Buck Knives 373 Trio 3-Blade Folding Pocket Knife with Wood Handle

Very nice. Well made. Arrived quickly and as advertised. And with Buck’s lifetime guarantee how can you go wrong.

Very nice knife and handy with the three different blades.

Perfect for my wife’s purse.

Great beginners knife for whittling! This has been around for years and still is one of the best pocket knives I've owned. Lost mine on a fishing trip (they don't float), bought this one to replace it. Comes to you factory sharpening and fast! Loved the old one, sure I'll love this one. If taken care of properly, it will become an heirloom.

Easy to open, sharpness was good.

The 303 is one of the oldest Buck Models, also called the Cadet. It is a convenient size (for everyday pocket carry) and has three different blades. When the Buck plant moved out of California, the shape of the blades were changed slightly and the manufacturing process changed enough that the blades now are not as highly polished as the older California versions. The handle material looks very similar-a plastic sometimes called delrin, with tiny groves that look like they might be saw marks but reduce slipperiness.The 373 is the same pattern knife, (other knife makers call this a stockman pattern) made in China and sells for a much lower price. The handles are usually wood, not plastic. Wood is also available on the 303, at higher prices.This week I bought both of them from Amazon. Looking at them side by side, they are nearly identical in size. The 373 is very slightly thicker, but the same length. The difference seems to be the liners and bolsters from China are ever-so-tiny bit thicker. Visually, the 303 handle has a single rivet in the middle, rounded on one side and the end is slightly rough on the other side. If you look at the comments on Amazon about the 303, you will find several complaints about this. The hinge pins are visible within the bolsters on the 303, but the bolsters feel perfectly smooth. The smooth wood handles on the 373 are attached with three brass pins, polished to the handle and almost undetectable when I run my finger over them. The hinge pins cannot be seen in the bolsters. The shield on the 373 has the word 'BUCK', the shield on the 303 has the old logo with a picture of the original fixed blade Buck knife, hammered thru a bolt by a ball-peen hammer. The packaging on older Buck knives warned that to actually try this would void the warranty. For my taste, the 373 with the smooth wood handle looks just a bit classier over the 303, even though it sells for a lower price. Fit and finish on the 373 also seems better, but not much. This might be individual differences. That is one advantage of buying these kinds of things in an actual brick and mortar store--you can see several examples and pick out the one you prefer.The blades look very similar on each knife. The 303 felt slightly rough opening and closing the blades, the 373 did not. The tool marks from shaping the blades is more noticeable on the 303. The main clip blade on the 303 is marked BUCK 303 USA. The clip blade on the 373 is marked BUCK 373 and a symbol I cannot duplicate on my keyboard--a single line curve, like an upside down smile, with a dot under it. I do not find any other markings on the blades of the 303. One of the smaller blades on the 373 is marked CHINA with a small dot after the word. I found no indication on the box for the 373 where it was made.Looking at the blades of each knife side-by-side with a 30X hand magnifier, the 373 consistently had finer tool marks, particularly in the finger-nail grooves. All in all, the 373 for me is the more elegant looking knife, with all the functionality of the of the 303 at a lower price. If you want the rough texture of the plastic and the old logo, go for the 303.

I simply love this knive. In fact, I love it so much I purchased one for both of my Boy Scout sons. The knife is a perfect size to carry in your pocket and not have any problems. It is not cumbersome at all. Yes, there are smaller single blades by buck out there that are less cumbersome, the Buck 379BRS for instance Buck 379BRS Solo Folding Pocket Knife, which is a great little knife. So if you want something smaller, and only need a single blade, go with that one. However, the 373 BRS is perfect, in my opinion. I own this, the smaller 379BRS and also the larger Buck 0371 BRS Buck 0371BRS Stockman Folding Pocket Knife. Of all 3 I like this knife the most. The larger 0371 is really big for a "pocket knife." I keep one in my car and one in my backpack (I keep several types of knives in my pack.) However, for my everyday carry around knife, this buck 373 brs trio is my choice of knives.This particular model is made in China. I only mention this as I have compared this to a few buck pocket knives that were made in the USA and I see little to no difference. If you want a USA version knife, buck still makes them and they are excellent knives. You just have to look. They will be more expensive, but they are there. I have some of both and like both. I am a little more careful with my USA made versions just because I paid more, so the imported knives I own take more of a beating. Yet, they have held up just fine. Not that the USA versions have not or would not, I just have not put them through as much. That is with the exception of my Buck 110 Folding Hunter Buck 110 Folding Hunter, Lockback Folding Knife which is made in the USA. I have had that big ol knife since 1993. It has been with me on many an outdoor adventure and never let me down. I purchased one for my eldest son as a gift when he crossed over to Boy Scouts and he immediately cut his finger so be warned that one is a big and sharp as hades knife. His preferred knife is the Victorinox Swiss Army Champ Plus Victorinox Swiss Army Champion Plus Pocket Knife. But that is because of all the gadgets and his fellow troop members think it is so cool.Yeah, I own a few knives. And yes, I do carry several on me whenever I am in the outdoors. I do end up using all at one point or another. But in the end, if you are just wanting a simple everyday pocketknife that is useful for just about anything, the 373 brs will fit the bill.Good Luck!