Since 1968, the 124 Frontiersman knife has been a must-have for anyone that spends time in the outdoors. Now, over 50 years later, it is still a blade that outdoorsmen rely on. Here are some of the details of the journey the 124 has from before it launched until today.
It all started underwater in 1967. The 122 Nemo was developed as a dive knife. This large dive knife was built for serious divers who needed a large knife on their underwater adventures (or work).
The next year the 124 Frontiersman, built with a 440C steel blade, a phenolic handle and stainless steel pommel and guard, joined the Buck lineup with a leather sheath instead of the plastic sheath that came with the Nemo. In late 1970, the 124 got a slight makeover, it now featured black Micarta slab handles (similar to today).
In 1971, the 122 Nemo was discontinued due to a rusting issue. Many divers loved their Nemo and took care of their knife, but ultimately too many would not care for them after being in a salt water environment causing them to rust.
In 1973, black Micarta was in short supply and the switch to burgundy Micarta happened. The guard and pommel were also changed to aluminum at this time. The lanyard hole in the pommel disappeared the following year. In 1981, the handle was changed once again, this time to a resin-stabilized birch. The blade steel was also changed to 425M the same year. Besides a blade steel change to 420HC in 1994, the Frontiersman remained relatively unchanged until its discontinuation in 1997.
After its discontinuation in 1997, collectors and outdoorsman alike were clamoring for its return. Buck obliged and the 124 Frontiersman reemerged as part of the Legacy Collection in the 2012 catalog. Today the 11 3/4″ knife features a 6 1/4″ blade, a black Micarta® handle with aluminum pommel and guard, and a black leather sheath. It has firmly cemented itself back into the Buck Knives line up as one of our customer favorites.
