119 & 110 - Not the best for deer hunting?

F

Frisky

Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
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I've never been overly impressed with the Buck 119 and the 110 as deer hunting knives, though many of my bowhunting pals like them. First off, the 119 has a blade that is too long. I like 3.5" to 4" blades for gutting and skinning deer. I also don't go for the clip point though I have used that blade style with no problems. The 110 is a folder, so it won't do for me. Folders get full of fat and grime and are a hassle compared to a fixed blade. Plus, the 110 is a clip point. So, I don't own a Buck 110. When I buy a Buck for deer hunting, I'll probably go with the Alpha Hunter fixed blade. It has a nice drop point and rubber grips. It looks like a great overall design. Ok, who wants to set me straight on the feasibility of the 119 and 110 for deer hunting?

Joe
 
I have always prefered smaller knives. It doesn't take a 12 inch sheath knife to work over critters, and I have never grown attached to the 110. Now the 112, I really like those.
I have no doubt many have used the 110 to work over game and were more than satisfied with it. I like knives with drop point blades, and if its going to be a sheath knife, 8 1/2 - 9 inches is perfect for me.

Any will work as long as it is sharp, its just personal preferrence
 
I can buy that. I do know people who like big blades and use nothing else. Like you, my preference is for a smaller knife and a drop point. Now, if I was going alone into the wilderness, I'd take the 119.

Joe
 
I tell ya what though, there's been many deer carved up with a 110 since 1964. And probably most of those killed with a lever action 30-30. Old school. And continues today.

- OS
 
I don't think any brand with a clip point would be a great hunting knife. Drop points are are more aptly suited.
 
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If the main role of the blade is processing a kill I have to agree with you - the 119 and 110 are not the best options. Maybe 40 years ago they were a good option because there really weren't that many different blade profiles available, but today you have a wide variety of factory blades that offer better profiles. I really recommend one of the Bucklite Max fixed blade series. A great blade shape and an outstanding value, and easy to clean and sanitize (just toss it in the dishwasher!).
 
I almost always use a buck 110 for feild dressing chores.A small piece of popcicle stick gets all the gunk out of the action easily,with a good cleanup back to camp.The 119 is a great knife,not my first choice for feild dressing or processing,but it has its place at the camp.I use the gen 5 skinner for a lot of deer hunting chores now,also i just gokt a nice 118 in d2 thanks to member postfallsidaho on here i'll be carrying that this fall.I use the 119 for quartering large game,thats about it.If you nwould like to try a great drop point knife,have a look at the alaskan guide series vanguard model.You won't be disappointed with it.good luck choosing.
 
I agree - the 110/119 are not ideal for deer hunting - you have to get too close... I like a .30/30 (old school).

Actually, you could gut/clean a whitetail with a Mora quite handily. May be a bit too little to pop a pelvis, however. For my limited 'bushcraft' uses, I developed quite an affinity for a basic 192 Vanguard. While I have not cleaned anything larger than a small catfish since Nixon was President, I can't imagine a situation where a Vanguard wouldn't be appropriate or sufficient. Of course, I always felt sufficient with a 110, too.

Stainz

PS The last umteen deer, etc, I 'shot' were with a 35mm and a telephoto lens - hadn't even done that in a bit.
 
Well I have to agree to a point to the OP. 119 is way bigger than I need for whitetail. I actually was watching something on Nat Geo or History or something showing that a simple piece of chip flint can fully dress and process a deer, and I'm sure thats true. The 105 Plumberdv just gave to my daughter is a good sized big game knife. I dressed both deer last year with an ecolite 110 and it works well. I dont pop the pelvic bone so I dont worry about the clip point, but I also have the BCCI paperstone drop point user if I changed gutting strategies. I understand the guts in the pivot but I just clean it with some Hoppes solvent and then oil and its like new so it doesnt bother me. That being said, I intend to gut a few, with any luck, with my 113 this year.
 
Yes, I agree and use a drop point espically for the opening of the 1st cut on stomach. Plus, its a better skinner for me. As Fritz stated Buck brought a nice drop point available to collectors this last year. But the V52 Selector has been available since 1990 and it can be had with a drop point and skinner making it a fine choice. The 110 size is a very nice working size for me for gutting, skinning and quartering of Whitetail. For larger animals I prefer a larger boning knife during processing. Many here do fine w/ the 110 clip point. So, a knife and shape is a personal choice. DM
 
The 110 works for me, being longer than the 112 I seem to be able to keep it out of the fat. I think it has a lot do with how you learned. My 110 is always nearby and will handle a number of tasks big and small and is out of the way on my belt. I have never understood the drop point blade or gut hook due to finding many uses for the point on the clip point style and adapted my cuts to get the job done. Heck I think the Odyssey is a great knife. Good luck to all.
Bob
 
I usually use a 110 for the feild dressing,that first cut to open the chest cavity can be tricky with a 110 i like to choke up on the blade and put the tip of my thuimb on the tip of the blade,no poking holes in anything unwanted that way.
 
