Buck 119 versus Harbor Freight clone

Looking at the Buck 119 versus the Harbor Freight (Gordon) clone.

[@darrensauceda8152]

Nothing more scary than encountering the paper beast of the woods.

[@urbanlumberjack]

So funny! Thanks for the laugh.

[@boomschofield3148]

Nice, now if they will just make the 124 Frontiersman!!!

[@MJ-om8nw]

I just bought one last week. It seems like a great value for the price. I would like to see someone do a hard use torture test between the two. Or at least on the harbor freight one.

[@urbanlumberjack]

I didn't have it in me to torture my Buck, but I am working on a new video where I do some batoning and other edge tests with the Gordon. I was very happy with the performance of the Gordon. I think the other test a guy did with the Gordon was unfair because he didn't run it on the Buck, and the Buck would definitely have failed in the same way.

[@vikingbrowski3718]

@@urbanlumberjack i think i know the video you are talking about it did seem unfair. I watched some more videos saying buck had better edge retention but i wander if more edge retention equals a more brittle blade. i wish i knew how tough the gordon and buck are compared.

[@johnhass1084]

That chrome valium steel is no slouch it’s right up there with HC420

[@robertwilson9999]

Picked up 3 of these for Xmas gifts while they were on sale for $19.99

[@michaelpayne8000]

I just picked one up at Harbor Freight yesterday for 19.99 on sale and I'm going to put a razor sharp edge on it with my 600-1000 grit sanding stones and finish it off with my strop.. Great Video by the way!! 👍🤟😁

[@urbanlumberjack]

Appreciate it! If you think of it let me know what you think of the knife.

[@David-td4ik]

I would choose buck 119 over that everyday. It may be sharpened easy and good for daily uses but when it comes to camping or hunting, you don’t really want to worry about the edge retention. Plus, I really like bucks for their pricing. USA made fixed blade knife with good material for only $60, man, that’s a steal. I would definitely buy gorden knife if they make cheap benchmade or spyderco folders

[@latetodagame1892]

$70 now!!

[@docaylsw]

I have a 40 year old Western hunting knife that I really love, But I bought a K-Bar because that's what I carried in Vietnam.

[@tonystark-ey5gj]

put mine on a honing rod out of the box, thats all it took to make it shaving sharp

[@urbanlumberjack]

It does sharpen up nicely!

[@joejones9520]

damn, I didnt know it was possible for those Bucks to get wobbly.

[@daviddittmar9450]

Cutlerylover Did a torture test and the tip bent

[@urbanlumberjack]

So here's my thought on that. I watched the video, and it's not a fair test unless he did the same thing with the 119. I can guarantee that the 119 would fail the same way, because the knife is designed to have a thin tip for game and food processing. I am putting out a new video where I did some batoning, and was very surprised with the Gordon.

[@urbanlumberjack]

@@LXT43 my thought, too. The blade is extremely thin at the tip, and made that way on purpose. Good that people realize the limitations of a design no matter what the materials!

[@anarchorepublican5954]

I did pick me one up...and I'm gonna use it like $25 Shang-Hi pleasant time gal

[@Wreckz_Tea]

I'm not sure you should use it EXACTLY the same way. I mean I'm not one to judge I just feel thats not going to be in your best interests

[@anarchorepublican5954]

@@Wreckz_Tea ...and didn't he also highly recommend taking a leather strap to it???

[@propblast82nd]

That belt sander sure running fast

[@urbanlumberjack]

One speed only, it’s the harbor freight model. Also, I had most of the grinding on 2x speed!

[@classicbladereview1886]

Bucks are classic for a reason! btw... catching up on & appreciating your videos.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Thanks for the comment! Bucks are beautiful knives for sure. So much history. First knife I ever got was a buck and skinned my first deer with it!

[@Talon6551]

Already own the Buck 119, but picked this one up at HF. For roughly $20, its a great "beater" knife, and if it gets damaged I'm not going to be upset. Btw, thanks for the review. Most other reviews on the HF clone just want to pick it apart. What do you want for a $20 knife? So far for me, it's held up great through just one camping trip. I have to say, it stayed sharp through some abuse and still used it for food prep. I may go back with my HF coupon and HF cash and pick up another one just to throw in the trunk of the car.

