One of the reasons the boss stayed on the 21 so long was because John Olin liked it so much. He thought when the gun was engraved, the boss was the perfect place to put a dog or other animal. I like the 21s with or without the boss. It does resemble the Fox like Larry said, but without one is OK, too. But the 21s with the boss filed off (and the slight buldge showing) are just as collectible as any other one.