Looking at getting a Buck 301. Anything special I should know?

Don't worry about it. Just get one. Soon after you will be consumed with desire to have them all.
I sharpen my work knives this way : large blade convex and toothy, the sheepfoot convex and very smooth, and the spey scary scharp flat and very smooth.
 
Take your pick. The old black sawcut scale is hot pressed over the solid pillar of the kniife, bolt and hammer shield and then has plastic prongs of handle material that go thru holes in the liner and are melted flat like rivet heads. The spring rivet is also on the outside of the sawcut scale. Watch to make sure both heads are down flush against the scale. Open all the blades and look inside to see what I am talking about. The others are riveted on in two places, the spring rivet in not thru the scale and is hidden underneath. The new blue shield is glued into a cutout. In the dark dymondwood I prefer the lighter grey color that shows some wood grain, but thats just me. I wish they would do a run in the sawcut scale form in classic yellow.

300Bucks


Here's close-up of one of the plastic rivet heads in the blade well of all the black sawcuts.
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My Comforcraft, Yellow Delrin 301 is one of the most ergonomic slipjoints I own, it's bulky and not very becoming, but is an incredible workhorse of a knife. They're very cool in their own right, and distinctly different from other makes.
 
The current Buck 301 is the heaviest duty 4" slipjoint on the market - they really are an incredible value for the quality they offer. Get yourself one, you won't be sorry. This one is the current offering and was made in 2012. OH

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If you want a pinned shield, you'll have to pay a lot more.

Like, Old Hunter said, these 300 series knives are built as tough as can be with integral bolsters and liners. If the shield falls out, glue back in with 2 part epoxy and never worry again. I had to do this on my Case; my 309 is still going strong!
 
They are a great knife. One other thing I really like about the 301, over stockman patterns of other makers is, having 3 springs, it makes the knife a little wider, and fits my big hands really well, and the blades lay nicely when closed. You don't have any blade rub issues like other stockman do, and the blades don't have to be crinked...


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Woodrow F Call said:
I was really wanting one in yellow, but the glued in sheild made me change my mind.
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I've carried 300 series Bucks for years and never had a shield depart from the knife.

To my mind the issue of pinned shields is overblown. Collectors make a big deal about it as being a mark of quality. And I suppose it is. But from a knife user's vantage, it seems to me to be much ado about very little. The number of shields which actually come off is very low.
 
I carry three different versions of the new models with the glued in shields. The first one I bought was the yellow version and the shield fell out (fortunately in my pocket) very soon after I got it. I used epoxy to put it back and I've had no problem since. Neither of the other ones have come out either.
 
I think Plumb was effected by the new model effect. I had a yellow let go after I poked at it for being higher than I thought it should be. A new yellow issue era for certain. Out of a number I will not disclose but gives me good data, I have had one older knife, bolt and hammer shield jump ship. I have seen about five or six for sale shieldless on the auction site.. I think Mr. Knarfeng is correct in his opinion that this malady effects very few in the over all aspect of things.

I will say that, yes, as a supposed collector when I see special efforts to go the extra mile, such as riveted shields, I appreciate the crafting of that knife more.
Again, I do not worry about that on the black sawcut 300s with there pillar/liner attached method of shield construction. What I will be a critic of is the amount of gap left around the new blue shields on the dymondwood models. I wish it could be smaller, but that may be a manufactoring limitation. But I still wish.

300Bucks
 
Well, I ordered me a yeller one anyways. :)

I didn't realize it was a 3 springer. That's fine with me. I carry heavier, bigger things in my pockets. I wanted a heavy duty folder.
 
Good on ya' Woodrow...you'll enjoy it I'm sure. The three spring issue doesn't bother me, it does add some heft to the knife, but the trade off is non-kinked blades so I'm happy with mine.
 
I have a new model 303 with black handles. They are a brute of a knife with the all SS construction but they are tough tough tough! I had reservations when I first got it but they quickly disappeared. If I lived in a more knife friendly city Id get a 301 in a second flat.
 
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