All About Pocket Knives

Here's my 317 with everything that came with it the day it was purchased. Check out the original sales receipt from Ed's Gun Shop in Niagara Fall, NY and message from the President. Click on pic to enlarge.
wazu013

Sweet find!

Very nice Wazu,
Here is a 1973 wonder when they started making these

nutoknives wrote:Very nice Wazu,
Here is a 1973 wonder when they started making these

I have heard they started shortly before your knife. They were contract knives made by Camillus. The first year has a small center pin and the tang stamp has Buck on the front and 317 on the back. I'm sure someone in the Buck forum knows the facts.
Nicce knives nuto
wazu013

Did someone say Buck 317. Offical dates 1972 to 1989. Smokey Mountain Knife Works might of stretched that a little. The history of the 317 started and ended with Camillus, they were contract made for Buck from the beginning of its existence to it's end. Buck never made the 317. The one below with the scale rivets is likely a salesman sample and would be the technical first version. Then go to tangs stamped Made In U.S.A. with 317 on reverse. Then BUCK, 317, U.S.A.. Throw in a serrated secondary blade version and several special marking and custom only scale versions. Blade ink stamps were custom made only for Smokey Mountain Knife Works exclusive offers. For some reason the 317 remains a sought after knife and usually gets decently high prices. If anyone has one with Paul Bunyon stamped on the blade please let me know.
300Bucks

Ignore the writing under the first two knives shown, it is talking about Camillus/Bucks in general.

Great Info 300 Thanks for the great pictures also, looks like this might be one of your favorites but then again all bucks are pretty awsome

You know gents, I was blissfully unaware of the Buck 317 until I saw this thread a few weeks ago; those pictures you posted of your knives just wouldn't stay out of my mind. Along comes the Fayetteville Gun show this past weekend and guess what a dealer had on his table? My Christmas wish list has been fulfilled! NIB, 12/78 date on the Use and Care instruction sheet.

317's

Nice take down Old Hunter!!
wazu013

Thanks gentlemen - now you guys just keep posting pictures of nice knives I don't own and I will have to keep acquiring more !

Well, it's not a Buck, but I just saw today that Case is making a special run of a nearly exact copy of the 317 (and it is cheaper than I paid for my NIB Buck) - for anyone that wants a 317 and cannot find one, here is a substitute:
http://www.casexx.com/DisplayDetailPage ... tCode=9541