300 Series History 1966 to 1990

Did Buck make a 301 two blade? Ran across one today but didn't get to handle it. Tag said Buck 301 "Two Blade". Knife had the black sawcut slabs and the knife and hammer shield. From what I could see through the glass it had seen some carry but the blades were closed. Priced at $40
 
Not in 301. Only 309 and 305.

If you think you have to go look at it. Check for broken blade, or sign around the pivot pins that it has been altered by a knife mangler....(I can use the word because I are one.) Look to see if it is brass liners or SS, remember SS has three springs....one per blade. With brass liners you could break off a blade then grind it down close, flip into blade well and it would hide down there in the dark.
300
 
300...awsome thread here....I think I just nabbed a 1971 301 but don't know till in hand if model stamps on back of blades or extra liner included...photos only showed sides.
I had remembered reading this thread and when I noticed the scale pins that... "I've seen this before feeling kicked in". It has what seems to be the small pins.
Very valuable info you have provided here...THANK YOU very much.
 
Thanks for sharing the 300 series history. I have one of the stockman knives with the grooved bolsters. It was given to me by my dad when i was in jr. high school. I still have it and it is in very good condition.

I still have a scar on the top of my index finger from it when I was doing some thing stupid......

ric
 
I'm just gonna start printing these things when I find them from now on... Paper is easyer for me to remember where it is... Is that a sign???
 
bucksway said:
Nice job! What do you consider the rarest and/or most valuable in the early 300 series?? If I'm at a yard sale next week I don't want to pass up something great just because it's not a 112..
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WHAT!!!!!!! Its mandatory that you buy all Bucks at yard sales!! :D
 
Bucksway, And now the whole world also.

Old Schrade contract versions that are tight and in good blade width.
Early 309s from Camillus- Early 70's with scale pins and model number on reverse.
Good ink BUCK shields from the eighties, but with NO date code. And any stamped ^ 1988 with knife, bolt and hammer shield.
Any old yellow scales
Any with serrated blades.
And my favorite, drum roll please, any old stag scales, especially elk, dang I think I drooled on the keyboard just thinking about it.

Now you Ebay sellers listen up, these are hard to find but not valuable. They are just plain pocketknives BUT I am really only speaking to a small group of "collectors" like Bucksway. As it is a 'side-line' knife for him he is not going to pay an outlandish price. So we don't need to see some of these on the bay tomorrow with boosted prices......I have passed on several because some seller thought they were worth the price of a new s30V custom shop 110. They aren't.

There may be one or two more but since I don't have them either, I will reserve the knowledge for those who can " pull the sword from the stone"...

300Bucks
 
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Picked up this 1966 Buck recently and thought I'd give this epic thread a bump (hope that's ok). It appears to be completely unused. I've had a couple previously but never in unused condition. It was in a little plastic bag but there was no box. Were these originally sold in boxes or open stock? There's a bit of dried oil that's turned an interesting greenish color. You can see it in the photo. I've since used some WD-40 to wipe it off.

 
supratentorial said:
Picked up this 1966 Buck recently and thought I'd give this epic thread a bump (hope that's ok). It appears to be completely unused. I've had a couple previously but never in unused condition. It was in a little plastic bag but there was no box. Were these originally sold in boxes or open stock? There's a bit of dried oil that's turned an interesting greenish color. You can see it in the photo. I've since used some WD-40 to wipe it off.

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Congratulations, I was one of your competitors, but you beat me out on that one. The only 300 version with lined bolsters, no model number stamp, (a #303 I believe); made by Schrade. Great score, unfortunately I have no idea if it came in a box or not.

Ok then, as long as we're bumping this thread let's bump it again; here's a 300 series I did manage to snag recently, a CC-made #331 Grandaddy Barlow, (NIB).


 
Sonny14 said:
Congratulations, I was one of your competitors, but you beat me out on that one. The only 300 version with lined bolsters, no model number stamp, (a #303 I believe); made by Schrade. Great score, unfortunately I have no idea if it came in a box or not.
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Sorry there wasn't one for each of us, Sonny14!! It's the same size as the 301.