[@mikek4443]

I'd like to see an endurance test for the edge of both.

[@leastamongyou1111]

Me too, with the D2 119.

[@davemartani1529]

Case has ben making similar knives like the Buck.119 since the early 70's I have a Case knife "Case XX 223-5" They still make these knives.

[@TylerSnyder305]

They may use a black handle and aluminum fittings like Buck, but so did Western with their black beauty line. They use black synthetic and aluminum which was obviously I spired by the handles of Bucks 100 series belt knives, but they are not in any way a copy. I'm just saying here that these companies had enough class not to make a direct shameless knockoff like this, or like you saw with the Japanese G-96 knives in the 70's-80's. Case, Western, and some German companies just took a particular combination of handle materials that Buck made popular and used it on knife patterns they were already making.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Wow ,that case is a beautiful knife. definitely inspired by the Buck line of heritage knives. If you still have it you are a lucky man! Thanks for the comment.

[@davidarwood6264]

I ran a ceramic rod across the edge a very few times and stopped it. It shaved .

[@speedydry]

What steel in HF knife? If its any good, they would tell you up front. Cheap steel will hold an edge for a couple of cuts.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Steel is 7cr17mov. They do note that on the package. It holds its edge reasonably well, and is quite easy to sharpen.

[@sliderule1702]

7CR17MOV is junk steel. I guess you get what you pay for.

[@panchopistola8298]

Buck 119 has a thicker wider a tang then the K-bar . It would be cool to see what the knock-off’s tang looks like .

[@aryanson]

I prefer the 119'sbig brother, the 120 general, better tactical/fighter, although the 119's no slouch either

[@osbaldohernandez9174]

I sharpened my Gordon on a smiths diamond stone works good

[@shadowwarrior7530]

I bought a gk21 it shaved right out of the box,I’m very happy with it, I only bought it to compare to buck,the main reason I like buck more is because buying buck I’m buying an American made product, but this Chinese clone is a good knife for the price

[@urbanlumberjack]

Definitely good to support American products!

[@TylerSnyder305]

You can get the real proper Buck 119 special for $47.99 at any Walmart. It's a steal at that price, and thetes just no way the Chinese can actually make a knife tha same way with truly comparable materials for half the cost. On paper and first impressions it may seem equal but I know that it just can't be. In the end though it's a knockoff, and that alone makes it worthless.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Buck isn’t above making a knife with budget steel. They sell a few models with 420J2, for instance. I have many buck knives I love but at the end of the day they’re a business trying to make money. If you compare the Gordon and the Buck, the booster is actually a much tighter fit to the blade than the Buck. We will see how the steel performs, but the Gordon seems to be put together fairly well considering the price and edge it takes.

[@TylerSnyder305]

@@urbanlumberjack Yes they do use 420j2 on their imported slipjoints, but that does not mean that the steel on every American made Buck knife isn't very good and that the 119 doesn't have a better blade than this Chinese knockoff. I believe if the Chinese knockoff had spacers and more components to the guard handle and pommel they would have the kind of fit you see on the Buck 119. It is an extremely common thing with hidden tangs and stacked handles. It is not a flaw and the guard is very unlikely to loosen, however you have to remember that this knife design dates back to a time when people were smart and it wasn't a common practice to pound on a knife. Especially a knife designed for processing large game. A guard on a mass produced knife fitting like this is not truly an issue.

[@urbanlumberjack]

@@TylerSnyder305 Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I'm absolutely a fan of Buck. I love the history, the US manufacturing, and the quality of the knives. Mostly, I made these videos because I was very surprised of the manufacturing quality of a Chinese steel knife. I'm putting out a new video showing some batoning with the Gordon and some other edge tests. It performed very well.

[@bunsonhoneydew9099]

I hate keeping an expensive knife in the toolbox in the trunk of the car or in the truck and have it get rusty or broken. For $25 I can put this one into circulation and won't feel bad when it shows signs of wear. I have a few Buck knives and I have never found them to hold a superior edge to any other manufacturer. That $10 Harbor Freight aluminum "Survival" knife is junk.

[@latetodagame1892]

Okay... I'm taking mine back!

