If there are any legendary hunting knives, one of them has to be the Buck 119 fixed blade knife. Without any further ado, let’s take a look at what this knife has to offer.
- RAZOR SHARP CLIP POINT BLADE - 6" Clip Point 420HC steel blade has excellent strength, edge...
- COMFORTABLE GRIP & BALANCE - Classic hardwood Cocobolo handle has palm swells for a comfortable...
- AN AMERICAN ICON - Elegant wood handle and brass pommel/guard provide a perfect combination of...
As I already mentioned, the 119 model is of fixed blade and full tang construction. Overall it’s just over 10 inches long and weighs about 7.5 ounces. I can say the knife feels very balanced and its low weight allows prolonged use without straining one’s hands. Thanks to its low weight, it can also be used easily for skinning and other delicate work although a smaller skinning knife may come in handy as well.
Features at glance
- 6-inch 420HC blade
- Black phenolic or wooden handle
- Brass or silver finished pommel/guard
- Sheath included
- Made in the USA
The Blade
The 6-inch long blade of the knife is made of 420HC steel. Most people would say that the 420HC steel is not the best you can get, but it offers some advantages – it’s easy to sharpen, durable during constant use, it’s harder than stainless steel and last but not least it’s quite cheap. Over the years the Buck 119 knives were made of various steels, but currently, all of the models are made of the 420HC steel.
As you can see in one of the added pictures floating around this article, the engineers over at Buck Knives designed the blade to have a clip point. This is a traditional design, which is utilized by many other hunting knives. If you are not familiar with the various point designs, the clip point provides faster and deeper puncture. On the other hand, it’s also slightly weaker than the drop point.
What you can see as well, is that the blade has a satin finish. I personally like that.
Edge retention is outstanding and it’s very easy to resharpen the blade if needed. To keep the blade razor-sharp at all times, I would suggest investing in a quality sharpening strop
The Handle
The handle of this model come in various materials. There’s not much to say about the basic resin and wood versions. These materials are not particularly good choices for anti-slippery handles.
In my opinion, the wooden handle looks much better than the black phenolic one. The wooden version is also accompanied by a brass pommel and guard whereas the plastic one is equipped with silver features.
If the price is an important factor for you, then you need to know that the cocobolo dymondwood handle model is priced about 40 bucks higher than the plastic one.
On the other hand, if money is not an issue, you can also take a look at some of the special editions of the Buck 119 knife, which feature various handle materials and designs. Most often the handle is made of elk stag antlers. I won’t dive into too many details because these editions cost way too much money for my liking and their availability is really limited. If you are interested, you can check them here.
Buck Knives 0119 Accessories
The knife comes packed with a genuine leather sheath. It holds the knife securely and looks to be built from good quality leather.
Some other retailers are offering this knife also with a nylon sheath. It’s slightly cheaper but I’d say that it doesn’t look as good as the leather version.
Customer Reports
Overall, the knife has been received very well by the customers. At the time of writing, the Buck 119 had over 600 customer reviews on Amazon and was rated very highly. To see the current rating, you will have to visit Amazon’s sales page.
I’ve gone through a large number of buyer reviews and most of the people seemed to praise the knife for its razor-sharp and easy to sharpen the blade.
Some of the customers have been disappointed by the size of the knife. They found it to be too large for their needs. However, this is not the fault of the knife itself, is it?
Conclusion
Overall this is an excellent hunting knife that has been around for about 40 years. It’s a true legend. While some of the customers are saying that it’s no longer as well made as it used to be in the past, I still think, it is an excellent knife. If you are looking for a classic looking hunting knife, then this is the one to consider. It’s great and doesn’t cost a fortune either.
Check on Amazon!Ratings
- Edge retention
- Build quality
- Accessories
- Blade material
Summary
Excellent hunting knife for reasonable price
Last update on 2023-12-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API