What Is This? - Franklin Mint 902 10-Point Buck

T

TheFishman

Joined
Aug 23, 2022
Messages
295
I have several questions about this blade. Is this an actual Buck knife? If so, what model? The blade looks similar to a 124, but the tang stamp is different, there are no holes for the handle pins, and the blade is 7" long. Is it something from the custom shop? The tip looks to be modified into a drop point and it looks like whoever modified it overheated the tip and burnt it. Any ideas?
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The early Frontiersman 124 had no handle pins. They had a stick tang and full, wrap-around phenolic handle (pic below).

There was also the Nemo, which was the same knife but with a plastic sheath for underwater use. The Frontiersman came with a leather sheath.

But the marking on the knife you pictured doesn't match any of the older 124's that I'm seeing. Of course that isn't definitive. Perhaps someone else can say for sure. I do know that there have been fake 124's. So that's always a possibility.

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Someone post a photo of the "10 Point Buck" that was done for that collectible company. The one with the ugliest handle that ever came out of the Buck factory. I believe it has the same odd horizontal stamp and is 1" longer than the standard 124. Molded antlers sticking out the top and an elk ivory on the cap. I know of at least 2 here on the forum 'cause 1 came from me.

The knife I'm describing was never in production. It was a sample and very few were putting together for Franklin Mint, I believe.

Your blade is likely a discarded blade from that or a similar project.
 
MT_Pokt said:
Someone post a photo of the "10 Point Buck" that was done for that collectible company. The one with the ugliest handle that ever came out of the Buck factory. I believe it has the same odd horizontal stamp and is 1" longer than the standard 124. Molded antlers sticking out the top and an elk ivory on the cap. I know of at least 2 here in the forum 'cause 1 came from me.

The knife I'm describing was never in production. It was a sample and very few were putting together for Franklin Mint, I believe.

Your blade is likely a discarded blade from that or a similar project.
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This isn't my blade. Thanks to your Franklin Mint clue, I found this thread that discusses the 10 Point Buck and then some photos in this thread. Interesting blade with a hideous handle. A shame that someone ruined the tip on this blade because it has lots of custom potential.
 
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That's the one! I know "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", but I don't know if there's enough beer- holding that can be done to make that one pretty.

That being said, I stumbled across one on ebay years ago. I snatched it up, compete with its display box for a little more than a couple 12 packs of Yuengling. Right place at the right time. It was cheap enough to buy and take the gamble whether it was authentic or not. I know who i traded it to, but he doesn't post much here anymore.

That's the only place I've seen that stamp on that blade.
 
I can verify that the blade matches my Franklin Mint 10 Point Buck I'm holding in my hand.
Sorry, I'm heading out the door for the day. I've never photographed it but can take a picture tonight If anyone cares.

MT_Pokt MT_Pokt Did you sell it to me? Personally I think it's a beauty!
 
DeSotoSky said:
I can verify that the blade matches my Franklin Mint 10 Point Buck I'm holding in my hand.
Sorry, I'm heading out the door for the day. I've never photographed it but can take a picture tonight If anyone cares.

MT_Pokt MT_Pokt Did you sell it to me? Personally I think it's a beauty!
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I thought gedlicks gedlicks got mine. I don't recall. I remember it sitting in it's display on my dresser and the wife and I scratching our heads every time we looked at it.
It was like having an Annabelle doll on the shelves with the Vermont Teddys...lol
Had to go...
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DeSotoSky said:
I can verify that the blade matches my Franklin Mint 10 Point Buck I'm holding in my hand.
Sorry, I'm heading out the door for the day. I've never photographed it but can take a picture tonight If anyone cares.

MT_Pokt MT_Pokt Did you sell it to me? Personally I think it's a beauty!
Click to expand...
Please post a photo. The only one I've ever seen besides the one I have was 310daves. He sent his to Joe Houser at Buck, he stripped it and put a red colored wood handle on it, if I remember right. There are a few old threads about these.
 
jb4570 said:
Please post a photo. The only one I've ever seen besides the one I have was 310daves. He sent his to Joe Houser at Buck, he stripped it and put a red colored wood handle on it, if I remember right. There are a few old threads about these.
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Sunday. I'll look for my plaque. Do you have the wall plaque with yours?
 
I went back and did some digging and found the first mention of this knife by 110 Dave. I am not sure how I missed that thread yesterday. It is linked in the initial thread I linked, but the link within the thread is dead. I have my doubts about the accuracy of the BCCI listing of 1000 model 902 knives produced in 1999 for the Franklin Mint. I would think that if 1000 of these monstrosities were produced, people would remember them. Reading Joe Houser's comments in the previous two threads seems to indicate that no one at Buck remembered the project. Maybe only a few were produced. The blade that started this post has now been removed from ebay after being up for less than 24 hours. The seller is located just a handful of miles from the location of the Franklin Mint outside Philadelphia so I would assume the knife and this blade were definitely associated with the Franklin Mint in some way.

Edit - I messaged the seller and asked if the auction that was ended due to an error in the listing would be relisted. He replied "It was sold with BIN price of 225."
 
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TheFishman said:
I have several questions about this blade. Is this an actual Buck knife? If so, what model? The blade looks similar to a 124, but the tang stamp is different, there are no holes for the handle pins, and the blade is 7" long. Is it something from the custom shop? The tip looks to be modified into a drop point and it looks like whoever modified it overheated the tip and burnt it. Any ideas?
54288023012_1e28fdab56_o.jpg
Click to expand...

This might be a great blade for a custom project.
 
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