My brief affair with the 303

D

dogstar

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The 303 may be the perfect pocket knife. At 1.9 oz with three useful blade shapes, 3.3" overall length, and Buck quality, there is nothing wanting. This little powerhouse is as much at home in the woods, or at a wedding. Even though it is small enough to disappear into your pocket, the three-layer sandwich of steel just feels solid in the palm, like a nugget of gold. Personally, I love the look of black valox and SS bolsters; it is handsome, but all business. Of the three, I find the sheepsfoot blade to be most useful for everyday chores. I like to keep the large clip point blade clean for food. Mine was purchased used, but it cleaned up very nicely, which is a testament to Buck's design and workmanship. I carried it for a few days, and realized it could displace all my other favored blades.

My friend of 30 years was moving back to the East Coast, and he is not a knife guy. He has some knockoff Ka-bar and 110 that he picked up over the years. I probably won't see him for a very long time, so I gifted him my 303. As we enter our 50's, I figured it would be a perfect gentleman's knife for the next 30 years. I was explaining the designs of the blades to him, and we got to the spey blade. "I don't need to castrate anything," he commented. "Just wait till your daughters start dating," I replied. 🥁🥁🥁

Anyway, I'm sure there will be another 303 in my future, it is pretty darned awesome.
 
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I very recently got a 303 in rosewood and have pretty much the same sentiments. I liked it so much i immediately ordered a 301 to go with it, because I figured at some point I’d NEED a slightly bigger version I just had to. The 303 definitely gets used more, but I love them both.

TAH TAH , you won’t be sorry!
 
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Buck used to be proud of their slip joints. Seems they've all but abandoned them over the last decade.

I like the 303 because it's a great little pocket knife that will handle just about any task I need in the urban jungle. And, there are so many variations that you could carry a different one every day for a couple of months.

The 301 has even more variations, and I find myself carrying the green and brass 2 blade S30V 301 more than anything lately.

The one thing the 303 has never seen is a premium steel. But it's really not necessary for such a light duty pocket knife.

I've posted this photo several times. It's not the most current group photo. Just the only one I have on my phone.
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My mission was to collect every catalog 303 I was aware of. I managed to come up with quite a few custom and after market versions, most of which I've moved on either as gifts or sold to keep the pile pared down to catalog versions and SFOs.

I didn't get in to the minutiea of how many brass spacers (liners) as the debate as to whether they are a function component or a version change has never been resolved.

Regardless, there are a few great reads in BCCI newsletters about 303s and other 300 series models.

Here are a couple others you don't see every day
Ichthus
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Green paperstone B&C
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Smooth red delrin
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MT_Pokt said:
I didn't get in to the minutiea of how many brass spacers (liners) as the debate as to whether they are a function component or a version change has never been resolved.
Click to expand...

My two cents worth is that the extra spacers were used as needed because manufacturing tolerances of Camillus were pretty loose, so I don't think they were a version change. They are not found in the Schrade and Buck knives.

Bert
 
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bertl said:
My two cents worth is that the extra spacers were used as needed because manufacturing tolerances of Camillus were pretty loose, so I don't think they were a version change. They are not found in the Schrade and Buck knives.

Bert
Click to expand...
That's my take as well. 👍
 
I need to replace my 301
I still have my 309 tho

And I have a 303 but it was a gift from a friend and coworker after his father passed (he gifted me his fathers knife since he knew I was a knife guy)

But I don't dare carry it, cause I would be mortified if I ever lost it

But I heard the 300 series has been discontinued? Tell me I heard wrong
 
Rsmith_77 said:
I need to replace my 301
I still have my 309 tho

And I have a 303 but it was a gift from a friend and coworker after his father passed (he gifted me his fathers knife since he knew I was a knife guy)

But I don't dare carry it, cause I would be mortified if I ever lost it

But I heard the 300 series has been discontinued? Tell me I heard wrong
Click to expand...
Some 300 models come and go, but the 301 and 303 are constant, it seems.
 
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