David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Hoyt Buck produced the first Buck Knife in 1902. Hoyt and his son Al moved to San Diego and set up shop as H.H. Buck & Son in 1947. Al Buck revolutionized the knife industry in 1964 with the infamous Model 110 Folding Hunter. The company's innovative history and attention to quality have made for many great collectible knives.
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Old Folder
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David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Old Folder »

I purchased the below Buck 112 by David Yellowhorse, it is called the "California Bear " commemorating the state of California at the Southern California Blades Show in 1992, I paid $195.00
My Buck 112 was made in 1991 and there were 973 of these knives produced. Knife features inlays of Desert Ironwood, Malachite, Mother of Pearl and Red Bloody Jasper with textured brass bolsters with the Redwood tree, California Quail, California Poppy and Golden Trout etched in the bolsters. this is one of the harder knives to get in a buck 112 pattern.
This was my first Custom made knife I obtained.

An excellent and in-depth article appeared in "The Gun Digest Book Of Knives" 4th edition By Jack Lewis and Roger Combs 1992 book.
Book ISBN 0-87349-129-7 if you are interested.
The David Yellowhhorse article titled "HE CAN HANDLE IT" consists of eight (8) full page and nine (9) fabulous pictures. It covers from day one of his road to success. I shall just post the highlight of his first custom knife.

All of the Yellowhorse family had been makers of silver and turquoise jewelry for years. His Father and Uncles used to turn out such jewelry, and than sell it in their family-owned trading post that was close to the Arizona-Mexico line. At least two generations before them were Navajo silversmiths.

In good weather the workers would use a picnic table under a tree beside the shop for eating lunch. Most of the young men carried some sort of a knife and if time permitted, they would hold knife throwing contests, trying to stick those blades in the tree. It was that tree that led to the Buck Yellowhorse series of knives!

While David was working at the family shop one night, working on a bracelet. He often used his Buck Model 112 folder as a tool, prying stones out of settings during the fitting phase. He had cracked the wooden handle on the Buck while throwing it at the tree, and when he pulled it from its pouch, a piece of the handle fell off.
"I was going to glue the piece back on," Yellowhorse recalls, "but than I started messing with it. I pried off the handle, thinking I could maybe just throw stones on it. Instead, I forgot about the bracelet and worked on the knife all night."

In those days, Yellowhorse had a regular route for delivering his finished jewelry to Indian traders in a number of locations including Sedon, Payson and Flagstaff. He put the reworked knife in the sheath and, when he made his weekly selling loop, "I showed it to my customers and asked what they thought. Nobody had ever seen anything like it. They liked it and ordered a few."
Later he purchase several Model 112 Buck knives and reworked the handles to his own beautiful designs.

The above occurred in 1978 and I believe David Yellowhorse was around 22 years old at that time.

Please show your Yellowhorse knives and any related stories you may have.
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Dan
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Doc B »

Dan, that's a neat story and beautiful knife. Thanks for posting! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Tony_Wood »

I don’t have any Yellowhorse knives, but that one is a work of art!
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Quick Steel »

Dan that is a beauty and one I had not seen before. Following is the only DY I have.
P1020087 (2).JPG
P1020088 (2).JPG
P1020086 (2).JPG
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

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Doc B wrote:Dan, that's a neat story and beautiful knife. Thanks for posting! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
Thank you Doc.
It's always important to know what you don't know.
Dan
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

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Tony_Wood wrote:I don’t have any Yellowhorse knives, but that one is a work of art!
Thank you Tony ::nod::
It's always important to know what you don't know.
Dan
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Old Folder »

Quick Steel wrote:Dan that is a beauty and one I had not seen before. Following is the only DY I have.

P1020087 (2).JPGP1020088 (2).JPGP1020086 (2).JPG
Gorgeous workmanship on that DY Quick Steel.
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Quick Steel »

Thanks Dan.
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by kossetx »

Thanks for that info. Since it's Memorial Day...
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by kossetx »

well, if you click on the pic its upright.
Where Bob Wills is still the King...
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Quick Steel »

Very impressive kossetx. Bold like the country it represents. ::tu::
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by edge213 »

Old Folder wrote:I purchased the below Buck 112 by David Yellowhorse, it is called the "California Bear " commemorating the state of California at the Southern California Blades Show in 1992, I paid $195.00
My Buck 112 was made in 1991 and there were 973 of these knives produced. Knife features inlays of Desert Ironwood, Malachite, Mother of Pearl and Red Bloody Jasper with textured brass bolsters with the Redwood tree, California Quail, California Poppy and Golden Trout etched in the bolsters. this is one of the harder knives to get in a buck 112 pattern.
This was my first Custom made knife I obtained.

An excellent and in-depth article appeared in "The Gun Digest Book Of Knives" 4th edition By Jack Lewis and Roger Combs 1992 book.
Book ISBN 0-87349-129-7 if you are interested.
The David Yellowhhorse article titled "HE CAN HANDLE IT" consists of eight (8) full page and nine (9) fabulous pictures. It covers from day one of his road to success. I shall just post the highlight of his first custom knife.

All of the Yellowhorse family had been makers of silver and turquoise jewelry for years. His Father and Uncles used to turn out such jewelry, and than sell it in their family-owned trading post that was close to the Arizona-Mexico line. At least two generations before them were Navajo silversmiths.

In good weather the workers would use a picnic table under a tree beside the shop for eating lunch. Most of the young men carried some sort of a knife and if time permitted, they would hold knife throwing contests, trying to stick those blades in the tree. It was that tree that led to the Buck Yellowhorse series of knives!

