Your experience with Buck 119 ????

L

Leandroc

Joined
Feb 21, 2007
Messages
55
Hello!!!
I'm thinking about this knife, but first of all I'd like to know the experience of other owners with this knife.
I'll use it as survival and mountain activities knife.
If your experience wasn't good, which other knife do you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

L.
 
i've had one for years and it does me well for camping and hunting. for the price you really can't go wrong. if you're open to a folder and like buck look at the 110. and for all around use the Mora line of knives is pretty well thought of. bottom line is pick what you like and go for it.
 
the 119 is a little on the fragile side. its meant more to be a cutter than a chopper. tips break kinda easy and it will not stand up to continued heavy chopping chores. i have broke 119's before doing this. for approx the same money you could get a kabar marine corp model which is a stronger overall knife. and its eaiser to field sharpen which is always a plus!,,,VWB.
 
Seems to be a nice knife, but not for heavy duty.

Thank you guys, you helped me a lot to know more about this knife.

L.
 
The Buck 119 is a strong one for sure, all my friends own a buck 119...I have abused mine...these knives will never break if you dont use it like a chimp :D

If you want a knife to use like pry bar its not the right choice...Buck 119 is for cutting ;)
If you want a knife to be a lumberjack its not the right choice too.

So the buck 119 is very good for chores like hunting,survival,camping
 
Dan Lequin said:
and ka-bar usmc are not stronger than buck's 119 - 120
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Oh, but my friend you are wrong! Test them against each other and you will see the light! I speak from experience with the two of them not guess work, experience! Just for a quick test stick the tip of a 119 about a half inch or so deep into a piece of wood and wrench it out sideways and see how much of your knife blade is missing! Do the same test with the Kabar and the only damage noted will be scuffing of the black coating! :thumbup: ,,,VWB.
 
vwb563 said:
Oh, but my friend you are wrong! Test them against each other and you will see the light! I speak from experience with the two of them not guess work, experience! Just for a quick test stick the tip of a 119 about a half inch or so deep into a piece of wood and wrench it out sideways and see how much of your knife blade is missing! Do the same test with the Kabar and the only damage noted will be scuffing of the black coating! :thumbup: ,,,VWB.
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119 & KaBar USMC - these are my top two favorite fixed blades.

There's a destruction test online that breaks a KaBar at the hilt during chopping, and the blade is bent upward even before that. KaBars are good, but do have their limits.

119 blades are more brittle, but take an outstanding edge. For general camp use, my preference is the 119. It's not as hefty as the KaBar, but it does every camp chore I have. They're one of the best values on the market, IMHO.

thx - cpr

ps - I don't use the tip on any of my knives for prying. I've shortened too many knives (three) that way.
 
orca8589 said:
119 & KaBar USMC - these are my top two favorite fixed blades.

There's a destruction test online that breaks a KaBar at the hilt during chopping, and the blade is bent upward even before that. KaBars are good, but do have their limits.
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Sure! Any knife can be broke if that is the intended task of the test. If I remember correctly the kabar broke after being severly batoned through a lot of wood.

119 blades are more brittle, but take an outstanding edge. For general camp use, my preference is the 119. It's not as hefty as the KaBar, but it does every camp chore I have. They're one of the best values on the market, IMHO.
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Yes the Buck blades do indeed take an outstanding edge! But they most definately are very brittle. Yes they are a good value for the money but for the same money imho the Kabar is a better value.

thx - cpr

ps - I don't use the tip on any of my knives for prying. I've shortened too many knives (three) that way.
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I agree! But the prying test is a good indicator of point strength. I dropped a 119 once on concrete and it snapped off about 1/8 of an inch of the point. This shouldn't have happened and would not have happened to the Kabar. Now I'm not pushing the Kabar by any means, I'm only saying that for the same money the Kabar is better! The are better knives than both of thes two if one is willing spend the money to obatin one.,,,VWB.
 
Isn't the Buck 119 what was called the Buck Special, 6" blade?? If so, my girlfriend (at the time), gave me a new Buck Special for my birthday in August, 1967. I have used it ever since for many, many cutting chores out in the boonies, both hunting, hiking, and camping, etc. It is still as useful as the day I got it in 1967.

I will say that I don't try my damndest to break off the tip. Can't think of any logical reason to do that. :confused:

I use an ax, hatchet, or machete, for chopping. Right tool for the right job, I say.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

L.W.
 
