*Official 2018 BF Knive: Poll 1/8: 2 Blades (Jack), 2 Blades or 3 Blades

Buck 301: How many blades?

  • 2 Blades OPPOSITE ends: Clip & Spey

    Votes: 5 1.5%

  • 2 Blades OPPOSITE ends: Clip & Sheepsfoot

    Votes: 169 49.4%

  • 2 Blades SAME end: Clip & Spey

    Votes: 7 2.0%

  • 2 Blades SAME end: Clip & Sheepsfoot

    Votes: 34 9.9%

  • 3 Blades: Clip, Spey, Sheepsfoot

    Votes: 127 37.1%
  • Total voters
    342
  • Poll closed .
Sk, just for clarification: does the 3-blade option have the clip and sheepfoot at the same end? All the recent Buck 301s I've seen have the clip and spey at the same end, with the sheepfoot opposite. I don't understand someone wanting a 2-blade only if it's in jack form, and then switching to a 3-blade stockman with the clip and sheepfoot at opposing ends. :confused:
 
Jack Black said:
I'm not changing votes until I've seen the samples ;) I still like the idea of a Sheepsfoot and Clip on the same end, and while I've been given pause for thought about whether that configuration will work with the frame being offered, I've yet to see anything to change my mind :thumbsup:
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I would still most enjoy the two blade same end option, but I’m doing my best right now to vote against the two blade opposing end option. For whatever reason those don’t suit my personal tastes. In the end, I’ll vote for whatever has the best chance of beating the opposing end option out. I’ll still buy whatever wins though ;)
 
WinchesteRalox said:
I’m pretty sure I’m not buying a forum knife, so don’t hate me about this but what about a single clipoint blade 301?
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I don't hate anyone. :)
Personally, I would have no use for a single blade 301, and would thus pass on it.
I'm hoping for the 3 blade, but it looks like the 2 blade is going to win.
While I would prefer the 3 blade, I'll still get the two blade. :)
 
I'm still pulling for the two blade on same end, but definitely can see how it may not be optimal with the shorter blades. Hopefully the prototype turns out great...

However I keep going back to how the Buck guy himself is pulling for the opposite end sheep/clip, and expressed how it would be rare.

It would be pretty cool if we were the driving force to encourage Buck to add a 2 blade 301 (or whatever they want to name it) to their regular production line.
 
black mamba said:
Sk, just for clarification: does the 3-blade option have the clip and sheepfoot at the same end? All the recent Buck 301s I've seen have the clip and spey at the same end, with the sheepfoot opposite. I don't understand someone wanting a 2-blade only if it's in jack form, and then switching to a 3-blade stockman with the clip and sheepfoot at opposing ends. :confused:
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You've got it right. Clip and spey are at the same end in the current configuration.
 
If the sheepfoot is going to be the same length as on the normal 3 blade stockman 301 and still have its own spring, then I'm voting for the Jack configuration.
 
L.H.S said:
If the sheepfoot is going to be the same length as on the normal 3 blade stockman 301 and still have its own spring, then I'm voting for the Jack configuration.
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My understanding of the build is that it will use the existing blades. Engineering and manufacture of new blade designs(I’m including a longer sheepsfoot in this assumption) would be cost prohibitive. This poll is deciding which of the blades(or all of them) to be used for the forum knife and in what configuration.

John
 
For reference, this is what a regular Buck 301 looks like. Clip and spey hinged at one end. Sheepsfoot hinged at the other end. Each blade on a separate spring.

If you go with an opposite-end knife, you are just removing the spey and its associated spring. No other changes required.

If you go with a jack configuration, the nail nick on the sheepsfoot would have to move to the opposite side of the blade, since the blade would be reversed. There's no way to have the nail nick on the same side in a jack configuration.

As it is, the sheepsfoot sits a little high when closed, to allow the nail nick to be accessible above the close spey. To my eye, when I open the spey only and look at the knife with that blade mentally removed, the sheepsfoot could easily be dropped 1/8" inch while still retaining full access. That would result in a somewhat sleeker look, slimmer pocket feel, and less pronounced feel of the spine of the sheepsfoot when using the clip. Minor considerations, of course, just mentioning it.

20130816_143645_zps15b6fe0f.JPG
 
It was very nice of Buck to provide samples of cover materials and maybe we'll get more samples, but the construction is best appreciated with the knife in hand. Pick one up. It's only $30-40. It's different than a Schrade or Camillus or Case or GEC. Open up one of the secondaries. Imagine the blade and spring disappear. What's left inside the handle is a jack or double-end jack, depending on which blade you opened. Take a look inside the well at how everything fits together. Repeat with the other blade.

If this were just any 2-spring knife made by Schrade or Camillus or GEC, I would vote for a jack. But it's a Buck. And it's different than knives from other manufacturers. The clip blade on the 301 does not completely fill the well. I'd prefer double-end jack so that there's not a huge empty space on one side. We have to work with the 301 pattern. The blade isn't going to grow longer. ;)

supratentorial said:
Here's a photoshopped photo showing the empty space if the sheepfoot is moved to the same side.

mf13e8z.jpg
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Although I voted for the double-end, I kind of want the single-end to win just so that I can see what people say about the huge space on one end when they get it and have it in hand. :D

I don't understand the strong objections that a few people have voiced. I have not seen any explanation given. Both have 2 springs. Both have the same blades.

