Everything you wanted to know about 300 pivot pins but were afraid to ask.

300Bucks

300Bucks

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Apr 19, 2005
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As a continuation of some threads on how the different pivot or hinge pins are designed on Buck 300 series, I have mercy killed a couple of terminal knives and disected them for your viewing pleasure.

This is an end view of a Schrade made Buck. It appears the blades, center brass liner and back springs were assembled as a unit and the cap end rivet swaged before slipping them into the key hole slot and a final rivet placed through scales and back springs. This is my speculation, anyone with direct knowledge please jump on the band wagon. This photo end view is ground to split the center of the pivot pin, showing the ends of the backsprings and the ground off ends of the blades to the mid-point of the pivot hole. Brass are scale liners and center liner. Warning for anyone else trying this things will jump all apart all of a sudden.:eek:



Below is a close-up of the keyhole in the scale liner, showing how the capped pivot pin would slide in place in the narrow end.



Below is a close-up of the pristine end internal workings of the disected 303 showing the end cap pivot pin, liner and backspring.



Below is an exploded view of all the parts of the above Schrade 303. As you can see, the un-ground end is connected by the capped pivot pin. This capped pin is then slid into the scale liner keyholes and the backspring rivet had to be put through the entire knife in order to hold it together. This method of assembly must have been tricky and you would have to completely cut it apart to fix a broken blade. This is why they are not covered under warranty for repair only replacement with new model.


PS I just noticed I have the scales placed on the wrong sides of the exploded view. Note backspring rivet holes. Dang.

Below is a trick to know for certain a 300 is a Schrade, look into end of bolster and one of the rivets head that holds on the bolster should just be just peeking over the round butt end of the closed blade.



Next is a sectioned view of the Camillus version. The pivot pin is visible going through the entire bolster. Making blade replacement possible. Note how the pivot pins swell as they are pushed or swaged in place. Brasses are scale liners and center liner, two on one side to create offset so secondary blades can close in same blade well. Knife is held together with scale/backspring rivet and bolster/blade pins.




Next is the sectioned end of a post 85 Buck manufactured
303. Note here the one piece bolster and liners, also the stainless backsprings. Also visible, but a little hard to see in photo, is the pivot pin. Also through the bolster. Also changed was the backspring rivet through the scales to stainless.



Hopefully pictures are worth a thousand words.

That's all I got for now, corrections, opinions and even wild speculation welcome. Thanks to WillB for pre post evaluation.

3hunderd$'s :thumbup:
 
...This is one tremendous thread that I've been priviledged to read. 300Bucks...You've done an outstanding job of explaining to us the, quite literally, ins and outs of the 300 series and it's variations. Like Trax said..."Outstanding!!!"...You've actually made me want to go out and grab up a 300 series...Thank you...
 
I saw a need and do'ed it as best I could. Just like you do in your areas. This is a warm up for a project I have talked with WilltheBarb on helping we out with. Working on a picture and description for every 300 on the Buck Collectors Website model section. I know some of you could do honor to your favorites in that spot. It may take a while but one step is a start. Anyone have any 300 questions that would benefit from photos and a little fractured english description just sic me on'em. ...:p
 
Thanks 300.... I learned a lot! What date ranges were the Schrade and Camillus knives made?

In your opinion, which is the best design?
 
If you can dig up a copy of Knife World, January 2000, Larry Oden has penned a good overview that I refer back to often. Crude dates are Schrade 66-72, Camillus 72 - 99(special SMKW projects), Buck 95 on. Most of Cami's phased out in late eighties and early nineties. I favor the 440 bladed models, I like the Schrades but you cannot use them hard or you eventually "wobble" the blade. They have an appealing curve from all angles, and I like the look of brass liners and scale rivets. I favor 303's for EDC. I keep my Colo. buddy in there supply (Cami. only) and have watched him gut two elk with one 303(showoff). I carry a 118 and a old 112 for my part of said butchering. I use a 313 for squirrel hunting. By my count to get just one of every black scale standard model in there various variations will take at least 55 knives from 1966 up to 1995 when the date system started. For strength and longevity you can't beat the all Buck made 300's, Schrades were sexy looking, Cami's were and still are like the old wood bed pickups - they get'er done. :rolleyes:
 
There is another version that is in between the Camillus version and the one piece bolster/liner version. The original Buck produced versions of the 300 series used separate nickel silver bolsters and brass liners. The bolsters had a square "standoff" that was siightly concaved on the back of the bolster. This fit into a square hole in the brass liner and the square "standoff" was peened to hold the bolster in place. The plastic inlay was then trimmed to length and ultrasonicaly staked to the brass liner. For assembly, the bolsters of copurse had a rivet hole through them and the parts were stacked up and a nickel silver rivet installed.
 
Date codes on that phase? My guesses, 85 or 86 to 90. Photo of blade wells as described to follow, that may be all I can do as I don't think I have a single "parts" knife of that era. Thanks 300$s :rolleyes:
 
Thanks Bill for the additional information. I don't (yet) have a parts knife of this transition version to section, but will be on the hunt to complete the photo history. :thumbup:

Close up of the bolster end, showing the scale plugs in the liner. The square bolster rivet is just showing over the edge of the spring end.


Blade wells showing scale plugs in "brass" liners (an identifier). Note just two scale plugs in liner. Era 85/86 to 90. As described by Bill, above.



Blade well showing scale plugs in liner of the one piece liner bolster, showing 4 plugs. Note: not shown is that there are three plugs on one liner and four on the other beginning in 92 on. Two plug steel liner is 91 only.


All pictures and descriptions in this thread of 303 models.
Bill, does this read correctly?300$s
 
This is an old thread, but thank you 300Bucks. This is what I was looking to see. The knife doesnt look that thick. Do you know off hand how thick it is? 1/2 inch 5/8??
 
Interesting... but did you really get it all back together? Seriously, could just be another 303...

Naw, he did it! Great job - I won't be dissecting my knives anytime soon...

Stainz
 
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