Tuff little slipjoint, do I think the right way.

N

NirreBosse

Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
1,131
Hej.
I need your advice. After a summer in the mountains with lots of fish and a week of moosehunting Im a little steard to think that a knife has to be well built. Mostly Im fond of carbon steel and bone theese days but I now thinking of a simpler and more maintainancefree knife. I have read here for several years about buckknifes and I also have a 307 large stockman since the 80-ties but it has always been to big for me to carry. Latest year I have been downsizing even more and now think my case stockman 32 is the biggest for EDC. On the other hand I often complement with a case trapper outdoors.
Now to the point. Im thinking of getting a BUCK 303 cadet. As I understand it has a simple but durable bladesteel with exelent heattreat. All the frame from backspring to liners and pins is stainless. I believe it to have light pull but still walk and talk and that the pins ar made a way it takes a lot of punichement without breaking. I want a durable handle and has looked upon the 4 alternativs: signature wood, yellow, Black plastic and some kind of stabilised wood. Do they all have the shield that is onepiese with the liners. I dont belive this to be a good looking knife in any of the alternativs but want the tuffest most unbreakable of the handles. Think I like the dynawood and the simple black plastic the best. I dont realy like the hollow grind eather but can live with its ups and downs.
I consider this to bee quite a big purchase as it will cost me about 500 sek titch is about 80 dollars.
Is this knife as tuff and durable as I belive it to be. It will be used in wet pockets and for hevyer tasks than a knife this size normaly is used for.

Bosse
 
Hi Bosse,

If you're looking for a tuff slipjoint, have you looked at the Enzo PK70?

Very good quality and very robust, I've got one with a Scandi ground in CPM30V (titanium bolsters), there's several versions available including flat grind, different scales, with or without pocket clip. Might be worth a look before you purchase the BUCK. I've also got several BUCKs that I rotate and really like them as well, so I'm not against BUCK in anyway!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

John
 
Last edited:
Depends on what you mean by heavier tasks I'd say.

I carried one for years in grad school and used it for everything from peeling potatoes to stripping wire in the lab. Need to scrape a gasket off a water pump or set of valve pan covers? Open a box? Cut a piece of rubber matting? Clean a squirrel? You name it and that knife did it... it had to, that was the only knife I owned and I couldn't afford another one. :)

For that type of thing I found the knife to be up to the task and then some. For things that you really have to pull hard on I would opt for the next size up to get a stronger frame. This is a pretty small knife but it is well made.

Hope this helps you out.

Will
 
As far as a recomendation on purchase I will defer as I am aligned in a certain way, I will count on other forumites to influence you....listen to experienced users here on the forum that use their folders in the field. I will however make a recomendation on WHICH 303 to purchase, if you should decide to.

For your stated conditions I would purchase the black valox sawcut scale knife. It will be the most 'bomb-proof' of the two mentioned. Heres why - they are both pinned thru the bolster equal in materials. However the the Dymondwood scale is only pinned to the liner with two rivets. The sawcut scale is hot pressed onto the liners and there are extensions of the scale that go thru holes in the liners and then are hot pressed into sort of a rivet head. On the shield scale , the traditional Buck knife, bolt and hammer shield is formed as a pillar of metal from the liner, and that scale is not only hot plastic riveted but hot 'pushed' down over that pillar. I have taken both types of scales off to rescale with wood and the black sawcut is the very much harder to remove. I will include some photos so you may see my descriptions. I enjoy the carrying of the new plastic yellow scaled 301/303s but they are riveted on the liner like the Dymondwoods. 300Bucks

Front scale inside. Only three plastic rivets due to shield pillar
Inside301front-smashed-rive.jpg


Reverse inside, four plastic "rivets". On the inside these plastic melted head rivets are formed in a depression the size of the plastic head shown with a smaller hole actually drilled thru the liner.
InsideBack.jpg


Shield pillar formed on liner, here you can also see the spring rivet goes all the way thru. Notice how I struggled with hacksaw blade wrapped with a tape handle in cutting away plastic of scale. To the right of the shield pillar is the actual hole the plastic rivet passes thru.
Shieldcloseup.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hey Bosse, Having used the ever loving crap out of a Buck 301, and inheriting a 303 cadet from a older friend and co-worker, I can tell you that a 300 series Buck will take anything you can throw at it. I used my old Camillus built 301 as my almost sole edc for 25 years. In my younger day, I was not so much a knife knut because I was in the army and had to travel light. That 301 stockman was a hunting knife, fishing knife, utility knife on construction sites all over the world to include a tour in Vietnam, a machine shop tool, and camping knife. It survived mountain trips in snow, tropical rain forest, desert sand, and children. It's still good.