A premium 301 with upgraded blade steel and fancy handles is already available. Frank has one. They were made for BCCI. If you want one and have the cash, you can buy one. A 2-blade would be the 1st from the Buck factory in the USA. If you want one, you'd need to get a forum knife.

My biggest CONCERN is that there will be sticker shock and people will be turned off by the price. A 2-blade will actually be cheaper for us than a 3-blade. But many of the customizations are going to add up. It's going to be a lot more expensive than the standard 3-blade knife with black plastic or dymondwood handles. Is everyone aware of the cost? A base price of $80 and a ball park of $100 has been mentioned a couple of times but not everyone reads through these multiple page topics. It would be best to put the price estimates in BOLD at the top of each poll and to list out the running cost and additional cost of each customization. Price could make it or break it for a lot of folks. If the knife is $30-40 they would sell crazy fast regardless of whether it is 2 or 3 blades. But they're not going to be that cheap. And $80-100 is a tougher sale. Price is likely more important than the features being voted on in the polls.
 
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I think the regular stockman is the safest choice given the circumstances. I think why pick a stockman and remove a blade. It will be less expensive for a two thats a big plus but the 301 will be weird with two blades where there's meant to be 3 not a fan bc the frame will remain the same with 2 blades
 
sXePhenomenal said:
I think the regular stockman is the safest choice given the circumstances. I think why pick a stockman and remove a blade. It will be less expensive for a two thats a big plus but the 301 will be weird with two blades where there's meant to be 3 not a fan bc the frame will remain the same with 2 blades
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Sorry if this is obvious but there are a lot of folks who are new traditional knives taking part in the polls. A 2-blade is quite common. It's a jack or a double-end jack. It's not "meant to be 3". And it's not "weird". Typically the secondary is a pen or spey. A sheepfoot is not common but there are examples of jacks with a sheepfoot secondary. Buck has made 2-blade pen knives (smaller than a jack) like the 305 Lancer. The 305 is a teeny tiny version of what a double-end jack 301 would be. Buck has made 3-blade (of course) and 1-blade 301. They have not made a 2-blade 301. A 2 blade would be new for the 301 pattern but not new for Buck, in general. And not weird, in general, since 2-blades are common throughout the history of knife making in the USA.

Buck's use of 3 springs on a stockman is "weird" compared to the construction of oldies. Some "eureka" cattle knife derivatives were built that way but a 3 blade stock knife was typically built with the secondaries sharing a single spring. But 1 blade per spring has become more common on present day knives that had never previously been built that way. Buck makes all of their knives with 1 blade per spring. Case makes a few knives this way too. For example, Case makes the 47 pattern and medium congress with 1 blade per spring. There are other examples.
 
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supratentorial said:
Sorry if this is obvious but there are a lot of folks who are new traditional knives taking part in the polls. A 2-blade is quite common. It's a jack or a double-end jack. It's not "meant to be 3". And it's not "weird". Typically the secondary is a pen or spey. A sheepfoot is not common but there are examples of jacks with a sheepfoot secondary. Buck has made 2-blade pen knives (smaller than a jack) like the 305 Lancer. The 305 is a teeny tiny version of what a double-end jack 301 would be. Buck has made 3-blade (of course) and 1-blade 301. They have not made a 2-blade 301. A 2 blade would be new for the 301 pattern but not new for Buck, in general. And not weird, in general, since 2-blades are common throughout the history of knife making in the USA.

Buck's use of 3 springs on a stockman is "weird" compared to the construction of oldies. Some "eureka" cattle knife derivatives were built that way but a 3 blade stock knife was typically built with the secondaries sharing a single spring. But 1 blade per spring has become more common on present day knives that had never previously been built that way. Buck makes all of their knives with 1 blade per spring. Case makes a few knives this way too. For example, Case makes the 47 pattern and medium congress with 1 blade per spring. There are other examples.
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You misread or mis interpret the post it’s “weird” because the frame will not be changed it’s the same frame with two blades
 
sXePhenomenal said:
You misread or mis interpret the post it’s “weird” because the frame will not be changed it’s the same frame with two blades
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I may still misunderstand. It's not "weird" that it's the same frame. It is new for Buck's 301 pattern but throughout the history of US knife making the frames were reused for 3 or 2 blades. As one recent example from Buck, the 3-blade 310 whittler shares the same frame as the 2-blade "companion" (pen knife).

A double-end 301 would be a much larger version of this tiny 305 lancer.

BU305YW.jpg
 
sXePhenomenal said:
You misread or mis interpret the post it’s “weird” because the frame will not be changed it’s the same frame with two blades
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Are you thinking that there would still be a third spring for the blade that was removed? Because I understand thinking that would be weird. But since removing the blade would also mean they would remove the third spring, I simply do not understand what could be seen as weird about having a two blade knife on the frame.
 
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