My dad was a Marine vet and had a buck knife for deer hunting. As a result of that I bought one for me when I started to learn to hunt after college and after his passing.
If it makes a difference to anyone, I think the selling point of the 124 is the full tang. That being said, the rat tail tangs on the 119 are still extremely strong.
I thought the 119s rat tail tang was weak but after seeing tests and using mine I realized these bucks are more than strong enough for everything you’ll ever need a knife form
The original 122/124's from the 60's actually have a hidden tang and thinner pommel and in my opinion fit the hand far better. The pommels and guards were also stainless. If I had to use a newer 124, the brick shaped scales and pommel would definitely be getting trimmed on my grinder first.
I love Buck knives. I have a 110, 118, two 119, 120 and 124. My first Buck knife was a 110 when I was ten years old. I'm 54 now. Yeah I've been using Buck's for a while.
The 124 is in my gun safe and ready to be on my belt when i go to jurassic park on a hunting trip , the 120 is perfect for carving a xmas ham , the 110 is my fav . A custom 119 is in my future .
Buck knives of course. I have six of them The 119, 118, the 105, the 620 Campmate, the 110 folding hunter, and last but not least the Kalinga, which is still in its presentation box, with paper work, but lightly used. I've had all the sheath knives since the early 80's. Bought the 110 back in the early 2000's P.S. They maybe listed as stainless steel, but a magnet will stick to them. Now my stainless steel cooking pots, a magnet will not stick too, Just thought you should know. P.P.S. I've been told that stainless steel cannot be blued, at least not cold blued. So maybe hot blued? I like the way they look and I keep them cleaned, polished and oiled.
Buck is still a great company and they are still very affordable ☺️ and with a good heat treatment on their steel choice ⚖️ You can't go wrong purchasing a Buck Fixed Blade made in America & I own the 119 and hope to soon get me a 120 and 124 or two 🦈🎯🦈
Have you seen the 2022 120th anniversary Buck 110 set that is on Walmarts website? It comes with an Ebony handle 110, sheath, coin, and commemerative tin. Listed for $45 now, but a few weeks ago they were $40. They are a steal, even at $5 more than what I paid. GET ONE!!
@@haveaknifeday yes absolutely pleasure to meet you you have to jump in our group RJ ‘s knives and all them guys….sundays come over to RJ’s live were all there were all mostly buck guys and traditional knife guys!!!!!!
I've saw the buck 119 in catalog or Smoky mountain knives catalog...I went to a knife / coin resale resale shop .done some trading to get a buck 119 for 25 dollars......
Until they went out of business, hands down Id give Camillus the nod for most iconic American knife company. So many generations of scouts and soldiers, partnerships with custom makers, it was quite an operation. 15 years later it's hard to remember they once filled the shelves of hardware and sporting goods stores, but indeed they did. Buck and Ontario fill the void, and Buck gets the icon status now because their main lines are better sellers at normal stores.
Camillus and Western imho, before and after Camillus bought Western. Both were iconic companies and Western was an established earlier and I believe Camillus was also. I have ten Western Bowie W49's dating from 67 - 97, the last being a Camillus Western W49 with the blade steel being 420HC, very similar to Buck's 420HC. Many folks forget that Camillus made knives for Buck at different times, it's a unpopular subject that's now often deliberately overlooked but back in the good old days this happened alot with US knife makers/manufacturers. Buck even made some models of knives for Cold Steel. I have a decent collection of Buck Knives aswel. Most date from when Al Buck ran the company. After Al sadly passed away in 1989 Chuck started doing business with Communist China, and that's something Al Buck and his father Hoyt the founder would never have done. That choice didn't go down well with many Buck users and/or collectors, it's about as an un-American a thing that he could have chosen to have done. It was already well known that the Chinese supplied weapons and ammunition to not only the Koreans during the Korean War but the Chinese supplied the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Chuck decided it was better for him to get rich by doing business with an enemy of our nation, an enemy that had a great deal of American troops blood on their hands. That to me is reprehensible and a despicable act of betrayal by Chuck Buck, CJ just followed where his father left off. Of course Buck aren't the only company that's sold out to the Chinese to make more money, but it doesn't sit well with me and a great many other folks find that hard to stomach. I only buy knives from Al Buck's era, the golden age of Buck when they were genuinely all American knives, and they were well made back then too. I have some incredible Buck knives with blades that received a superb heat treatment. Paul Bos was contracted by Buck to oversee and make crucial adjustments to Buck's ovens as Buck had been running their 440C a little too hard, and had the ovens up a little too hot. It created large carbides in the steel and this is what caused the half moon chipping on some Buck knife blades. Paul Bos was still running his own Aeroplane parts manufacting business when Buck first contracted him to come into the factory and check the heat treatment process. Al Buck and Paul Bos really made Buck a great company and of course none of it would've happened if it hadn't been for Hoyt Buck the founder, making knives for our troops in his church basement during WWII.
