- Joined
- Jun 30, 2006
- Messages
- 1,452
I think most you know my history with the 119 vs Nighthawk from this thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=458030 So here is the comparison as promised.... I did all the measurements with my digital calipers so they are good to 0.000" 
655 Nighthawk Specs:
Blade Thickness 0.235"
Blade Length 5.219"
Grip Thickness 0.971"
Grip Depth 1.134"
Grip Inside Length 3.938"
Overall Knife Length 10.325"
420HC steel
nylon sheath
2005 prod, USA made, Idaho stamp :thumbup:
price $40 (wally world)
119 Special Specs:
Blade Thickness 0.175"
Blade Length 5.867"
Grip Thickness 0.980"
Grip Depth 1.067"
Grip Inside Length 3.712"
Overall Knife Length 10.420"
420HC steel
leather sheath
2006 prod, USA made, "T" laying to right stamp
price $45 (the K big box)
These two knives have similar dimensions (with the exception of blade thickness) but have an entirely different feel to them. The 655 feels stout and rugged while the 119 seems more graceful and refined. I was surprised that their overall length was only about a 1/10" different because the 119 looks like a much longer knife, even when side by side. The 119 feels nicely balanced in the hand while the 655 has noticeably more weight in the blade.
One area where they separate out is in their grip design. The 655 simply fits the hand perfectly. My thumb automatically finds the thumb grip and everything feels comfortable. The rubber inserts make it really grippy too. The grip on 119 feels almost awkward in comparison. It's grip feels too big for my hand and the material, while good looking, can get slippery if it's wet or if you have gloves on. After I hold a 655 then pick up a 119 my thumb tries to find a comfortable place to be, without any luck. I've read where some users grind off the top guard on a 119 to make a place for their thumb. I will not do that, but I can see why they did it!
I have not done much work with the Nighthawk yet, but I have been using the 119 for a lot of kitchen duty (just because I can). While the 119 is a little big and thick for fine peeling and slicing it was awesome carving a ham, slicing cheese, and breaking apart frozen hamburger patties :thumbup: And there is nothing quite like whipping out a 119 to slice open a pack of hot dogs for the grill.
I hope to use the 655 in the kitchen over the next few weeks so we'll see how it does. My guess is that the blade will be too thick for most stuff, but I almost always carry my 112, Dorado, or Odyssey in my pocket for finer work.
My plan is to use both of them outside over the next few weeks to get a better feel for them (no more batoning for me
) and then update this thread.
The bottom line is that these are two very different knives and a Buck fan needs both a 655 and a 119, and at about $85 for the pair they are an absolute bargain!
655 Nighthawk Specs:
Blade Thickness 0.235"
Blade Length 5.219"
Grip Thickness 0.971"
Grip Depth 1.134"
Grip Inside Length 3.938"
Overall Knife Length 10.325"
420HC steel
nylon sheath
2005 prod, USA made, Idaho stamp :thumbup:
price $40 (wally world)
119 Special Specs:
Blade Thickness 0.175"
Blade Length 5.867"
Grip Thickness 0.980"
Grip Depth 1.067"
Grip Inside Length 3.712"
Overall Knife Length 10.420"
420HC steel
leather sheath
2006 prod, USA made, "T" laying to right stamp
price $45 (the K big box)
These two knives have similar dimensions (with the exception of blade thickness) but have an entirely different feel to them. The 655 feels stout and rugged while the 119 seems more graceful and refined. I was surprised that their overall length was only about a 1/10" different because the 119 looks like a much longer knife, even when side by side. The 119 feels nicely balanced in the hand while the 655 has noticeably more weight in the blade.
One area where they separate out is in their grip design. The 655 simply fits the hand perfectly. My thumb automatically finds the thumb grip and everything feels comfortable. The rubber inserts make it really grippy too. The grip on 119 feels almost awkward in comparison. It's grip feels too big for my hand and the material, while good looking, can get slippery if it's wet or if you have gloves on. After I hold a 655 then pick up a 119 my thumb tries to find a comfortable place to be, without any luck. I've read where some users grind off the top guard on a 119 to make a place for their thumb. I will not do that, but I can see why they did it!
I have not done much work with the Nighthawk yet, but I have been using the 119 for a lot of kitchen duty (just because I can). While the 119 is a little big and thick for fine peeling and slicing it was awesome carving a ham, slicing cheese, and breaking apart frozen hamburger patties :thumbup: And there is nothing quite like whipping out a 119 to slice open a pack of hot dogs for the grill.
I hope to use the 655 in the kitchen over the next few weeks so we'll see how it does. My guess is that the blade will be too thick for most stuff, but I almost always carry my 112, Dorado, or Odyssey in my pocket for finer work.
My plan is to use both of them outside over the next few weeks to get a better feel for them (no more batoning for me
) and then update this thread.The bottom line is that these are two very different knives and a Buck fan needs both a 655 and a 119, and at about $85 for the pair they are an absolute bargain!
