Here is a repost of a thread I have on bcusa, figured you guys might like to see it too.
I've owned a buck 119 for over a decade but never really used it for much more than a loaner knife or to skin animals. I looked up reviews and there seems to be alot of complaints about breakage, brittle steel, lack of edge holding, etc so I figured I'd do my own test and see how well it works.
The one complaint I found kinda funny was the whole brittle steel thing, I think alot of people think its cheap feeling because of the weight(or lack thereof). It's got aluminum fittings and a phenlonic handle, of course it's not gonna weigh as much as a full tang with micarta or a knife with brass fittings.
First off a pose of the knife on my backpack. Nice looking blade.
I used it for chopping first, this really isn't a strong point. It's too light for serious chopping even though it can make quick work of wrist sized stuff.
Goes through smaller stuff easily.
Quicker and easier to just baton the knife through branches.
Not the prettiest fuzz sticks...but they do their job.
Used it for a little bit of notching/trap making. I really liked the thin tip, easy to get into tight places.
Fishing spear, very easy and effective.
Still shaving sharp after a day of work.
It's not a big bad chopper and it's not the knife you wanna beat through seasoned knotty hardwoods, but it's still quite capable. The handle can also get kinda slippery when wet.
It does take a great edge though and holds it well. The handle fits my hand like a glove, the blade is light and nimble which makes it feel more natural when carving. It also rides very low profile on your belt and doesn't weigh much so you don't notice it til you need it.
My overall opinion is a positive one, I would feel confident carrying a buck 119 as my primary blade.
I've owned a buck 119 for over a decade but never really used it for much more than a loaner knife or to skin animals. I looked up reviews and there seems to be alot of complaints about breakage, brittle steel, lack of edge holding, etc so I figured I'd do my own test and see how well it works.
The one complaint I found kinda funny was the whole brittle steel thing, I think alot of people think its cheap feeling because of the weight(or lack thereof). It's got aluminum fittings and a phenlonic handle, of course it's not gonna weigh as much as a full tang with micarta or a knife with brass fittings.
First off a pose of the knife on my backpack. Nice looking blade.
I used it for chopping first, this really isn't a strong point. It's too light for serious chopping even though it can make quick work of wrist sized stuff.
Goes through smaller stuff easily.
Quicker and easier to just baton the knife through branches.
Not the prettiest fuzz sticks...but they do their job.
Used it for a little bit of notching/trap making. I really liked the thin tip, easy to get into tight places.
Fishing spear, very easy and effective.
Still shaving sharp after a day of work.
It's not a big bad chopper and it's not the knife you wanna beat through seasoned knotty hardwoods, but it's still quite capable. The handle can also get kinda slippery when wet.
It does take a great edge though and holds it well. The handle fits my hand like a glove, the blade is light and nimble which makes it feel more natural when carving. It also rides very low profile on your belt and doesn't weigh much so you don't notice it til you need it.
My overall opinion is a positive one, I would feel confident carrying a buck 119 as my primary blade.
