First Chinese Buck, First Stockman

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Pondoro2310

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Apr 13, 2014
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I do not hate Chinese goods but I buy American when I can afford it. I was not planning to buy a Chinese Buck but this 373 was $10 in a pawn shop. Looked new, though dull. Upward pointing arrow date code - is that 2008? I'm guessing someone never sharpened it, ever. The edges look like the original factory angles, but never sharpened.

Appears to have the Diamondwood scales.

So help me with a strategy for the three blades - do you keep one sharp, one super sharp, one with a thicker edge? I carry a 345 and a 55 today, I'd like to test the 373 as an alternative to the 55 and see how well it holds an edge. I haven't carried a stockman since I was a kid who knew nothing and let my knives get dull, usually about the time I lost them.
 
Blade strategy? Really pretty simple - if it has an edge, then sharpen it and use it - if/when it gets dull resharpen, repeat as necessary. Enjoy your new knife. OH
 
This is a age old question and you get lots of answers most of them good in one way or the other. Here is my opinion.

1. Main blade, main 'cutter'. General cutting, whittling, string cutting, cardboard recycling and fish gutting.
2. Sheepsfoot, Tip kept sharp and pointed, sharpened angle less than other blades for tough cutting. Use tip for cutting leather in strips, making gaskets or cutting patterns from paper or cardboard.
3. Spey blade, for people of the land it historically was kept razor sharp and was used to spay animals. Consider it like a razor blade. Or close to one. Sharpened thin edge. I have used mine to scrape those sticky labels off steel or glass.

Others will likely chime in with other ideas. I seldom use the spey blade but do try to keep a sharp thin edge on it. I trim the ends of coated copper wire with the sheepsfoot. The main clip blade I just use for general uses or to make the popular survivalist pig sticker sword knife's fuzz stick to start fires.
300Bucks
 
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So I intend to sharpen the main clip blade at 20 degrees - the same as my US-made every-day carry Buck 55. We shall see if the Chinese steel lives up (down?) to it's reputation as being inferior. I'll sharpen the sheepsfoot to 25 and use it for tough duty. And I will sharpen the spey to 17 degrees and use it only when I need a very fine cut. My Buck 110 is sharpened to 17 degrees and hold up very well, but of course it is American steel. The trial begins.
 
Update - sharpened two of the three blades. I am used to Buck's 420HC steel. I've heard the Chinese steel is inferior but I have no proof. These two blades did sharpen surprisingly easily. Not sure what to expect because they were new to me and no idea how dull they actually were. They were dull, for sure, but "how dull?" is not a nice numerical question.

Now to carry it and cut stuff with it.
 
I have a couple 371's and a 301. I've not noticed any difference in edge retention. Both see the strop maybe once every couple weeks of use. I have not had to use a stone on them yet.
 


OK I have carried the Chinese Buck for a month or so. I sharpened it as follows:
Main blade 20 degrees (40 inclusive)
Sheepsfoot blade 25 degrees (50 inclusive)
Spey blade 17 degrees (34 inclusive)

Sharpening that tiny spey was tough, my Lansky and my Gatco guided rigs would not fit it. I reprofiled it on my Lee belt sander, then brought it to very sharp with some v-sticks. The 17 degree angle is so shallow that I got scratches on the upper blade, this seems unavoidable, but the blades all cut. They seem to hold their edges well, but it is not really fair to compare to the Buck 55 , there are three blades on the 373.

One thing I noticed - the 373 is too thick! In the picture you can see how much thicker it is than the 55. I know, it has three blades, but if you look at the picture you can see that the scales are a lot thicker as well. I think if they thinned the scales on the 373 it would carry much better. I wear dress slacks and the 373 makes a bulge, the 55 does not. I know I could thin it myself but I wish Buck had just done it from the start.
 
I've had a 373 for a few years. I think it's a good knife. The 420J2 steel buck did a very good job with. I think it's better than case's stainless. My main issue is that I'm not fond of the newer hollow ground on a small pocket knife. I much prefer the older flat grinds.

Nevertheless, my uses :
Clip blade: food
Sheepfoot: General paper cutting - packages, boxes, cardboard, envelopes
Spey: dirty work - gardening, scraping etc.

Since I use the clip blade for food, I've reprofiled/reground the blade, flattening the shoulders above the hollow grind. I might take it further someday trying to get it closer to flat grind. Cutting things like apples is much easier - previously the blade would penetrate easy, but when you reached the shoulders of the grind, it bound up and then I needed to push harder to split the apple rather than slicing through it.

The sheepfoot has been left alone and works decently for my uses.

The Spey has gotten sharpened the most since its tasked with more abusive/dirtier jobs. Most commony it takes a few edge chips when I've hit brick or concrete or rock.
 
Mora2013 said:
I've had a 373 for a few years. I think it's a good knife. The 420J2 steel buck did a very good job with. I think it's better than case's stainless. My main issue is that I'm not fond of the newer hollow ground on a small pocket knife. I much prefer the older flat grinds.

Nevertheless, my uses :
Clip blade: food
Sheepfoot: General paper cutting - packages, boxes, cardboard, envelopes
Spey: dirty work - gardening, scraping etc.

Since I use the clip blade for food, I've reprofiled/reground the blade, flattening the shoulders above the hollow grind. I might take it further someday trying to get it closer to flat grind. Cutting things like apples is much easier - previously the blade would penetrate easy, but when you reached the shoulders of the grind, it bound up and then I needed to push harder to split the apple rather than slicing through it.

The sheepfoot has been left alone and works decently for my uses.

The Spey has gotten sharpened the most since its tasked with more abusive/dirtier jobs. Most commony it takes a few edge chips when I've hit brick or concrete or rock.
Click to expand...

I went the opposite - sheep foot 25 degrees for rough work, spey 17 for fine cutting. Not criticizing, your way is also a good one. My sheep foot had a small nick when I got it. After I sharpened it the nick is still there. I predict three to five sharpenings will eventually erase the nick. For now it is a "serration."
 
Pondoro2310 said:
I went the opposite - sheep foot 25 degrees for rough work, spey 17 for fine cutting. Not criticizing, your way is also a good one. My sheep foot had a small nick when I got it. After I sharpened it the nick is still there. I predict three to five sharpenings will eventually erase the nick. For now it is a "serration."
Click to expand...

No worries about Doing things different. I guess I should note that one reason I went my way is that my 'food' blade is thus farthest away from my 'dirty' blade.
 
I got a 371 at Wally World in Jigged Bone today. Cleaned it and got it taking CLP to float out any remaining junk. Bottom scale pin is proud on both sides. I contacted Buck and I will be shipping it to Idaho this week.
 
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It is and I done it on some used Knifes but this is a brand new Buck and I won't accept it so back it goes once I print off the instructions . I sent back a Buck Canoe a few years ago after the glued on scale came off in my pocket.
 
Mora2013 said:
Since I use the clip blade for food, I've reprofiled/reground the blade, flattening the shoulders above the hollow grind. I might take it further someday trying to get it closer to flat grind. Cutting things like apples is much easier - previously the blade would penetrate easy, but when you reached the shoulders of the grind, it bound up and then I needed to push harder to split the apple rather than slicing through it.
Click to expand...

This describes my experience as well.

Every hollow grind knife I use regularly ends up getting this treatment eventually and the increase in slicing ability when working with food is very noticeable.
 
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