Whelen's Buck 118: What's a build out version?

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screened porch

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I see Nessmuks and Kepharts; I Googled Whelen to see if anyone is still making or using those.
Buck says they have it back in limited quantities in two "build out" versions. Can anyone tell me what a build out is? My only guess is they found a box of old blades they want to get rid of.
(I've seen other Bucks ascribed to Whelen, but I think this is the one: narrow blade of a small game knife with the sweep of a skinner.)
 
Yes, porch, you hit the point. Buck found some blades in a drawer with an old year mark
or made of special steel or exotc material for the handle --- or both and takes all together
for a small series, may be with 10, 20, or 50 exemplars. Mostly less than 100. These build
outs are rare knives offered for cheap but at least hard to find.

Haebbie
 
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If so, I believe Giles Wetherill made the knife for him and (since it was pretty much a perfect design) it was roughly copied by a lot of people.

Wetherill shows up in the Blade Guide among the knifemakers, I believe.

Seems to me the 118 was the favorite of Hoyt and he probably designed it.

Truly great and classic design, that's for sure.......I have it in D2 now and it may have replaced the 121 as my Number One all around.

Get thee to the Bay and fish one out.

:)
 
Page 348 of 2005 Blade guide has a picture of the Whelen knife.

Doesn't look a lot like the 118.
 
To commemorate its second century, Buck is producing several special knives. Buck's Four Generations is a 12.5-inch subhilt Bowie knife. One hundred of the knives will be made, and offered first to Buck dealers as collectibles and marketing tools.

The Four Generations' guard and butt are made of sterling silver. The 5.25-inch handle is rare Amboynia burlwood with Mastodon ivory and sterling silver spacers. Embedded in the handle is the Buck 100th Anniversary logo in sterling silver with a pave of diamonds in each, totaling 1/4k. On the 7.25-inch BG-42 blade are 24k gold-filled engravings of Hoyt, Al, Chuck and C.J. Buck. Chuck and C.J. have autographed each blade.

Other Limited Edition knives include a four-knife collection, called the Family Favorites. Each Buck knife-maker has or had A fondness for a particular knife. Hoyt's choice was the Model 118. Al's favorite was the exotic Model 401 Kalinga. Chuck's choice is the Model 532 BuckLock, made with Mastodon ivory handles for this limited production. Avid hunter C.J. Buck selected the Model 191 Zipper fixed-blade, hunting knife.

Only 1,000 of the four knives will be made. They will be presented in a wood-framed display case, each serialized and with a signature on the blade.
Click to expand...

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3197/is_2_47/ai_83452049/
 
Thanks, everyone- that's a lot of help and a little confusion.
I swear Buck used to advertise the 118 as having been designed by the late Col. Townsend Whelen, but we're talking maybe the 1970s and my memory is not always perfect.
Whelen might have had more than one pet knife in his life, too. I'll see if I can google up an old ad.
Anyway, I got one on that bay some years ago, looking for the perfect knife again, and it is a beauty.
Thanks again.
 
Just looked and I don't seem to own a book by or about old Townie.......Off to Amazon.

:)

Here's my latest two:

003-3.jpg
 
Herbert, very nice...:thumbup: Over time you have shown many very nice Buck knives. Do many Buck knives make it to Europe and Germany or do you have to do most of your fishing on this side of the pond? /Roger
 
DeSotoSky said:
Herbert, very nice...:thumbup: Over time you have shown many very nice Buck knives. Do many Buck knives make it to Europe and Germany or do you have to do most of your fishing on this side of the pond? /Roger
Click to expand...

Roger, that's a good picture ;-)
Only a few Bucks drifted to the European coast. The more I casted my
nets in the new world bay or I fished the bucks directly in the Post Falls. ;)

Herbert
 
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