Buck 119 Special???

S

savageman

Joined
May 27, 2005
Messages
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I handled a Buck 119 Special today and thought about adding a big fixed blade to my hunting/camping gear. I own a Buck 110 folder for field dressing big game in the bush and I really like it. I want a bigger fixed blade for doing any tough jobs on deer, moose and bear. I also would like it for a general purpose camping knife.

Is the Buck 119 Special a good knife for under $50 for these chores? I don't think I would have it on my belt while hunting, I would leave it at the camp and do all the bigger tasks back at camp.

I posted here cause I want non-biased opinions on Buck...
 
The 119 is a classic for a good reason. It's a great blade for a great price. good ergos, smooth look and a sharp blade. You should do yourself a favor and buy it from Wal-Mart, I believe their price tag is $35 - correct me if I'm wrong. Buck is a great company and I don't think anyone here is going to dispute that.
 
Its a very good knife, somone mentioned they had it for 35, here in maryland at my walmart its 42, still a good price for a great knife.
 
They're always $50-60 up here , but still well worth it. A time-proven knife. I just recently discovered that the pommel is riveted on , not pressed on as I originally thought. I prefer the Leather sheath.
 
Buck also has great customer service. I returned an old Cross-lock I bought over 10 years ago. This was one of the original with drop point on one side and a gut hook and one directional saw on the other blade. Well they don't make that style anymore, so they sent be back a brand new updated version that I see in catalogs for $70-80. I only paid around $30. Highly recommend Buck!!
 
The 119 is a great blade. The 420HC steel is decent at holding an edge and more importantly, taking an edge. Good sharp tip. I'm not crazy about the unsharpened swedge, clip, fuller (blood groove) and double guard, but they are part of the classic package.

As others said it is a great, time proven knife. Why not carry it on your belt? You would be surprised how quickly you will adapt to it and come to appreciate it being right there on your hip. Having a decent fixed blade on my belt is one of the joys of being out in wilderness.

Another one to consider at the price point would be the mora 2000. Indeed it is a very different knife, but a very good one in an outdoor setting.
 
I hate it when I have to agree 100 percent with kgd.:D

I used the Buck 110 for years. When I bought my first Buck fixed blade, it was the 119. I have never been without one since. I am somewhat surprised that Buck knives are hardly ever discussed here. For quite a few years, I thought that there was only Buck Knives.:)

The Mora 2000 is a very good fixed blade as well.
 
I've had a Buck 119 for years, it was actually my first fixed blade knife. I use mine all the time, but the sheath on my new one isn't very good(it rattles) but I found a good one in a cheap Winchester knife set I bought that fits the 119 perfectly. The 119 is very dependable it sohuld be able to take any reasonable work you put it through. Don't baton with it though aside from the fact that this is not what a knife is for, it would more tthan likely be difficult with this knife because of the size and shape of the blade.
 
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Gonna have to pile on here, myself. I have had a buck 119 since '72, and for a few years it was my only good sheath knife. It made every camping trip, hunting trip, canoe trips (it never rusted!!) and many "barbecue in the park" events for years and years.

You can't go wrong with this knife. It holds an edge well, has good geometry for a hunting knife and is big enough to be a good overall camp knife. Easy to sharpen/touch up in the field, too.

Don't give it another thought. If you like it in your hand, buy it!

Robert
 
Since you use a 110, you already know how the steel performs. Buck has been making 119's since the '60s. The design works.
 
My earliest years were spent here in the Tennessee hills and my first knife was a German made hunting knife, an old edge mark I believe but at the age of 10 My father moved to Tampa Florida. When I moved down there and went out on the boat for the weekend the first time the salt water and air showed effects on the hi-carbon steel very quickly so we went shopping for me a new knife and I ended up getting a 119. For the next three years I put that knife through the ringer as only a young boy can. I chopped wood, built palmetto club houses, swam in the bay with it on my belt, skinned and cut up rabbits, cut bait, cleaned fish, cut up steaks and ribs off the grill and all of the other things a young boy will do with a knife while exploring a completely new type of wilderness. The knife handled it all very well. One thing I learned was not to actually let it get dull before sharpening...a good lesson for a kid to learn as my father refused to ever sharpen any of my knives...he just showed me how and said if I ever wanted it razor sharp again I'd have to do it myself. five years later I broke the knife out of sheer anger and stupidity throwing it at a tree very hard after carrying it on my belt all day one cold January day. To this day I still have a five minute trip down memory lane every time I see one on a shelf in a store.
 
Here's the 119 and it's big brother the 120. You can still find the 120 but it's not as common, as the 119. Only thing I've had a problem with is the handle is slick. Twice I've lost my grip on the knife chopping with it. You really have to keep a good grip or put some rubber over the grip.
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I just retired a decades old, beat up 119 with a new 119BR. I got a great deal on it, and the Cocobolo and brass are a beautiful combination. I'm looking forward to making it a bloody mess come deer season.

They're worth every penny.
 
Hi,

I will admit the 119 is a classic, but I might be the only one here who doesn't like them at all. In fact, it made me swear off Buck knives until just recently.

I had one back in the '70's for a short while. My first real fixed blade. It had a 440C blade, the cat's meow for SS blades back in those days. I openly admit that I only owned a small medium and fine Arkansas stone for sharpening. A combo more suited to touching up my slippies. It made for very difficult and laborious sharpening sessions. And my knife may have been a bit too hard, it chipped very easily. Requiring yet another long, laborious sharpening to fix.

I also found that for my usage, the blade was a bit thick and cumbersome. It felt almost crowbar like to me. I much prefer thinner blades for dressing, caping, and butchering work. I also determined pretty quickly that the black plastic handle and aluminum pommel didn't work well with wet bloody hands a 20F. It got cold and slippery very fast. I was used to the Old Hickory butcher knife I'd swipe from the kitchen drawer. The 119 was nothing like that.

So with no one to teach me any better I developed a dislike for that knife. I gave it to my brother. But I've never seen him use it. I wonder if he still has it.

dalee
 
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