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Comment by Syd Carr on June 26, 2015 at 22:57

Ok, here is a lesson on how NOT to buy vintage knives online. Pictured below are two Buck #303 Cadets. On top is a Camillus-made from the mid to late 70's, (it has a carbon spring which dates it pre 1980), below is the same model, but made by Schrade between 1967-1972. Notice any difference? The earlier knife is noticeably of thinner profile, has brass handle pins, and though it's reshaped, the master blade has a small angle on top from the nail nick back, (a Schrade "tell"), it's hard to see but it's there.

I bought that older knife online thinking it was intact, but when it arrived I of course immediately noticed that the master blade had been broken then reshaped, losing nearly an inch of it's original length, (compare the blades in the photo). The seller claimed ignorance of course, but said he would take it back if I wanted to go to the trouble and expense of sending it back. The photos he took weren't clear in his Etsy listing, so I missed that defect when I decided to purchase it, (I wasn't the only one who didn't see that defect BTW). I decided to keep it anyway, at least as an example of the differences between these two versions of the same model knife. The older knife also has no model number on it, and has "Buck" stamped into the pile side of the secondary blades.

Lesson learned? Ask for more photos if the ones you are looking at don't show the knife from every conceivable angle. That's another reason I decided to keep it, I didn't do my homework, so it was partially my fault as well as the seller's.

Oh well, flawed or not this is the oldest Buck that I have, I'll keep it just for that reason if for nothing else.

Comment by Syd Carr on June 23, 2015 at 15:19

Still waiting for the 1960's #303 I have coming, but in the meantime I added a #319 Rancher to my Camillus-made 300 series collection; this one probably dates to the 70's. It is the same closed length as a #301 Stockman, (3 7/8"), same frame, but it has an awl instead of a sheepsfoot blade. This one is farm fresh and well used, but in a complete and "good" used condition. Both blades have been sharpened, sloppily of course, but they have no nicks, just scratches and scuffs. Surprisingly both blades are passably sharp. There are also some marks on the bolsters, and the awl actually looks rusty on one side, (probably just gunk). I'd love to have a pristine version of all of my Bucks, but I also respect an often-used knife as well, they have "character", (most of my Bucks fall under that description). I have no problem owning a knife that has been used and appreciated. I'll clean this one up and add it to the herd. More photos after the #303 arrives.

Comment by Syd Carr on June 20, 2015 at 23:22

I searched for "pocket knife" and came up with eight pages of results. I had no idea Etsy was getting so popular, thanks again for the heads up. Of course, like any online purchase I won't really know what I got until it arrives sometime next week. The photos didn't show the master blade profile very well, and that will determine its origins, but it is a relatively early Buck, no matter where it was made. I went ahead and bought due to what I think I saw. Whether I got a good deal or not, of course, is yet to be determined. I'll post pics when it arrives, and describe the features that identify it, (again, thanks to 300bucks from AAPK)..

Found more Buck related stuff today at a yard sale for a dollar, an old #133 Buck Honing Kit with both Arkansas & Washita Stone(s) & a partially used can of Buck honing oil, (no box or knives though). Better than that, there was a 1970's mini catalog with prices & photos of all of their knives that came with the kit. Unfortunately right now my printer is broken, so I can't scan it. I'll take it down to the copy store & get it scanned and will post that here soon too. You guys will get a kick out of it, especially the prices, the list for a 110 Folding Hunter is $25, so in my mind that places the catalog in the 70's. Picked up a #303-sized leather sheath at another yard sale today too, so it was a good Buck day at my house.

Comment by Jan Carter on June 20, 2015 at 20:02

Syd, sometimes I just type in knife and see what happens.  I too have found some oddly listed items at a steal using that strategy 

Comment by Syd Carr on May 28, 2015 at 17:03

I've gotten pretty good at searching out feebay listings that don't get noticed, and/or are poorly listed and therefore not noticed by most, and here is a fine example of that. Yet another Camillus-made Buck joins the family, a 307 Wrangler, and also a US-made single blade lockback model 450 "Prodigy". I still have to go through 300buck's data to determine the exact origins and date of manufacture of the 307, but I'm reasonably sure this one is Camillus-made. This was one of my better recent finds on the bay, and I got them both from the same listing for $17.06 shipped. Bidding on this one was of course an educated guess, but I am relatively experienced with bay, and this one turned out really well I think.

Both have obviously been used, and the 307 shows normal wear of the handles & has a few light scratches on the blades, but both have tight, sharp blades, (neither needs sharpening), and both walk & talk like a US-made Buck should.

So, the quest for one of each of the US-made Buck 300 series continues, and I got a cool tactical ta boot. I'm also waiting for a 1970's 301 to arrive, and that one I got stupidly cheap, (if it is as described, another listing that fell through the cracks so to speak, I'm good at finding those), but I'll wait til I see that one to crow about it. In the meantime I'll crow about these two, I'm thrilled to have them, I think I got a great deal!

Comment by Tobias Gibson on May 24, 2015 at 20:28

I recently picked up a Buck Clearwater Bait Knife of Amazon.   When it arrived things just didn't seem right. I haven't bought many Buck Knives and the last fixed blade was almost 8 years ago.   but I found it odd that the knife was snapped in the sheath and   tossed in the yellow Buck box.  There  was absolutely no packaging whatsoever.  It was just rattling around in the box.   When I pulled the knife from the scabbard the blade was covered in a light oil.  When I wiped off the oil, the blade appeared to have some kind of black crud on it.    On closer inspection, the blade tip didn't quite look like the one I've seen in the photos.

I bought it from a reputable dealer and when I pointed out the my suspicions they gave a full refund.  And told me to keep the knife.   But as I look at the tip of the blade, if it was re-profiled, it was done by a pro. And the knife is rock-sold and sharp as a razor.    I'm wondering now if the tip is the way Buck is making them like this now and while the knife had been a return it was otherwise just fine.  I' wondering if I jumped the gun on my complaint, at least about the blade tip.

If the tip looked this much different when you received it, and if you had never seen one in person would you have complained?

And if you plan on using it anyway would you bother buying another one right away or wait and see how this one does?

Comment by Syd Carr on May 14, 2015 at 17:14

Here is a pdf of the raw data I have received so far from 300bucks on AAPK. He is working on a complete spreadsheet with all of Buck guru Charles Toft's historical info on the series. Add this to the dating contained in the scans below and you have a pretty complete history of the Buck 300 series knives up to the mid 90's.

For some reason my thread on AAPK became the dumping ground for this data, but I'm glad it did Buck%20300%20Series%20history%20by%20300%20Bucks%20unedited.pdf.

Comment by Syd Carr on May 13, 2015 at 18:28

300Bucks has added scans of a spreadsheet he has regarding 300 series Bucks in my AAPK thread, it is several pages long, so I won't take up space here by posting the jpg's, (unless you want me to). Apparently AAPK won't allow uploads of pdf or Excel files, so all he could think of was to upload jpg scans. If you add them to the handwritten scans I posted below, you then have an unprecedented, concise chronological history of the Buck 300 series, with all the pertinent info you could ever want regarding that particular series of vintage Buck knives.

if you can't get to my thread to see the files, send me a PM and I will send them to you. They are an invaluable research tool IMHO.

Comment by Syd Carr on May 12, 2015 at 20:18

Sorry they are out of order, still struggling with the editor here a bit, but yes, it is an amazing document isn't it? I was flabbergasted when he posted it, and recognized it's value to the entire knife collecting community. Never doubt the resolve of a fanatic.

Comment by Jan Carter on May 12, 2015 at 20:02

Syd,

Thank you.  That information is priceless!

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