Ocelot help please

hardkiss · #1

A few years ago I started a thread about the crazy start price on Ebay for an expiremental Ocelot. Can anyone give me a rough idea of what that knife was going for or where i might b able to get one and how much to pay. Thanks for any help.

rycen · #2

The one with the smooth FRN or the G10 version?

hardkiss · #3

Is green g10 i think

The Deacon · #4

Like this one?

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If so, they were going for $400 and up back then.

VashHash · #5

Deacon does that ocelot have a compression lock? I looks like there's a cut out for it in the tang

Domanfp · #6

wow never seen those. Were the regular ocelots BG42?

VashHash · #7

The production models I've seen are VG-10 lock backs but I would love a bg 42 comp lock ocelot

The Deacon · #8

VashHash wrote:Deacon does that ocelot have a compression lock? I looks like there's a cut out for it in the tang

Hard to tell from that photo, but it has a compression lock, as does the "unofficial" version with the green FRN handle. Other interesting thing that's not immediately obvious is that the G-10 is layered, with a thin layer of textured green over black. Easier to see both in the photo below. Top knife is the "official" G-10 version while the lower one is the "unofficial" FRN version.

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VashHash · #9

I guess for production these materials and locks weren't practical or cost effective, just for the type of knife you would think the complock would be ideal as it allows very open construction for cleaning. A knife used for skinning should be easy to clean. I think this would make a good sprint. Can you do a shot of the two laying flat side by side?

The Deacon · #10

VashHash wrote:I guess for production these materials and locks weren't practical or cost effective, just for the type of knife you would think the complock would be ideal as it allows very open construction for cleaning. A knife used for skinning should be easy to clean. I think this would make a good sprint. Can you do a shot of the two laying flat side by side?

Material cost was definitely a factor, the layered G-10 in particular. Given the slow sales of the BG-42 Military, not sure it would have been a great choice for steel. Decision to move production to Japan would have ruled it out anyway. Same reason probably for the lock change. Compression lock was still having teething pains, and I don't think there were any Japanese models with it at that point.

As for the side by side shot, best I can do is this one showing the clip side of both of them, along with the production version, closed. Official proto is in the middle. I sold the unofficial one a few weeks ago, so I can't pose any new ones.

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cosmo7809 · #11

And here I am walking around thinking there is only the black g10 Ocelot in existence.

Thanks for the info.

VashHash · #12

What a shame. I think it would have been great. Maybe change to the milled g10 instead of layered but I guess it was cheaper in japan. Yeah I notice earlier complocks are kinda funny. The newer ones are rock solid. Anyone else notice slight veritcal play in early comp locks? If you ever don't want the bg42 ocelot I would be happy to accept it as a donation ; )