@@haveaknifeday Hey, I hope that you and all of family and friends are keeping well buddy. My apologies for not replying to your reply many months back. I believe you mentioned you had bought yourself a W49? The prices for one in very good condition are crazy high, at least 200 bucks and often alot more if they're in mint condition. One in lightly used condition is best as a great big Bowie go to user. Finding one with very little or no black pitting means it's a good blade. The steel used by Western is virtually identical to Cold Steel's famous Carbon V. There are a couple of types of Cold Steel's Carbon V. Dan Maragni of Ontario Knives removed the Nickel which is viewed by some as an impurity, but by others it's seen as useful as it helps the steels edge retention. I hope that you like your W49, the Staminawood handle scales models feel blocky but they can be worked on and made comfortable fairly easily. The older Boulder made solid Rosewood handle scales models are very comfortable from the get go, and they're not blocky, they're nice and smooth and still provide a great grip. Pretty much any variant of the Western W49 is a great addition to any knife collection, preferably a Boulder Colorado made, a pre 85 Longmont Colorado made, and a Camillus Western in 420HC, I think one of each is enough if a collector wants an example of all the W49's as there are some subtle, and not so subtle differences. The Camillus Western in 420HC is sadly the poorest performer of the three types, but with some work a very strong and sharp trail knife can be made from one and it's very similar in performance to Buck's 420HC, infact I think Buck's older 420HC blades hold an edge slightly longer than the more modern models, I know my Camillus Western W49 takes and holds a hair shaving sharp edge and for a considerable amount of time too! It required a little work on the blade basically because it was blunt and I put a partial convex grind on the primary edge(Secondary bevel) and it took me hours and hours because I used an engineers metal file and then onto my family's old oil stone. They came out of the New York factory a little rough around the edges so to speak, but I was very pleased to manage to find one. It cost about 200 bucks but there are very few about and considering the price of everything nowadays I think I got a good deal. The Boulder solid Rosewood handle scales models and the Longmont steel is fantastic steel, it will take an incredibly sharp edge and the convex grind of the blade shows amazing skill and brilliant crafting. The W49 is my favorite big fixed blade knife of all time. Keep well my friend.
@@haveaknifeday I'm very happy to hear that! Is it a slightly thicker handled Longmont made one although Western started using Staminawood in mid 73 and definitely in 1974. I believe Buck started using their Dymondwood laminated wood after Western. Western moved production of all there knives to a state of the art facility in Longmont in 1977. They started using their year of manufacture letter stamp code starting with the letter "A" for 1977, although some "A"s and "B"s were apparently still made in Boulder whilst they were winding down operations in Boulder. The W49 is a hard act to follow. It has such a rich history and it's certainly a favorite knife of my family, a tradition to have at least one handy. I've chatted with many folks that used a W49, folks saying that they remembered their grandpa or father having one and that the blade took a razor sharp edge. I've also had the privilege to chat with a few Vietnam War veterans that used a W49 during the war and their stories were incredibly interesting although also harrowing to hear. The W49 is and incredibly iconic knife and many folks in the knife community recognize it such. Western and the Camillus brand have nothing but the name in common, the old companies were powerhouses of high quality US knife making, companies that we could truely be proud of. As someone rightly commented Camillus, OKC, and many other huge names of our knife producing industry are now gone and it's a terrible shame. They provided vital jobs and they produced some amazing knives, and the knives they produced for our troops in WWII were vital equipment. I look forward to watching your video on your W49 when you have the freetime and are able to make it. Take care buddy.
