The Sunday Picture Show (November 2nd, 2025)

[DeSotoSky]

Hello and welcome to the Sunday Picture Show. Share your Buck knives with others by posting pictures of them here. New or old, plain or custom, user or safe queen, one or a collection, we love to see them all. This weekly tradition was started in 2010 by ItsTooEarly (Armand Hernandez) and Oregon (Steve Dunn). Help keep the tradition alive. Feel free to click that 'LIKE' but lets not let it replace discussing and complimenting each others knives. DeSotoSky (Roger Yost)
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91 seconds
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On this day, November 2nd, 1947, the Hughes H-4 (Spruce Goose) flies its one and only time.
In WWII trans Atlantic shipping of war materials were taking heavy losses to German U-Boats. In 1942, Henry Kaiser, a builder of Liberty ships, promoted the idea of a heavy lift cargo plane capable of bypassing the threat of the U-Boats. Knowing nothing about aircraft, Kaiser partnered with Hughes and 7 designs were considered. Slow development and problems with unavailability of strategic materials caused Kaiser to withdraw from the project. Hughes continued the project on his own and signed a new contract for one prototype. To get around the unavailability of aluminum, Hughes used resin impregnated Birch laminate formed under heat and pressure (sound familiar?) The process was called Duramold. No, the plane was NOT made of Spruce. Spruce Goose, Birch Bitch, Flying Lumberyard, the media was not kind. The war was over before completion and the Jet age was looming making the H-4 irrelevant. Post war Senate hearings tried to bring Hughes to task for failure to deliver. In all about $25 million was spent on the project, $7 million of it Hughes's own money. The flight took place during the time of the Senate hearings proving the money was not wasted and a formal report was not issued. I am confused about the ownership history as the Government claimed ownership but Hughes for many years maintained the H-4 in operational condition in its hanger with a full time service crew even though it never flew again.
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Size comparison between the H-4 and a Douglas DC-3

Hughes H-4 Hercules - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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279 Folding Alpha Hunter. B279-SP2-0. 2003 serialized edition of 200.
Fall deer hunting is upon us so this one seemed appropriate. Documented on the 2003 SP List the handle is described as "Ivory". Seems like a slick plastic. There are other knives in this series. I have one with a stacked antler pattern on the 278 frame (guthook). Hopefully we will see some of the others displayed. edit.. hopefully jb4570 will show his, I had forgotten he showed them a few years ago.
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[Chilebrown]

 

[Arian29]

Greetings,

 

[Arian29]

 

[matthewtstock]

Good Morning Gents. Another fine start to the Sunday Picture Show. Many Thanks Roger and all who participate. I ordered this 110 from the CKS for the upcoming firearms season here in central Illinois........

 

[Old Hunter]

matthewtstock Good luck during firearms season. Is the blaze orange handle textured Delrin or another synthetic? I like the blaze, easy to find in leaf litter.

 

[Old Hunter]

My only Titanium frame Buck Knife (560). OH

 

[tiguy7]

Thank you Roger for doing the Sunday Picture Show and the interesting historical tidbits. The British built a wooden fighter/bomber (Mosquito) during WWII, but it was quite a bit smaller. This is a take apart Aluminum club knife with an added pocket clip. It can use improvised Selector blades (Ion Fusion/ BuckCote). Optional scales include Ivoroid, G-10, Carbon fiber, Micarta, and desert Ironwood.

 

[Ironbut]

Good morning. I hope everyone's having a good weekend. Today's carry for the SPS:

 

[matthewtstock]

Old Hunter Thank You sir. The scales are orange G10. I was pleased they were added as an option in the CKS as I've wanted an orange 110 for a long time. Now if they would offer an orange handled 119 I would be thrilled.

 

[bertl]

Buck 303 Cadet—Schrade, Camillus, and Buck

Bert

 

[Pony_Hernandez]

 

[Uncle Timbo]

Good SPS to all. How ironic the Spruce Goose was hangered after it's maiden test flight.
Thank you, Roger. And thank everyone else for your contributions. I look forward to the SPS!

 

[pjsjr]

Thank you, Roger for this Sunday Picture Show. Thanks also to all post photos and comment.
I have forgotten the details about Howard, Hughes and the “Spruce Goose “. Thanks for the reminder…. I think.
This is an early production 112 with Segua wood(speaking of unique wood) covers.

 

[mbkr]

Happy SPS

I was going to post this pic, but decided not to

Instead I decided to post this one of knives with handles of Dymalux/Dymondwood just like the H-4 Spruce Goose


The H-4 may not be the biggest airplane ever built, but its certainly the largest seaplane ever built. Really a rather amazing feat of engineering

 

[jmh33]

 

[wackafew]

Thanks Roger for the SPF and all who participate. Some beautiful Buck knives today!

 

[DeSotoSky]

The H-4 Hercules held the record for longest wingspan at 320' until the first flight of the Stratolaunch in 2019 with a span of 385'.
Stratolaunch was initially designed to air-launch rockets carrying small satellites into orbit. Its focus has pivoted to testing as a mobile launchpad for reusable hypersonic vehicles.

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Model 278 Folding Alpha Hunter with "Stacked Antlers". Handle is Imitation Ivory, Buck speak for plastic? Has the Idaho date logo but no model number on the blade. This knife was a Smoky Mountain project and serialized to 500.

 

[GPyro]

Thanks Roger.

Here's a Boone & Crockett 279.

 

[bertl]

Model 278 Folding Alpha Hunter with "Stacked Antlers".

That makes me think of the stacked elk antler arches in Jackson.