Buck Knives301 Stockman Three Blade Folding Knife

I take it you're coming here for a good, honest review of a pocket knife to carry. Well, here you go.I'm a former Marine, and I've used knives as a country boy since before I could barely walk. Whittling, mumbly-peg, throwing knives at trees, etc. I've also had/have all the big names in tactical knives out there: Emerson (my favorite tacticals), Strider, Benchmade, Spyderco, and Zero Tolerance. I even love my traditional Case and GEC knives as well. What's my point here, you ask? Most of all of these knives can go into the $100 and way above range - some $300-$500 (except some good Case knives, most of these are still very reasonable carry knives and a great American tradition).Now, on to the 301. For under $30, you get THREE great blades in a great stainless steel with a superb heat-treated process by Paul Bos standards (look him up, king of heat-treating!). My 301 came with NO blade wobble, good fit and finish, and decent walk and talk. It also came razor sharp- all 3 blades shaved the hair right off my leg. Let me just say right now that this is genuine American made classic and has been around for a long time for a reason. It feels very solid in your hand - not a piece of Chinese or Pakistani junk that feels hollow and like it's about to fall apart.Let me go ahead and give my opinion on carrying a knife as well. I don't care if you're on Wall Street or Main Street, a man should carry a knife. If not, just go ahead and turn in your man card now, please. I tell that to the "men" at work when they ask to borrow mine. So, if you're of the male persuasion and reading this, and don't have a knife, this would be perfect for you. If you're a lady whose man doesn't carry a knife, either dump him now or get this for him. He'll be pleased.

I purchased one of the 301 models from Amazon to add to my small collection of EDC slip joint pocket knives. I tend to favor the old US made brands, particularly Schrade, makers of Old Timer and Uncle Henry knives. The best place to find these old US brands is on ebay where you can generally pick up a very good quality knife for $25 to $35 depending upon condition.That said, this 301 is definitely a tank. It is built for heavy everyday use. Most good quality knives have brass liners and carbon steel springs. In the 301, these parts are all stainless steel. The blade hold area of most knives is prone to corrosion over time, but I suspect with stainless springs and liners that won’t be a problem with the 301. Most stockman models have two springs which means that the small blades are bent at slight angles to each other to prevent the blades from rubbing when closed. The three spring design of the 301 eliminates this problem. I also suspect that designing the knife with the bolster pins completely through the bolsters is a stronger configuration than the alternative hidden bolster pin models.The fit and finish of the knife I received was good with the exception of the center pin which extended beyond the scale on one side of the knife and was not peened. I filed the pin down and peened it with a nail set with pretty good results. All three blades were razor sharp, and the scales, bolsters, blades, and springs were bright without scratches. I did notice that there were very small paper thin gaps between the springs, liners, and bolsters. I suspect that this is because of the stiff stainless steel liners, instead of the usual brass liners, which require more pressure to hold tightly together. This is probably why the blades don’t have the hard snap found on other knives, also. The other notable design feature is that the notched edges of tang ends of the blades, which are not rounded, sit above the liners when the knife is closed. This creates rough edges on the closed knife that can snag on clothing or pocket items.If you work on a farm, ranch, or in construction, and if you wear jeans and coveralls to work, this is the knife for you. It is a strictly heavy duty EDC that will stand up to the toughest jobs. If you wear Dockers to work and use your pocket knife to open the mail or clean your fingernails, I would suggest you take a look at the smaller Cadet (303) or Lancer (305) models.Also, I understand that the 301 and 303 series Buck pocket knives are made in the USA, while the 37x series knives are made in China. The 301 is stamped USA on the clip blade tang.

This was a gift. The feed back from my family was all positive as to being well made, sharp, good weight, ease of use. With that said, I feel this was a good choice with a fair price and wonderful service.

I've used all kinds of pocket knives over the years - Buck is always at the top of the list.

I paid the full price to get the American made version. It is an absolutely gorgeous knife. I will give it to my wife for her collection. Buck knives has always been top of the line and they back up their product. Any problems just send it back. Anytime.

I have just ordered what will be my third Buck 301. This will be my third, not because I wore the last two out, but because the others served me so well and were lost to unfortunate circumstances. The first stockman I owned was given to me by my father. It was a knife which he bought during the early 1970s at a military duty free store. That knife served me well for a few years before I left it at a friends house for an extended period and he lost it. The second was a replacement purchased for me by said friend who felt bad about losing my first. That knife went with me everywhere for another few years until, on a rather sentimental drinking binge, I gave it to my girlfriends brother. Too proud to ask him to return it to me when I sobered up, I ordered another the very next day. I love this knife.I should let it be known that I am not a collector. I do not have hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of steel sitting in a glass case...I am merely a long time user of this product, and a person who really loves well made, simple, objects: zippo lighters, moleskine notebooks, and the Buck 301 Stockman.

The first thing that impressed me was how easy it was to put a razor edge on the blades. It is made in the USA and congrats Buck you crafted a fine pocketknife for everyday use that is built to last.

I had this years ago just looked like the pins are not pushed in properly and there's gaps in the back of the knife not tight fit on the side I think the pen is not pushed in properly you can feel a kind of burr on one side .. I always love that knife I thought I would get a new one. Can't hardly tell by picture.. great knife though