Description
BUCMBO119LE: 119 Special Historical Collectors Set
Buck Knives
Buck’s Legacy Collection offers exceptional beauty and dramatic designs. Hours of hand craftsmanship go into each Legacy Collection knife. Many pieces, designed by Buck’s employees, are handcrafted in the USA with unique materials and defined as cherished family heirlooms.
The Legacy of the 119
1942-1954
Hoyt Buck designed what would become the 119 after the US Government requested donations of fixed blade knives to help arm the men fighting during World War II. Starting out in the basement of the church he pastored, Hoyt handcrafted each knife from used file blades and lucite in various colors. As word traveled through the soldiers about these impressive Buck knives, he began taking orders from servicemen who requested a custom made knife. Up until 1945, the first fixed blades were created in multicolored stacked lucite and then later transitioned into the highly recognizable solid blue, red, green or black lucite handles, each featuring a single white lucite line in the middle. This blue replica represents the most popular and well-known model from this time period.
1951-1956
After Hoyt Buck's Passing in 1949, Al Buck continued into the family business in the small 10x12 foot lean-to in San Diego, CA. This version of the 119 introduces the blood groove and features a Lignum Vitae handle and 6" blade constructed from used files. Although still a popular military knife the fixed blade began transitioning into a utility and hunting knife. This version can be found in some of Bucks early outdoor magazine ads with the headline, "Amazing Bench Knife Cuts Anything" and a picture of a bolt-cutting demonstration. Al Buck traveled around the country doing bolt cutting demonstrations as one of his sales techniques.
