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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Becker 9" or Ranger RD9
- Thread starter BillL
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2005
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- 239
Get the Ranger, not only a better knife but with it you get the Ranger warranty and awesome customer service. The Becker is a good knife but the Ranger beats it IMO.
TBG
TBG
- Joined
- May 24, 2005
- Messages
- 2,261
With Ranger, you can deal directly with the maker/owner Justin Gingrich. That and a great warranty make it all the more reason to go with Ranger. The RD9 is a big blade. Combine that with a sheath and you probably have close to 18" hanging from your side. I find my RD7 gets more belt time because of this.
t1mpani
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2002
- Messages
- 5,518
Both knives are made to very high quality standards, and using good materials. The steel type (5160) and heat treatment of the Ranger knives makes them more durable and just overall better performers than the Beckers (in a large knife) and their 0170-6 steel. This isn't to knock the Becker at all---it's a great value. It's not even to say 0170-6 is a poor steel choice---it's a superb blade steel, but has its strengths and weaknesses just like any other. For general abrasion and deformation resistance, which comes into play in slicing, shaving, skinning, etc. the Becker will hold an edge a bit better. However, a 9+ inch blade is not the one most would employ for such chores. Most using a big camp blade like this are using it primarily for clearing/limbing/splitting and light chopping. In such use, the 0170-6 will be more prone to chipping and fracturing than 5160 will, and also 0170-6 has more trouble with corrosion than 5160, and if the blade/edge is going to be coming into contact with vegetation (and all of its wonderful, corrosive oils and acids) that's something to consider too. Mind you, neither are stainless and you need to keep the edge and any other exposed metal clean and dry when they're not in use, but 5160 is a lot more forgiving, and isn't (in my experience) as likely to pit as 0170-6 when it does rust.
Going beyond steel to basic design, the Rangers are made of thicker blade stock and will have a lot more power in a swing, as well as being stronger. Even if you don't use your knife for prying, big blades can come under a lot of stress when they impact a target, and the thicker stock (and tougher, more ductile steel) of the Rangers will just handle it better. I would suggest ordering a flat ground model versus the hollow grinds. The loss of strength in the blade body is minimal and your cutting performance will be much higher
So, I would have to concur with the above and point you towards the Ranger Knives. Now, on the other hand, if you're looking for a small or medium sized knife for non-impact work like slicing, push cutting, skinning or what have you, my recommendation would swing back towards Becker, as that's where their steel choice pulls ahead.
Best of luck,
t1
Going beyond steel to basic design, the Rangers are made of thicker blade stock and will have a lot more power in a swing, as well as being stronger. Even if you don't use your knife for prying, big blades can come under a lot of stress when they impact a target, and the thicker stock (and tougher, more ductile steel) of the Rangers will just handle it better. I would suggest ordering a flat ground model versus the hollow grinds. The loss of strength in the blade body is minimal and your cutting performance will be much higher
So, I would have to concur with the above and point you towards the Ranger Knives. Now, on the other hand, if you're looking for a small or medium sized knife for non-impact work like slicing, push cutting, skinning or what have you, my recommendation would swing back towards Becker, as that's where their steel choice pulls ahead.
Best of luck,
t1
Cobalt
Platinum Member
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- Dec 23, 1998
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- 17,751
I agree with everything t1mpani stated.
Howwever, if you are to do an apples to apples comparison then you have to compare the Becker Brute to the RD9. The Brute evens things up considerably. Price wise the brute is much cheaper but performance wise it will outcut the RD9. Of course 5160 is tougher than 0170. However, the Brute has a fairly thick edge so under most conditions you would be hard pressed to notice a difference. The brute is one of the best big knives out there. I have never heard of one having any failure issues and I know there is many out there. It is my favorite of the big Beckers.
Howwever, if you are to do an apples to apples comparison then you have to compare the Becker Brute to the RD9. The Brute evens things up considerably. Price wise the brute is much cheaper but performance wise it will outcut the RD9. Of course 5160 is tougher than 0170. However, the Brute has a fairly thick edge so under most conditions you would be hard pressed to notice a difference. The brute is one of the best big knives out there. I have never heard of one having any failure issues and I know there is many out there. It is my favorite of the big Beckers.
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2005
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- 118
Go with ranger. I bet the rd9 is tougher and stronger than the bk9 and brute. Plus it has better customer service.
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2005
- Messages
- 1,076
Becker and the Ranger are both good knives but the Ranger is a better knife
Primarily, a price difference would be the only reason not to get the Ranger. Keep in mind that Rangers start the blade length at the edge (not at the hilt) and so a 7" is a 8" etc...Value for a Becker can't be beat for the price and both Becker and Justin Gingrich base their respective products on personal real world experience-as opposed to an engineer in a 20th story office who knows "what works"-A Becker is a production blade and Rangers border on custom which for what Ranger asks price wise, is more than fair.Either way, when it gets dark and something howls, you'll be happy with either one.