I just picked up my first buck and its a 124, I noticed the fit and finish weren't great. some of the lines don't add up perfectly straight on the handle. Is this somewhat normal? Did I buy a knock off from reputably seller on amazon?
I suppose that the best course of action is to send detailed pictures of it and send them to Buck knives. Also, if you are not satisfied with what you received maybe contact the seller and arrange to send it back. Not a guarantee that they would but contacting them sooner than later is key.
@@haveaknifeday ya they gave me a full refund right off that bat. That being said is buck knife fit and finish good? Is it up there with TOPS or is buck budget? Thanks for your help.
The only issue I’ve had with Buck is the leather stacked handle on my Brahma developing some wiggle. Currently it is at Buck getting taken care of. With the phenolic handle knives I’ve never had any problems. Now for bit Tops and Buck I usually get aftermarket kydex sheaths, “I use Black Bear Custom kydex” because I don’t like Bucks leather sheaths on my belt and well Tops sheaths could be better.
@@haveaknifeday Yes, but not in stock. No one has any. And a sneak peak at the 2023 catalog shows it missing. So they will rise in price, at least temporarily.
I have a couple of bucks that I really like, but they aren't the really nice iconic knives. I think I need to bite the bullet and get a really nice one
Yeah chipped out the edge of my Buck124.. just chopping on mesquite tree branches ( Still enjoy it ,but it has its limitations) . Not a survival knife at all
Mesquite is a hardwood and there’s definitely something to be said about, “the right tool for the right job.” I have a BK 9 for bushcraft needs. Hunting though? That 124 would be great.
My dad was a Marine vet and had a buck knife for deer hunting. As a result of that I bought one for me when I started to learn to hunt after college and after his passing.
Keeping the tradition
My Uncle carried a Buck in Vietnam, 25th Inf Div 1/5 Mech, 1966-1967, Cu Chi. Still has it in his display case with all the medals and such.
That’s truly a family relic. I pray that it’s kept in your family to be appreciated by future generations.
If it makes a difference to anyone, I think the selling point of the 124 is the full tang. That being said, the rat tail tangs on the 119 are still extremely strong.
The blade shape is also a lot stronger
The full tang sold it for me I still have the 119 and 110 and love them all but I show my favoritism to the 124
Full tang is king for hard use.
I thought the 119s rat tail tang was weak but after seeing tests and using mine I realized these bucks are more than strong enough for everything you’ll ever need a knife form
The original 122/124's from the 60's actually have a hidden tang and thinner pommel and in my opinion fit the hand far better. The pommels and guards were also stainless.
If I had to use a newer 124, the brick shaped scales and pommel would definitely be getting trimmed on my grinder first.
I love Buck knives. I have a 110, 118, two 119, 120 and 124. My first Buck knife was a 110 when I was ten years old. I'm 54 now. Yeah I've been using Buck's for a while.
They are a fantastic line of knives.
Frontiersman is beautiful 😍
Now that is a great looking knife. What a great shape. Speaks of versatility and durability.
It is an eye catching blade indeed.
Buck 301 stockman & others! Around 1978 or so was when I bought my first one.
That's right boy's thick knives saves lives.
Sir, thank you for your video. I couldn't decide between the 120 general or the 124. I have decided I am getting the 124 frontiersman. Rah!!!
Very cool. Happy to be part of your choice.
I carried a Buck 110 during my 14 years in the Air Force as a aircraft mechanic on the A-10 Warthog
Sweet. Maybe you can share that with Buck especially if you have pictures
I was the 124 like for this video. I'm going to go get lotto tickets.
Let me know how you like your new mansion
The 124 is in my gun safe and ready to be on my belt when i go to jurassic park on a hunting trip , the 120 is perfect for carving a xmas ham , the 110 is my fav . A custom 119 is in my future .
The custom is gorgeous. I am hoping that they’ll open up the 120 for customization
Thank you 😊
Buck knives of course. I have six of them The 119, 118, the 105, the 620 Campmate, the 110 folding hunter, and last but not least the Kalinga, which is still in its presentation box, with paper work, but lightly used. I've had all the sheath knives since the early 80's. Bought the 110 back in the early 2000's P.S. They maybe listed as stainless steel, but a magnet will stick to them. Now my stainless steel cooking pots, a magnet will not stick too, Just thought you should know. P.P.S. I've been told that stainless steel cannot be blued, at least not cold blued. So maybe hot blued? I like the way they look and I keep them cleaned, polished and oiled.
