Idea for Buck 300 series

J

jec88

Joined
Mar 6, 2012
Messages
833
Let me start by saying that I think the 300 series are great knives and I hate to see the series shrinking.
I think buck should follow Case's script on the slipjoints, but with a few changes. Case seems cater to the collectors where Buck seems to cater to the more working man, but where I think Buck might miss the boat is that alot of the working men want made in the USA.
If it isn't cost effective to make a USA bone slipjoint, I think they should offer the 300 series in both smooth and sawcut delrin in a unique color, but only offer that color for 1 year. It would be attractive for the working man because it is still a delrin working knife and the collector because once that color is gone, it is gone.
Example would be in 2019, offer all 300 series in both red sawcut and smooth delrin (if bone is too expensive), 2020 maybe offer only white, then the next year only blue. That would have collectors trying to buy the 3 year red, white and blue color set. Just all kinds of possibilities on offering a different color schemes for a limited time and I wouldn't think it would cost too much in the way of tooling ( i could be wrong) by just changing the color. The way it is now, alot of people that might collect the 300 series buy 1 and they are done.
And get back to having these knives in the Walmart knife display!
I think this way, Buck could cater to the users and collectors both and sell more slipjoints.
 
winchester73 said:
I think if they would offer them in 5160 steel and more scale choices interest would pick up.
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Gotta agree. If it has to be cheap steel I'd rather have a carbon steel compared to 420 or similar stuff.
Also I don't think many "working men" get a two-handed slipjoint knife these days.
 
jec88 said:
Let me start by saying that I think the 300 series are great knives and I hate to see the series shrinking.
I think buck should follow Case's script on the slipjoints, but with a few changes. Case seems cater to the collectors where Buck seems to cater to the more working man, but where I think Buck might miss the boat is that alot of the working men want made in the USA.
If it isn't cost effective to make a USA bone slipjoint, I think they should offer the 300 series in both smooth and sawcut delrin in a unique color, but only offer that color for 1 year. It would be attractive for the working man because it is still a delrin working knife and the collector because once that color is gone, it is gone.
Example would be in 2019, offer all 300 series in both red sawcut and smooth delrin (if bone is too expensive), 2020 maybe offer only white, then the next year only blue. That would have collectors trying to buy the 3 year red, white and blue color set. Just all kinds of possibilities on offering a different color schemes for a limited time and I wouldn't think it would cost too much in the way of tooling ( i could be wrong) by just changing the color. The way it is now, alot of people that might collect the 300 series buy 1 and they are done.
And get back to having these knives in the Walmart knife display!
I think this way, Buck could cater to the users and collectors both and sell more slipjoints.
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea. Victorinox offers "limited runs/special editions" on their alox line simply by changing the color of the alox from time to time.
 
I would say Carbon or the 420HC w/ the BOS HT for steel and I wouldn't spice up the scales just use their standard Dymondwood or a plastic like Delrin. I did look a list of 300 series models and I could see cutting out about half of the models as some likely do not sell well relatively speaking.
 
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SV-97 said:
Gotta agree. If it has to be cheap steel I'd rather have a carbon steel compared to 420 or similar stuff.
Also I don't think many "working men" get a two-handed slipjoint knife these days.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it's regional, and I live in the Ozark Mountains, but I'd have to say around here, the most popular knife is probably a yellow case trapper. I joined a new deer camp this year and out of 30 people probably ranging in age from 25-65, I never saw a one handed opener . Either a Case Trapper or a fixed blade even with the 25 year old. I know on the forums when someone asks what knife to get for hunting and everyone says a pocket knife is too hard to clean, but that is mostly all that is still used around here. Most of these guys have never been on a knife forum, they post hunting pictures on facebook, but that is about the extent of internet.
 
SV-97 said:
I don't think many "working men" get a two-handed slipjoint knife these days.
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure about that. When I was an over the road truck driver a couple years ago, (I've since retired) I'd guess roughly 80% the drivers I knew or saw carried a slipjoint of one kind or another, or a lockback like a Buck 110 or Old Timer 7OT/Uncle Henry LB7.
The knife policy of the company they drove for may have been a factor in that, but even the independent owner operators that bid on ALL their loads, usually carried a two hand opening knife rather than a one hand opener.

