Question for 300 Series pocket knife owners!

I bought a 373. I was "never" going to buy a Chinese Buck but this was cheap, at a pawn shop. I bought it intending to use it hard and see if it measured up to my American Bucks. But it is pretty thick, I look at it and then pick up my Buck 55 and slip it into my left pocket. A Buck 345 rides in my right pocket. The 373 can't catch a ride. The few times I have used it it has done well, it is just too thick for a small knife, for me. I guess I need to take up whittling as a hobby. I think the thickness would be an asset there.

The 345 - I like it a lot, and I'm not a liner lock guy. But it is thinner than a 110 or my 425 so it is my "big" EDC. I just make sure to keep coins in my last pocket. That is why I don't like liner locks - coins get in them. But the 345 is worth the hassle of keeping my coins on my weak side.
 
I love my 302, carry it on the weekends. Why a Buck slip joint? Simply because I'm loyal to the brand.
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MY 309 gets carried to church and other places where I want a knife to just be there if needed, but not be seen in any way.

Love it.
 
Some great reasons and responses here. Unfortunately, I find these type of threads dangerous to my bank account. :hopelessness:
 
309 only cost me about 24 shipped to a store for me to pick up. Part of the early allure to try without holding one.
 
I love the old Schrade made 300's and carry the 1st model quite often. The reason I like the 300's is the reason a lot of people dislike them, that is the "Light pull". I dislike Heavy pull stockmans. Another reason I like Bucks is that it Proudly promotes itself as a Christian company. Just my opinion
 
I carried a stockman for a lot of years until it was lost or stolen ( not sure which) and it was a tank, easy to sharpen and stayed sharp along time. I now edc a 309 and have for about 3 years. I have always carried a buck and always will. U.S.A made ,life time warranty, company has a good moral code and makes a good product that it stands behind.
 
Well all this talk of the 300 series I had to put my 303 in my pocket tonight for church. Wow I did forget how easy it was to pack. When I got home I realized instead of putting my 303 my wife bought me 2 years ago it was one of the older ones I bought off the bay. Oh well.
 
I have a fair number of stockman knives from various makers. My Buck 301 and 303 get more than their fair share of carry time. I carried a Camillus Buck 303 pretty much every day in the 70's and 80's. I find I much prefer the redesigned current Buck 300 series. And I like the ones with the current Edge 2000 grind even more.

I like the redesign. They put the sheepsfoot opposite the clip. This allows both blades to be opened by the right hand. Since I am right handed, and those are the two most used blades on my stockman, I much prefer that orientation. As far as I can determine, only Buck does this.

I like the three spring design. It takes up no more width than a two-spring design, but it provides me with a sheepsfoot blade which extends out straight in the opened position, rather than coming out at an angle as with a crinked blade on most two spring stockman knives. A blade that sticks out straight is easier for me to use.

The Paul Bos heat treat of the 420HC blade steel, works well. The blades hold an edge noticeably better than Case blades, yet are still easy to sharpen.

I like the thicker blade stock. Makes for a more robust knife.

I like the Edge 2000 grind. Cuts better. Holds an edge better. And the blades are sharp right out to the point.

So, that's why I often carry a Buck 300 series stockman a lot more frequently than you might think based on the number of stockman choices I have.

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Nice collection of carry knives. I haven't done a group shot of my carries in a long time. I may just need to do that. I will say while I have a mix of carries the majority of them are Buck. I didn't realize it until a couple of years when I was cleaning knives and decided to see what I actually had.
 
Well I think knarfeng’s post covers a lot of the reasons my 301 works for me. As for the blade arrangement when I am working on a control panel I will have my 301 with both clip and sheepsfoot open and roll the knife over for the different blade. Buck makes a great stockman and I am proud to own them.
Bob
 
It's just in the last week or so I've become aware that the 303 is all the knife I need and the only one I always carry. For years and years there has always been a 303 in my pocket with my keys.
When the newest latest fancy knife would show up and be put in a special pocket to not get scratched the Buck was always in the other pocket...now it's just a 303 everyday.
Opens smooth, stays sharp, tough as nails, carries nice, looks good and God Bless these United States of America

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Clay
 
Well that 301 you're picturing wasn't made by Buck Knives...that was made by Camillus.Up until 1986 I believe Buck contracted Schrade Cutlery and Camillus to make their 300 Series of pocket knives for them.And they did a bang up job too!You'll notice the clip-point is longer and nicer done.Don't know why Buck eliminated the long-pull nail nick.The scales were made from sawcut delrin and not Valox (which feels more like plain nylon).The blade steel was 440A...better craftsmanship from the contracted Buck pocket knives.
 
I carry a rosewood 309 very often, and echo many of the reasons noted above, affordable, well-built, love the wood, etc. I also love that it is easily replaced. I have several GEC's, and if you want a replacement for most of those you either have to wait 4-5 years until a new run, or find on the secondary market. I love that I can carry my Buck, and if I lose it, I can have one just like it in my hands pretty quickly. While I appreciate the special runs and innovations of some of the higher end companies, there is something to be said for the approach of making a few consistent patterns really well. The world needs both, but I appreciate Buck. (I know the same argument could be made for Case, but Case does not do the gorgeous wood handles, and I am a sucker for wood.)
 
You probably think I should comment here with great text of why Buck folders are so worthy. But, all I can say to answer the OP's question is - I just liked Buck Pocket knives, was appreciative of the lifetime warranty and carried a Model 303 in the watch pocket of my uniform jeans for over 20 years. Carried a multi-tool on my belt, not a Buck because it was issued to me.

But I will also make sure facts are facts. The knife in post # 1 is a last model Camillus made Buck 301, in post #9 the first photo is a 1990 model Buck (with Delrin scales) but the second photo is a pre-85 Camillus made model, likely still with Delrin scales but all Buck made 300s were eventually changed to Valox scales in the mid-2000's. The knife in post #35 could be Valox. Several ages of Bucks are shown in Knarfeng's photo and the back of the Rancher 314 second version model is Camillus made and has the SS leather awl in place of a sheepsfoot blade. Its not a ground down blade. as it may look from rear angle. The stag scale 317 is a Camillus version that has been re=scaled by the owner and lastly DM's rattlesnake skinner is a Camillus special issue made only for sale by Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Early photos of Davids trapper likely make it a knife made at the very last days at Camillus before it was shut-down or was made after the factory auctioned off of parts left over. All of the Rosewood scaled knives are modern era Buck made.

Buck is known for its heat treatment and if anything could be said to be special that would likely be the item. Camillus assembled knives were of high quality but did not receive the BOS heat treatment. But, Chuck Buck thought enough of the Camillus made models to put his name on the blade and box and advertise and catakig them as a Buck" knife........ 300
 
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Ok, thanks for this historical information. A good run down. I don't know which 301 Frotier was referring to in post 36. As the one above is a 303 and it is made by Buck.? DM
 
David Martin said:
Ok, thanks for this historical information. A good run down. I don't know which 301 Frotier was referring to in post 36. As the one above is a 303 and it is made by Buck.? DM
Click to expand...

I'm guessing he was referring to post 1 and the pic the OP posted?


Clay
 
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