I have had one blade hot blu’d. It looks fantastic but was very very expensive
Buck is still a great company and they are still very affordable ☺️
and with a good heat treatment on their steel choice ⚖️ You can't go wrong purchasing a Buck Fixed Blade made in America & I own the 119 and hope to soon get me a 120 and 124 or two 🦈🎯🦈
I really like the 120 general
Buck. 110 and 120. Have had the 120 since I went to the Persian Gulf.
Have you seen the 2022 120th anniversary Buck 110 set that is on Walmarts website? It comes with an Ebony handle 110, sheath, coin, and commemerative tin. Listed for $45 now, but a few weeks ago they were $40. They are a steal, even at $5 more than what I paid. GET ONE!!
Whenever I went there I could never find it.
Carried my 124 on my LBE in Germany. My K-bar was attached to my ALSE vest.
You were in aviation? I had an LBE when I was in 88-96.
Buck and case, I have both.
I have been collecting them for a while now and purchased my latest directly from the Case booth at the 2024 Blade Show Atlanta.
Nice size comparison. Oval lightning cuts like the 119 would look very nice on the 124
Fantastic video I have the frontiersman comin tomorrow thanks so much😊
You are very welcome and I am very happy to have helped you.
@@haveaknifeday yes absolutely pleasure to meet you you have to jump in our group RJ ‘s knives and all them guys….sundays come over to RJ’s live were all there were all mostly buck guys and traditional knife guys!!!!!!
Sweet
I bought this one to satisfy my desire for another buck master 184 that I’ve owned and gave to my dad 33 years ago!
Knives can illicit happy family memories
The one the only iconic legendary AMERICAN BUCK KNIVES ! You cannot go wrong with any AMERICAN BUCK Knife!
I've saw the buck 119 in catalog or Smoky mountain knives catalog...I went to a knife / coin resale resale shop .done some trading to get a buck 119 for 25 dollars......
Most excellent
The frontiersmen is the only Buck i still want to add to my collection. Unfortunately this modell is not available in S35VN steel. Cheers!
Damn fine blade. Iconic
that's very nice.
Good video
Thank you Jerry
Until they went out of business, hands down Id give Camillus the nod for most iconic American knife company. So many generations of scouts and soldiers, partnerships with custom makers, it was quite an operation. 15 years later it's hard to remember they once filled the shelves of hardware and sporting goods stores, but indeed they did.
Buck and Ontario fill the void, and Buck gets the icon status now because their main lines are better sellers at normal stores.
Camillus and Western imho, before and after Camillus bought Western.
Both were iconic companies and Western was an established earlier and I believe Camillus was also.
I have ten Western Bowie W49's dating from 67 - 97, the last being a Camillus Western W49 with the blade steel being 420HC, very similar to Buck's 420HC.
Many folks forget that Camillus made knives for Buck at different times, it's a unpopular subject that's now often deliberately overlooked but back in the good old days this happened alot with US knife makers/manufacturers. Buck even made some models of knives for Cold Steel.
I have a decent collection of Buck Knives aswel. Most date from when Al Buck ran the company. After Al sadly passed away in 1989 Chuck started doing business with Communist China, and that's something Al Buck and his father Hoyt the founder would never have done. That choice didn't go down well with many Buck users and/or collectors, it's about as an un-American a thing that he could have chosen to have done. It was already well known that the Chinese supplied weapons and ammunition to not only the Koreans during the Korean War but the Chinese supplied the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Chuck decided it was better for him to get rich by doing business with an enemy of our nation, an enemy that had a great deal of American troops blood on their hands. That to me is reprehensible and a despicable act of betrayal by Chuck Buck, CJ just followed where his father left off.
Of course Buck aren't the only company that's sold out to the Chinese to make more money, but it doesn't sit well with me and a great many other folks find that hard to stomach.
I only buy knives from Al Buck's era, the golden age of Buck when they were genuinely all American knives, and they were well made back then too. I have some incredible Buck knives with blades that received a superb heat treatment.
