HOW TO IDENTIFY A SCHRADE CONTRACTED BUCK 301 STOCKMAN

[@knifedelights7473]

NOTE: Upon further review, this knife may be an early Camillus model instead of the Schrade 3rd version. I will continue to investigate.

[@garyelliott2670]

Great video brother, I have a camillus made buck, love them, God bless!

[@Seppiedog]

Two great stockmans and a great lesson. Thanks for sharing Tom, be safe.

[@Jimthechevywheelman]

Enjoyed following you into the weeds 🤓👍🏻👍🏻

[@peterfreidel7721]

Fun nerding out with you. My favorite part, the back springs, beautiful 😂 God bless you and your family Tom❤❤❤

[@vincent_lopresti_lopvin]

Thanks for the information. I appreciate all the time and effort you have put into the research. I need to closely examine my collection now…

[@davidkurle5418]

This was great info, buddy! Cheers!

[@jeffjackson5331]

Very cool info. You have a wonderful Sunday my friend. God Bless.

[@bigjsknives]

Great info on this Tom, especially for someone like me who's always looking to pick these up at flea markets and antique stores!! Hope you have a great week!!

[@kathleensmith370]

love you info

[@KernArms]

😂 nerding out! That’s funny 😄.. very cool when you can take a seemingly regular Buck pocketknife and break down the age and history based on slight details in its construct. Thanks for the sonic cleaner info, I received mine today. Pick it up on a great deal. 👍

[@wderoker]

Another great,entertaining video Tom. I love my Bucks too. I find it amazing that mineral oil works well on restoring those plastic handles. Thank you and happy holidays! Bill

[@GreatLakesKnivesandLanterns]

Great information Tom. I came across a 301 with a Winchester shield instead of the traditional knife,hammer and bolt shield. I’ve done some research and what I’ve found out is that there were a 1000 ordered and only 900 made it out.

[@WhippleUniverse]

Not sure what it is about the Buck 300 series. They look so good to me. Just simple and basic,yet so much elegance?

[@stevehuffman7453]

SCHRADE contracted (1966 to c.1968: 1) Long Pull on the clip blade. 2) SWINDON KEY CONSTRUCTION. All Schrade contracted Buck (and other makes) knives have Swindon Key construction. (Buck only contracted with Schrade for a couple years, then contracted with Camillus, because too many knives were being returned under warranty for a failed Swindon Key. Repair required special tools to take the knife apart to replace the bad key and reassemble. Converting a Swindon Key knife to pins was even weaker.) CAMILLUS (c.1968 to Buck producing the knives in house, c.1995): 1) Long Pulls on the clip blade. 2 STANDARD PINNED CONSTRUCTION. Camillus NEVER used Swindon Keys for self branded or contract knives. IMHO The Swindon Key (invented and patented by Schrade engineer Dave Swindon he was also CEO from c.1988 to the bankruptcy in 2004) is one of the reasons Schrade USA went belly up. The Swindon Key is not as strong as a through pin. My GUESS is half the knives leaving the Schrade and Uncle Henry plants were no cost to the consumer guarantee/warrantee replacements (UH had a "No Loss" guarantee. If a consumer lost their UH knife, They could get a replacement at no charge. Taking "Human" nature into account, there is zero doubt many saw the no loss guarantee as a "Buy 1 Get 1 (or more, since the replacement had the same no loss guarantee) FREE!" After the Prov. NJ Imperial plant burned down, Mr. Swindon moved the Imperial production to Ireland. Apparently it cost less to buy out a cutlery company in Ireland, than to rebuild and upgrade the Prov. NJ. plant. He also bought out Westholm IXL in Sheffield, England, and had some Schrade knives made there. Years later, he admitted moving Imperial production to Ireland was a mistake. Consumers "thought" the knives made in Ireland were inferior to those made in NJ. (they were not inferior. They were identical. Blades and the "cover" stampings with thin Delrin sheet "covers" were exported to Ireland. They had the same hollow bolster construction. The Imperial sub brands (Frontier, IMPCO, and Hammer Brand) were discontinued after the fire, as were the Imperial and Hammer Brand automatics/"switch blades". Schrade COULD repair a Swindon Key knife. However, most were just replaced. It was faster to take them off the assembly line than to repair. NO ONE has used Swindon Key construction other than SCHRADE USA. Even after the patents expired. When Taylor bought all the Schrade brands (excluding Camillus, which didn't go under until 2007) and all the intellectual properties,mand resumed regular production of the Schrade, Uncle Henry, and Old Timer brands in China, the Swindon Key was FINALLY abandoned. In 2017 when Taylor Schrade sold out to BTI, the Swindon Key was not revived. As far as I know, BTI contracts with the same companies that Taylor did. BTW: Both Taylor and BTI are American companies. The knives are made overseas (Schrade USA also had their "modern" folders made in Japan and China) so you are buying an "American" knife when you buy a offshore production Schrade (Same for the Buck 37x and 38x slipjoints Made in China but still have the same "Forever" warranty as the 301/303 and 100 series knives made in Idaho.)