- Joined
- Nov 18, 2010
- Messages
- 6,118
113 weeks ago, I came into possession of a BK2; Kabar, second generation (first generation didn't have the pommel extension, had an ambidextrous kydex sheath, and no skeletonization of the tang) with the injection molded plastic sheath. My first impression was "I can cut the whole world in half with this." And I could have. Good lord, you get that knife in your hand and it does something to you, it has this effect on your brain and suddenly the idea of cutting anything, absolutely anything in two goes from "impossible" to "extremely likely" in a matter of seconds.
My grind was uneven, the sheath dulled the knife, and it was impossible to keep right side up on my belt when I wore it, but I didn't care because I had this massive chunk of metal that would have made Conan sweat a little and it was MINE. The problems had to be rectified however, and I had just enough of a tinkerer in me to fix those problems on my own. I made what is probably one of the ugliest methods for carrying a small box of stuff on the outside of the sheath at the time, and I started sharpening the knife, and I figured out a way to make the belt loop much less "floppy" and all of a sudden, this went from just a giant hunk of steel to an honest to goodness survival knife. I had what I needed to survive on that sheath (or so I thought at the time, oh the follies of youth) and I was ready to roll with this beast of a blade and do work.
Thus began my journey into owning a "real" knife, and my journey through this forum here. Luckily I was blessed with a small bit of creativity and the means to make my dreams into reality so with a little more effort I managed to make the box on the outside a little less ugly, a little more sturdy, and a lot more able to hold the stuff I would end up needing should I need to do a bit of "survival".
Time went on, as it is prone to doing, and I tweaked the design of the sheath here and there. I learned some great ways to attach even more stuff to the knife, ditched the stuff I didn't need on it, and generally got to get out and use the thing. It cut up meat for meals in the woods, it decimated a tree stump that for whatever reason offended my delicate sensibilities, and it got more than it's fair share of tree sap caked on the handle scales time and time again. I added the drop leg attachment to it so it would ride lower and be easier to remove, I finally got the inside broke in to where it wouldn't dull the blade anymore (not that big of a deal you cry babies) and finally had it where I wanted it. It was, for all intents and purposes, perfect. And so it remained. Two gatherings go by, this knife riding my thigh in all it's glory, and there were none that could dethrone it. Or so I thought...
The BK2 is a great knife. There is no doubt of that. No question, no argument, it is easily one of the best knives out there, one of the toughest, one of the most awesome tools to ever exist. Truly I could believe that it was crafted by Zeus and handed down from atop Mount Olympus, but sadly, things change. The knife changed little, only seeing superficial changes to it's sheath and methods of attachment. I, on the other hand, changed quite alot. You will see it happen time and time again, someone starts off with a fairly large knife, then as their knowledge increases, their taste in knives changes in response.
Ethan introduced us to the tweeners at the first gathering, showing us these great little knives that were for so many reasons the perfect companion for the sort of things our kind are known for doing. Small, nimble, but big enough to handle what you really need done. It took awhile to get them into our hands, but it happened, and the first time I held that FPR BK16 in my hands, I knew without a doubt this was it. It was one of the most comfortable knives I had ever held. Of course, like anything else, it needed a bit of love, a bit of modification, but it was exactly what I had dreamed of. It was a smaller BK2. Not a larger BK14, but a smaller BK2. And it was perfect.
I recently acquired a pouch that was perfectly sized for the sheath I had made for my BK16, and in setting it up I decided to put certain things in it, and as a result I found myself needing to cannibalize items from the BK2 sheath. And honestly I didn't mind. The BK2 will still get used, and I will replenish it's kit eventually, but for now, the BK16 is going to be sitting on top of the food chain.
To everyone that is on the fence, the BK2 is an amazing knife. If I was put in the situation that I had to pick one and only one, the BK2 is definitely my first choice, but the 16, especially the FPR version, is very, very, very nice, and definitely deserves a good hard look.
My grind was uneven, the sheath dulled the knife, and it was impossible to keep right side up on my belt when I wore it, but I didn't care because I had this massive chunk of metal that would have made Conan sweat a little and it was MINE. The problems had to be rectified however, and I had just enough of a tinkerer in me to fix those problems on my own. I made what is probably one of the ugliest methods for carrying a small box of stuff on the outside of the sheath at the time, and I started sharpening the knife, and I figured out a way to make the belt loop much less "floppy" and all of a sudden, this went from just a giant hunk of steel to an honest to goodness survival knife. I had what I needed to survive on that sheath (or so I thought at the time, oh the follies of youth) and I was ready to roll with this beast of a blade and do work.
Thus began my journey into owning a "real" knife, and my journey through this forum here. Luckily I was blessed with a small bit of creativity and the means to make my dreams into reality so with a little more effort I managed to make the box on the outside a little less ugly, a little more sturdy, and a lot more able to hold the stuff I would end up needing should I need to do a bit of "survival".
Time went on, as it is prone to doing, and I tweaked the design of the sheath here and there. I learned some great ways to attach even more stuff to the knife, ditched the stuff I didn't need on it, and generally got to get out and use the thing. It cut up meat for meals in the woods, it decimated a tree stump that for whatever reason offended my delicate sensibilities, and it got more than it's fair share of tree sap caked on the handle scales time and time again. I added the drop leg attachment to it so it would ride lower and be easier to remove, I finally got the inside broke in to where it wouldn't dull the blade anymore (not that big of a deal you cry babies) and finally had it where I wanted it. It was, for all intents and purposes, perfect. And so it remained. Two gatherings go by, this knife riding my thigh in all it's glory, and there were none that could dethrone it. Or so I thought...
The BK2 is a great knife. There is no doubt of that. No question, no argument, it is easily one of the best knives out there, one of the toughest, one of the most awesome tools to ever exist. Truly I could believe that it was crafted by Zeus and handed down from atop Mount Olympus, but sadly, things change. The knife changed little, only seeing superficial changes to it's sheath and methods of attachment. I, on the other hand, changed quite alot. You will see it happen time and time again, someone starts off with a fairly large knife, then as their knowledge increases, their taste in knives changes in response.
Ethan introduced us to the tweeners at the first gathering, showing us these great little knives that were for so many reasons the perfect companion for the sort of things our kind are known for doing. Small, nimble, but big enough to handle what you really need done. It took awhile to get them into our hands, but it happened, and the first time I held that FPR BK16 in my hands, I knew without a doubt this was it. It was one of the most comfortable knives I had ever held. Of course, like anything else, it needed a bit of love, a bit of modification, but it was exactly what I had dreamed of. It was a smaller BK2. Not a larger BK14, but a smaller BK2. And it was perfect.
I recently acquired a pouch that was perfectly sized for the sheath I had made for my BK16, and in setting it up I decided to put certain things in it, and as a result I found myself needing to cannibalize items from the BK2 sheath. And honestly I didn't mind. The BK2 will still get used, and I will replenish it's kit eventually, but for now, the BK16 is going to be sitting on top of the food chain.
To everyone that is on the fence, the BK2 is an amazing knife. If I was put in the situation that I had to pick one and only one, the BK2 is definitely my first choice, but the 16, especially the FPR version, is very, very, very nice, and definitely deserves a good hard look.
