Buck Stockman

J

j_crossland

Joined
Dec 8, 2001
Messages
2
I'm new to the forum so I apologize if this is and old quedtion. What was the first year for the Buck Stockman? Also how can I tell by looking? I bought one back in the '60's and lost it about 5 years ago.

Thanks
 
In 1966, Buck contracted with Schrade to build the first 301s. They
can be identified by the grooved bolsters, the only 300 series knife to be so made. For more info on the 300 series, you may want to search old threads on this forum. For a more complete discussion of the 300 series, send a SASE with postage for 2 oz. (.57?) to me and I will mail you a copy of my article on the 300 series which ran in the Jan. 2000 KNIFEWORLD. You can also check out the 5th edition of Levine's Guide which has corrected info on the series. The first four editions have major errors and deletions from what Vern Taylor had submitted. Also, some recent discoveries have led to corrections. In fact, the LG 5th edition even corrects a couple errors in my Jan. 2000 KNIFEWORLD article. Anyone wanting a copy of the article can send their SASE to me at PO Box 297, Peru, IN 46970.

Please understand that I am not criticizing Vern's article in the early editions of Levine's Guide. They edited out much of what he submitted to save space and so that section came out much different than what he intended. Then, new info came to light on the 305 controversy which seems (to me, for one) to finally prove that Schrade never made the 305 for Buck.

The 300 series is really fun to collect. There is a lot of diversity, the knives are inexpensive and they have been made by Schrade, Camillus and Buck. You can find several inlay materials in the series and there does not seem to be a slew of people out there who bid the prices out of sight. If you are looking for a good starting point in collecting Buck knives, the 300 series is a good place to start, in my opinion. I was just speaking with Joe Houser this past week about how older Buck knives have greatly escalated in cost and how I felt I would never be able to afford what I have in my collection if I had to start at today's prices. Values for the 300 series knives will probably also go up as the popularity of collecting Buck increases, but, at least for now, you can get into collecting this segment of Buck with much less financial wherewithal.

I am interested in how some of you other collectors feel about this subject and whether you agree with my assesment.
 
Yes, I'd agree that the buck 300 series offers plenty of opportunity
for the "hunt" that collectors love about the hobby. Especially the
older Schrade contract models.

I carry a yellow handle 307 (1 0f 1000) every day with another
yellow to display in the collection. Then there is the 317 Trailblazer
(they are getting expensive in mint condition)as well as harder to find.
I continue to "hunt" for older 300 series knives and am having a ball
doing so.
 
I like the 300 series for both using and collectiog. I have several 303 Cadets which is one of my favorite all-around knives. I have a yellow handled, a red jigged bone, two brown jigged bone (one to carry and one to keep) and 3 black ones. This is a great series for the person who likes the traditional folder. I am running into patterns all the time that I didn't know existed. Buck has made a bunch of these over the years from what I can learn. Great knife and a great company.

"What matters to you matters to God because you matter to Him."
 
As a beginning Buck 300 series collector, I use Larry's Jan. 2000 KNIFEWORLD article frequently as a reference. The Buck retail catalog dated 12/89 has excellent photos of most of the patterns and handle materials in the 300 series. As an added bonus, the catalog shows the MSR price at that time for each knife. The article and the catalog used together help me keep track of changes and additions to the 300 series.
 
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