In other industries, the company's knife policy (if any) may limit what knives (if any) can be carried and used on company property. Some limit their employees to an auto-retract box/utility knife (with a maximum 1/4 inch exposed break away blade) that the company issues, and even then only to those in the packing/shipping/receiving/warehouse/maintenance/molding departments. Those in other departments are not allowed any knives at all, since "they don't need a knife to do their job."
 
afishhunter said:
I'm not so sure about that. When I was an over the road truck driver a couple years ago, (I've since retired) I'd guess roughly 80% the drivers I knew or saw carried a slipjoint of one kind or another, or a lockback like a Buck 110 or Old Timer 7OT/Uncle Henry LB7.
The knife policy of the company they drove for may have been a factor in that, but even the independent owner operators that bid on ALL their loads, usually carried a two hand opening knife rather than a one hand opener.

In other industries, the company's knife policy (if any) may limit what knives (if any) can be carried and used on company property. Some limit their employees to an auto-retract box/utility knife (with a maximum 1/4 inch exposed break away blade) that the company issues, and even then only to those in the packing/shipping/receiving/warehouse/maintenance/molding departments. Those in other departments are not allowed any knives at all, since "they don't need a knife to do their job."
Click to expand...
I wasn't thinking about hunters or truckers as working men that use knives. I thought about Industrial workers or handymen etc.
It may be regional but where I worked there was exactly one guy besides me that used a Slipjoint
 
PirateSeulb said:
I would say Carbon or the 420HC w/o the Boss HT for steel and I wouldn't spice up the scales just use their standard Dymondwood or a plastic like Delrin. I did look a list of 300 series models and I could see cutting out about half of the models as some likely do not sell well relatively speaking.
Click to expand...
Why eliminate the BOS Heat Treat?
Buck heat treats all their blades in house. The BOS Heat Treat does not add to the cost of the knife. Not to mention Buck's heat treat results in a better blade than the competition has using the same or a comparable steel. (420HC V 440A, for example)
 
SV-97 said:
I wasn't thinking about hunters or truckers as working men that use knives. I thought about Industrial workers or handymen etc.
It may be regional but where I worked there was exactly one guy besides me that used a Slipjoint
Click to expand...
Fair enough, but trust me, truckers are working men and women. It is NOT an 8 hour work day, either. Federal regulations limit them to a 14 hour work day, only 10 of which can be driving, then 10 consecutive hours off. (Remember, they get paid by the mile, not by the hour.) Federal regulations also limit them to 70 hours work during the last seven days, inclusive. To reset their 7 day clock they have to have 36 consecutive hours off.
If they drive more than 10 hours, then they and the company they work for are subject to severe fines and a mark against them on their safety record that will never go away.
Enough marks against them on their safety record, and they are out of business. The government will shut them down.
 
afishhunter said:
Fair enough, but trust me, truckers are working men and women. It is NOT an 8 hour work day, either. Federal regulations limit them to a 14 hour work day, only 10 of which can be driving, then 10 consecutive hours off. Federal regulations also limit them to 70 hours work during the last seven days, inclusive. To reset their 7 day clock they have to have 36 consecutive hours off.
If they drive more than 10 hours, then they and the company they work for are subject to severe fines and a mark against them on their safety record that will never go away.
Enough marks against them on their safety record, and they are out of business. The government will shut them down.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I may have worded that badly. I absolutely agree that they're working men, but they weren't the people I meant with my original statement.
 
Back on topic....

As to the OP comment on changing handle colors each year would be very attractive and keep interest...
Plus following Winchester’s lead a carbon offering sounds perfect
 
PirateSeulb said:
I would say Carbon or the 420HC w/o the Boss HT for steel.....
Click to expand...

That is a nonsensical statement. Paul Bos is the metalurgist who developed the heat treatment methods used by BUCK. Paul Bos is retired and BUCK trademarked the name and symbol for marketing purposes but any method they use on any knife steel was most likely developed by him.
*** All BUCK knives can therefore be said to have "BOS" heat treatment, marked on the blade or not ***
 
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afishhunter said:
Why eliminate the BOS Heat Treat?
Buck heat treats all their blades in house. The BOS Heat Treat does not add to the cost of the knife. Not to mention Buck's heat treat results in a better blade than the competition has using the same or a comparable steel. (420HC V 440A, for example)
Click to expand...
Because typos happen :p I corrected that
 
I would love to see Buck do this. I would prefer them to ditch the brass bolsters while they are at it. Please go back to the stainless\silver(?) bolsters.
 
317, check out Case's 6265. Still going strong. Loved by all bikers, truckers, hunters, woodsmen, handymen, an all around knife for a man lol.
 
In my travels at truck stops I see a lot of 110's and it's look a likes. In grocery and hardware stores I see the 303 size knife. I see bikers with a
317, which they cannot find any more. gsea and I would go with Buck bringing that back. Plus, I really like the 334 Millennium Trapper. DM
 
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