Paul Bos was contracted by Buck to oversee and make crucial adjustments to Buck's ovens as Buck had been running their 440C a little too hard, and had the ovens up a little too hot. It created large carbides in the steel and this is what caused the half moon chipping on some Buck knife blades. Paul Bos was still running his own Aeroplane parts manufacting business when Buck first contracted him to come into the factory and check the heat treatment process.
Al Buck and Paul Bos really made Buck a great company and of course none of it would've happened if it hadn't been for Hoyt Buck the founder, making knives for our troops in his church basement during WWII.
@W49Boowie that’s. Great history lesson and I’m in agreement with the “selling out” to commies issue. They are not our buddies, pals or friends.
@@haveaknifeday Hey, I hope that you and all of family and friends are keeping well buddy.
My apologies for not replying to your reply many months back.
I believe you mentioned you had bought yourself a W49?
The prices for one in very good condition are crazy high, at least 200 bucks and often alot more if they're in mint condition.
One in lightly used condition is best as a great big Bowie go to user. Finding one with very little or no black pitting means it's a good blade. The steel used by Western is virtually identical to Cold Steel's famous Carbon V. There are a couple of types of Cold Steel's Carbon V. Dan Maragni of Ontario Knives removed the Nickel which is viewed by some as an impurity, but by others it's seen as useful as it helps the steels edge retention.
I hope that you like your W49, the Staminawood handle scales models feel blocky but they can be worked on and made comfortable fairly easily.
The older Boulder made solid Rosewood handle scales models are very comfortable from the get go, and they're not blocky, they're nice and smooth and still provide a great grip.
Pretty much any variant of the Western W49 is a great addition to any knife collection, preferably a Boulder Colorado made, a pre 85 Longmont Colorado made, and a Camillus Western in 420HC, I think one of each is enough if a collector wants an example of all the W49's as there are some subtle, and not so subtle differences.
The Camillus Western in 420HC is sadly the poorest performer of the three types, but with some work a very strong and sharp trail knife can be made from one and it's very similar in performance to Buck's 420HC, infact I think Buck's older 420HC blades hold an edge slightly longer than the more modern models, I know my Camillus Western W49 takes and holds a hair shaving sharp edge and for a considerable amount of time too!
It required a little work on the blade basically because it was blunt and I put a partial convex grind on the primary edge(Secondary bevel) and it took me hours and hours because I used an engineers metal file and then onto my family's old oil stone. They came out of the New York factory a little rough around the edges so to speak, but I was very pleased to manage to find one. It cost about 200 bucks but there are very few about and considering the price of everything nowadays I think I got a good deal.
The Boulder solid Rosewood handle scales models and the Longmont steel is fantastic steel, it will take an incredibly sharp edge and the convex grind of the blade shows amazing skill and brilliant crafting.
The W49 is my favorite big fixed blade knife of all time.
Keep well my friend.
@W49Boowie I do really like it. I’m on the lookout for another that speaks to
Me but hasn’t happened yet
@@haveaknifeday I'm very happy to hear that! Is it a slightly thicker handled Longmont made one although Western started using Staminawood in mid 73 and definitely in 1974.
I believe Buck started using their Dymondwood laminated wood after Western.
Western moved production of all there knives to a state of the art facility in Longmont in 1977. They started using their year of manufacture letter stamp code starting with the letter "A" for 1977, although some "A"s and "B"s were apparently still made in Boulder whilst they were winding down operations in Boulder.
The W49 is a hard act to follow.
It has such a rich history and it's certainly a favorite knife of my family, a tradition to have at least one handy.
I've chatted with many folks that used a W49, folks saying that they remembered their grandpa or father having one and that the blade took a razor sharp edge.
I've also had the privilege to chat with a few Vietnam War veterans that used a W49 during the war and their stories were incredibly interesting although also harrowing to hear.
The W49 is and incredibly iconic knife and many folks in the knife community recognize it such.
Western and the Camillus brand have nothing but the name in common, the old companies were powerhouses of high quality US knife making, companies that we could truely be proud of.
As someone rightly commented Camillus, OKC, and many other huge names of our knife producing industry are now gone and it's a terrible shame. They provided vital jobs and they produced some amazing knives, and the knives they produced for our troops in WWII were vital equipment.
I look forward to watching your video on your W49 when you have the freetime and are able to make it.
Take care buddy.
