sleepyone
Member
After not buying any new knives for about 25 years, the last five I have bought several for hunting or EDC. I'm 48 and remember when the knives guys owned were mostly Buck, Case, and Old Timer and to a lesser degree Uncle Henry and Schrade. I had a few multi-blade pocket knives in those brands at one point but only have one three blade Old Timer left from my youth. I also have a made in U.S.A. Gerber that is about 25 years old. A couple of years ago I began buying Kershaws like the OD-1 and Skyline for EDC.
Now I'm wanting to buy a heavy duty fixed blade hunting/survival knife with the blade length between 5-7". Buck still makes the model 119 in various configurations. I don't know about Case, Old-Timer and Uncle Henry. It seems like everyone is buying Kershaw, K-Bar, SOG and other brands. How do the old-school knives compare to these brands? I have read mixed reviews on the Buck 119. Is it, or any of the old-school brands, still made in the U.S.?
I really like the SOG Seal Pup line and especially the SOG SE37-N SEAL Team Elite with the 7-inch partially serrated black TiNi coated AUS8 stainless steel blade for $90 on Amazon. It is a little pricey compared to the Buck 119 Special with Cocobola Wood and Brass Handle for $68. That Buck is a beautiful knife!
Are SOGs all they are cracked up to be? Whatever happened to the knives I grew up with? Did they just fail to keep up with the trends for military/tactical knives with black steel, synthetic handles, serrations and all the tacti-cool stuff guys want now? Did their customer base literally die off like Oldsmobile's?
I still like the looks of a classic Bowie-style knife over all these tactical knives, but I like all the features that tactical knives offer.
Now I'm wanting to buy a heavy duty fixed blade hunting/survival knife with the blade length between 5-7". Buck still makes the model 119 in various configurations. I don't know about Case, Old-Timer and Uncle Henry. It seems like everyone is buying Kershaw, K-Bar, SOG and other brands. How do the old-school knives compare to these brands? I have read mixed reviews on the Buck 119. Is it, or any of the old-school brands, still made in the U.S.?
I really like the SOG Seal Pup line and especially the SOG SE37-N SEAL Team Elite with the 7-inch partially serrated black TiNi coated AUS8 stainless steel blade for $90 on Amazon. It is a little pricey compared to the Buck 119 Special with Cocobola Wood and Brass Handle for $68. That Buck is a beautiful knife!
Are SOGs all they are cracked up to be? Whatever happened to the knives I grew up with? Did they just fail to keep up with the trends for military/tactical knives with black steel, synthetic handles, serrations and all the tacti-cool stuff guys want now? Did their customer base literally die off like Oldsmobile's?
I still like the looks of a classic Bowie-style knife over all these tactical knives, but I like all the features that tactical knives offer.