Buck 309 Provenance

C

csmats

Joined
Dec 31, 2015
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I'm new to Blade Forums but have looked at threads through Google for years. I'm looking for some specific information about a specific knife and wasn't able to search the site itself without registering, so here I am. Before I get to my question I'll first wish everyone a Happy New Year!

I purchased a Buck 309 Companion through eBay and received it yesterday. The tang stamp indicates 1987 and it has dark red/burgundy jigged synthetic handles. (I'll try to figure out how to post pictures, but I haven't seen many Bucks with those handles so hopefully there's enough info for someone to help me.) I work in an office setting and have carried a 1979 Case 62042 with smooth appaloosa bone handles at work for many years. I sharpen it to 30 degrees and it'll slice fine slivers of paper at will. When I received the 309, which I intend to rotate with my 62042, the first thing it needed was to be sharpened so I started on the secondary pen blade in the same way I sharpen my 62042. I can't seem to get it nearly as sharp as the 62042 even after working the blade for significantly longer than I'm used to.

It had been my impression that the Case stainless was similar to Buck's 420HC so I was at a loss, hence my search for info here. I read in a thread here that some late '80s 300 series Bucks used 425M steel instead of the standard 420HC. Could that be the source of my issue? Could it be the 30 degree angle? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
Lets start to narrow down the target. Which side do you think ? Or neither. I will guess right side. 20 might be a better angle, some use 15. 300

 
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Yes, right side. On the sharpening angle, I'm using the 30 degree side of a Spyderco Sharpmaker, which my understanding is 15 degrees per side.
 
Then it is 425m. I use a Lansky four rod system and generally use the 20 degree holes. Stropping on the back of a old leather belt treated with Flitz metal polish. I only use the grey diamond rod a few strokes and polish up with white ceramic rod. Edge does not have to look like a mirror. I was convinced of that by a multitude of sharpening threads here on the Buck forum. (DM)

You can research a bunch of those threads but in 'my' opinion a sharpmaker or other rod system followed by careful edge stropping on leather, you just have to get a sharp edge. You would have to be really rolling your edge as you slide down your rods to foul things up. It works everytime for me.

And you need to get it going right so you don't wear your discontinued blade out from over sharpening.

300

PS I ask someone else to comment on the Sharpmakers angle set-up since I don't have one. But a 15 or 20 degree for that flat ground blade used in a office setting should be fine. Commenters should remember this is a small knife and he will not be cutting 3 inch trawler line.
 
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I might suggest using the 30 degree angle like you have on your Sharpmaker followed with several passes on the 40 degree setting to put a micro bevel on your blades. With light duty you should be able to get by with the occasional strop be it on leather with compound or just the back of a yellow legal pad. Worse comes to worse a couple of licks on the 40 degree setting should get you back in business without going back to the 30 degree setting for the main bevel.
 
300Bucks - Thanks for the info. I take it that 425M shouldn't be giving me the problems I'm having. Do you know what the original grind angle is on my 309? Perhaps it's taking longer because I'm resetting the grind angle? Beyond all that it's always nice to know the exact steel on a knife so thanks again for that.

Badhammer - Thanks for the tip on the 40 degree microbevel. Now that I think about it I did that with a Bulldog stockman I was having trouble with and it worked like a charm. I think I'll try it here.

DeSotoSky - I wasn't sure whether the handles are synthetic but looking at them real close they don't have the grain and little spots and such that you usually see in bone so I just assumed they're synthetic. If they're bone all the better though, so I'd be curious to know for sure. Thanks for calling it out.
 
Bingo, Badhammer! Five minutes on the microbevel and I'm shaving slivers of paper. Funny how I was so fixated on how I sharpened my 62042 that I completely overlooked something that had worked for me before. Thanks for rattling it outta my noggin.
 
When you have difficulty like this, take a Sharpie and run it along the edge. Then sharpen the knife. This way you can see where you are removing metal.
 
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