[@007twm]

In an ideal world, the Buck 119 should be $50.00 and the Gordon should be $20.00. And yet I'm planning on buying a Gordon tomorrow for a truck knife. YMMV.

[@urbanlumberjack]

For sure. The steel is very comparable quality, I’m not sure the buck is worth the premium unfortunately

[@MrHrKaidoOjamaaVKJV]

Yep your observative overview and others on KZbin clearly shows in some aspects the Harbor Freight Gordon, is actually superior in some aspects to the Mighty Buck 119! While the Buck 119 is a well-made effective Hunting knife, the Harbor Freight Gordon Hunting knife will suffice, as a Hunting Surrival implement.

[@danielleclare2938]

Fit and finish is way easier with cheap soft steel that knife is junk will roll the edge so easily...well not junk totally it can be used for anything just needs a sharpening stone along side...the good is that soft cheap steel will sharpen quickly and easily as roll an edge so you can make it work but still crap lol. Also sharpening like that will heat the steel and lose the temper. You need to do it by hand and the other direction... you are ruining your knives with the grinder.

[@davidglazener7921]

Agreed.

[@urbanlumberjack]

A grinder is an essential tool for knife making and a game changer when used with a leather strop. You need to be careful and know what you’re doing, though, because the speed can generate heat and screw up a knife quickly. Good rule of thumb is never heat the knife up beyond what you can tolerate with a bare hand. If you follow that rule it’s totally safe on the knife. I do have a set of Arkansas stone I love, and for knives I truly treasure I only hand sharpen.

[@TylerSnyder305]

You won't ruin the temper if you keep it cool, but otherwise I agree about this knife. The Chinese can afford to do a few extra things because labor cost is cheaper, the materials and materials costs are much cheaper, and this sheath is much cheaper. Bucks Boss treated 420hc is harder on the tooling than the Chinese steel is ( I'm sure the tooling is much less expensive too ), so in order to be able to offer what they do for $47.99 they have to use it a little longer and that's where you get a fuller thats a little more rough sometimes. One also has to remember the warranty Buck has, China does not have to worry about whether this knife holds up they just have to pump millions of them out at an extremely low cost. Buck has to have enough profit margin to make the warranty viable, but they also make a product that's less likely to need the warranty.

[@danielleclare2938]

@@urbanlumberjack The edge gets very hot no matter how lightly you try it will not stay cool... the knife cools quickly but the edge overheats instantly with a grinder it is too fast for sharpening will ruin the hardness you can not prevent it using power tools.

[@urbanlumberjack]

@@danielleclare2938 I appreciate you input, but don’t agree with it. Every knife manufacturer I’m aware of uses a belt grinder for both rough shaping and final sharpening. It doesn’t affect the best treat at all if done properly. Just like many other manufacturing processes a belt grinder has its proper and improper applications.

[@danmarcell3167]

The real 119 is around 40.00 at Walmart so be a real man and buy the real knife

[@jeffreymalloy589]

They are now running at 70.00 at Wally World. I have two 119s and will pick up one of these as a "beater" knife.

[@johnsonfishin999]

The buck has a phenolic resin That’s the same material bowling balls are made out of

[@leastamongyou1111]

The Chinatown knife blade breaks too easy for me.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Did you break the blade? If so how much effort did it take?

[@leastamongyou1111]

No it was the handle, it got loose, lasted a while then just fell apart.

[@bobdayton9608]

That chinese steel is very similar to 440a. Very, very cheap steel. You get what you pay for. Even Bucks 420HC is cheap steel, but the Gordon steel is way below that.

[@urbanlumberjack]

For sure. Seems like an extremely user grade steel.

[@luccianogreen7154]

You're absolutely wrong the Gordon has better steel

[@MyScooter57]

Called phenolic.

[@anarchorepublican5954]

...clickbait...the thumbnail suggests the Chicken plays a role in the Knife Test...⚔️🐔❓

[@urbanlumberjack]

My wife said the same thing! Crowy is actually my best layer right now, so no knife test on her.

[@anarchorepublican5954]

@@urbanlumberjack ...had a chick like that once hated to lose her...🥚

[@jamapx]

cute chicken.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Thank you! She’s our favorite.