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2002
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The RD-9 will be heavier, which can be important, but it will also be tougher. It also doesn't feel so heavy on the belt as it does in the hand. I have two RD-9's and they're very nice knives.
nozh2002
BANNED
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- Jun 9, 2003
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Check Scott's shop - he still has orange G10 handles Ranger RD6,7,9 flat ground...
http://www.sagecreekoutfitters.com/..._Code=SC&Product_Code=K6001O&Category_Code=RK
Thanks, Vassili.
http://www.sagecreekoutfitters.com/..._Code=SC&Product_Code=K6001O&Category_Code=RK
Thanks, Vassili.
Cobalt
Platinum Member
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- Dec 23, 1998
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- 17,751
Bill,
What are you going to use them for. What is the majority of your work. Here is what I have found from using different blades including these two.
The Bk9 is a great cutting knife. It cuts light vegetation really well and is light and fast in the hand. It penetrates into wood well, but because of the very thin grind it tends to bind (get stuck in the wood) a lot. This can be a real pain when chopping as you have to force the blade out again. IMO, this blade is too wide for it's thickness. If they had made it 3/8 inch less in width I think the binding up would have ben less of an issue, IMO.
Becker Brute - The Brute is thicker and saber ground. It does not have the penetration of the Bk9 but it does not bind up so I can chop faster with it than the Bk9. It is also much more solid piece and can pry well without fracture or bending as it is 1/4 inch thick instead of 3/16.
Ranger RD9 - This is a beast. 1/4 inch thick flat ground. It cuts well and chops very well. It does not bind up like the Bk9 and penetrates better than my brute. The geometry is just about perfect in a knife this size. It costs more than the other two. The edge may not last as long, but it will dent rather than fracture. I have not fractured any 5160 blade edge yet. If dented them though.
If money is no issue, I would go with the RD9 first, then the Brute and Bk9 last.
What are you going to use them for. What is the majority of your work. Here is what I have found from using different blades including these two.
The Bk9 is a great cutting knife. It cuts light vegetation really well and is light and fast in the hand. It penetrates into wood well, but because of the very thin grind it tends to bind (get stuck in the wood) a lot. This can be a real pain when chopping as you have to force the blade out again. IMO, this blade is too wide for it's thickness. If they had made it 3/8 inch less in width I think the binding up would have ben less of an issue, IMO.
Becker Brute - The Brute is thicker and saber ground. It does not have the penetration of the Bk9 but it does not bind up so I can chop faster with it than the Bk9. It is also much more solid piece and can pry well without fracture or bending as it is 1/4 inch thick instead of 3/16.
Ranger RD9 - This is a beast. 1/4 inch thick flat ground. It cuts well and chops very well. It does not bind up like the Bk9 and penetrates better than my brute. The geometry is just about perfect in a knife this size. It costs more than the other two. The edge may not last as long, but it will dent rather than fracture. I have not fractured any 5160 blade edge yet. If dented them though.
If money is no issue, I would go with the RD9 first, then the Brute and Bk9 last.
t1mpani
Platinum Member
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- Jun 6, 2002
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Bill, you're not going to go "wrong" with either, but you can certainly go more right with one than the other. 
If it's primarily going to be slicing or cutting soft vegetation, go with the BK9. If it's going to be a chopper/limber/splitter, go with the Ranger (or possibly the Brute---curved edges do cut better than straight edges, but with the thicker edge I think it'd be just about a draw with the Ranger, and recurves are harder for many people to sharpen). Good luck. 
Warren
If it's primarily going to be slicing or cutting soft vegetation, go with the BK9. If it's going to be a chopper/limber/splitter, go with the Ranger (or possibly the Brute---curved edges do cut better than straight edges, but with the thicker edge I think it'd be just about a draw with the Ranger, and recurves are harder for many people to sharpen). Good luck. Warren
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2003
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I have an RD6 on the way and from the looks of it I will most likely be ordering an RD9. Prying and chopping are my main concerns. Then maybe a 3"-5" RD. Anyone have one of these little buggers. Great info. here.
If your on a budget get the becker. If not get the ranger .
I Have the bk9 and over the past month i have beatin the crap out of it from chopping logs in half, splitting these logs, batoning till the baton broke and the blade was fine, and the occasional throw across the yard
. This is one tough knife. After all this all i did was do a couple swipes on a DMT diamond hone and it was back to slicing paper.
If the becker can handle all that i can just imagine what the ranger can take.:thumbup:
.I Have the bk9 and over the past month i have beatin the crap out of it from chopping logs in half, splitting these logs, batoning till the baton broke and the blade was fine, and the occasional throw across the yard
. This is one tough knife. After all this all i did was do a couple swipes on a DMT diamond hone and it was back to slicing paper. If the becker can handle all that i can just imagine what the ranger can take.:thumbup: