Buck 303 small but big ?

Lesknife

Lesknife

From SW Kansas prairie lands born in No Mans Land.
Gold Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2018
Messages
2,726
23C6CA5F-67DF-4CE3-943C-610D5C60F183.jpeg The April BOTM 055 got me to thinking about small knives.

I have a 303 Cadet that I almost always have in my pocket. It is small but not so small I struggle holding on to it. Other small pen knives like the peanut are just too small of handle for me but the 303 is just enough. I use the heck out of mine and that little pen blade is so handy to pick out a splinter or trace cut a gasket, trim my nails, strip a wire, among other light tasks that my 301 would be to much knife. The sheepsfoot blade is handy as well for precise cuts. The clip blade is just barely big enough to cut an apple or food prep but it gets it done. And it sets in the pocket and hardly know it’s there. It’s just a handy knife and if I don’t have it I miss it.

I do like my 301s and use them for whittling and other heavier tasks when I need more handle and blade but the 303 tags along just in case I need it.

I wouldn’t mind if Buck came out with a 303 with cpm154 blades, elk slabs and nickel bolsters and I would be all over it. Although the 420hc I can’t complain, it does real good.

How many of you guys carry a 303 Cadet?
 
I’ll take one of those with cpm154, maybe two.
I’ve always carried a smaller knife loose in a pocket until recent years. It was a Buck Prince for 20+ years and recently I grabbed a stag Case mini trapper my FIL bought me years back. It appears I have switched over to a clip now as the trapper about drove me nuts all day. The 112 slim pro is about as good as it gets for me but I’ll still take that 303 with cpm154.
 
I like carrying mine a lot. I have to agree that it's extremely useful for it's size. I never carry it by itself, but even when I have it paired up with something bigger it gets used a ton. I dig that little sheepsfoot...
 
JD Bear said:
I like carrying mine a lot. I have to agree that it's extremely useful for it's size. I never carry it by itself, but even when I have it paired up with something bigger it gets used a ton. I dig that little sheepsfoot...
Click to expand...
Thanks for the response, I carry a Vantage Pro at work for the heavy task and keep a 110 in my pickup for the heaviest but the 303 can do some things the bigger knives can’t like getting into tight spaces where a big blade can’t. It’s easy enough to carry and it doesn’t hurt to have an extra knife around.
 
I too find it to be about a perfect balance of compactness and usefulness. I bought my first that size a few years ago to carry in my coin pocket while traveling in Israel. I gave it to the bus driver before heading home. He was pretty tickled. I have not been without one ever since. I have since downsized a bit to a 309 Companion for a while. I swap either one out every few days or so. I have been on a seemingly endless journey to find "The One" for quite some time and now I think I have. Well, "The Two" anyway. The one my kids and grandkids may remember me always having for all those snacks, hotdog sticks, garden chores and fishing trips. I am a huge fan of the 300 series from Buck since I got my first 301 back in 1976 when I was 12 years old. I prefer the older vintage ones but the new ones work well enough for me. Basic black for me, but I have a couple of the wooden ones too.Yep, those 2 hit the sweet spot for me. Long live the Cadet! (Or the Companion)........
 
I do sometimes but prefer the canoe pattern to it. would like a USA made current version to come out in elk or stag with cpm154. I'd carry that one everyday.
 
jbmonkey said:
I do sometimes but prefer the canoe pattern to it. would like a USA made current version to come out in elk or stag with cpm154. I'd carry that one everyday.
Click to expand...
I agree, the canoe pattern is a good one and like you say some elk or stag and cpm154 would be a pretty sweet knife. I’d buy one!
 
Greetings, I have to say the 303 IS MY KNIFE, while i have many others to fill my pocket, i always come back. even before work at 3:30 a.m i put something else in my pocket wanting to try something different for the day, just before leaving the house i will kiss my wife, go over to my night stand and put what's in my pocket back and grab my 303. Some sort of loyalty i think because i know i don't need much more, even though i also carry a 1-hand opening knife, it seldom gets used.
thanks for listening, Troy
 
ijKBFdx.jpg

I just picked up my first Buck 303 a couple weekends ago at a flea market. I had been wanting something to slip all the way into my pocket.

Picked this one up and really liked it. I may end up with a few more.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top