other anomalies, not a (typical) custom shop tang stamp, box, or sheath. I'm sure there were all sorts of price points.
 
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