Yes the 119 is also called the "special". Im not "trying" to break the tip off of any knife but, I dont want a knife that I cant depend on either. I have broke 119's in the woods while merely attempting to hack down several small trees with approx 2 to 3 inch diameters to make a shelter for the night. If I cant trust a knife not to break in just a one night outing then I sure as heck am not going to trust it as a survival knife. if you have had better luck out of yours, then great! i havent had anything but bad luck out of the 119's ive owned! They are just not designed to stand up to medium to severe survival use. Thats all i have to say about the 119's.,,,VWB.
 
A Buck 119 has been my hunting knife for over 25 years and it has served me well. I've never chopped with it though but I have cut through a lot of tough parts of deer. Never really needed to chop with it as I carry a small saw with me when hunting or backpacking.
 
Years ago, I dropped my late Dad's old friend from his time in the So. Pacific during WWII, a USN KaBar. The pommel broke the tang extension off at the junction of the full size tang. Some years back, I picked up a monel pommel and some leather washers, and repaired the old knife - a bit shorter these days on the handle and little carbon black left on the blade. It's a display piece these days. Two new USMC variant arrived here several years back The very same construction, except they are sharpened on both edges at the tip. 1095 carbon steel is a good steel, although there are better choices today (A-2, D2, etc). One has to recall that the original KaBar had to fit both a wartime price and production requirements, so it, too, is far from perfect.

I have had a 119BR for short time, having chosen my favorite Buck fixed blade some time back as the 192 Vanguard, with the AG S30V 'in reserve'. One day last September, I had to go to Academy - after some play time with my 'BRs' (I have a display with the 102, 103, 105, 119, and 120 BRs - brass and rosewood - beautiful knives.), I thought I'd 'try' a regular 119 as a 'user'. They are <$34 at Wally World - with a nylon sheath - <$38 at Academy with a leather sheath. I chose the latter... good thing, as W-W was out!

I love the 192 Vanguard's grip - and that 119 Special is close to perfect, too. It has found quite a bit of use in the yard... and then, after a bath, my favorite use - the kitchen! I get away from the lower finger guard interference problem by always cutting on a cutting board. I don't think thw Corian scrap cutting boards are too tough on the edge - it hasn't yet seen my Spydie Sharpmaker. It has, since last October, seen a bunch of beef and poultry, not to mention all of the veggies... and none of my blood! Gads, I just tried it - no more arm hair shaving - with an 8X loupe it has no damage - just uniformly dull. I'll try my hone before I try the Sharpmaker! Great knife for the price.

Stainz

PS The Canadian Les Stroud, Science/Discovery Channels' 'Survivorman', on several of his week-long no-supplies survival trek, can be seen with a Buck 119 along with his infamous multi-tool.
 
I've rolled the edge on my 119 batoning through a green maple tree. It was across the grain though. I don't think that is recomended use of a knife. Had a hard time getting the edge back. It is still my prime big knife, it is now sharp again and I am more careful how I use it.
 
VWB563 my friend i talk by experience...I have made a complete destruction test with both ka-bar and buck 119 they are strong but you can break the tip on each knife if you really want....maybe the tip on the 119 will break easier but a broken tip it's not the end of the world...you can use a knife with a little part of the tip missing

you know i need a knife to cut....If a wanna survival tool i'll use my bolo machete but the ka-bar will do the job and Buck 119 too for a survival situation any knife will be better than no knife at all...
 
Wasn't there a guy a few years back who was canoeing in the Boundary Waters area with his dog, and they got attacked by a black bear - and he killed the bear with his Buck 119?

If it'll take out a bear, I guess it''ll do!
 
Grampa said:
Wasn't there a guy a few years back who was canoeing in the Boundary Waters area with his dog, and they got attacked by a black bear - and he killed the bear with his Buck 119?

If it'll take out a bear, I guess it''ll do!
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Same story with the KaBar - supposedly, the original mfr. got a letter from a guy who said he "killed a bar! (bear)" with it. From then on, the name stuck. I always thought that was some kind of urban legend, though.

Leandroc - sorry that this thread turned into a "119 vs. USMC" comparison; I think you'll be happy with the 119. If I could only have one fixed blade, it would be that one.

thx - cpr
 
I have many knives, as sportsman and for outdoors activities I always try to carry a knive that I cant depend on, but like a collector I have many other knives that have different characteristics and I love them too.
Of course I own a Ka Bar, and like a Colt 1911 is a classic, now I'm at home writing with my new Buck 119 besides the keyboard and... I'm happy.
I respect your the experience, and many times I agree with some test done by forum members, Others, like this one, I have no previous experience with some knives.
I've heard your experiences and I'll be careful until I have enough experience with my 119 because sometimes a knife may be the only thing we have to face a situation.

Thank you again guys !

L.
 
For the price, 119s all the way.

I have one that I use for a camping knife and it is great.

I also had a chest sheath made for mine and it is awesome!
 
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