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Stelth
VN = Vietnam
I did two combat tours there.
RD
Class 29 wc
VN = Vietnam
I did two combat tours there.
RD
Class 29 wc
-
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Tacticlol Knives
- Thread starter TwitchyBlade
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are you sure?
the info I'm looking at has the development company who origionally designed the knife forming in 1981, and the copy of the patent is dated 1986.
since the US pulled out of vietnam in 1975, that's atleast 6 years before the buckmaster could have possibly been issued.
From the Buckmaster 184 site:History of the Buckmaster
The Buckmaster was actually invented by Qual-A-Tec, a small R&D company formed in 1981. Fred Schumacher was a high-powered tax attorney who was looking for "acceptable" R&D developers. He met Charles A. (Mickey) Finn and talked him into starting the company. Mickey's intensions were to develop products in support of the U.S. Special Forces. (This was before USSOCOM was formed.) The shop started in one small bay in an industrial complex at 3204 Production Ave. in Oceanside, Ca. The R&D money flowed well for a couple of years then started to dry up as tax laws changed. Mickey was looking for other markets to develop products for and decided to go into the knife development business. At that time there were several people involved in the company. Wendy Finn (Mickey's wife) ran the front office. Bob McDonald ran the shop and he and his son produced the prototype knife components. Doug Olson remembers them milling the "hollow grind" in the blades with a rotary table on the mill (no CNC equipment). John Holm did all of the research and kept records for the office. Harry Camphuysen helped work on guns and since he also owned a pawn shop in Oceanside which was a dealer for Buck Knives, he had the ability to arrange for a meeting to show the prototypes knives to Chuck Buck Jr. Doug Olson worked out of a shop in Indiana and produced all of the drawings and helped in design of several components including the scabbard. The "Rambo" movies were just out and Mickey obtained three of the original knives to study..
The Buckmaster was actually invented by Qual-A-Tec, a small R&D company formed in 1981. Fred Schumacher was a high-powered tax attorney who was looking for "acceptable" R&D developers. He met Charles A. (Mickey) Finn and talked him into starting the company. Mickey's intensions were to develop products in support of the U.S. Special Forces. (This was before USSOCOM was formed.) The shop started in one small bay in an industrial complex at 3204 Production Ave. in Oceanside, Ca. The R&D money flowed well for a couple of years then started to dry up as tax laws changed. Mickey was looking for other markets to develop products for and decided to go into the knife development business. At that time there were several people involved in the company. Wendy Finn (Mickey's wife) ran the front office. Bob McDonald ran the shop and he and his son produced the prototype knife components. Doug Olson remembers them milling the "hollow grind" in the blades with a rotary table on the mill (no CNC equipment). John Holm did all of the research and kept records for the office. Harry Camphuysen helped work on guns and since he also owned a pawn shop in Oceanside which was a dealer for Buck Knives, he had the ability to arrange for a meeting to show the prototypes knives to Chuck Buck Jr. Doug Olson worked out of a shop in Indiana and produced all of the drawings and helped in design of several components including the scabbard. The "Rambo" movies were just out and Mickey obtained three of the original knives to study..
The prototype was shown to Buck and Qual-A-Tec created a new company to deal with the license to Buck and to distribute the royalties. That company became Phrobis, Ltd. Buck was looking for a product to spark the dull knife market they were in and the Buckmaster really brought them publicity. They tried to hide the origin of the knife which is one reason the history of the development was kept quiet. Qual-A-Tec also wanted no publicity so the two company's goals worked together.
Buck started production of this knife in late 1984 making 2600 that year. When Buck started production, the width of the blade was a real problem. This was before water jets and laser cutters became available so the production options were limited. Their first attempt was a die set that would blank the part from sheet stock. It lasted for only a few hundred blades then they had to abandon that idea. They had some machined out of sheet but they finally went to a forged blade. Knives from this era are stamped BUCK, 184, U.S.A. and will have a sand blasted finish. This finish differs from later versions with a shiny glass bead finish. In addition, there is a tiny dime sized compass which will be located in the pommel which was the case until approximately mid 1985. The sheath will be marked BUCK.
In 1985 it occurred to Qual-A-Tec that they should protect this knife with a patent. The stamp was changed in late 1985, to BUCK, 184, U.S.A., PAT. PEND. A new larger compass, made by Silva, was added and the tiny one was dropped. This new compass fit in the small accessory pouch on the front of the sheath. PAT. PEND. was also added to the sheath mark. In 1985 Buck made 53,000 of these knives, while the following year knockoffs became to appear and sales plummeted.
Buck started production of this knife in late 1984 making 2600 that year. When Buck started production, the width of the blade was a real problem. This was before water jets and laser cutters became available so the production options were limited. Their first attempt was a die set that would blank the part from sheet stock. It lasted for only a few hundred blades then they had to abandon that idea. They had some machined out of sheet but they finally went to a forged blade. Knives from this era are stamped BUCK, 184, U.S.A. and will have a sand blasted finish. This finish differs from later versions with a shiny glass bead finish. In addition, there is a tiny dime sized compass which will be located in the pommel which was the case until approximately mid 1985. The sheath will be marked BUCK.
In 1985 it occurred to Qual-A-Tec that they should protect this knife with a patent. The stamp was changed in late 1985, to BUCK, 184, U.S.A., PAT. PEND. A new larger compass, made by Silva, was added and the tiny one was dropped. This new compass fit in the small accessory pouch on the front of the sheath. PAT. PEND. was also added to the sheath mark. In 1985 Buck made 53,000 of these knives, while the following year knockoffs became to appear and sales plummeted.
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There was a hollow handled, saw backed knife issued but I never heard it called a "Buckmaster". Let me check with my Team Mates from that time and get back to you.
RD
RD
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I think the randall model 18 was around in that period (I've found records of one reportedly dating from the 1960's), which could be what you are thinking of.
it would certainly explain them being ultra desireable, randall have quite a reputation for making top-quality knives.
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There was no LT from the Netherlands in the Teams while I was there. My roomate however was, Arno Arnaud Mario Josephus Swagemaker.
Save yourself a lot of effort Jim, use this address shadek@tri-lakes.net and ask Steve Robinson, official SEAL phony buster, if RD from class 29 is real.
RD
Save yourself a lot of effort Jim, use this address shadek@tri-lakes.net and ask Steve Robinson, official SEAL phony buster, if RD from class 29 is real.
RD
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Jim
You are correct, Lt Alexander Tiel did graduate in BUD/S 29 (EC), note I am west coast, class 29 east coast graduated 6 months after the west coast so I never heard of him since he went home after completion of training.
RD
29wc
You are correct, Lt Alexander Tiel did graduate in BUD/S 29 (EC), note I am west coast, class 29 east coast graduated 6 months after the west coast so I never heard of him since he went home after completion of training.
RD
29wc
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That's cool. I served with RNM 82-83 (conscript) but I never knew the enlisted men could go to the US for BUD/S
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