Now having said that...

I've been told that the new 300 series is even better and stronger than the old Camillus built ones like mine. If the new ones are even better, then I think you may buy one and your kids will argue over it when you are gone, many years from now. If the old ones were built like a tank, then the new ones must be a better tank.

Carl.
 
I have had and used the same 301 for at least ten years now, and it has held up really well. The black valox handles are tough stuff. I have a 303 that was my wife's grandfather's knife. He used it hard for 20 to 30 years and it's still in servicable shape. I think you've picked a good knife for what you plan to use it for. Aside from losing it I can't imagine much happening to it.
 
Thank you for the replys. 300 bucks, that was a extraordinary answer, better than I hoped for. Im more in search for the type of tuff like in dropping on concrete floor, being wet, ignored leing outside, put into pocket with blood upon etc. Dont want supersteel just ordinary easy to sharpen in field steel. I also hoppning for à steel not shipping under mild abuse.

Bosse
 
Well , to address one issue you just mentioned and I will shut-up. I was once driving in the Texas panhandle, I came to a stop at a gravel road crossroads to consult a map, I was looking for hunting spot. I glanced out the window of truck and there in the gravel and dirt and glaring sun lay a 303 pressed into the road surface. I got out and picked it up, it was run over at least once, I have no idea how long it lay there, it had been run over because the liners had been bent and were pressing against the blades on both sides. I got home and shook the dirt out of it and carefully opened it and used a screwdriver to open the liners back , almost perfect, so the knife was again usable. I will try to find it if I still have it around (27years ago).......300Bucks
 
Last edited:
I own and use a newer production 301 in yellow a great deal. With that being said it's slightly larger than what I need and I'd probably be better suited with a 303. All in all for a general use traditional knife it's hard to beat a smaller stockman. Also Buck's 420HC while simplistic in composition is nothing to sneeze at.
 
NirreBosse said:
Hej.
I dont belive this to be a good looking knife in any of the alternativs but want the tuffest most unbreakable of the handles.

Is this knife as tuff and durable as I belive it to be. It will be used in wet pockets and for hevyer tasks than a knife this size normaly is used for.

Bosse
Click to expand...

I'm a big fan of the 300 series and carry one frequently. I believe them to be as tough as you believe them to be. They certainly are the knives I grab first for any hard work.

I do disagree with you about one thing. I find them handsome.

edited to add: I think I agree with Whetrock: a 301 is bigger and beefier than a 303. I would recommend a 301 over a 303 for heavy work.
 
Last edited:
In my first post I spoke about another brand, just so you know, I use a 301 regularly at work as an outdoor instructor, it's held up absolutely fine, if you're worried about it not being tuff enough, don't be!

The 301 isn't huge, but is very capable and extremely tuff, I haven't any experience with a 303 though, but can't see that not being just as good. If it were me buying a knife for general outdoor tasks, including some heavier cutting, I'd go for the 301.

All round the 301 is a great buy and I'd happily recommend one, if fact I bought my 2 sons Elk handled special edition ones as gifts.

hth, John
 
I enjoy both my yellow handled 301 and dymondwood 303 very much, the 303 gets a little more pocket time because of its smaller size.
 
If I were you, I'd try a Buck 112. Small size, big cutting power. Thicker handle is better for cold weather or when wearing gloves.
 
Thank you very much bladefriends of internet for your advise.
I can for sure understand your thinking of a bigger knife because of my description bit I want this one to be small but sturdy.

