Thanks for the video. I will keep my Vietnam Era USMC Ka-Bar that I bought, in the PX, 50 years ago. It has been with me in over a dozen different countries & never failed me.
I think Buck's famous 420 is one of the knife worlds most popular myths. I feel it is at least partly because the historical popularity of the 110 and early Buck marketing. They are, I think, riding on an outdated reputation. It's similar to Benchmade's so-called 'butterfly tax' - Benchmades are worth all the extra money you pay for them, right? "Ooo... It's a Benchmade!" I enjoy it when people question prevailing opinions.
@@peterbiltknifeguy it doesn't make it a better knife overall. There's a pride in owning a Buck. Do you have pride owning a clone? Do you feel better giving your money to Chinese worker or American worker? What goes around comes around!
What Buck has managed to do is get everything they could out of 420, that doesn't mean it's a good steel. I personally love the heritage knives like the 110, 112, 119, and 500. I'm with you, I'd like to see them upgrade the steel, especially since these knives keep creeping towards $100.
420HC is a good steel. What's exactly wrong with it? I think you miss the point of these knives and that is that they're hunting knives. If you're a hunter, you don't want a steel that is too hard and chips easily and it's a bitch to sharpen in the field. Inflation is causing everything to go up but you would know that unless you've been living under a rock. Buck didn't cause inflation, the people who made bad choices at voting booth did. Direct your complaints at them instead.
Gordon I do believe uses 7cr17mov which is harder and has better edge retention than 420hc ... even with Bucks legendary "boss heat treatment" 7cr17mov closest equivilant is 440a minus the added vanadium for 7cr17mov.
According to Zknives 7cr17mov is an alias for 7cr17 which doesn't actually have any vanadium. While not exactly 440a, it's pretty darn close. So it should be pretty rust resistant with meh edge retention. As to 420HC, it's a really low end steel, but like any steel if properly heat treated it can punch above it's weight class. Basically, it's pretty tough stuff, which minimizes warranty claims. To be fair, the Buck reputation has always had a lot to do with the branding. I honestly suspect that most of the legendary 119's never spent much time in the actual woods. Back in the day, and I'm old enough to remember, most of the old timers carried well worn carbon steel knives into the woods. They might have owned a Buck, but that's not what they used to beat on and prepare game, mostly for fear of losing or breaking it. I for example had some nice Case knives. but for the most part I carried a PAL RH 36 that survived WW2 and still sometimes use it to open dented cans that my can opener has trouble with.
That's what i thought,...the buck is just over priced, you pay for the name not the performance. I think $25 for these knives is about the right price,definitely not $75 though.
Great test! Even though Bucks 420HC is a usable steel, in my experience it doesn't live up to the hype. It is clever marketing to pass off a cheap steel as better than it is.
@peterbiltknifeguy In my opinion Buck should be using VG10 as their budget steel instead of 420hc. It holds an edge about twice as long and is much easier to sharpen. That would be providing a good value and a great experience for the user.
The gimmick behind Buck's 420HC is the twice sharpened Edge 2X geometry. It allows you to cut through more materials even with a rolled edge due to wider bevel and narrower edge. It's basically the same principle as overusing a box cutter blade that's dull in only some areas of the edge. If Buck went back to their old edge geometry you couldn't distinguish their 420HC from the 420j2 on a $10 Maxam or Bushmaster knife.
Just picked up a Gordon this past weekend. It's a decent knife, I'd change the belt loop on the sheath because I think it rides a little high on the belt but overall a good knife for the price.
Sheets of paper can cut very different depending on whether you cut it on the long side or the short side. The printer paper that I use behaves very differently, so I always cut on the long side.
I don't know if you are aware but Buck makes the 119 in S35VN now. They refer to it as the 119 Special. I would like to see you test that one. It is more expensive though. In addition to the S35VN STL. the handle is made out of green micarta. Like the video. Keep up the great work.
Is this Gordon available at Harbor Freight or online, etc? Thanks I acquired a 119 Special brand new from the store a few years ago and was disappointed at the sharpening job. It was uneven on one side too, so I sent it back in to be resharpened and it came back to me exactly the same.