While David was working at the family shop one night, working on a bracelet. He often used his Buck Model 112 folder as a tool, prying stones out of settings during the fitting phase. He had cracked the wooden handle on the Buck while throwing it at the tree, and when he pulled it from its pouch, a piece of the handle fell off.
"I was going to glue the piece back on," Yellowhorse recalls, "but than I started messing with it. I pried off the handle, thinking I could maybe just throw stones on it. Instead, I forgot about the bracelet and worked on the knife all night."

In those days, Yellowhorse had a regular route for delivering his finished jewelry to Indian traders in a number of locations including Sedon, Payson and Flagstaff. He put the reworked knife in the sheath and, when he made his weekly selling loop, "I showed it to my customers and asked what they thought. Nobody had ever seen anything like it. They liked it and ordered a few."
Later he purchase several Model 112 Buck knives and reworked the handles to his own beautiful designs.

The above occurred in 1978 and I believe David Yellowhorse was around 22 years old at that time.

Please show your Yellowhorse knives and any related stories you may have.

IMG_0027 4.JPGIMG_0026 2.JPGIMG_0025 4.JPGIMG_0024 6.JPGIMG_0019 5.JPGIMG_0020 7.JPGIMG_0017 5.JPGIMG_0016 6.JPGIMG_0023 4.JPG
I just got around to reading this thread.
Great story and knife.
David
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Old Folder »

Thank you David ::nod::.
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by OSCAR »

Any of his knives are awesome! I regret I only have one so far. A sheath knife I purchased a few years ago. He was at a knife show I attended. I couldn’t resist.
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Quick Steel »

OSCAR, First of all welcome to the AAPK. Second, I think your fixed blade is beautiful. Wonderful detail work. ::handshake::
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Old Folder »

Welcome aboard Oscar. ::handshake::
That's a real beauty. You were fortunate to have met David Yellowhorse at the show. I have not had that opportunity.
It's always important to know what you don't know.
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Bucksway »

I have a early 'Lacy' 112 with a satin finish blade before he used mirror polished blades directly from Buck. One of 16 to 18..I read a add in a old online gun forum and contacted the poster entirely online. I ended up sending a postal money order and a return postage paid envelope to a PO box in New York lol! My brother said I would never see the money or the knife but 5 days later it came! It's a real rarity a USED Yellowhorse Buck. That was 10 years ago and right now it's going back to him to have a Sunface engraved on the bolsters making it a 'Fancy Lacy' and a true one of one. My Brother David just went out to his shop with the BCCI folks and had a great time!
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Doc B »

Bucksway wrote:I have a early 'Lacy' 112 with a satin finish blade before he used mirror polished blades directly from Buck. One of 16 to 18..I read a add in a old online gun forum and contacted the poster entirely online. I ended up sending a postal money order and a return postage paid envelope to a PO box in New York lol! My brother said I would never see the money or the knife but 5 days later it came! It's a real rarity a USED Yellowhorse Buck. That was 10 years ago and right now it's going back to him to have a Sunface engraved on the bolsters making it a 'Fancy Lacy' and a true one of one. My Brother David just went out to his shop with the BCCI folks and had a great time!
Hope you can post some pictures...when it gets back ::tu::
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Bill-in-Texas »

I’ve been out (from Central Texas) to California a number of times over the last 12 months...

On one of the drives, along I-10, IIRC, I saw the sign and building for Yellowhorse Knives. Now, I wish time was on my side and I had stopped. It seemed an unlikely birthplace for the knives so highly regarded by all of us here!

Thank you OF, for telling the story and sharing the stunning 112 in your collection.
Beautiful knife & great history.

-Bill
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Old Folder »

Bill-in-Texas wrote:I’ve been out (from Central Texas) to California a number of times over the last 12 months...

On one of the drives, along I-10, IIRC, I saw the sign and building for Yellowhorse Knives. Now, I wish time was on my side and I had stopped. It seemed an unlikely birthplace for the knives so highly regarded by all of us here!

Thank you OF, for telling the story and sharing the stunning 112 in your collection.
Beautiful knife & great history.

-Bill
You're very welcome Bill. ::handshake::
If your future travels allow you time to stop at your above mentioned building, take some pictures for us.
Most importantly, drive careful. ::nod::
It's always important to know what you don't know.
Dan
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Bill-in-Texas »

Old Folder wrote:
Bill-in-Texas wrote:I’ve been out (from Central Texas) to California a number of times...
Thank you OF, for telling the story and sharing the stunning 112 in your collection.
Beautiful knife & great history.

-Bill
You're very welcome Bill. ::handshake::
If your future travels allow you time to stop at your above mentioned building, take some pictures for us.
Most importantly, drive careful. ::nod::
I’ll certainly make it a point to stop on my next trip that way.
I’d like to at least take some pictures of the building, and if possible, go inside to see the “goods.”
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Re: David Yellowhorse. The beginning.

Post by Mark15434 »

Somewhat true, but not the whole story. In 1978 Chief David "Dave" Yellowhorse reconstructed his Buck 112. 1982-1983 Chief got a deal with "Sharper Image mail catalog. Then he made less than "50" Buck 112's 4 Dots in 1982-1983. The Running Horse. His neighbor made the wooden display shell boxes and Chief Dave did the inside of those boxes. ALL HAND MADE. Satin Finished Blades. I have two of them. In 1987 Chief made around 500 Polished Mirrored Blades that appears in the Buck Catalog.
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