A 301 is as big as my queen #9 and I want a substantually smaller knife than that.
This is a knife I probably will EDC as a single knife in my coinpocket but I have 2 other smaller stockmans, a Schrade lesser than 3.5 and a 32 Case a thad bigger than 3.5 so I know the size and that its what I want.
Outside this size is enough for cleaning throut in the sub kilo range that is most common for me. Its also enough for a capercalsie or zippin open the leghide on a moose. The thing is when Im outside I almost always carry one of my homemade puukkos or a mora 2000.

The tuffness Im seeking in this small knife is durability against neglect and a construktion that will make the blade snapp before the handle breaks if I use it like an ......!!!

Thanks to your adwises I strongly belive a 303 to be that sort of knife. I dont need and even dont want to hard steel as I want it to be easy to fieldsharpen on oldfassioned gotland sandstones.

Knarfeng, i also like the looks of the knifes I just meant than none of the slabmaterials strikes me as much better than the other and that I also consider them all to have small estetic problems. Rosewood would be nicer without signature, dynawood better with hammershield and... just details.

Thanks to 300 bucks exelent post I have desided on black plastic. And to comment your post, Dont shut up att all, you always makes exelent and interesting posts and I always read them with great interest.

I believe this 303 with plastic handles to be ste tuffest slipjoint this size and will try this myself in a near future.

For looks I still have other knifes. The beauty of these BUCKs is the same as lies in a moraknife. funktion, material and simpisity.

Bosse
 
You will NOT be disappointed. 303 is an excellent and actually very likeable knife: three springs and all stainless liners make it a dream in outdoor's reality. Nothing to rust up or get brass bleed either, so a fine food knife as well. I have one in the yellow, tough it is but not that grippy so the black sawcut delrin is the one to opt for, no question.

Durable, well made and pleasing to use, good value if you buy it direct from the US via the Bay.

If it survives here (Finland) it 'll survive OK next door i Sverige:D:D

mvh Will
 
300Bucks said:
As far as a recomendation on purchase I will defer as I am aligned in a certain way, I will count on other forumites to influence you....listen to experienced users here on the forum that use their folders in the field. I will however make a recomendation on WHICH 303 to purchase, if you should decide to.

For your stated conditions I would purchase the black valox sawcut scale knife. It will be the most 'bomb-proof' of the two mentioned. Heres why - they are both pinned thru the bolster equal in materials. However the the Dymondwood scale is only pinned to the liner with two rivets. The sawcut scale is hot pressed onto the liners and there are extensions of the scale that go thru holes in the liners and then are hot pressed into sort of a rivet head. On the shield scale , the traditional Buck knife, bolt and hammer shield is formed as a pillar of metal from the liner, and that scale is not only hot plastic riveted but hot 'pushed' down over that pillar. I have taken both types of scales off to rescale with wood and the black sawcut is the very much harder to remove. I will include some photos so you may see my descriptions. I enjoy the carrying of the new plastic yellow scaled 301/303s but they are riveted on the liner like the Dymondwoods. 300Bucks

Front scale inside. Only three plastic rivets due to shield pillar
Inside301front-smashed-rive.jpg


Reverse inside, four plastic "rivets". On the inside these plastic melted head rivets are formed in a depression the size of the plastic head shown with a smaller hole actually drilled thru the liner.
InsideBack.jpg


Shield pillar formed on liner, here you can also see the spring rivet goes all the way thru. Notice how I struggled with hacksaw blade wrapped with a tape handle in cutting away plastic of scale. To the right of the shield pillar is the actual hole the plastic rivet passes thru.
Shieldcloseup.jpg
Click to expand...

300, a wonderfully informative answer-great reading.
 
Thanks to 300Bucks for spreading a bit of his 300Knowledge to us 300Fans :D
Back to the OP...
Bosse,
I own a yellow 303, I carry it pretty often, and I bet you won't be disappointed either. Although I would probably change a thing or two (blade grind, and one less blade - the spey blade), I love mine (I even love the looks of it), and it took no time to this Buck to get alot of pocket time, and use. As for toughness, it's a very personal concept: personally, I do believe that this knife is very well built, which means that, used properly, it will last and perform anything you need it to do.

Fausto
:cool:
 
I think I need to add that no knife was "killed" in the search for science or good photos.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top