Can someone tell me about the BUCK 703?

dipbait

dipbait

Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Messages
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I picked it up at a pawn shop. Its cherry, for twelve dollars. Made in the USA. Is it old , rare? Is it collectable or should I just use it?

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---bait, The 703 was the first produced in 1979 of this series. The shield was changed to block lettering in 1984. So, yours is of that first era. These were the upgrade version of the 300 series. With walnut slabs,polished nickle bolsters and springs and 440C blades, this makes an attractive package and interesting to collectors. Welcome DM
 
Use it, it is a nice knife. Buck is not rare and were in large scale production. If you had something worth thousands of dollars that would be differant. You have a good using knife for a good price.
 
Id put that one up.It looks mint or close.They are great users,but find a beater.You got a heck of a deal.
 
It appears to have never been used. The scales dont quite match. One side is redder than the other.
 
bait, Do what you wish w/ it. I have the entire series of those early English script and they ARE rare. They were hard for me to find.They're not worth a thousand dollars but by the the time your children or grand children inherit them they'll be worth maybe $200 each and theres five in the set.I don't collect Buck knives for their value alone, I grew up using them and have come to know that they make a first rate product then and now.As, well as the character of the founders of the company whom I've met. DM
 
At least don't use it soon, it's mint, it's got papers and the original box. Have it just to handle and look at for a while, see if grows on you. You may decide to try for the others, if not so be it. If so, welcome to our clubhouse.
300bucks
 
I think your looking for what would be a 'informed' collector would pay...Does 30.00 seem abought right ??????
 
The going price for the first variation 440C English Script in MIB condition is around $60 as DM indicated. So Bait you got a deal. I too have collected all the series and in this 1st variation. Save this one if you collect Bucks and pick up a lightly used one with Block letters on the shield for a user.

I have a 701 in Block as one of my EDC pocket knives. I love it. I happen to show it to Chuck Buck and he said it was collectable. So any of the 700 series is collectable really.

You made a great find.
 
I have been reading this post with interest, since the 700 series is the one I collect. Remember Dave M. that the blade steel was switched in 1994 from 425M to 420HC. Also, the first issues had stainless steel bolsters and liners. The bottoms were polished rather than later day satin finished (1985).
I agree that the early Gothic lettered models are harder to find and more expensive. So, if I wanted a user, I would look for a later issue - 1990 -2000.
 
Another tidbit on the 700 series...Their names were changed just before they went into production. It was so close in fact, that you can find some of them in boxes with the original name on the end.
The 701 Mustang/Bronco
705 Amigo/Pony
709 Compadre/Yearling.
The 703 was always the Colt.
So if you find a 701 in one of those old brown boxes, it might have a metalic lable on the end. If you were to peel back the lable, you would see the name "Mustang".
Rather than toss all of the boxes when they changed the names, they bought lables with the new name printed on them. A 700 series collection would not be complete without a set in those first boxes...right Rusty? :p

IMHO Bait, I would agree that it would be better to put that one up and grab a user. One thing to keep in mind is that the early 700 had a bad spring issue. The springs would break in 2, and thats bad. Because of this, a lot of the early production ended up being returned to Buck so although a lot were initially made, it might be true that a lot of them have long been scrapped out.
 
Great follow up information Joe - as always. You're the master! I'm sitting here looking at three brown 701 "Mustang" boxes. I also have a couple of 705models with "Amigo" boxes. I have yet to find a 709 with a "Compadre" box! I have several early 703 "Colts" that I check quite often to see if their back springs may have broken in the drawer like the one did I bought from a man in Delaware. I displayed that broken 703 at the 20th Party last July. Like you mentioned Joe, another good "big" reason not to carry an early 703 with two backsprings. Buck, much to their credit, fixed the temper problem with the 703 spring steel, and eventually added a third backspring in 1986.
 
I get a nice Buck....Ya keep it! For some knife collecting is a big game and the profit you might make is how you keep score...Not for me and I would say for many others on the forum and in the ranks of the BCCI..We who really love Bucks thank you for selling it to us! We will treasure and cherish that old 703....And when we pass on a new hand will reach out and will take good care...And if we chose to use/work that nice ol Buck [EDC] we know we use the best...
 
Something to watch for on the 700 series, upside down shields, always nice to have a weird one. I used to have one, but parted with it after I decided I couldn't afford to collect another series.
 
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