bertl
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2011
- Messages
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NOTE: This thread is about some 303 trivia. It is not for discussing pros and cons of overseas production of Buck knives.
A pretty common statement by Buck collectors is, "No model that started production in the USA was ever made in China." If this statement were submitted to FactCheck or Snopes, the rating probably would be "Almost True". The Buck 303 is the model that keeps the statement from being "Totally True". In 2004, a knife with a tang stamp of "Buck/303" and
a 2004 date code started production. The sheepsfoot blade had a tang stamp of "China". This was the Model 303WD made in China exclusively for WalMart.
I contacted John Renzi who is in charge of overseas production at Buck and he gave me the information that follows.
The 303WD had polished blades and wood scales that were glued to the frame. The knife had no handle pins and no shield. About 40,000 of these knives were made. In the summer of 2004, Buck made a contract to sell WalMart a series of four models – 371, 373, 375, and 379. The 303WD was discontinued and replaced in 2005 by the 373 Trio, which had wood scales, handle pins, and the Buck hammer, knife, and bolt shield.
With the introduction of the Model 373, the Model 303WD ended, with a slight exception. Approximately 4000 blades with the 303 Tang stamp from 2004 were left over. These blades were used with the Model 373 body, which had wood scales, handle pins and the Buck shield. I have looked but have never seen that variation.
Bert
A pretty common statement by Buck collectors is, "No model that started production in the USA was ever made in China." If this statement were submitted to FactCheck or Snopes, the rating probably would be "Almost True". The Buck 303 is the model that keeps the statement from being "Totally True". In 2004, a knife with a tang stamp of "Buck/303" and
a 2004 date code started production. The sheepsfoot blade had a tang stamp of "China". This was the Model 303WD made in China exclusively for WalMart.
I contacted John Renzi who is in charge of overseas production at Buck and he gave me the information that follows.
The 303WD had polished blades and wood scales that were glued to the frame. The knife had no handle pins and no shield. About 40,000 of these knives were made. In the summer of 2004, Buck made a contract to sell WalMart a series of four models – 371, 373, 375, and 379. The 303WD was discontinued and replaced in 2005 by the 373 Trio, which had wood scales, handle pins, and the Buck hammer, knife, and bolt shield.
With the introduction of the Model 373, the Model 303WD ended, with a slight exception. Approximately 4000 blades with the 303 Tang stamp from 2004 were left over. These blades were used with the Model 373 body, which had wood scales, handle pins and the Buck shield. I have looked but have never seen that variation.
Bert
John