• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

Where are the new 301's & 303's ?

Looking at Bert’s photo above comparing the 2002 production shows you how ridiculous the decision was to make them the way they did. They could likely be disassembled and put back together like the earlier knife arrangement.

I’d say get them while you can, I suspect this run won’t stick around long after they get so many back with warranty claims. Seems like Buck picks and chooses which models get the most attention and QC.

Too often I see “Buck will make it right, they’re the best” often overlooking why they didn’t “make it right” to start with. Unfortunate that it’s nigh on impossible to handle most knives in the store nowadays before buying, unless you live down the street from SMKW or the like.

Anyways turned into more of a rant than I expected. Carry on.
 
DrMegabyte said:
Here is my new Red 301 showing the same issue. While the Spey closes a little more than the Blue one, you still see how the Spey partial blocks the nail Notch on the Sheepsfoot blade because it gets "hung up" on something.View attachment 2964876
Click to expand...
When I got mine it would close to that point, and then with a little nudge it would "click" and drop down below the sheepsfoot nick. The problem then was that the spey couldn't be opened without opening the sheepsfoot first.
 
mbkr said:
When I got mine it would close to that point, and then with a little nudge it would "click" and drop down below the sheepsfoot nick. The problem then was that the spey couldn't be opened without opening the sheepsfoot first.
Click to expand...

This is the same with all three of my 2025 301s. With a little extra force downward, you can both feel and hear the Spey blade "click" past something ... Like yours, my blue one would then not open unless you opened the Sheepsfoot. On my ebony and on the "big red", if you apply some extra force, you can open the Spey, without opening the Sheepsfoot, but you like when you close it, when you open it, you can both feel and hear the Spey blade "click" past something.
 
I don't have a new 301 to compare to, but back in the early 2010's when Buck had the Comfort Craft series, the yellow Delrin and others had recesses on the inside of the frame to accommodate the scale pins. Can someone verify that their new one has those recesses? Could this area be the source of the spey blades hanging up?

 
plb said:
I don't have a new 301 to compare to, but back in the early 2010's when Buck had the Comfort Craft series, the yellow Delrin and others had recesses on the inside of the frame to accommodate the scale pins. Can someone verify that their new one has those recesses? Could this area be the source of the spey blades hanging up?

Click to expand...
Just checked and the pins are recessed.
 
mbkr said:
Just checked and the pins are recessed.
Click to expand...
Thank you for checking Mike. After re-reading the entire thread, it appears the problem is good old fashion blade rub. With Buck's design without spacers, the tolerances must be extremely tight. And, the fact that the spey and sheepsfoot are so chuncky on the tip (see post #79), the lack of distal taper makes it highly like that they will touch especially if there is even a hint of misalignment of the one or both blades. I suspect that if Buck were to assemble the knife pivot pins and center pin tighter, to eliminate gapping on the back, it would make the blade rub problem even worse.
 
Mine closes properly now and I can consistently open it, although it still has a little hitch in its walk. A work in progress. I'm basically filing a swedge on the blade. Crude I know, but I'm going for functionality.
Red301 4.JPGRed301 5.JPG
 
Buck Knives Inc. said:
Thank you for providing pictures. I have passed them along to our Quality Manager and would like to get them back here to take a closer look. Please private message me your address and I will get a pre-paid label emailed to you.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I just sent in two of the 2025 301s into the warranty department with the types of issues as described in this thread. One Red, one Ebony ...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top