Buck 119 Special Knife Review

Introduction

Hello everyone, here is a short review of a knife I recently bough at a convenience store near my home (a Canadian Tire, for those who know about these stores ...).

I bough it for about 60 CAN$, this price is a bit high, considering this knife is available for between 40 and 55 US$ on the internet. See in those two links ;

www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=BU119

yourcornerstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=246

I wanted this knife because I saw a few review of it on youtube, including one from NutnFancy (a popular youtube user who reviews knives, guns and other types of gears). In this review (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khgEE74AHHs), NutNFancy claims that this knife was carried by USAF pilots during the Vietnam war (although it was in a slightly different version). That single information made me want one of these knives... plus the fact that they have a bowie blade, which is another characteristic that can make me take the plunge on a knife.

The knife came in a plastic package, which also included a small instruction manual for sharpening the blade and keeping the knife in good condition. The manual includes a short text where one of Buck's founder explains his company commitment to the quality of their products and the satisfaction of their customers (that text also includes a fair number of references to God and the Bible... Not the first things I would associate with a knife company).



Here are a few numbers, taken from knifecenter.com ;

Specifications
•Blade Length: 6" (15.2 cm)
•Blade Material: Satin Finish 420HC Stainless Steel
•Carry System: Black leather sheath
•Handle Material: Phenolic
•Quantity: Yes
•Weight: 7.5 oz. (213.5 g)
•Made in USA

Overall, at first impression, this knife didn't impress me much. It didn't have any serious or even moderate faults, but it also didn't have many outstanding properties. However, with time, I took a serious liking to this knife. Let's take a look at it ...

Fittings



The blade is about 6'' long, bowie-shaped. It has a small groove in its middle-section. It is made of 420HC stainless steel, in a satin finish. The last 2'' of the back of the blade are very thin, although they aren't sharp, I think they could very easily be sharpened into a functionnal edge. The primary edge is paper-cutting sharp. The blade isn't indestructible (duh !!) ; I made a few small dents in the edge after using the flat of the blade to hammer some metal stakes into the ground. Overall, the blade seems well-suited to small camping, hunting and other outdoors chores but might be too small and soft for tough working tasks and cold steel-like tests, IMHO.



The grip is made a phenolic, a glossy, black material. It is comfortable and the ergonomics are good enough to not hinder the handling of this blade. The handle looks chubby when compared to the blade, who seems small and lithe, compared to the this big, rounded grip. The grip is good but not as strong as the one offered by my Cold Steel OSS.

The hilt and pommel seem to be made of stainless steel. Nothing special to say about 'em ...



The sheath is made of black leather. It is small, light and easy to carry. With the clip closed, it is quite secure. However, it has little tactical value ; the blade will fall out very easily if the clip is open, and will be impossible to draw if the clip is closed.

Handling and Cutting

The knife feels light and lively in hand. Weighting only 7,5 oz., it is very easy and quick to use. I believe this is where I really like this knife, even if it is a very simple, plain design, it feels like a natural extension of my hand and is very pleasant to hold and foul around with.

I didn't do any serious cutting with this knife. I only sharpened a few small branches of dead wood, an easy task which was easily done by this knife.



Conclusion

Pros
-Lightweight, easy to carry
-Lively in hand

Cons
-Soft metal blade ?
-Bang for buck ? (pun not intended ...)

To conclude this review, I say this knife seems to me like a true jack-of-all-trades design. It isn't perfect for working tasks (it is a bit small for that) and isn't perfect for tactical/self-defense use* (its ergonomics aren't perfectly suited for that purpose), but I believe it can perform decently in both of these roles. The fact that this is a decades old design, used by a major army in a major conflict, IMO, proves that this simple design is a reliable and useful tool.

My only gripe is that they are many, many knives available in this price range, which means that they are many choices for us, happy customers. In that regard, this knife might be less interesting for many buyers because it isn't as flashy as other products. I'd suggest you consider this knife, but also check for others, and if you buy this model, buy it at the lowest price possible. 60 $, IMO, is too much.