Buck 300 series

B

bennyG19

Joined
Sep 22, 2007
Messages
247
I've been thinking about picking up a Buck, but they don't get much airtime in this forum. How do they compare to Case or U.S. made Old Timers? How is the steel in the new ones? It seems like a good value for the money.
 
Steve, I think he's trying to get an idea of how the people that populate this forum feel about the knives...especially in relation to the others. A different perspective would be available vs. those who are strict devotees of the brand.

I'll be interested in hearing the answers myself since my one and only Buck in all these years has been a 110.
 
If it helps, I bought a new 301 stockman in 1967, and it took 25 years of hard use in a machine shop to retire it. It's still in usable shape, and I carry it afield now and then just for old times sake. I have an old 303 cadet that belonged to a friend and co-worker, that he used for well over 20 years as a do-it-all knife. Did a heck of a neat job field dressing a deer with it while I watched in admiration.

I don't have any experience with the new stuff coming out of Idaho, but if it's half as good as the old Buck's, you'll have a heck of a good using knife on your hands. May not look as good as an old Case, but they're very rugged built knives for real world use.
 
jackknife said:
May not look as good as an old Case, but they're very rugged built knives for real world use.
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:thumbup:
I couldnt agree more.
The only thing I dont like about them is, that they dont make 'em in carbon, but that applies to all Bucks. Even though their stainless is outstanding.

If your lookin' for a lot of knife for the money, go for it, they are great users.

Peter
 
jackknife, did they change steels along the way? I know nothing about the Buck stockman lineup nor the steels they used over the years.
 
Blues said:
jackknife, did they change steels along the way? I know nothing about the Buck stockman lineup nor the steels they used over the years.
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As I understand it, the old ones like I have were made by Camillus, out of 440c. They were a bit hard to sharpen. The new ones are 420HC, and from all I've heard, they seem to do very well. Hold an edge well, not to bad to sharpen. Just when the change took place I'm not sure.

300 Bucks would know.
 
jackknife said:
As I understand it, the old ones like I have were made by Camillus, out of 440c. They were a bit hard to sharpen. The new ones are 420HC, and from all I've heard, they seem to do very well. Hold an edge well, not to bad to sharpen. Just when the change took place I'm not sure.

300 Bucks would know.
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Thanks. (I have had a few knives with 440C that for some reason could be a bear to sharpen. Not sure why as compared to other steels of its ilk.)
 
I love the 301 and 303, only Buck I have now though is the 703. The 301 is my favorite stockman. Only reason I don't keep them is because I am a steel snob.
 
jackknife said:
As I understand it, the old ones like I have were made by Camillus, out of 440c. They were a bit hard to sharpen. The new ones are 420HC, and from all I've heard, they seem to do very well. Hold an edge well, not to bad to sharpen. Just when the change took place I'm not sure.

300 Bucks would know.
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For a while I believe the 300 series was made by Schade, then Camillus, then finally Buck took it on themselves in ~90. None of the companies ever used 440C for the 300 series.

Even CJ does not know what steels were used by the subcontractors. He said that there was a spec for hardness but apparently not for alloy.

I have an old 303 (medium stockman) from about 1980. I also have a 301 that I bought earlier this year. The edge retention on the new is better than on the old. Better than either Case Tru-Sharp or CV steel as well.

I found the Case yellow synthetic line to be more nicely made, all edges nicely rounded, more uniform snap to the blades than my 301. But the 301 retains an edge better.

I carry my 301 a lot.

Add: I should clarify. No one knows exactly what alloy was used for the early 300 series, but it was on the order of 420HC, 425M, or 440A.
 
Thanks, Frank. I may have to have one...just because. :thumbup:
 
Not to be quoted here but I do think some of the Buck line is OFF SHORE so my advice is BE sure of what you are buying!
 
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6.0stroker said:
Not to be quoted here but I do think some of the Buck line is OFF SHORE so my advice is BE sure of what you are buying!
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True, but the 300 series continues to be made here in the US.
 
Buck is a household word. The reason for this is simple. The knives are good, well made and an excellent value. There is no finer knife for a person to own than a Buck. Their steel is good and cuts well. The blades sharpen razor sharp, and are easy to touch up. For the money they can't be beat. Who would be let down opening a gift box and finding a beautiful new Buck Knife in the box? I don't think anybody out there would not have a great big smile on their face, when they saw what was in their hand.
 
I am pretty sure that they changed to 420HC either in the late 80's or early 90's somewhere around there. I have had great experience with both their slipjoints, and especially the 110; use to carry one alot. The 300 series are a great value, I would recommend them.

b. durbin
 
My experience with Buck knives goes back to the seventies. The first was 110 Folding Hunter and then a 500 series lockback the Esquire and slightly smaller Prince or Knight. Also, a black handle Cadet and wood handle Colt. All good knives but tough to sharpen on an Arkansas stone. Later I learned how to sharpen with a Norton India combo stone and EZLAP diamond stones. Those old Buck knives were hard steel and takes a better stone than I was using. I have recently bought a stockman and mini trapper made in China. These are very well made pocketknives and are very sharp and have an excellent blade geometry. I have also bought a 55, 501 and a 173 Mayo. All these knives are very sharp. It appears buck still offers a lot of knife for a very reasonable price and most of their knives are still made in the USA.

RKH
 
i was gifted a buck stockman a while back and used it quite a bit starting last spring because my opinel swelled up too tight for me to use it easily. after using it for a while i reground the blades to flat/convex grinds instead of the hollow, but it worked pretty well with the hollow grinds too.

in my limited experience, buck's edge holding is about on par with case stainless, a little below case CV. not a bad steel at all though. i usually stropped mine at the end of the day and it held up well.

an interesting thing about the bucks is that all of their full sized patterns seem to be about 3/4 or 4/5 the size of comparable patterns by other companies...
 
What's good about Buck knives is that they are knives to be used. I know the fancy smansy, high end knives have all the glory, but a good Buck knife will have more actual use than the big money knives. I like the look of high end custom folders, but truthfully, they are almost all out of my price range, or at least more than I would be willing to pay for a using knife. Over $1000 is simply not realistic for most knife users. I have focused on good quality folders, and fixed blades that I am not "scared" to use in the field. And Buck is right there at the top of my list.
 
rick43t3 said:
What's good about Buck knives is that they are knives to be used.
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You could say the same of every Case, Camillus, Schrade, Queen (etc.) slipjoint I have in my collection. Each were built with work in mind. What their owners do with them is a separate issue.
 
I have a Chinese 382 Trapper. Dunno why I bought this thing. I love American Buck's, especially the 110, but the slip-joints can be nice too. I think the synthetic ones are still made here, while the wooden models are Chinese? Not too sure. Anyway the steel is great! Even on the imports. Fit and finish seems surprisingly nice too. But the springs are very weak, the spey blade has almost no snap at all.

When it comes to blade steel, Buck can't be beat.
 
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