The Chinese have been making knives for 10,000 years. We get the cheap stuff and they keep the good stuff for themselves. 25 years ago I bought a chinese-made butcher knife, cleaver and a honing steel at a Chinese butcher shop in Chinatown here in Canada. Up until this day this knife is still razor sharp, I use it everyday and it's only been honed on the steel that I bought on the same day. Even the original grind is still barely visible after 25 years, No Lie. If you buy a Chinese made knife with English writing that is what they sell to us but if it's written in Chinese that's the stuff they keep for themselves.
I bought Japanese forged hunting knife and a balanced samurai sword in Japan and they are best steel I own today which is impressive with my collection. Japanese ar the real forging masters. I do have a Toledo steel dagger I bought in 1991 in Spain that had hold its own though
Somebody surprised that BUCK is overpriced low-end? I'm not saying that BUCK is junk, I'm saying for the price of any BUCK you can have better knife. I have buck 112 and every other knife I have has better edge retention. Even cheap ganzo for 12 bucks made of 8cr14mov. Even 6 bucks mora made of 12c27. I like BUCK for designs, not for steel.
For the same performance at 35% of the price, you decide. I got one of each but I believe in the two party system. I took the last buck apart with the Buck.
Any steel below 60% carbon isn’t considered decent knife steel. Bucks 420hc only has about 45% carbon I believe. I’m not a Buck or 420hc fan either although 420 is highly rust resistant and relatively tough for a stainless steel. Personally I still prefer 440c for stainless applications and also AUS8 as both are tough and have good rust resistance if heat treated right. Mostly I use carbon steel knives not stainless as I’m not in a salt water environment
He probably meant 0.6%. I do reject his premise though. 420HC is a fine choice for a mass produced knife. Keeping carbon low helps prevent chromium carbide from forming and thus you get a tough easy to sharpen corrosion resistant blade.
Do the same 5+5 with seat belts, garden hose, 1/2" PEX, and leather, and see how it works out. Just using climbing rope may offer an advantage for one blade over the other?
I think you are a closet Gordon knife fan boyee....LOL....Nice showdown to realize the Buck is a true winner with their Bos heat treat....LOL...Your buddy is not going to be happy with these findings....Good stuff...
Buck is clearly the better knife and comes with better leather sheath. Still, some people are just penny pinchers and they will buy the Chinese clone. The same people who go out to restaurant to eat a breakfast but they're cheap when it comes to tools.
Did the same exact test and the buck lost? So I went and got another Gordon, and another buck. I returned them both and did it again and the bucklost again. I don't understand
Thanks for the video. I will keep my Vietnam Era USMC Ka-Bar that I bought, in the PX, 50 years ago. It has been with me in over a dozen different countries & never failed me.
I think Buck's famous 420 is one of the knife worlds most popular myths. I feel it is at least partly because the historical popularity of the 110 and early Buck marketing. They are, I think, riding on an outdated reputation.
It's similar to Benchmade's so-called 'butterfly tax' - Benchmades are worth all the extra money you pay for them, right? "Ooo... It's a Benchmade!"
I enjoy it when people question prevailing opinions.
I couldn’t agree more.
Excellent showdown. I dont own the 119 because i wont pay more than $50 for one
The Gordon sheath is worth $20
I still can’t believe the clone did that good
@@peterbiltknifeguy it doesn't make it a better knife overall. There's a pride in owning a Buck. Do you have pride owning a clone? Do you feel better giving your money to Chinese worker or American worker? What goes around comes around!
@@LXT43cry about it. Oh wait, you already did.
What Buck has managed to do is get everything they could out of 420, that doesn't mean it's a good steel. I personally love the heritage knives like the 110, 112, 119, and 500. I'm with you, I'd like to see them upgrade the steel, especially since these knives keep creeping towards $100.
Very well said!
They have one out now in D2 but it's $200 soooo they need to pull their heads out of their asses and make the 420 ones cheaper
420HC is a good steel. What's exactly wrong with it? I think you miss the point of these knives and that is that they're hunting knives. If you're a hunter, you don't want a steel that is too hard and chips easily and it's a bitch to sharpen in the field. Inflation is causing everything to go up but you would know that unless you've been living under a rock. Buck didn't cause inflation, the people who made bad choices at voting booth did. Direct your complaints at them instead.
