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 They are, I think, riding on an outdated reputation.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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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