New, is it original Phrobis or build out?

So far there have been no fakes of the 186 that I have ever seen or heard of. Has anybody else seen or heard of any??

So far I don't think this is one to worry about. Not to say they might start copying these at some point.
 
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View attachment 710870 When the 186 came out in about 1986, the retail price was less than $100. The prototypes machined from bar stock couldn't have been marketed at that price. The company that made the molded handles used a controlled atmosphere furnace utilizing Nitrogen shielding gas to prevent the hot Titanium from reacting with Oxygen. When the handles cooled, you detect shrink marks which were on the insides of the handle slabs (they don't show from the outside). When the supplier's factory burned down, the supply of molded handles evaporated. No more 186's or 560's.
Any production that is still going on must use reclaimed parts. You can see the shrink marks in the photo (I hope).
 
I believe Buck still has some parts for the 186's and 560's. I called Buck a couple months ago about a 186 that I have that has some deep scrapes on one side and they verified that they still have some
parts available for the 186 for making repairs. The damaged 186 as well as a couple other knives I am sending in to Buck are sitting on my desk to be sent in to them this week. I guess I will know for sure
when I get it back if they actually have repair parts still available.
 
I have rebrushed the sides of 186's on a 4"X36" sanding belt (60 grit). If you get your handles anodized, they will have much more resistance to scratching. The color will not be totally uniform because the parts have a skin on them from the molding process.
 
Thanks for the tips. I don't think this one is repairable though. The clip side is in great condition.

KalZQw9.jpg
 
That stepped edge could be greatly improved with a barrette or 3 corner file. I would do the edge repair before rebrushing the whole side. The scuffs on the flat don't look that deep. The right handle slab is the easiest to repair because you can hold it on the belt with the screws which are partially inserted. You lay the part on the belt before you turn the motor on and shut the motor off before you remove the part. By not dropping the part on a moving belt, you don't overgrind the initial contact points.
 
Geat advise tiguy7. It might be awhile before I have time to mess with it but I will post how it comes out at a later date.

Thanks
 
As you can see on these Titanium knives none have a blade with 186/560 (Originals) and they are the ones that bring the originals price down. I would not take one if it was given to me.
 
If anyone is thinking of giving one away, I'd take one.

(Even one of the cheap secondary types that bring the price down.)
 
Personally I have not seen the prices on any of the 186's or 560's being pulled down by the buildouts. The originals are still bringing a good price.
A matter of fact. The buildouts have not been selling hardly at all. The originals have though.
There are many buildouts of many of the different Buck Knives. I don't think they have had any impact on the prices of the originals.
There are also many Buck knives that have been altered after being sold by Buck by customizers. Why not complain about them?
No more comments from me on this matter. It is utter nonsense.
 
This thread is about originals and build out versions. Two different knives and values. I guarantee there are not enough build outs to amount to anything that's why they hold their value as well. Not as good as an original but do well on their own.

I may start a thread on build non catalog knives. That would be cool to see the variations.
 
The statements made in this thread that these buildouts are having a negative effect on the originals holds no merit. For years individuals have been altering / customizing Buck knives and they have had little
if no impact on the value of the originals. There are many individuals even on this forum that have changed the handles to make the knife something other than original. Stag handles, stone handles, different types
of wood, blade changes, etc. Who all on here has some of them??? They have had no impact on the values of the originals. Some originals have went down on their own such as some of the Buck Strider knives some of which have come
out with buildouts with stag on them. The people who post their knives on this forum do so because they are proud of and like their knives as well as they like to see others. Nobody on here should downgrade the
knives that others enjoy and like. Doing so is not very becoming.

This whole thing is about these buildouts causing a drop in price of the Ti-Master.
Show me one example of where and when one sold for a lower price than normal.
A matter of fact I have kept up on the auction sales quite well and have seen the 560's and 186's do quite well over the last year with prices showing a fairly steady upward incline in price. Especially when they are NIB. I don't think there has been a Ti-Master on the auction site since these phrobis stamped 186's have been showing up so there is no way of knowing how it has effected the value. I for one don't think it would have any impact at all. If anyone on here is worried about theirs now being worth less than please get ahold of me and I will buy it from you for a fair market price.
 
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I'm saying if these different bladed knives with a dolphin mark were not made, then there would be no worries. (SEE CRAIGS 4724 store on ebay) The people who want to change the handles it is their prerogative. If you say it holds no merit ,you must not own any. Do you say the fake overseas Bucks are not sold cheaper. If a knife is altered it is not original. The prices on these non 186/560 knives are over and above. If you think it is utter non-sense then think again. What I say makes sense but it seems your group likes to take argument with this point. There were only 50 Ti-Masters made with numbers on the butt of the knife. The take a parts were called The Titanium and the riveted had the 560 blade. This difference of opinions has been ongoing for some time, it is not new. You have said people have changed the handles, I have not seen ANY 186/560 handles other than what was made by Buck. I would like to see if there is any? If this makes people think first before they buy one of these mix and match knives it has been worth making them aware.

BCCI Lifetime member 2939
 
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100 percent of the knives I have shown and sold by Craig were made at the Buck factory with COA's not fakes or clones. Plus they are signed by a Buck employee if not Joe Houser himself. This eliminates any risk of a clone knife. Not arguing, just saying.:thumbsup:

Since you mentioned Craigs ebay and saying people should think first before buying really isn't fair to him or Buck. He isn't making these in his garage, plus has over 10,000 feedback. This speaks to the amount of Buck knives he sells. Quite a few of my own knives have come from Craig.

I can appreciate your enthusiasm. Some of your input is towards the legitimacy of the knives. That should be without question they are built at the factory with attached documents with each knife.

Build outs are not originals, they are built out of existing parts at the factory. That fact is stated on the COA. They have their own price point.

Craig is a lifetime member number BCCI 2552. He is a Buck collector as well. I have seen his not for sale knives and they are awesome.
 
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Boy, I'll bet Camillus collectors are really in deep :poop: if we have this much problem with just a few mix n match Bucks......

Personally I think "Build Outs" are a boon to collectors and most will educate themselves to know the difference....
and knowledge about an item increases it's value, original or custom [build out]....

Research and education about the differences is a fulfilling part of this hobby for me.
 
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So still no actual examples of any decline in prices of any 186's or 560's. That's because it has no merit / evidence of such a claim. These knives have had very healthy sales records. No decline at all.
I would worry more about bringing attention to the possible decline of these knives which will probably make certain people cautious about buying one.
 
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