Pathfinder questions

I

Idahofrank

Joined
Oct 24, 2009
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I currently have a craving for a 105 Pathfinder I already have a 119 and was thinking of adding a Pathfinder to the collection. The 119 is pretty heavy duty and a proven performer. My questions are can the 105 perform pretty much the same tasks? what are the pros and cons of the two models? The 105 does not seem to get the fame that the 119 enjoys. Please give me your honest opinions of the Pathfinder. The knife will be expected to perform the same tasks as my 119 and trusty 110 { hunting,camping,general woodsbumming}
 
Idaho, Welcome to the Buck forum . The knife your considering will do everything you mentioned and for general hunting, camping its a better choice . But look at the two there are differences . Ones 3/16" thick the other 1/8", one has a 1" wide blade the other less . The length is only 1" difference . There is a guy here who posts photos of him malleting a 105 thru some good sized sticks of firewood . With a 110, 105 and a good saw I'd consider myself well equipped . Let us know what you decide . DM
 
The 119 is popular because of its looks.....not its utility. It's too big and clumsy for most hunting, fishing and camping tasks. People love it for that romantic "Bowie" look.....and that's the story of the 119. It's good for looking good, chopping wood, digging holes and killing bears, I guess.

The 105 is far better as an all-around knife (a conclusion you appear to be coming to on your own).

The newer, thicker bladed 121s are excellent all-around knives as well.....a little lighter, more nimble and with a slightly longer blade than the 105.

When I want a knife with that romantic "Bowie" look, I go a little farther and carry a 120.......it looks even more like a bear-killer than the 119.

:)
 
BG, I want some of the same stuff you had for supper . ;) I've used my 70's 119 for field dressing large game and general camp chores and never thought it was too much knife . Heck, I've done the same with my 1980 model 120 and thought it was ok at skinning and don't care to use it inside the cavity . But it excells at quartering large game and even boning . They're both good at shelter building . This is just my opinion .
I've settled to a 5" knife as the best compromise for all around . But thats a tall order . Two knives exactly built for one or two purposes suit me better . DM
 
Indeed, David. Well then, I have a story.

Yes, I remember it well. My cousin and I were drinking coffee, eating ham sandwiches and chocolate cake and warming up after a cold morning on the deer stand and we got a frantic call from an in-law (and his son) who had shot a deer. They badly needed somebody to show them how to separate the unfortunate deer from its guts. (Brand new deer hunters.) We mobilized.

So, we get over there and, lo and behold, they're standing by this huge whitetail with a massive, 10-point typical rack......about 250 pounds of deer. So the Dad tells us how they came to shoot the monster and we gradually get around to the gutting out issue and he says, "Use my knife."

And he proudly pulls out a brand-spankin' new Buck 119 (which looks huge, even next to a really big deer).

So I say, "Wow......that's some knife if you're going to war (he was in the National Guard) but, luckily......I have a deer gutting knife right here."

Ignoring his confused protests, I pulled a 2 and 3/4 inch Buck 444 out of the vest pocket of my old Woolrich hunting coat and proceeded to separate deer from insides rather quickly.

Now.......I DID have a 110 on me (the 444 was a spare that I always kept in my hunting coat) but I was teaching.....and wanted to make a point so the poor dub would get it.

I did use the saw blade of my Leatherman to split the pelvis and sternum, but I'd do that no matter what knife I was using.

So he says, "Wow......all with such a little pocketknife."

And I said, "Yeah......you'll find that the more experience the deer hunter gets.......the smaller the knife gets."

Never saw him carry that damned 119 again.

