In praise of the 301

Hoyt Buck produced the first Buck Knife in 1902. Hoyt and his son Al moved to San Diego and set up shop as H.H. Buck & Son in 1947. Al Buck revolutionized the knife industry in 1964 with the infamous Model 110 Folding Hunter. The company's innovative history and attention to quality have made for many great collectible knives.
300Bucks
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by 300Bucks »

That spey looks too high. I don't think that should have passed inspection. You did what you thought correct and I am glad Buck made you happy. I would of have very carefully honed the kick tip to lower spey tip but I like fooling with that stuff. Kick issues have beem discussed recently on other forums...You do that honing and you should never let blade hit bottom when snapping shut and not let the lowering mess the nic level.. Looking at your photo I am not certain but your liner looks like it dips in the tip area., go figure.........300
TAB2you
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by TAB2you »

300,

That's the second one of those I got, the first was worse, and that was the replacement, after that, then I asked for a replacement all together! ::tear::

I really like the feel and weight, not the exposed spey. Appears they're all like that as of right now. ::shrug::

TAB
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Old Hunter
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by Old Hunter »

Been carrying the new Buck 301 all week; so far it has been used for assorted light duty cutting chores and has been stellar in its performance - guess this size/weight are imprinted in my brain as the "right size" pocketknife. I was going to reshape the spey blade tip, but try as I might I haven't been able to catch my finger on the exposed part (sort of tucked under the width of the top of the blade), so at this point I have left it alone. I think Colonel26 is dead-nutz on - this is a worthy successor to the Camillus made Buck 301 knives - which I will always love and accumulate! OH
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
300Bucks
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by 300Bucks »

Several comments in the past weeks on these spey tips in other fourms also. Looked at a couple three of mine, they are not as high as yours but close. My experience is as you state, haven't been able to get them to catch on anything but lint.
If your happy, your happy. The 303s seem to be made a little lower as a group. 300
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deltaboy
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by deltaboy »

I love my 301 and mine is a 2 Spring model. Great Knife and mine well wore .
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wlf
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by wlf »

Exposed spey? I think I know but??
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deltaboy
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by deltaboy »

TAB2you wrote:Gentlemen,

Indeed they are fine looking knives, and I parted with mine via sending it to Buck for a replacement, they sent me a single lockback folder, I'm much happier with that option. I give Buck kudos for listening to a customer when they want to return something they consider to be bad design. I've come to the conclusion that exposed spey is just not for me. If in older blades it was different, I'd be interested to know why they changed it. Don't get mwe wrong, I still love my other Bucks and find them to be wonderful value and good steel!

300bucks, would you know why they changed the pinning?

OH- your points make good sense. Be careful with that knife in your pocket. When I cut myself, I was usign my rather meaty (read fat) thumb on the sheepsfoot spey blade nail nick, and managed to cut the tip on my thumb with the spey. If I changed to opening it with my index finger and hold the knife just right, I'd not have the problem. I open all my knives though two handed, with right hand holding the knife and left thumb as the opener. I didn't want to change for one knife! ::dang::

Here was mine:buck1.JPG
The kick was too tall that is an easy fix.
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300Bucks
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by 300Bucks »

Haven't been anywhere to ask such questions of Buck folks. Black sawcut scales are installed in a method that melts some spots of the scale into the liner to hold it on. The shield is actually a pillar of metal attached to the liner and the scale is 'pressed' over the pillar in a "softened form" while at the same time make the sawcut surface. Wood scaled versions are all impregnated resin wood scales and my guess would be glue does not work in adequate manner holding on the scale.

In reality all of the 'factory' processes are about best method to insure acceptable quality and increase production rate while keeping costs low. The Camillus contracts were to a great degree human assembled, using some factory type machines for stamping, pressing, grinding and buffing. Both eras required some human fingers doing some knife making. Modern versions just slightly less so but producing greater numbers.

Spey blades were reshaped at some point to lower the tip when some new blade shaping was introduced. If you get one you think is too high, push down on the spine of the blade and see how much space you have under the spey's edge before it hits the bottom of the blade well. If it is a lot, you can slowly and carefully file or grind the tang toe down to get it to sit lower in the blade well. GO SLOW. You don't want that razor edge hitting the spring and curling it over. But, always FIRST look for buffing material or lint in the corner of the blade well that might keep a tang riding high. You would be surprised how many used knives I have seen that a wad of lint in those corners. Bright light and toothpick will solve that.

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deltaboy
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by deltaboy »

I been carrying my 301 this week. It a great knife. ::tu::
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jmh58
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by jmh58 »

I picked up a 301 a week ago and am impressed with it.. Yep.. The blades a beefy for sure.. Rides in the RFP very nice and am getting used to the soft snap.. This one is a keeper here for sure.. Now... Where is that yellow saw cut at??? ::super_happy:: John :D
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deltaboy
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by deltaboy »

I got another used one this week off the bay. Cleaning it. ::tu:: Up and preping it for my rotation.
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jmh58
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by jmh58 »

Still rockin my 301!! ::tu:: ::tu:: John :D
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fergusontd
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by fergusontd »

::tu:: I use and abuse my 301. I bought it new at Knife Alley at the
stockyards in Fortworth in 2005. It had the Idaho year stamp on it. Great user. ftd
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bertl
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by bertl »

In 1988, Buck introduced a three-spring design and that necessitated changing the positions of the secondary blades. With the two-spring design there was a brass mid-spacer, but that was eliminated in the three-spring design since each spring also acted as a spacer. For the design to function,spacer ends could not be next to each other and the sheepsfoot blade had to be the middle blade.

Bert
7. Two-Spring Components.jpeg
10. Three-Spring Configuration copy.jpg
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deltaboy
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by deltaboy »

Still loving both my 301 Buck Stockman's!
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deltaboy
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by deltaboy »

Keep Near the Cross.
Bucksway
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Re: In praise of the 301

Post by Bucksway »

My first and hopefully not last 301 is very special to me. It's the BCCI Ivory micarta with BG42 blades. I picked the one without the BCCI logo because I decided before I ordered it that it would be a user. I collect 112's and for me to spend close to a hundred bucks on a Buck that's not a 112 was a tough decision ..at first. For some reason I've never carried a 300 series or any knife of that type. Always a locking folder as a adult. When I received my club newsletter I looked at the pictures and when I seen it was to be BG42 I knew the chance of Buck ever releasing another 301 with any super steel was slim to none. Since this type of knive has been popular for over a hundred years I thought I owed it to myself to try one. I've been using it most every day since it came mostly as my desk knife for opening mail and mundane tasks peeling apples ect but also as my dress up carry at gigs or church when I don't want to carry on my belt and/or use anything bigger. It has been superb! I have not had to sharpen it yet as the BG42 is STILL sharp and because I use the leather pouch still looks like new.. . I'm really glad 300 asked Buck and the club to go with the 301 because I consider it to be one of the best 301's Buck has ever made and because of the steel one of the rarest. One other thing is that I have never seen one for sale on Ebay or anywhere else so I guess everyone who was lucky enough to order one feels the same way as I do. I picked up a Yellowhorse 314 trapper the other day but I can't bring myself to try it ! I'm pic challenged but I bet 300 has one..
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