Opinion on Buck 105 pathfinder

[Old Hunter]

Your welcome gents, glad the photo helped. Here is the photo Cal referred to. OH

 

[JohnDF]

I like the 102.

 

[Scott J.]

I like the 102.

I love my 102, it's just about the sexiest knife I own.

 

[Old Hunter]

John, of all those Buck Knives in the picture there are three models I use regularly in hunting and fishing. First, my “feeling” in my hands (feeling of control and comfort of the knife in my hand) are likely different from what another hunters feeling of that knife may be. I use the Buck 102 primarily for large upland birds and waterfowl (excepting Tundra Swan) - I like the small grip (handle size), small, straight blade and the nice tip - works good in ducks, snow geese, Huns, and pheasant. For whitetail (my primary big game animal) I have used LOTS of different model knives but always come back to the Buck 118. The blade is slightly longer than the one on the 102, but it has the medium size handle of the Buck 105 - important when skinning and then disassembling an animal the size of the whitetail (for me that would be from as small as 90 lbs. up to as big as 225 lbs.). Any handle smaller than the Buck 118 is fatiguing to my hand. For fish I prefer the old (four spacer - 1975 and earlier) Buck 121 Fisherman (not todays 121 Guide). This knife also works wonders breasting a wild turkey and a tundra swan - the flexible blade follows the rib cage nicely, allowing me to maximize the amount of meat I get off the birds. The Buck 121 also has the same handle size as the Buck 118 & 105. As for the bigger knives, the Buck 119 is as big as I have ever found a need for and that is for a woodsman type knife, I don’t use one for game, too big a blade gets in my way, especially when working inside an animal. The 120 and the 124 (for my purposes) are presentation knives for retirements, etc. (I have never lived in Alaska or the tundra where a knife like that may be useful to me). I have used the Buck 103 to clean a deer (as recently as last season) but find it only good for skinning, not for any work in deboning or butchering. The Buck 116 Caper is a specialty knife for working the skull area when cleaning a trophy - I don’t big buck hunt anymore, so cleaning a trophy doesn’t happen unless a younger guy in the club kills a trophy - then I have short knives in my truck for that work. Just one hunters view of the Buck Knives line up. I’m sure you can gather plenty of differing viewpoints. OH

 

[Old Hunter]

I love my 102, it's just about the sexiest knife I own.

That is a BEAUTIFUL Buck Knife! OH

 

[Scott J.]

That is a BEAUTIFUL Buck Knife! OH

Thanks!!
I really like it, it's pretty and a joy to use as well. Very handy.

 

[Old Hunter]

Buck 102 breasting a limit of ducks on Currituck Sound, December 2017. OH

 

[Old Hunter]

Buck 118 in use, first after gutting a buck on Election Day November 2016 (The Trump Buck - the last buck I’ve shot - it was my good luck omen for the day!).

With my hunting partner Billy, skinning and rough butchering a doe in October 2017. We both use Buck 118 Personal’s for the job (he uses one because I gave it to him! He will tell you it’s a good knife). As you can see, there isn’t much room inside the cavity, especially when you are cleaning by feel - gotta watch those fingers! OH

 

[Old Hunter]

Buck 121 Fisherman (newer, early 1980’s - blade thickness in the middle for this model). Cleaning a wild turkey in the spring of 2019. On this model the blade steel got thicker and thicker as the years went by, finally it became the Buck 121 Guide and is nearly as thick as the 105 nowadays. I use the three line, tip down, or two line models when I can find them. The flounder picture is of one of the earlier models. OH

 

[Old Hunter]

The Buck 105 is a good, general purpose hunters knife - I’ve cleaned all kinds of game with it, but as a Knife-Knut have a specialty for everything! Here is a duck I cleaned with a 105 and some other Buck Knife pictures with game animals (one Case Knife too).

Buck 103.

Couple of Buck 110 (found the bullet on the top one - don’t find many).

Buck 117 (limited model - never in regular production) - only deer I cleaned with that knife (so far).

Finally an old Case Hammerhead. Pretty decent knife too. OH

 

[JohnDF]

I love my 102, it's just about the sexiest knife I own.

And a great picture too.

Buck 102 breasting a limit of ducks on Currituck Sound, December 2017. OH

Looks like a great utility size.

 

[sopwithcamelus]

Your welcome gents, glad the photo helped. Here is the photo Cal referred to. OH

Beautiful. Reminds me of the Buck brochure I had as a kid in the 70s. I too wanted all of them, lol.

 

[screened porch]

I think the 105 is a better knife and the 119 is a better prybar. But yeah, both is good.
I like the 121 more than the 118 because it's a little broader and less up-swept. Of course there's 121s and 121s.

 

[Joshua Bartosiewicz]

Do yo

If you are looking for a knife to compliment your Vanguard, then the 119 is a great choice. It has a much longer blade. The 119 blade is also much taller than the 105.

but, if you seek a knife to replace your Vanguard, the 105 is the one knife solution, but it does not have as good a profile for skinning game as the Vanguard (which I always felt was just a fancy 103).

Do you find the vanguard better than the 103 skinner?

 

[Elgatodeacero]

J Joshua Bartosiewicz I think the 103 and Vanguard are very similar. I see the Vanguard as basically a fancy 103. I think the 103 is a bit lighter (4.3 ounces v 6.3 ounces), but either is a great all around choice.