Case vs buck stockman

[bluecow]

Other. Schrade Old Timer Middleman 34ot. Look for used U.S.A. made.

 

[Old Hunter]

Case 18 and 32 pattern (Medium Stockman - a bit longer than the Buck 303) have two spring construction.
Case 47 pattern (Stockman - same size as the Buck 301) has three spring construction like the Buck Stockman.

I am a user and fan for both companies USA made products; Buck wins hands down for heavy duty users (hunting, fishing, field & farm). Case wins hands down for choice of covers and pocketability. Try out a few of each and make your choice - eventually you will one at least one Case and one Buck!

OH

 

[screened porch]

Just for the sake of discussion, here's a Buck 303 that I disassembled. The piece that you see in this picture is all the same piece of steel. Bolsters, liner, and shield are all one piece of steel.
View attachment 1264503
The way the handle slabs on the black sawcut models are attached is interesting. At least it is to me anyway. I thought all I needed to do was push on those black circles and the handle slab would pop off but that was not the case. I found out through a little research that prior to assembly, the handle slabs have a "post" that goes through those holes. The post is then melted and sanded smooth. Those little ridges inside the holes in the liner hold the handle slabs securely in place after melting.
View attachment 1264504
View attachment 1264505
Case makes great knives too. No question about it. I just found this interesting and wanted to share. If any of you folks own a black sawcut 303 and have been concerned that the shield might eventually fall out, you can stop worrying about it.

Very cool.

 

[screened porch]

Personally, I prefer the 3 spring design of the Buck. I just wish they made a true "large" (4.25 inches or greater closed) Stockman.

Like my old 301!

Though these are all by Camillus, with two springs and applied shields.

 

[jazzz]

I like Bucks, but hate the modern hollow grind. Why, Buck? You know full flat is better. I have a Case large stockman, and the forward angle of the open blades is so stupid, I can't even use it. If straight, it would be an awesome knife.

 

[abcdef]

Check out some others.

 

[22-rimfire]

I would choose a Case between a Case and a Buck of about the same pattern. For the most part Case knives have performed well for me for the last 50 years. The only buck slip joint I own is last year's Forum Knife which is a two-blade 301; It is quite nice however. I just have more experience with Case knives.

All that said, the majority of the slip joints that I have purchased in the last 5 years have been made by GEC. You have to convince yourself that the price increase over a typical Case is worth it.

With Case knives, I generally buy them in person at a knife store (generally the big East Tennessee knife store) and very seldomly purchase online retail. I did buy a stag Case peanut two years ago at a farm supply store and it is quite lovely!

 

[screened porch]

..

 

[Duper]

Ditto on the "Try out a few of each and make your choice - eventually you will one at least one Case and one Buck!"

Pretty much the opinions above are valid. I don't think you can go wrong with either Buck or Case. One of the harder choices is picking the size you want. Buck would be the 301 or the 303. Simple choices for the handles. Wood or synthetic. If you like symmetry they are a nice pattern.
Case has a myriad of and shapes and covers and bolster shapes. Even a medium Stockman comes in different sizes.

,,,Mike in Canada

 

[NMpops]

I voted CASE for several reasons. First, Case does offer Bone and Delrin scales not just plastic or cheap looking wood. Second, Case offers SS & CV, Buck offers only SS and although Buck steel may be a little harder, these are all light to medium duty knives. If you want heavy duty get a Buck 110 or similar folder! Third, Buck changed the blade shape/design on both the 301 & 303 a few years ago and I personally do not like the look. I do like the long clip blades on the 6318. I also have an older (1996) Buck 303 that I love but I think it was made by Camillus, not Buck. Last, if you shop sales and the right sites you can pick up Case medium Stockman for under $40. Last, Last the Large Case Stockman (6375) SS or CV is hands down a better knife than the 301

 

[jackknife]

I voted Buck.

Not only for the reason of the Bos heat treat, but the one piece construction of the bolsters and liners. This means the Buck stockman is built like a Brinks armored truck compared to the 'other' brands of stockmen out there. If you want a real user of a pocket knife, go Buck. If you want pretty, and like jigged bone scales, go Case.

Even in the old days before the one piece bolster/liners, it took me 25 years of steady everyday use to wear out a Buck 301. That included duty with U.S. Army engineers, and dirty work in a machine shop for a few decades after that. It was still good as a user, but got retired to the sock drawer when I downsized my pocket knife carry to a Buck 303 cadet.