Well, the 110 has been around since Hector was a pup and is still working. My bowhunter friends use them, firefighters lug em around, the younger crowd buys the black handled versions and never looks back. Buck has a great product/offering going in both the 119 and 110...two knives that are clear winners. Buck did make a dedicated skinner a while back that featured a sturdy blade that was just the correct pattern for working inside an animal. The more recent ones are made of thinner stock and might be even more efficient slicers. I have known many guides who liked the Buck skinner, even knew one who favored the ultra thin bladed 121. It boils down to what you are comfortable with. I saw a very talented hunter skin and butcher a larger animal with a ten inch Ontario butcher knife. Then there are the men who could use even the smallest of pocket knives. In the jungle areas, the lowly machete is sharpened on stones and does just about every job you can imagine. It is more the person/individual behind the tool than the tool itself!
 
Yes, OF COURSE, the 119 is too big. It's a show knife....a Davy Crockett BAR KILLIN' knife. It looks damn fine, though.....and it's cheap. Everybody has at least one.

Yes and no on the 110. Yes, it's slower to clean, but not enough to bother me.

Yes, the clip point seems like it would cause problems. Just look at it....it's obvious. Thing is, though......in real life.....it mysteriously doesn't cause any problems. In fact, it works fine.

Yes, there may be better choices than the 110 in some ways.

But in real life.....the 110 is so bullet-proof all-around right in so many ways that it totally crushes the opposition.

That's just the way it is.
 
I think it comes down to personal preferences. I'm not a huge fan of clip points for cleaning elk/deer because I find myself pocking holes in things I dont want holes in. Deer guts and my fingers! Mostly operator error.
Once I have the chest cavity open, I put the pointy knife down and grab my skinner for the messy part. I find it glides over the inside of the rib cage without digging in.
A butcher once told me the best way to cool down the rear quarters is to remove the legs at the ball joint. He went further and said that splitting the pelvis does very little to cool down the meat. So I dont need a heavy knife to split the pelvis.
I carry a stag handled 475 Mini Mentor and an old 60's 103 Skinner.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'll check out some of the models mentioned. Concerning blade shape- maybe clip points are not as bad for gutting as many of us think. I gutted my last deer with a Marttiini Little Classic, a knife with a clip point and length that seems much like the 110. I didn't have a problem. Fat did stick to the side of the blade and hardened up like glue. I got to asking myself- what if that had been inside one of my folders? I like the idea of the 30-30 and Buck 110 going together. That combination or maybe the 12 gauge slug gun and Buck 110 have probably killed and gutted the greatest number of deer in the U.S.

Joe
 
Like Joe says, Its personal preference and probably what you were taught, or observed from others.

But here's my take, I have been using a 110 for all of my field work on deer since the early 70's. Don't have a 119 user, so don't know about using those in the field.

I have no problems doing the first cut on a deer, going inside and cutting loose internals and rolling them out, carefully removing bladder and rectal parts, without splitting the pelvic. Then quartering one up and into the ice chest.

Last few years, I have used a 121 for some of the quartering and removing the backstrap, due to the longer and thinner blade.

It is all a matter of how you have learned to do it, and how much practice you have had.

Since I have owned my own hunting place in heavily populated (deer) country since the early 90's, I have had mucho practice. I have tried a few various different knives but the 110 is the one I go to.

One of the things is, I have several that are with me in the field. When finished field work on a deer, that 110 gets wiped off and into the ice chest. It gets cleaned up back at camp and another one goes on the belt.

And while I am at it, I prefer the nylon/cordura horizontal carry sheath for the belt, or may not even have one on the belt since the truck and pack is never very far from where a deer goes down. But not everyone has this luxury I know.

I did try a droppie blade once, and where Joe had trouble sticking a clip where he didn't want it, I had the similar problem cutting through the hide with the droppie. Seems to me the blade got to the skin before I was ready for it to. But again, it is a matter of what you are use to. My take on clip versus drop is most skinners are clips. And won't get off into a whole nother thread on that. Again personal preference.

You just gotta do and learn for yourself. And I have had old hunting buddies change their methods after watching the way we do it.

fwiw....
 
Well now put your money where your mouth is....or fingers in this case.
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You saw what Ratty wrote. It comes down to how you were taught and how much practice you have had. I use the 119 as a camp knife, and for the last 6 years the 110 has been my feild care/skinning knife (still need to try Ratty's skinning rock). I like a thin blade for processing meat like a fish knife, our Brother Jeff sent me a 121 and I have add this to my processing equipment.

No other knife in the world can skin a deer leg better than a 110, it slips up under the hide and cuts it without dulling the blade as it never see's any hair. Try that with most of your drop point blades folks....just will not work. The best thing the good lord gave to each of us is free will, all of us are free to choose what ever knife we want and learn to use it. As there are many opinons as to what works best...lets see some more of you put your money where your fingers are....post some action shots of your knives in use in the feild, doing the job the OP asked about!
jb4570
 
I think the "drop point" was probably necessary.

There they were......everybody had a knife and the knife companies were losing money. Then some marketing guys got a great idea.

"Hey," they said, "let's make a new shape of blade and tell everybody it's better! We'll call it the...........DROP POINT!"

They fooled some of the people.

:D
 
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