I just picked up my first buck and its a 124, I noticed the fit and finish weren't great. some of the lines don't add up perfectly straight on the handle. Is this somewhat normal? Did I buy a knock off from reputably seller on amazon?
I suppose that the best course of action is to send detailed pictures of it and send them to Buck knives. Also, if you are not satisfied with what you received maybe contact the seller and arrange to send it back. Not a guarantee that they would but contacting them sooner than later is key.
@@haveaknifeday ya they gave me a full refund right off that bat. That being said is buck knife fit and finish good? Is it up there with TOPS or is buck budget? Thanks for your help.
The only issue I’ve had with Buck is the leather stacked handle on my Brahma developing some wiggle. Currently it is at Buck getting taken care of. With the phenolic handle knives I’ve never had any problems. Now for bit Tops and Buck I usually get aftermarket kydex sheaths, “I use Black Bear Custom kydex” because I don’t like Bucks leather sheaths on my belt and well Tops sheaths could be better.
were can you get a sheath like that 120 fire rod
blackbearck.com
Black bear custom kydex.
I’m in the market for a scout/ horizontal kydex holster than I can switch from scout to hip. Any help would be so much appreciated, buck119
Black Bear Custom Kydex instagram.com/blackbearcustomkydex?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Black Bear does 90% of my kydex projects.
Ok, if you could only keep 1 which would you choose?
The 120 General. What I am striving for is a cerakoted black blade version.
@@haveaknifeday Thank you for the reply. I was spooked about the thickness of the handle of the 124. I'm going to look into getting a 120.
I hope that it will become a good fit for you 👍🏼
The 124 is a hog leg. I own the general also. They will cut you if you don't respect them. Great video.
Thank you so much 🙏🏼
😮 ik wil ook zo'n mes (i want such a knife)
My 124 is on its way back home with a new kydex sheath. Going into my daily carry cycle
BUCK 124 FRONTIERSMAN KNIFE NEVER VINTAGE 1987 on eBay is around $250-300 can't find one in the store.
Damn
Do you have a 916?
I do not. I feel that the handle needs more of a coffin flare for the handle.
Case cutlery!
case and buck
Heard that the 124 is discontinued in 2023.
It’s still listed on their website
@@haveaknifeday Yes, but not in stock. No one has any. And a sneak peak at the 2023 catalog shows it missing. So they will rise in price, at least temporarily.
I’m my defense, I stayed up for the sounding of the new years horn and as of yet Have not had coffee
Damn, that’s too bad. I’d like to see more of their GCK line up
@@haveaknifeday They are bringing back the 117 "Brahma" though. I'll get one of those.
H-Minus!
Panther Brigade
BUCK
Comments+1
Buck
I have a couple of bucks that I really like, but they aren't the really nice iconic knives. I think I need to bite the bullet and get a really nice one
I’d like them to do a cerakote black blade with brass hardware 120 General. I’d be all over that.
@@haveaknifeday I have never had a great knife, I think a classic 110 with brass hardware would be a good place to start
It’s beautifully done
Yeah chipped out the edge of my Buck124.. just chopping on mesquite tree branches ( Still enjoy it ,but it has its limitations) . Not a survival knife at all
That mesquite’s no joke
I’m very chopped a ton with the Buck without damage
Mesquite is a hardwood and there’s definitely something to be said about, “the right tool for the right job.” I have a BK 9 for bushcraft needs. Hunting though? That 124 would be great.
@@haveaknifeday hunting is grab the 119. 124 is next level
@fathersonsurvival that and it’s drop dead beautiful
Ka-bar
Western Cutlery, Boulder, Longmont, Colorado, I DON'T think of Buck.
I have never heard of them before. I’ll check them out 👍🏼
Sad to see that they aren’t made in the US anymore.
I just picked one up from eBay. I’ll do some research and make a video.
Blade shape of it reminds me of an,”original mule skinner” that I was able to handle some time ago.
That’s a shame because my Buck has been the best camping knife I’ve ever had. I’m BUCK all the way now, won’t purchase any others.
is it made in china ?
The Buck 124 is made in America www.buckknives.com/product/124-frontiersman-knife/0124BKSLE-B/
Look towards the bottom of the blade that explains the heat treatment
Buck
Buck