:D
 
Idahofrank welcome to the forum, I like the 105 or 102... But always buy what you like... If you buy a 105, then you can buy a 102 and a 120 and a 124 and so on... Like us.... ITE

Sometimes I carry a 110 or a Schrade 150T Deerslayer or a 102, 105 or the 119 with my 422, that's always on my side... It just depends on how I feel, I guess... The first time I went deer hunting I went with my sister and she gets this big deer and so I pull out my 150T (It's like a 119) and she said you don't need that big knife and she pulls out her small Schrade 180T about a 2" knife and she guts her deer in just a few minutes... But I still like to carry my 180T... But I think I will only carry a 102 or a 105 or the 119 now becuse I love my Bucks... I'll keep the other knives in the truck... ;)
 
My favorite deer knife is my trusty 110 I was just looking for opinions from people with experience with the 105. It just seem to be better balanced and has a smaller handle. In my opinion Buck got confused, the Pathfinder should have been named the Woodsman and the Woodsman named the Pathfinder. I recently handled them both and formed the opinion the Woodsman was just too small for me.
 
Lots of good choices available.

We haven't mentioned the 118, which is still available on e-Bay and I even see one in D2 steel once in a while. If I remember right, the handle is a little bigger than the 102 handle.....check it out.

I do like the old-school buck hunting knives, but there's a lot of "new school" stuff available, too. That new "Gen Five" is a great-looking knife, for example.

You may just have to buy several knives......like most of us do.

:D
 
BG42EDGE said:
Lots of good choices available.

We haven't mentioned the 118, which is still available on e-Bay and I even see one in D2 steel once in a while. If I remember right, the handle is a little bigger than the 102 handle.....check it out.

I do like the old-school buck hunting knives, but there's a lot of "new school" stuff available, too. That new "Gen Five" is a great-looking knife, for example.

You may just have to buy several knives......like most of us do.

:D
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Oh I plan on that I only live 15 minutes from the factory. I tell everyone I never have any money but I have a lot of bucks!
 
BG42EDGE said:
The 119 is popular because of its looks.....not its utility. It's too big and clumsy for most hunting, fishing and camping tasks. People love it for that romantic "Bowie" look.....and that's the story of the 119. It's good for looking good, chopping wood, digging holes and killing bears, I guess.

The 105 is far better as an all-around knife ...
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Excellent point. :thumbup:
 
Idahofrank said:
I tell everyone I never have any money but I have a lot of bucks!
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I spend my money on guns and knives...the rest I just waste:p.

I like and use the 118. It was my first real hunting knife, it goes with me no matter what other one I might carry. Preston
 
A Pathfinder was my first Buck, purchased in 1960 for my first deer hunt with my Dad. My next was a 110 in 1961, and a 119 in the early 1970's. I have a 102 that's my fishing, hiking, camping, general puttering around knife. I agree that the 105 is probably a better all-around tool than the 119, but I get most jobs done witht the 102. YMMV.
 
garryale said:
To BG42EDGE
Thanks for story. I like to listen such stories always.
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You are welcome, although it wasn't a real big story.

I myself, do enjoy reading the old hunting stories of Jack O'Connor and Elmer Keith and one of my favorite books is the classic, Shots at Whitetails, by Larry Koller (a book that includes every single detail about hunting our whitetail deer......all the way to butchering and taxidermy).

The respected Mr. Koller, who is the acknowledged dean of American deer hunting, recommended a narrow, four-inch blade.......and had this to say about deer hunting knives:
"The deer hunter's knife never needs to be a fearsome weapon such as the tenderfoot hunter carries. There is no use whatever, on a deer hunt, for the six to eight inch, wide-blade knives that we see every year, dangling in a sheath halfway to a man's knees. Such blades are too cumbersome for dressing a buck, and are even unhandy for the final skinning out."
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He goes on to say that if you're going to be chopping down saplings, you will be better served by a small axe than a huge knife.

Sounds like he would be a fan of the 110, 102 or maybe even the 118.

;)
 
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Yes, one can field dress a Whitetail with a narrow 4" bladed knife as I've done it many times with no problems . If your just planning on using your knife for that then no problems . Its when other needs arise as in wilderness camping, hunting larger game that may require a knife for heavier use, to be thicker and a little longer . I don't cut down saplings with my knife, nor do I carry a axe, I prefer a good saw . Many experienced outdoorsman know the 5 and 6" knives have their place . Look at your objectives and chose what is suitable for the task . DM
 
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