What do you think? True story or not?

Joined
Sep 26, 2008
Messages
8,160
Here's three knives that I just picked up. I wonder if the story about them is true or just someones fabrication. Chuck's signature looks right, just don't know about the "prototype" part of the story. What do you think, truth or baloney?

The story:

"I have a set of off shore, 300 series Prototype knives. These are models 371, 380, and 382. They are the large Stockman, mid sized Trapper and small Trapper. They have red jigged bone scales. They are engraved Proto, and signed by Chuck Buck. These are some of the first knives to come off of the assembly line and sent to Chuck to be approved for sale as the 2006 Collector Series.
They don't come with boxes or paperwork. I emailed buckknives.com to ask them about these and
this is what they said, 300 series I can say that I looked at the signatures and they are genuine. They were early samples shown to Chuck for his approval and he ended up signing them."




 
I would say that could be true. I have seen protos marked differently over the years. Iirc I saw one fishing the bay that was engraved like that but I can't recall the model #.

I bet Joe would have a pretty good idea though! ;)
 
Here's three knives that I just picked up. I wonder if the story about them is true or just someones fabrication. Chuck's signature looks right, just don't know about the "prototype" part of the story. What do you think, truth or baloney?...

Dunno. But the signature looks good. Looks like his sig and is done the way he does it - at an angle, near the handle and with the last two digits of the year below his sig.

So, it could be a fake, I'm no expert, but the signature looks like it could be the real thing. As for the story - who knows? Cool knives, though. :)
 
Wonder what was used for marking the blades; no sign that I can see of vibro-etch jitter, which is typical. The lines look kind of... carved, I guess is the closet word I can come up with.
 
On the 371 the date mark is facing the wrong way for 2006. In 2005 Buck used the "Idaho" as the date for USA knives. Could the mark on the 371 be the year 2005 for an offshore knife? I only have 2 offshore knives and they are date marked 2008.

Wildbillw
Lifer #1341
 
Hi Dave,

Chuck's name on those knives looks just like the one on my knife. He signed my knife for me in 2010 at bass pro shop here in CA, he will sign a knife for anyone at his meet & greet's. The question I would ask is did he put the word Proto on these knives or was that added? I agree that you should have Joe ask the man himself if he remembers signing those knives.
jb4570
 
On the 371 the date mark is facing the wrong way for 2006. In 2005 Buck used the "Idaho" as the date for USA knives. Could the mark on the 371 be the year 2005 for an offshore knife? I only have 2 offshore knives and they are date marked 2008.

Wildbillw
Lifer #1341

That's correct.
 
Did you buy them from forum member ? Have you and I seen photos of them in past ?

It all looks positive in close-ups.

300Bucks
 
Did you buy them from forum member ? Have you and I seen photos of them in past ?

It all looks positive in close-ups.

300Bucks

I picked them up on eBay, not from a forum member ( that I know of). I don't believe that I've ever seen them before.
 
Like others, I don't know if it's a true story, but it's a very nice looking set. Congrats!!
 
I just sent Joe a link to this thread asking if he could check with Mr. Buck Sr. about it. We'll see if he responds.
 
I was being conservative in my attempt to point to the situation that the Doc had his thumb on. I remembered the names and the poster/owner but thought you would have said if he was the seller. Matt must be on vacation or he would have commented......

300
 
Back
Top