Yep, you convinced me to go get a Gordon…..that way if I lose it or break it, I won’t cry! Ha ha.
Gordon I do believe uses 7cr17mov which is harder and has better edge retention than 420hc ... even with Bucks legendary "boss heat treatment" 7cr17mov closest equivilant is 440a minus the added vanadium for 7cr17mov.
According to Zknives 7cr17mov is an alias for 7cr17 which doesn't actually have any vanadium. While not exactly 440a, it's pretty darn close. So it should be pretty rust resistant with meh edge retention.
As to 420HC, it's a really low end steel, but like any steel if properly heat treated it can punch above it's weight class. Basically, it's pretty tough stuff, which minimizes warranty claims.
To be fair, the Buck reputation has always had a lot to do with the branding. I honestly suspect that most of the legendary 119's never spent much time in the actual woods. Back in the day, and I'm old enough to remember, most of the old timers carried well worn carbon steel knives into the woods. They might have owned a Buck, but that's not what they used to beat on and prepare game, mostly for fear of losing or breaking it. I for example had some nice Case knives. but for the most part I carried a PAL RH 36 that survived WW2 and still sometimes use it to open dented cans that my can opener has trouble with.
@@RJ-vb7ghyep. No vanadium, which makes the “V” misleading.
You are correct
That's what i thought,...the buck is just over priced, you pay for the name not the performance. I think $25 for these knives is about the right price,definitely not $75 though.
It’s 80 plus tax for me
You have to remember, these are made in America. There's a tax just for that.
Great test! Even though Bucks 420HC is a usable steel, in my experience it doesn't live up to the hype. It is clever marketing to pass off a cheap steel as better than it is.
Great point!
@peterbiltknifeguy In my opinion Buck should be using VG10 as their budget steel instead of 420hc. It holds an edge about twice as long and is much easier to sharpen. That would be providing a good value and a great experience for the user.
The gimmick behind Buck's 420HC is the twice sharpened Edge 2X geometry. It allows you to cut through more materials even with a rolled edge due to wider bevel and narrower edge. It's basically the same principle as overusing a box cutter blade that's dull in only some areas of the edge. If Buck went back to their old edge geometry you couldn't distinguish their 420HC from the 420j2 on a $10 Maxam or Bushmaster knife.
You should swoop one of the scale style sharpness testers! Love these videos. would be cool to see a solid number on the sharpness too
Great suggestion! And thank you
Just picked up a Gordon this past weekend. It's a decent knife, I'd change the belt loop on the sheath because I think it rides a little high on the belt but overall a good knife for the price.
Should have used the mtech 151 as well. 440A is a step above 1095. Of course that's what the charts say.
Heat treatment is second only to grind.
Dang you should do the mtech 151 vs one of your trailmasters
I expected better of Buck
but now I'm gonna get me a Gordon at Harbor Freight for their budget price for a good beater knife , 😊
Heck yeah. Because it held up extremely good in my hard use tests too
Well if you think this test is the only Criteria then go ahead and buy cheap Chinese crap. Support your own country man come on
@@peterbiltknifeguy your knife test here has mind controlled me to buy two Gordon knives 🔪🔪 at HARBOR FREIGHT !
@@1joshjosh1 how many made in China clothes & made in China electronics do you buy from Walmart and other stores in your USA town ?
Sheets of paper can cut very different depending on whether you cut it on the long side or the short side. The printer paper that I use behaves very differently, so I always cut on the long side.
I don't know if you are aware but Buck makes the 119 in S35VN now. They refer to it as the 119 Special. I would like to see you test that one. It is more expensive though. In addition to the S35VN STL. the handle is made out of green micarta. Like the video. Keep up the great work.
Got to love a Buck! Haha. Good testing bud.👊👌
🤣👍 it’s the Gordon that stole the show
Hahah I just got a Gordon 119 as a gift today. That's crazzy!
Lol. It’s actually a decent knife
I had their folder. It wasa great knife!@@peterbiltknifeguy
Is this Gordon available at Harbor Freight or online, etc? Thanks
I acquired a 119 Special brand new from the store a few years ago and was disappointed at the sharpening job.
