Buck Stockman Folding Knife

Been wanting one of these for some time in spite of some less than complimentary reviews so finally got one a few weeks ago and to be honest am disappointed to find all blades have play and finish is not smooth along backsprings and bolsters but decided not to send it back. Have had better from Buck! HH service was good as normal.

It has some gapping on the back springs, the injection molded scales are grippy but a touch uneven and the grind is somewhat "toothie". There is some blade play on the spay blade (just a bit), a light pull throughout (no half stops) and zero blade rub thanks to the three back spring design. It has a rough authenticity which I find endearing. I like it. It's a tool not a show piece. At around the £40 mark I would have given it 4 stars but at £51 it is just "okay".

Back springs not at Victorinox levels of crispness, blades need ed a damn good polish out of the box, but came sharp and no fit and finish issues other than these. Overall pleased with my purchase, let's see how things go six months from now.

Got this as a second spare as my old model is on its way back for blade attention, testing out bucks forever warranty. Out of the box this seemed the same but the knife has blade play on all three blades , seems consistent on the whole knife though This model has three back springs so blades have one each ! The springs are much seeker than my old one which is not nice The quality of this knife is sadly lacking and if it had not got USA on the blade I would have thought it a china cheapie The blades are bucks HC420 which is treated well and I'm sure these won't be any less durable ( bucks stainless steel is in my experience much better than that of Case ) I am now wondering if the Buck from China is a better value knife although that model looses the HC420 with the boss heat treat ! I have already put this knife to work and its looking good so far it's just as so many things made today by old name companies Not what they were ,shame Service from HH was top notch as usual but the Buck only gets a three star as it's I believe over priced for what you get !!!!

I have had a Buck 301 for about thirty years?, that was gifted to me and has been a constant companion almost daily for that time ! I have now purchased a new 301 from HH as the old one is going back to Buck for old age repairs ! I have read alot of reviews on the new ones both here at HH and on line , So which one I thought ? I don't have a problem with China made but I went for the US model because it has the black saw tooth infills like my old one , i didn't want wood One first impressions it looked the same but it was obvious that the back springs were very week , this is I think down to the fact it has three back springs ? Fit and finish is what I would say is a little rough , the blade side is uneven at the bolsters the black inserts are uneven in finish , the back springs are finished to a mediocre standard and the blades are also rough edged and the grind is uneven and quite poor although they are sharpish? On the topic of blades they do all have a little play in the lateral, Not a lot but it's there ! My thirty year old one is about the same as this new one !!! This Buck 301 is not a cheap knife to buy at £51.95 but I'm afraid it has not impressed me ! Not one little bit I can't see it going thirty years even though you get the( for ever warranty ) such a shame when you see a product go down hill this way ? . I purchased a Schrade Stockman from HH before this at £14.95 and it was made in China but to be honest it's better than the 301 and that's the truth ! This experience just goes to show we take for granted the quality of the Victorinox swiss army knife not the Buck of old ! Shame.

As I write this the knife is on its way back to HH (always 5 * service). Having done my research I really wanted this knife to be first class. Like "made in UK" one grows up to expect "made in the USA" to be synonymous with quality but alas this proved not to be the case. Despite all the hype about three back springs the blades clashed and at least two had significant lateral play. Now I know that with a riveted slip joint some play is inevitable but that ought be after significant use not straight out of the box. Fit and finish compared poorly with both my RR Barlows made in China. Buck is a name of legend but for this customer it has proved nothing more than a myth.

First one I ordered had excessive blade play, HH replaced it in a very short turnaround time with a much better example. In short, a classic bomb proof legal edc that will last a lifetime.

Great service from HH as always. I like hard wearing knives - this is the best....Great quality...Will not let you down.

"Tough" is the word that comes to mind. Buck's Stockman is, as others have said, the Ford pickup truck of pocket knives. The 420 HC blades features Buck's highly regarded heat treatment, translating into excellent performance and easy maintenance. The blades are very sharp out of the box, with no wire edges (burrs from final factory sharpening). The long-wearing scales are cast in place, utilising purpose-built holes to eliminate the need for pins to secure the durable and rugged polypropylene handles. The main blade with its fine point for detail work, and long sweeping edge, provides a good range of use, close to but still within the legal limit of 3" from handle to tip. The shape of the grinds, especially the swedges on the spine, may at first seem oddly unsymmetrical, but this is intentional, permitting the keen tip of the clip blade to have the strength to easily penetrate resistant materials and yet be manoeuvrable. For example, to precisely make a close-fitting hole when adding an overflow line to a large tough polypropylene water barrel. By assigning separate springs for each blade, Buck has done away with annoying blade rub. Since the sheepfoot and spey blades do not share the same layer, they are perfectly straight, not crinked as on many other manufacturers' Stockman patterns. Buck has opted for a carefully thought out "sabre grind" for many of their current production pocket knives. Have a look at their website sometime. It is quite informative. This gives a bit more strength than the common flat ground or hollow ground design. If using your Buck for extended paring or stripping jobs, or if you are doing wood carving or whittling, the thicker blade spines are more comfortable for your thumb, especially for thumb on thumb push cuts, allowing power and control. The sheepfoot and spey blades provide excellent utility and complementary capabilities. Altogether, the Buck Stockman has all the rugged versatility that the pattern is noted for, in a pocket friendly design that will last for years of hard work. Thanks, Heinnie, for providing such a great selection and outstanding service!