 

[black mamba]

Böker tree brand makes an excellent 4” stockman around that price which are superb quality in my experience. You can get carbon steel or 440C.

I'm with this response. I just got this Boker 4" stockman in beautiful, dark burnt stag and 440C. It's better in every way than both Buck and Case, and cost just under your $65 price point, even in stag.

Buck has better steel than Case, but still a step down from this very well heat-treated 440C. Case has much better W&T than Buck, but still not as good as the pull strength and snap of this Boker. Unlike Buck, Case offers a wide array of covers, but nothing to touch the quality of this stag for under a C note. With texture and color nearly all the way to the bolsters, medium thickness and very well matched figure from side to side, you would be very hard pressed to find it's like in a Case that is less than 40 years old.

If you want to stay with an American made knife, then the USA Schrades offer a tremendous value. Preferring stainless steel and Staglon, the Uncle Henry brand makes up a large portion of both my collectors and users. Practically brand new examples can be found for well under $50. This 885UH fills the bill nicely.

 

[screened porch]

f you want to stay with an American made knife, then the USA Schrades offer a tremendous value.

USA Schrades are not a thing of the past?
[Edited to explain that my head was in the wrong thread. Obviously you can still get old USA Schrades; they just wouldn't be very practical as a 2020 forum knife.]

 

[BladeCommander]

I like Case and Boker for current production stockmen. I have a couple older Bokers and a Case Sowbelly Stockman that I really enjoy, along with a Shrade USA 8OT.
Buck hollow grinds are too thick. The recent Buck forum knife also was quite thick behind the edge. It is currently sitting in the box in favor of better cutters. Older Bucks are better, though I don't currently own one.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I've alternated for some time now, between carrying a Case '75 pattern large stockman vs. a recent-generation Buck 301 stockman. Straight from the factory, I've ALWAYS liked the thinner hollow grinds of the Case's blades better. Much better fine slicing with the thin factory grind; also much easier to keep tuned up & sharp, thanks again to the thinner factory grind. The Buck's overall thicker grind somewhat negates the advantages of their hollow grind, as the upper portion of the blade is more of a 'wedge' when cutting into thicker materials.

After a LOT of thinning behind the edge on the Buck 301's clip and sheepfoot blades, and a spine-down regrind of the spey (with it's ugly, exposed tip) to more of a spearpoint with the tip concealed below the liners, I've got the 301 tweaked more to my preferences now. I did all of that thinning to make it cut more like the Case '75 pattern to which I'd become accustomed. So, with the Buck, I've 'made it my own' and, as such, I carry it quite a lot these days. Buck's steel is good & takes a nice edge, as do either of Case's Tru-Sharp or CV steels.

The sheepfoot on the Case '75 is likely the thinnest-ground blade I own (this is true with the several Case '75s I own; not just a fluke with one knife). So, it's still the king in terms of effortless sliciing, and is the best box cutter & plastic clamshell package opener I've ever used.

When I bought the Buck 301, it was the 2nd of two 301s I looked at in the store. The first one's sheepfoot blade had such weak pull and just enough blade rub, the blade wouldn't fully close on it's own, without a helping nudge. So, I handed that one back to the clerk and decided the 2nd one was a bit better, though still with relatively soft pull, as has been mentioned earlier. Although Case's knives are known sometimes to experience a little blade rub on tightly-fitted multi-blade patterns like a stockman, I've never had one with such soft pull that the blade rub prevented it from closing. The weaker pull of the Buck has always been the one factor taking me the longest to get accustomed to. I can live with it, but have always wished it was a bit more robust in closing pull.

 

[black mamba]

USA Schrades are not a thing of the past?

They are in the past for manufacturing since 2004, but certainly not for obtaining. There are hundreds available on the secondary markets, from completely used up to BNIB.

 

[gaj999]

I voted "other" because I think that there are better choices than either in your price range. If you forced me to choose one of those two, I'd choose Case because of the thick blades and thick grinds on the Buck. Better steel can't make up for that. I sure wish Buck would fix those problems, along with that fugly saber-hollow nonsense. The old ones were much better(and are often available cheaply on the used market).

 

[tongueriver]

delete

 

[Tjstampa]

Thank you for all the replies so far. I am leading towards the Case for one, I do not have any in my accumulation so far. Something tells me I will eventually have both. Just don’t tell my better half

 

[lambertiana]

If you look at Böker, make sure it has Solingen on the tang and shield. That means it was made in Germany. Without Solingen it was most likely made in China.