This knife is known as the holy grail for
many collectors of the M9 bayonet series of knives. This is where the line
started. This Buck 184 Buckmaster is complete with all accessories except for
the original box. The blade edge looks to have its original factory edge. The
only marks I can see on the knife are on the blade from putting it into and
pulling it out of the sheath. The black buckle on the sheath also has slight
wear due to the handle rubbing it. Neither area of rubbing has much effect on
the collectability and value of this knife.
In addition to the knife, the
following accessories are included:
- 1 Two small black pouches with BUCK sewn on the
flap that attach to the plastic scabbard.
- 2. Buck marked black plastic scabbard.
- 3. Two original grappling hooks with the same
bead blasted finish as the rest of the knife.
- 4. Clear small tube with matches, nails, fishhooks,
and sinkers that is kept in the hollow handle. Additionally, a length of
fishing line is also stored in the handle.
- 5. The Silva, Type 12 compass with a red lanyard.
- 6. Black leg tie-down cord.
- 7. One short length of green 550 paracord.
- 8. Sharpening Stone on back of sheath.
According
to information I have pulled from the buck-184 website, this knife looks to
have been manufactured sometime between late 1984 and late 1985. The knife has
a blade that is approximately 7.5" (19cm) long and is of the classic Bowie
shape. The hollow-ground main edge is about 6.5" (16.5cm) long. The false
edge is serrated on one side. The back of the blade features an extremely
aggressive 3" (7.5cm) long sawback. Maximum blade width is about 1.5"
(3.7cm), and the blade is .288 - .290-inch thick. The blade is forged 425mod
steel. The handguard is about 6mm thick, with both ends curving slightly
towards the blade. Each end is drilled and tapped for a 2" (51mm) long,
10mm diameter "point" which is designed to allow the knife to be used
as an anchor when a line is attached to the lanyard ring at the pommel. The
grip is 4" (102mm) long and 1.25" (2.8cm) in diameter, knurled and grooved
for a sure grip. The grip is hollow, with a usable internal opening secured by
the threaded pommel, which in turn is knurled, slightly larger in diameter than
the grip, and sealed with a black rubber O-ring. The threaded pommel also
secured a 4.5mm thick steel stamping which is pierced to provide a lanyard/rope
hole.
The sheath is of black rigid
fiberglass-reinforced plastic. Attached to the front of the sheath are two
removable black nylon pouches; the smaller one contains a full-size Silva Type
12 compass with a red cord lanyard. The back of the sheath has an inlaid
sharpening stone. Heavy black nylon webbing is used to cover the stone, secure
the two pouches to the sheath, secure the knife in its sheath, and provide a
loop for a leg tie. An additional loop of black nylon webbing, with a
Fastex-type closure, provides a quick-release belt loop.
History of the Buckmaster.
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. 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
stock, 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 is located in the pommel which was the case
until approximately mid-1985. The sheath will have BUCK marked at the bottom of
the front of it.
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