First Run Question
 

Hello All,

I have a question about the "first run" figure commonly cited in regard to the Buck 184. I usually see that 2600 were made. The history on the buck-184.com site says that 2600 were made in 1984, and 53,000 in 1985. If the version with the compass in the pommel was discontinued in mid-1985, are there any figures available as to how many of these were made? It seems that a lot of 184's are advertised as "first run", but just having the compass in the pommel doesn't necessarily mean it was in the first run of 2600, correct?

Roger

I'm not sure exactly when Buck discontinued the compass in the pommel, but there don't seem to be that many of them around. The three-line marking was used in 1984 and sometime in 1985 they added the PAT. PEND. The compass is only found in the three-line version, and the majority of the three-lined knives that I've seen do not have the compass. Therefore, I think the compass is a fairly good indication that it's an early piece.

Thanks for the info. I've seen some general production numbers, but to me it seems like they don't have a lot of bearing on the availability of the knives. I have two of the 184's with compasses in the pommel, but can't seem to find a good one with the patent number in the blood groove. I would have thought that being of a more recent manufacture date that there might be more of them around. Go figure.

Roger

I have 1- 3 liner with no small compass and one with and I also have a pat pend 184 with a small compass that I bought from one of the Buck employees new in the box.

I not sure if this is a first run or not, but it has a compass in the pommel. Here are pictures