Protype 112's...Anybody ever see one??

bucksway

bucksway

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After a solid year of just going after rare/odd 112's I just now thought there MUST HAVE BEEN protypes of the 112....I have not heard ANY mention at all of one for sale..Or even that one existed at all! Does anyone have any information on a proto 112 or even better a pic ???? Joe, can you shed a little light on this ?? Is there even one in Bucks factory collection ? Man what a 112 that would be in my display ! THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME !!
 
It would be difficult to find one, the Aurum blades I have are prototypes but they are really Aurum prototypes on Buck blades not Buck prototypes as they were different companies.

There must surely have been over a million buck 110s made now and many 112s also, to find an original prototype of the very first buck 110 or 112 would be exceedingly difficult, Companies normally keep them in there own secret stash.

Photosamples are a little easier to find often marked with multiple zeros, I dont know if same applies with Buck knives. Although these also are often held in the companys own stock.

There is a little debate about what constitutes a prototype, often several were made of a particular type before final production, sometimes they dont go into regular production and cost to make single peice can be very high for example I have a few of these small hand size Aurum etched plaques made at a cost of several hundred dollars each but they never went into regular production. The cost of producing these would normally be absorbed into the profit made should they go into production.

proto.jpg
 
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I don't recall seeing one when I was digging through the stuff at the plant. We need to keep in mind that the original prototypes were made in the 1970's and could have been taken by family members or employees along the way. Further, given that the 110 was already in production I doubt if there were many iterations to get to the result they were looking for with the 112. As you know, other than the size and the front bolster modification the black Micarta inlays were the only other major change from the 110 in the original 112. None of these modifications would have been too hard to produce.
 
This was a prototype 112 done on a 4 dot blade for the 1986 release of the "25th Anniversary of the Folding Hunter", except the 112s were etched with "Ranger"(but it wasn't the 25th anniversary of the Ranger)....and the frame is nickle silver.
 
bucksway said:
After a solid year of just going after rare/odd 112's I just now thought there MUST HAVE BEEN protypes of the 112....I have not heard ANY mention at all of one for sale..Or even that one existed at all! Does anyone have any information on a proto 112 or even better a pic ???? Joe, can you shed a little light on this ?? Is there even one in Bucks factory collection ? Man what a 112 that would be in my display ! THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME !!
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I actually spoke to Chuck Buck at the BCCI event about the origins of the 112. He told me that there had been a knife fight onboard the USS Ranger and that the two men involved were using 110's. The CO of the Ranger issued a new rule saying that no knives would be allowed with blades over three inches long. When Buck got word of that they simply shortened up the 110 and made the 112, naming it the Ranger in honor of the aircraft carrier of the same name. So, I guess the prototype of the 112 would be the 110. I have one if you'd like to buy it! :D
 
I was thinking that the 'hook' on the front bolster had more than one mockup..And I would think that there were a few hand made versions done That look SO CLOSE to final production 112's you would need a micrometer to tell..I'm just guessing tho..
 
I think your right Bucksway, although if there was one or even a few of them it doesnt sound as if they are at factory according to Richard, probably someones using it to peal potatoes, doesnt even know what hes got.

There are lots of different collectors series in Buck 110s and 112s sometimes the first few of these in a series are called Prototypes but thats debaitable as often only the cosmetics of the knife change not an actual knife re-design or first mockup of a new model.

I thought the hot items for Buck collectors were very early Buck knives in good condition??
 
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Mike Kerins said:
I actually spoke to Chuck Buck at the BCCI event about the origins of the 112. He told me that there had been a knife fight on-board the USS Ranger and that the two men involved were using 110's. The CO of the Ranger issued a new rule saying that no knives would be allowed with blades over three inches long. When Buck got word of that they simply shortened up the 110 and made the 112, naming it the Ranger in honor of the aircraft carrier of the same name. So, I guess the prototype of the 112 would be the 110. I have one if you'd like to buy it! :D
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this matches with what i read in an interview with Al Buck that a Navy Captain
banded 110's as two long ... {{the fight was not mentioned and i had not remembered that it was the USS Ranger until you jest brought it up!}}.. and that the hook was to keep the hand from slipping up on the knife in wet conditions ..
i have not been able to relocate that article ...
note it was a long tradition in the past to break the point off a 'knife'
as then it is a tool not a weapon ..
 
Joe, Chuck,is there a factory proto for the 112 in the factory collection??? Juice Please!!!!!!!!
 
Often times a new knife would be born in the shop by a supervisor or engineer messing around with an idea. The newly created knife would be shown around the lunch table and if deemed worthy, would end up higher up.
Those prototypes most likely got scrapped out eventually once the production version hit the floor or after their usefulness as a letter opener was used up.
I have found some protos in the company archives but it is rare. I dont remember one of the 112 but have seen a 500.
If I remember right, Paul Bos, or maybe it was long time Buck employee Greg G. that had some knives in his truck. One of the knives was a proto 110. Someone broke in to the truck and got all the knives. Makes me shudder!
 
Thanks Joe..So what kind of 112's or 110's are in the factory display ? Are they first production examples?
 
Tim, at least for me the hot ticket is super low production factory produced knives...I love special project issues..few see aftermarket sales.A lot of folks keep and use them.A good example of this is the 'Schawans' issue... 4 different 112's and 1 110. Mangers got them for exceeding sales goals.Verry,verry few show up for sale...
 
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