Just got my Cadet

[silenthunterstudios]

I just got my Cadet I had ordered from eBay, the knife is not new, definitely has some character to it, but I like it. I want to get a new one, but I am afraid to buy any without asking if they were made in the USA or China. Anybody on here know where I can pick one up? The one I have is made in the USA, but I want one to put on the shelf.

Also, I just picked it up from the post office box before I came into work, and was playing with it on the drive in, and noticed that the blades don't snap back into place when I am pushing them back into the handle. This knife says it's a 303C, what year is that? Should I use this one? It has some character, like I said, but it still looks functional.

 

[Don Luis]

The C indicates a blade made in 1995, some cleaning and oiling may make the snap better, I've only seen a couple of these and they don't snap as hard as others, then again I'm used to Schrades with carbon springs that tend to be on the hard side, I have other knives that don't snap shut but if they stay closed fine I don't mind much, I don't like snapping my knives shut anyway.

Luis

 

[WilltheBarb]

of 300 knives with last production at El Cajon etched on the blade. These are definitely made in the US of A. These knives will also give you a little extra collector value.

 

[JD Mandrell]

You can easily tell teh difference between the USA and Chinese (of which there is nothing wrong with the ones I own) made knives.

The USA model numbers are.

301
303
309

3 Discountinued models were 307, 311 and 312.

With the exception of the last 2, they all have a "0" for the middle number.

The chinese made ones all have a "7" for the middle number.

p.s. I believe the chinese stuff is also only available through Wal_Mart.

 

[LFH]

I dug out a couple of my old 303's and the blades snap very sharply both ways. Don't have a finger in the way when closing them. Neither of these 303's have a date code so must be pre '86.
Comparing them to a new 373 China, I quickly noticed the 1 1/8 inch long, deep groved, nail nich on the big blade of the old ones versus the more normal one on the 373.

Sorry if I drifted...

lh