Buck 309 or Case peanut

I will likely be in the minority, but I prefer the 309.
►I prefer the blade shapes on the Buck. The 309 "clip blade" is almost a Wharncliffe in shape and I find it can be used as such. Great for opening packages. The peanut "clip blade" lacks a point.
►I like stainless blades. Buck hardens their 420HC to a higher hardness than Case does, making it more useful to me.
 
Tough call. I've got both, like both, but the 309 seems more rugged to me.
 
Of those two, probably the 309 for me. A bit sturdier, the blade shape on the clip has a much more acute point than the peanut so good for piercing as well as cutting. That said, I have three Case Peanuts and no Buck 309s. So clearly my opinions never translated to my purchasing. I will shade that answer by saying that I owned the Case Peanuts before I got my first Bucks in the 300 series (301 and 303), so I learned about the Buck goodness after the fact.
 
Only sign of nationalistic, PA pride is in my pockets. Zippo in my left pocket, peanut in my right. Use a yellow CV and after years of extensive use, it has shown no signs of wearing down on me and as much as I respect Buck USA steel, quality, and service, I just cant fathom carrying anything but a little yella beaut alongside a multitool. Both blades are excellent in in all my tasks such as carving an apple, whittling, or removing a splinter. Though I will be upgrading to a yellow pen knife later this month for the longer handle, the small two blade design has won me over as a useful tool that matches the capabilities of its larger brethren. Its design is also more rounded and smooth than the buck, yet still durable, making it perfect to be in a pocket with anything from keys to a phone. don't need to worry about it being dinged up or worry it will ding anything up.
This being said I will not exclude my fondness of buck knives. Having owned a companion years ago (unfortunately lost) I found it to be equally useful in similar tasks that the peanut has handled. Suppose it comes down to preference of steel, handle material, and style (pen versus jack). Both are reasonably priced, excellent quality, great customer service. Heck, get both!
 
Peanut. There is a cult for it. There is not a cult of the 309.

309 is a dandy knife. The Peanut is an icon and a scalpel. It also comes is great covers (bone, stag, delrin...)
 
Peanuts are prettier and more stylish. The Buck is more utilitarian. Really depends on what you are planning to use it for and what matters most to you. For the sorts of cutting tasks that small knives are suited for, either would work. I give the nod to the Buck for functionality and the Case for appearance.
 
mudguard said:
Which one and why?
Click to expand...

It all depends.

If you want the totally maintenance free nigh on indestructible little pocket knife that can do most anything you really need to do with a small daily wear pocket knife, the Buck is awfully hard to fault. My friend Wayne has spent the past half a lifetime I've known him using the bejeezus out of a old black 309, then a yellow 309 the past few years. It must be a hell of a knife to inspire such loyalty that I've seen him display. He even took a dive off a crabbing pier in Solomon's Maryland to retrieve it when it went into the briny deep. Buck makes a heck of a good knife with a customer service that is unreal. The knife will stand up to a lot of use, and handle outright neglect pretty well.

On the other hand…

The Case will also handle most of what you really need out of a small daily wear pocket knife, and it comes with better looking scales. Jigged bone in most the colors of the rainbow, Case CV steel that is a very nice serving steel that sharpens up easy and cuts great for a decent amount of time. The peanut will gather more character over time, especially as the jigged bone takes on that pocket worn look. A peanut will give great cutting service with better aesthetics. Both knives offer the same blade choice, a fine pointy clip and a pen blade. Just rigged a bit different at the ends. You have to be a bit more careful with the peanut, wiping the carbon blades down, not dropping it on any cement sidewalks and cracking bone handles. Outright neglect will hurt it more than the Buck.

I guess it's all in where your taste lays. Kind of like rifles, you can buy todays stainless steel plastic stocked wonder gun that will look the same in 20 years, or take the old Winchester or Remington made back in the day when they had real walnut stocks and real blueing on the metal. It will show every ding, but after 20 years it will have a character all its own with just a little bit of care.

Both are great little knives, neither will break the bank. Get both and use each until you figure out which one you like better. Then give the other away on the forum. Of course, if you do gt a peanut, keep your eyes peeled for the fat man in the Fez!
:D
 
I always thought the comparison was better between the 309 and the Schrade 108OT. I've carried both, but ended up with the Schrade more often than not. Now, the Peanut wins out over them both.
 
I own 2 Case peanuts and 2 Buck 309's. Between the two, I prefer the 309. I know the peanut is super-popular, but I really tried, and could never quite get that feeling for them myself. To me, the 'nut is just okay. But I consider the 309 to be one of the best 2-blade pen knives out there, at any price. I like the design, the feel, the way it carries, and the performance I get out of it better than I do the peanut pattern.

Jim
 
Peanut has a vast choice of handles; bone jigged or smooth, stag, delrin, G-10, maybe wood?? Three types of steel: cv, stainless, Damascus. These are major draws. It's a Jack Knife so it has two blades one end, most people prefer this.

Buck has a limited choice of handles: sawn black delrin (first class grip) yellow smooth delrin (now discontinued I fear) some woods maybe. Buck's stainless is a draw in itself for many. Although not single-spring it is in Pen formation, blade at each end. I'm a fan of this and I prefer the in hand feel of the Buck. The Black one I have I won in a GAW so it was not new but it is so tough (major SNAP) that it shrugs off wear, very nicely finished all stainless liners, no brass. Less to worry about from maintenance.

My preference is clear but these are both such useful appeallng knives that's it's just a personal choice in the end.

IMG_2099.jpg
 
Peanut every time. Thinner, snappier blades. The 309 is a fine enough knife, but ...... well, see my first sentence.

-- Mark
 
Just like Woodrow and his cult, I HAVE to have a 309, several in fact.

Makes a good Sunday knife.....

300

Not a new model


None new models. All different dates or issues.


New Model and old models
The Rosewood and brass bolster, on the top right, is a new model currently available. My two favorites are the elk and the buffalo. Elk can still be found some in spots, the buffalo you will have to search. The scissors 305 and the 305 little brother were throwing a fit so I let them in the photo.
 
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I had a Case Pen knife (not a peanut) and a 309. I was none too impressed with the Case, so I gave it away. I still have the 309. It's got a sturdy, workmanlike quality, that is good looking, but lacks the elegance of a Case. If you want old-fashioned good looks, it's hard to beat the Case. Otherwise, I think the Buck is a better knife.
 
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