My 300s

W

WilltheBarb

Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
603
I think Buck 300s are very cool pocketknives. About a year and a half ago I decided to start collecting Buck 300s. This was a little bit of a sibling rivalry thing, which we don’t have to go too far into here. Anyway, I had a nice old 319 that my father-in-law had given me years earlier that I had liked for some time and I figured that would make a good start. Almost everything else came from eBay.
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The first two pictures are of a Schrade 301 contract knife made between 1966 and 1968.

The next picture is a group of first generation Camillus contract knives made between 1968 and 1972. The first two are 301s, one from 68 to 71, the other is 71 to 72. The third knife is a 303. This may be a Schrade. I always thought it was Camillus but I recently read that the only difference between a Schrade 303 and a early Camillus 303 is that you can’t see the blade axels on a Schrade and I can’t see the axels on this knife. The other two knives are a 305 and 307.

The next picture is of the second 301 from the previous picture. Such a nice knife.

The fifth picture is of all the second generation Camillus contract knifes built between 1972 and 1986. Some of these stayed in production until 1992. All the patterns are represented in this group. They are:

301 Stockman
303 Cadet
305 Lancer
307 Wrangler
309 Companion
311 Slim Line Trapper
313 Muskrat
315 Yachtsman
317 Hunter
319 Rancher
321 Bird Knife

The sixth picture is of Buck made Buck knives. The current ones are there plus the Clipper, a Whittler, and a Mini Trapper. I am missing a 314 Trapper and it breaks my heart just a little bit.

Next we have one of the ersatz Bucks made by Camillus for Smoky Mountain Knifeworks.

Finally, the whole collection.
 
Hi WilltheBarb --

If you want to, you can send me your images, at geothorn@yahoo.com and I'll put them into a web page along with your posting of the information. I'm not sure why the images aren't working at Photobucket. I'm more used to GeoCities than Photobucket, but I recommended both of them because I know that both allow hosting of images and both allow those images to be remote-loaded to other places, like this forum.

I'll be happy to make a web page for you because I feel responsible for recommending Photobucket, and that suggestion isn't working for you.

GeoThorn
 
I think Buck 300s are very cool pocketknives. About a year and a half ago I decided to start collecting Buck 300s. This was a little bit of a sibling rivalry thing, which we don't have to go too far into here. Anyway, I had a nice old 319 that my father-in-law had given me years earlier that I had liked for some time and I figured that would make a good start. Almost everything else came from eBay.

2.jpg


3.jpg


4.jpg


5.jpg


6.jpg


7.jpg


8.jpg


EntireCollection.jpg


The first two pictures are of a Schrade 301 contract knife made between 1966 and 1968.

The next picture is a group of first generation Camillus contract knives made between 1968 and 1972. The first two are 301s, one from 68 to 71, the other is 71 to 72.

The third knife is a 303. This may be a Schrade. I always thought it was Camillus but I recently read that the only difference between a Schrade 303 and a early Camillus 303 is that you can't see the blade axels on a Schrade and I can't see the axels on this knife. The other two knives are a 305 and 307.

The next picture is of the second 301 from the previous picture. Such a nice knife.

The fifth picture is of all the second generation Camillus contract knifes built between 1972 and 1986. Some of these stayed in production until 1992.

All the patterns are represented in this group.
They are:

301 Stockman
303 Cadet
305 Lancer
307 Wrangler
309 Companion
311 Slim Line Trapper
313 Muskrat
315 Yachtsman
317 Hunter
319 Rancher
321 Bird Knife

The sixth picture is of Buck made Buck knives. The current ones are there plus the Clipper, a Whittler, and a Mini Trapper. I am missing a 314 Trapper and it breaks my heart just a little bit.

Next we have one of the ersatz Bucks made by Camillus for Smoky Mountain Knifeworks.

Finally, the whole collection.

(I reposted WilltheBarb's post here rather than create an entirely separate web page. If this isn't the proper use of the forum, I'll gladly make a separate web page. GeoThorn)
 
Nice collection!
Thanks for the help GeoThorn!
On the question of the 303, the most sure way of knowing if Schrade or Camillus made it is with the blade rivet test.
Also, I have yet to see a Camillus made 303 with BUCK stamped on the two smaller blades. I am pretty certain that is a Schrade thing only.
If you ever get a beat up Schard version, they look excellent in a display if they are taken apart. The assembly process used was quite unique. All you have to do to dissasemble one is to remove the spring rivet. Carefully sand off the rivet head on one side and drive it out of the case. Twist the two case halves in oposite directions and the knife falls apart.
Have fun!
 
Thanks Joe
It would seem that my first thought was right because there are no tang stamps on the other two blades of this knife. Must be a Camillus.
 
Please re-read Joe's post. He did not say that all Schrade 303s have the secondary blades marked "BUCK". There are Schrade-made 303s with only the master blade stamped. However, as Joe pointed out, Camillus made 303s will never have the secondary blades stamped. Again, Joe correctly states that the defining way to differentiate between Schrade-made and Camillus-made 303s is by the lack of bolster rivets (Schrade) or the existence of bolster rivets (Camillus). If it is hard to tell, sometimes a puff of warm breath on a room temperature bolster will show the telltale pivot rivet through the bolster. This especially works well on brass bolstered 110s and 112s. Hope this helps.
 
A main clip blade with an " 8OT " stamp in the tang pretty as you please. I pulled the SCHRADE OLD TIMER stockman from my pocket and compared the two and I was pretty sure the same stamp had made both. I never thought of it till many years later but I wonder if the BUCK blade was really stainless as none of the SCHRADE 4" OLD TIMER stockman knives had stainless blades.
The first BUCK knife I ever bought was from these folks at THE RAMROD GUNSHOP in New Castle, Indiana. I wonder if the shop is still there as it was a dandy. Let me think...the man who owned it was named Rupert Alexander, and his son was Steve, if memory serves. Any of you fellows from Indiana know??
 
Heres one for Larry or Joe...
On the weekend I recieved an older 319 with long pull and ridged awl. When did the style change on this knife? The tang stamps on both styles are the same, BUCK...319...USA.
 
WilltheBarb,
Your question is one I have never been able to pin down. In fact, my article on the 300 series for the BCCI newsletter includes that issue. Another related question is whether long pull 319s exist with smooth awls and conversely, whether there are any 319s with crescent nail nicks and grooved awls. This issue was featured as the "Question of the Month" in the Fall 2004 BCCI newsletter (page 11). I still have had no response to this question.
 
Larry to the rescue! :D
This guy knows his 300 series!
I did a quick search and all the long pull 319's had ringed awls and the crescent shaped had smooth ones.
 
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