Buck 300 series from the Camillus era - plated backsprings?

Old Hunter

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My Dad bought this Buck 321 bird hunters knife many years ago (30 years, +/- per his memory), he gave it to me several years ago. I only pull it out when I'm going bird hunting, carried it Monday on a quail hunt. This morning I checked the blade edge and oiled the joints prior to putting it back away - that is when I noticed what looked like plating on the backsprings was mostly gone (some remains). Not sure when this happened, but just noticed it - I thought these knives were 100% stainless - did all stainless construction only start with Buck manufacture or did it vary in the Camillus era? Not an issue on the old knife, but just prompted my curiosity. Thanks, OH

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Old Hunter,

Here is an early 317. It is in pretty poor shape and has raised more questions than answers, including the coating on the backsprings.

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I leave you guys alone for 8 hours and go fishing and see what happens Ha. My highly educated answer : who knows ? If you were at the gas station and hollered at me, and showed me your knife, the first thing I would have done was carefully look at the springs. Is it really plating flaking off ? Photo makes it look like it. If you have cleaned bloody game with it or used strong cleaner to get blood off/out of it, the blood or the cleaner could have discolored the steel or gotten under the plating. Some of those Cami knives used carbon steel springs for a spell and I have several that have a very dark patina. You throw them in the bottom of a boat for a couple months and they can get some very brown rust.

After that inspection and flaking is observed I will defer to one of the Camillus guys and see what they say. Spring steel was changed over the life of the Buck Camillus contract several times. I looked at my three, one is dull and the two others are bright. No flaking. I have never experienced this question.

In Bert's case, as he said that knife has hoed a rough row. I have a couple like that are beat up and discolored also. Put some polish to them and lets see what happens. Maybe one of the old Camillus guys will come over and give us instruction. 300
 
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Old Hunter, I've got a 307 from a slightly earlier era (Buck/Made In/USA on one side of the main blade, 307 on the other), and the backsprings have a similar appearance to your 321. It's in darn good shape, but there clusters of blotches on the backsprings, giving way to dark metal, that sure give the appearance of worn plating.

Blotches aside, the rest of the metal on the backsprings has a slight patina, whereas the blades and bolsters have a great shine.

Sorry, no photos (I'll get it figured out this year!).
 
Just guessing here based on a picture but it looks more like corrosion etch than peeled plating to me.
 
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Springs were never plated.
After assembly the back of the knife was hafted (sanded) so plating of springs would never be viable.
Clearly they are carbon steel springs; unusual pattern of rust/patina is my guess.
 
Thanks Phil,

Was going to ask you to come comment, but went to Camillus collector forum and ran on Tom's ID before I found you so just asked him. Went there and searched springs and ran on to a old thread on the 307 where one guy kept on and on insisting the 307s coming out of the factory sale and showing up here and there were really overseas copies. Had a chuckle on how well you maintained your patience. May we all be so strong.......Hope you have enjoyed your almost NY winter...ha 300/ch
 
So, OH

Get out the Flitz or Mother's and give them a good rub and let us see how it worked out.....

I would like to request that you give us a description of how you use the bird hook since you are hunting. I can stand photos if everyone else can. Like I have said before, know one has ever shown me how those work, I grew up using my finger.....300
 
To everyone who answered my question - thanks!

I will give the Mothers or the Flitz a try, I have some of each out in the shed.

I don't have any pictures of me cleaning birds (I am going bird hunting again next week - I'll get some taken then). In the meantime, here is an article I found and saved in 2010 that has a nicely written description (but no pictures) - it will have to do until I get some photo's.

Thanks again, OH

Instructions by Dave P. Fisher;
1. Turn the bird on its back. Locate the soft area on the bird's underside between the tail and the lower point of the breastbone.
2. Pluck the feathers from the soft area, exposing the thin layer of skin covering the intestines.
3. Pull up the knife blade and cut a vertical incision from the breastbone to the tail. Do not plunge the knife in; slit the membrane with the knife tip. Cut a second incision horizontally and midway across the vertical cut. Fold the blade back into the handle.
4. Pull up the hook. Stick the hook into the body cavity, pull out the entrails and put them off to the side. (Push the hook into the body cavity and twist the hook around to catch and drag out everything in the cavity. This cleans faster than a straight pull.) Work the hook in and out of the body cavity all the way to the neck until all the entrails are cleaned out.
5. Wipe off the hook and fold it back into the handle.


Read more: How to Use a Bird Hook Knife | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5847913_use-bird-hook-knife.html#ixzz0y5cgSoqe
 
Just in from the shed, polished the backsprings with some paste polishing compound (Super Premium Polishing Paste). The flat areas of the backsprings polished up to the level of the sections that were still in their original finish. The blackest parts are actually etching in the backsprings from exposure to salt water (Dad informed me that the knife was in his salt water tackle box, stored on his boat at Wilmington or Manteo, for about 20 years). I can verify this much - there was no plating on the backsprings (as others pointed out), the black color was surface discoloration, the remaining, deeper disfigured area's are damaged by salt water eating into the metal. Mystery solved. Thanks again, OH

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