Sonny14 said:
Ok then, as long as we're bumping this thread let's bump it again; here's a 300 series I did manage to snag recently, a CC-made #331 Grandaddy Barlow, (NIB).


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Nice barlow!

Here are a couple older photos of a used 1966 Buck Stockman.



2 first production runs.... First production Buck stockman and a first production run BuckTool.

 
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supratentorial said:
Sorry there wasn't one for each of us, Sonny14!! It's the same size as the 301.



Nice barlow!
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I wondered about that statement as soon as I wrote it, you are of course absolutely correct, thanks for the clarification. That makes it THE very first of the 300 series, quite a score indeed. I'm up for adoption should you want to bequeath me that knife in your will. That was the first one of that version I've ever even seen available, I'm really surprised it didn't go for more.
Yes, the Barlow is nice, really nice, and I'm lucky to have it. Having just scored that one made losing that #301 a little less painful.
 
300Bucks said:
C,
I do not have numbers produced on record. But, either Scharde made or Camillus made early black sawcut models with no model number on reverse tang seem the hardest to find. Especially in the Schrade. That would go for either 301 or 303.

If there were a 303 elk antler scale LE dated in 1988( made by Buck), I might jump over a yard sale table and wrestle a concrete worker for it. (Maybe two, but not three)
I have 301s LE but have only one 303 and it looks like it has one side replaced with regular stag...Salesman sample ?. Also a pre 1985, Camillus, in regular stag scale.....lots of folks don't like elk because it is less ridged than stag but everyone to their own......
It looks as if the early stag LE will have two SS scale rivet and hidden spring rivet and the Elk LE will have only the brass spring rivet showing.

Elk, some elk ages with time and oil to a green/yellow color I like but most don't. Some say it is more prone to crack than stag.
ElkScale.jpg

Stag, LE
Stag301.jpg

Craig H./300
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That 301 has to be the best looking knife I have ever seen.


I cant help it but I think the older style 301's were the best knives ever made. Yes I'm prejudice. A 300 series with the flat grind to me is perfection. Just my opinion.:D
 
Bump!
Have a new (old) 300 to show, but found out that washing machines and digital cameras don't mix, so won't (can't) post a photo of it right now, (1993 #314 Trapper in Black Delrin, my daughter's birth year; stoked to have it).

As this particular thread concerns the history of the 300 series, I wanted to point out a very good article by Bert Lindsay on that very subject in the Dec 2015 Buck Collectors Club's newsletter. Specifically it concerns how to tell between all the different versions, (and manufacturers), of the #303 Cadet. Unfortunately you can't access the "newsletter" page unless you join, but the newsletters alone are worth the $10 per year annual dues so I encourage you to do so. Those of you who are already members of BCCI should take a moment to read the article; it's a good read.
 
300Bucks said:
Here is the historical line-up of the 303, starting top left down and then top right down. 1966 - 1990.
DSCF03382.jpg
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Craig,

Can you confirm that the 300s made between '85 (when Buck took over production of the 301 among others) and the late 90s (with the introduction of the Edge 2000 hollow grind) were all flat ground?

It's hard to tell from your picture and the lighting makes it seem as if the center 2 in the right hand column may be hollow ground.

Thanks,

Dave
 
Pinnah, 300 would know for absolute sure, but if I'm not mistaken all SC-made & CC-made 300 Series knives had flat ground blades. Even the 5" closed #317 Trail Blazer had a flat grind. (the Camillus clone of the #317, the #26 had hollow ground blades, but not those made for Buck).

Below; the entire caboodle of the Camillus-made 300 Series models from '72-'85, laid out like the second photo, which is an advertisement from 1985, (sans SFO's). Other models were added post 1985, but this was the entirety of the series prior to then.



 
This one throws a wrench in the pattern as it's a 1999 Camillus made Buck slip lock and still has the full flat grind. DM
 
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