Any suggestions for a first Becker?

Z

Zemapeli

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Jan 26, 2013
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I am hung up on what I should pick up for my first Becker. What would you beckerheads advise? The magnum camp is what I am leaning towards for now, hard to decide between that and the short becker trailing point. Both seem pretty nice for both use as well as self defense if need be. Maybe you can help me make my mind up :p
 
Hmm like asking which child you like more. For me it would be a BK16.
 
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I bought a 17 first. First one I'd ever seen. Liked the clip point. Followed it pretty quickly with a 2. Then a 9. Then a 10. Picked up an 11 and a 24 somewhere along the way. Got a 16. Then a 15. A 3 showed up. A 4 and a 5 rounded things out nicely. And when I saw a 14SG on sale, I figured, why not. Now I'm waiting on a 12. Just because.

Whichever one you decide on, you won't be wrong. Especially if you just go ahead and get two.
 
The 5 and 15 are my favs.

Since you're leaning toward the 5 then get it ... while you can. Dex has them 'in stock' - http://www.coyleoutdoors.com/bk-5/#cc-m-product-9748951483

Also consider if you want a 'stamped' 5 or newer 'laser etched' 5 and tell Dex which you prefer. i'm sure he'll cherry pick one for you. ;)

Despite the trailing point and spine swedge, the 5 is a damn good chopper and batoner, 2nd only to the 4 and 9, and it slices better than any.

Of course, once you get the 5, you'll want the 15 as well. Might was well order them both and save on shipping. ;)
 
Ive got most the BK line. Ive read the following a couple times before and I agree that ones first becker should be what is the staple of the entire BK line and that is the BK2 period. Why? First nothing batons like it,second its a quarter inch thick of coated Ka Bar 1095 cro van which is now arguably better than ESEEs 1095 cro van which is saying a lot. Third, yes its heavy but its short length wise despite its weight and heft its fairly compact to carry at the same time. Fourth, edge retention on the BK2 is the best in the entire line simply cause the steel is so thick. Being so thick you have a ton of steel for a custom grind should you so desire and still have a ton of steel left to do even more. Fifth, when you buy your BK2 you also buy the option Ka Bar made upgrade scales at the same time. Ka Bars upgrade micarta scales are nothing short of phenominal. I have them on all of my BK's. They are the ultimate in grip and comfort you will find for any BK they feel soooo good sometimes when I am stressed Ill grab one of my Bks and just hold onto the handle for awhile AAAHH!

Sixth, the sheath the BK2 comes with may be a bit on the crappy side but it is still compact. all the long BKs have sheaths with a bit to much extra material going on for a knife that is already long and wide. There are more custom made BK2 sheaths out there than for any other model I highly recomend the recent BK2 sheath by 710.

Lastly as a self defence blade. I guess its that knives like the BK7 and 9 and even 4 are pretty big and intimidating that many make the mistake of not realizing that out of the box a BK2 is still near razor sharp. The length of the BK7 and 9 can very easily work more against than for you in a tactical situation. If you are forced to stab someone in the gut with a BK2 that will most likely go a lot deeper than you thought it would its going to make a MASSIVE wound channel with one blow much more than any other BK. If its a high stress self defense situation and all you have is your BK2 adrenalin is pumpin and you go for the gut hard that BK2 is going to penetrate all the way to the handle and when you pull that very sharp heavy quarter inch thick slab of 1095 cro van out of said attacker guts will spill out the wound will just be that massive. Even worse is if you penetrate fully then TWIST 90 degrees then pull it out you will essentialy gut them near totally. So there is where the BK2 makes up for its lack of reach vs the other BKs

Finally if you really wanted to make a point one could take every other BK model in the line and baton through each one of them with a BK2 and a mallet. I saw a YT video where some dude used his BK2 to baton through an ESEE 5 and it worked....scary stuff but that is the first BK you should get and why...good luck
 
BK2. Because it can slice, chop, baton, and pry, and still slice tomatoes or whatever for your dinner. When in doubt, I carry the BK2.
 
Start with a BK10.

It's an all around good knife, that will fill a lot of roles.

It gets your beak wet and from there.......who knows.....

Moose
 
In my opinion a 5 and 15 are absolutely necessary. The others will be needed later but these two must be owned.
 
It depends on what you mean by "use", for self defense either the 5 or the 15 would be great but you'll find the 5 too large to really have with you all the time and the 15 is just barely small enough to keep on hand at all times. either can be kept in a pack of course.
My favorites for misc. use are the BK16 & BK10, but there are a great many good knives in the lineup.
 
If I were to do things all over again, with what is available now, I'd be going with the BK16 or BK10 for "general" use, or the BK9.
 
At first I was going to start ranting about my personal favorites, the 9 and 16, but when I read your post it sounded like you're really just deciding between the 5 and 15. There is already a wealth of information and opinion shared on various models.

What will you be using the knife for most? If you need something for more large tasks like chopping and batoning or you only will have one tool with you, I'd say go for the 5. If you'll be doing smaller things like fire prep and food prep and detailed wood work OR you'll be carrying another big tool like an ax, then I'd say go for the 15. Or....... both =)
 
The 2 was my first. Can't say enough good about it and definitely not more than what's already been said. Highly recommended!
 
I reckon the 17 would be a good starter Becker. Small enough for EDC (perhaps with a different sheath) but large enough for a good portion of camp/hiking duties. Plus it's plenty stabby if the need arises. Doesn't get a lot of love here (which baffles me) but I love my 17. But as it has been said, you won't go wrong with any selection and let's face it, your first won't be your last..
 
Get you a 5 and a 15 before they're no longer available. Protourist is right, you must at least spend a few hours with those two knives if you really want to learn about design and efficiency of cut. If you need something bomb-proof... go for a 2, 10 or a 9.

If I could only have one Becker knife... it would be a BK-16. In my opinion, it's one of the finest general-purpose bushcraft/survival/EDC production knives ever made, and it's the best bang-for-the-buck on the market today. I can and do make any dang knife I want; that's my job... but the 16 has a place of honor on my #1 BoB. Because it just plain works for my needs. (I would not turn my nose up at a 17, either)

But you really can't go wrong with any of 'em. It's just a matter of personal preference and what you want to do... they all work :) :thumbup:
 
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