300 Series bolster material?

[TAH]

Regarding the 300 Series with the black handle material...

Buck website says stainless steel bolsters.
Bass Pro website says nickel silver bolsters.
The 303 that I looked at in the Gander Mountain case appeared to have nickel silver bolsters.

I know the old ones had stainless. Have they changed?

 

[JD Mandrell]

I have ones from the 80's that appear to have plain stainless bolsters, that after being carried get duller in color, but remain gray.

My newer ones, start out with very shiny bolsters that look like Nickel Silver, but after being carried a few months daily, turn a brownish gold color, that is consistent with other pocket knives that I know are NS.

Maybe current ones are stainless steel with NS plating????

 

[300Bucks]

Boy, wish someone from factory would take this, but here goes.
Camillus used nickle silver bolsters on their matching model knives so, er-go.

Buck starting building 301,303,309 and 305 about 1985/86, which are the bolsters I am not sure of, but they way they react to polish, tarnish, etc. I am guessing they are nickle silver also.

The Post 1990 knives are made as one SS piece with bolsters,shield and liner as a unit. There, I stuck my foot in my mouth most likely....300$s:foot:

 

[Pack Rat]

Well you 300 guys did it to me again. You go talking about these and it forces me to drag out the baggie with the fistfull that I have.

Not that it will add anything to this discussion, but I took a small magnet and ran it around on the bolsters of all of them, told ya there is only a fistfull.

No magnetic reading to speak of on any bolsters. and these are mostly threeliners with no dots or years.

But two 303's did hit the magnet tight on the bolster/blade pivot pins on each end. So those must be stainless steel.

FWIW....

I can see it now...you all are scrambling for a magnet. lol..... find a small screw driver with one on the end of it. Too strong and it will pickup the insides through the bolsters.

I gotta get rid of these things...grrrr....lol

 

[300Bucks]

Don't throw'em out I will send you a pre-paid padded envelope...ha.

Ok, Here goes a Pack Rat special lean and mean list.
Schrade made 300 - three big scale rivets, 301and303
Camillus made 300 - by age order,1) three small scale rivets,2) spring rivet but no othersMadeInUSA on tang then 3)Buck,Model #, USA-all long pulls
Buck made- 301,303,309,305, all with date codes -begin 85/86ish-BUCK shields, other models Camillus made(313,321,317etc but were phased out of production)
1990- All steel construction, date codes. nail nics
Remember date code is only good for blade, need box to get it near exact.
300$s

 

[Pack Rat]

Can you translate that into 110 speak!!

Good info...maybe it won't be wasted on me... I am just now learning about 110's and you wanna go edumacating me on 300's....

I just like to play with the magnet....

 

[JD Mandrell]

Anyone know what stainless steel newer bolsters are made of? Or would it be 420HC also. I guess maybe lack of or different heat treat may be why they change color with age differently from the blades????

 

[TAH]

I hate to throw a fly in the soup, but my 1972 309 Companion has stainless bolsters according to Joe Houser who just inspected it at the factory. Even before it was sent in for refinishing, the bolsters were bright silver (no yellow/golden tint at all) and magnetic (using a weak magnet).

I swear the 303 that I saw at Gander Mountain this week had nickel silver bolsters. They had a yellowish tint when compared to the stainless blades.

I took a small magnet and ran it around on the bolsters of all of them. No magnetic reading to speak of on any bolsters.

Is it possible that at one time Buck changed to a 300 series stainless which is non-magnetic, but still stainless?