Buck Slipjoints made by Camillus?

[JD Mandrell]

Anyone know what steel was used in the earlier 300 series knives when Camillus made them under contract for Buck?

Someone gave me a 301 from that era, they were going to throw it away, because someone had used it as a prybar and both pivot pins on the ends were sprung off the bolsters, and the main blade had about 1/8th inch broke off.

I was able to reset the pins and reprofile the blade, and ended up with a good user, but was curious about the steel.

It was duller than dirt, and took some work to sharpen, but in the end all 3 blades took a hair poppin' edge.

 

[Don Luis]

I'd like to know too. I would guess that they were 440A, I believe Camillus like others was using 440A as their standard stainless and later went to 420HC, though I don't know of dates or if they changed for all models.

Always good to bring new life to an old knife.

Luis

 

[JD Mandrell]

I'd like to know too. I would guess that they were 440A, I believe Camillus like others was using 440A as their standard stainless and later went to 420HC, though I don't know of dates or if they changed for all models.

Always good to bring new life to an old knife.

Luis

Thanks, I knew Camillus uses 1095, but wasn't sure what stainless steel they used. I can't imagine why somebody abused a slipjoint like this, but it does feel kinda good to get it going again. The main blade ended up kind of a modified wharncliff after my filework, but that should do for a user. It's interesting to hold this one beside a 301 made by Buck, you can really see the differences.

 

[WilltheBarb]

does the tang stamp say

BUCK
301
USA

or

BUCK
Made in
USA

If the latter, does it say 301 on the back side? Are the scales held on with rivets or cast to the liners. Cami 301s are a bit of a passion for me.

 

[JD Mandrell]

does the tang stamp say

BUCK
301
USA

or

BUCK
Made in
USA

If the latter, does it say 301 on the back side? Are the scales held on with rivets or cast to the liners. Cami 301s are a bit of a passion for me.

I went back and looked, and it says:
Buck
301>
U.S.A.

Now I'm not sure it was made by Camillus, I didn't previously notice the ">", that's a Buck date code from 1987, I then compared it to a 301 that I have that is a known Camillus contract knife and it has:

Buck
301
U.S.A.

This one is a very rare, Buck 301, contracted through Camillus, ordered by a Winchester sales rep. as gifts for longtime Winchester employees. He ordered approximately 500 301's and 500 311 Trappers (the order was never fully filled, so there are less than 500 of each) that the shield on the scales says "Winchester" instead of "Buck". My brother's father-in-law was a 25+ year Olin U.S.A./Winchester employee, that was given one of each in the early 1980's, and both were never used or sharpened. I stupidly sold the 311 Trapper on Ebay, (God I wish I had it back!), but at the time I wasn't into Buck knives.

Over the weekend, my brother who was given them by he F.I.L., traded me the 301 as part of a swap of several vintage Case knives for an old .22 rifle.

I won't let this one get away!

OK, I checked my History of Buck Knives by TOm Ables, and they began making the 300 series themselves in 1987, so the one I restored is not a Camillus afterall, but from the first year of production by Buck.

I still have a question that hasn't been answered yet about Buck slipjoints though, with the arrival of 300 series knives from China, is Buck going to continue making 300 series knives in the U.S.A.?

 

[WilltheBarb]

Wish I'd won it.

At one point the was talk that with the new plant Buck might be able to bring a lot of those Chinese knives home again. Maybe it's a pipe dream but it sure would damp down some of the posts we see here if they did that.

 

[JD Mandrell]

Wish I'd won it.

At one point the was talk that with the new plant Buck might be able to bring a lot of those Chinese knives home again. Maybe it's a pipe dream but it sure would damp down some of the posts we see here if they did that.

Maybe, the new 300's slipjoints have hit the market, since the move, so I doubt that they would be moved here for production.

I notice your from Canada, maybe you could help me solve a pocket knife riddle I have, I have a Stockman marked H.Dorwal SOLINGEN, it's a German made knife, but possible for import in Canada after WW1. Do you know of a retail store or importer by that name in Canada?

 

[WilltheBarb]

Maybe not the 370s but the 300s were made in Cal up to the very end there so I think this is written in the snow rather than stone.

I will see what I can find out about H. Dorwal. Can you post a picture?

 

[JD Mandrell]

Maybe not the 370s but the 300s were made in Cal up to the very end there so I think this is written in the snow rather than stone.

I will see what I can find out about H. Dorwal. Can you post a picture?

I got one of the 301's stamped "Last Year of Production, El Cajon", I hope they do still make them, some seems so set on having a US made one that I think there would still be a market.

Here are some pic's of the H.Dorwal