It was uneven on one side too, so I sent it back in to be resharpened and it came back to me exactly the same.
It’s in stores
The Chinese have been making knives for 10,000 years. We get the cheap stuff and they keep the good stuff for themselves. 25 years ago I bought a chinese-made butcher knife, cleaver and a honing steel at a Chinese butcher shop in Chinatown here in Canada. Up until this day this knife is still razor sharp, I use it everyday and it's only been honed on the steel that I bought on the same day. Even the original grind is still barely visible after 25 years, No Lie. If you buy a Chinese made knife with English writing that is what they sell to us but if it's written in Chinese that's the stuff they keep for themselves.
I bought Japanese forged hunting knife and a balanced samurai sword in Japan and they are best steel I own today which is impressive with my collection. Japanese ar the real forging masters. I do have a Toledo steel dagger I bought in 1991 in Spain that had hold its own though
Somebody surprised that BUCK is overpriced low-end? I'm not saying that BUCK is junk, I'm saying for the price of any BUCK you can have better knife. I have buck 112 and every other knife I have has better edge retention. Even cheap ganzo for 12 bucks made of 8cr14mov. Even 6 bucks mora made of 12c27. I like BUCK for designs, not for steel.
Poor buck. Just don't have it in it no matter how good the heat treat.
For the same performance at 35% of the price, you decide. I got one of each but I believe in the two party system. I took the last buck apart with the Buck.
Any steel below 60% carbon isn’t considered decent knife steel.
Bucks 420hc only has about 45% carbon I believe.
I’m not a Buck or 420hc fan either although 420 is highly rust resistant and relatively tough for a stainless steel.
Personally I still prefer 440c for stainless applications and also AUS8 as both are tough and have good rust resistance if heat treated right.
Mostly I use carbon steel knives not stainless as I’m not in a salt water environment
No steel is 60% carbon.
@@sheltermonkey6065 oh yes it is, 5160=60%, 1095 and o1 +- 95-1.00 percent, 1075 and 1080 and many more
He probably meant 0.6%. I do reject his premise though. 420HC is a fine choice for a mass produced knife. Keeping carbon low helps prevent chromium carbide from forming and thus you get a tough easy to sharpen corrosion resistant blade.
I knew this was going too go this way. Own both and the freaking Gorden is better knife.
Definitely for the cost
Do the same 5+5 with seat belts, garden hose, 1/2" PEX, and leather, and see how it works out. Just using climbing rope may offer an advantage for one blade over the other?
I’m confused on what the question is
Yep they need join rest of knife world they over charged for 110 upgrade for sure but reg 110 is like 60 bucks when should be 20s think 🤔 😉
420 swiss army knife
You know what I'm going to buy a Buck 119 I don't care how much it costs.
Cool
👍🏼🤟🏽💪🏼
I think you are a closet Gordon knife fan boyee....LOL....Nice showdown to realize the Buck is a true winner with their Bos heat treat....LOL...Your buddy is not going to be happy with these findings....Good stuff...
😂 damn closet Gordon fanboys
@@peterbiltknifeguy 😁😁👍👍
any data gathered is scientific bud... stop your second guessing you have internal components lol may the force be with you
Lol. Thanks
When you're just hacking around with your friends it's just fun, when you put it on video It's SCIENCE!
Decent review.. BUT my advice is just but a USA made Buck save yourself the headache I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE BETTER KNIFE FOR LIKE $30 more
Buck is clearly the better knife and comes with better leather sheath. Still, some people are just penny pinchers and they will buy the Chinese clone. The same people who go out to restaurant to eat a breakfast but they're cheap when it comes to tools.
So now you know. Both Suck. 420 Sucks more! Shame on Buck!!!
KnifeMaker
Knifemaker? what are you making? bulshit. that's what you're making! Nothing wrong with Buck's 420HC. You know jack-shit!
Both complete garbage. Can be beaten by $10 Mora knives.
👍
utter nonsense! try harder!
Did the same exact test and the buck lost? So I went and got another Gordon, and another buck. I returned them both and did it again and the bucklost again. I don't understand
The famous buck heat treatment is a sales gimmick