Becker BK-2, ESEE 5, or ESEE 6?

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Blade Lover

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Jun 13, 2013
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I am looking for a good survival knife thats can do pretty much anything, and these three seem to be the most reoccurring in my mind :confused: . The all have upsides and downsides, but I just wanted some input :) .
 
Blade Lover said:
I am looking for a good survival knife thats can do pretty much anything, and these three seem to be the most reoccurring in my mind :confused: . The all have upsides and downsides, but I just wanted some input :) .
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What exactly are you trying to survive?
 
Personally I would go for a Becker. First for the company itself and second for the quality of knife. The ESEEs never fit me very well. The handles are really thin for my taste. If I was to use one for very long I would be hurting.
 
Blade Lover said:
I am looking for a good survival knife thats can do pretty much anything, and these three seem to be the most reoccurring in my mind :confused: . The all have upsides and downsides, but I just wanted some input :) .
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Welcome. :thumbup:

It would help us help you if you would define "survival" and tell us what tasks to you expect to do during "survival."

It's purely a marketing term at this point, and means pretty much nothing.
 
It would help us help you if you would define "survival" and tell us what tasks to you expect to do during "survival."
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What exactly are you trying to survive?
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A large, beefy, fixed blade thats good with batoning, chopping, etc. and even more delicate things like whittling and carving,.
 
Blade Lover said:
A large, beefy, fixed blade thats good with batoning, chopping, etc. and even more delicate things like whittling and carving,.
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As much as we would all hope...there is no such thing, in my opinion. No knife does everything well. Some knives do everything ok. I'd suggest a 3-4 inch thin fixed blade slicer (or a Vic SAK Farmer...even better in my opinion) and a ~7 inch chopper (or folding saw...again, even better in my opinion).

Neither the SAK nor the folding SAW are "survival sexy", but they work.

All that said, prepare yourself for the upcoming "Becker BK2" suggestions!

And by "survival" you mean "outdoor recreation," like camping and stuff, correct?
 
Blade Lover said:
A large, beefy, fixed blade thats good with batoning, chopping, etc. and even more delicate things like whittling and carving,.
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Sounds a lot like the BK2 to me (yep a "Becker BK2" suggestion, but there is a reason for that). I can't speak for the Esee knives, I've played with the Esee 5 but never owned one. That said, you get an awful lot for your money with the Becker. I own the BK2 and it impressed me enough to get me to order the BK7. These are good knives.

But let me complicate things a little more for you and add the Buck Intrepid XL to your list of knives to consider. I have one of those as well and am impressed with it as much as with my BK2. Not quite as thick of a blade (the BK2 is a freakin' tank), but that can be good for detail work. I actually like the handle and sheath better on the Buck. Like the BK2, it is also far less expensive than the Esee knives. I would suggest that you give it a look while considering which knife best meets your needs.

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Blade Lover said:
A large, beefy, fixed blade thats good with batoning, chopping, etc. and even more delicate things like whittling and carving,.
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Unfortunately, I think this has become a bit of internet nonsense. I do alot of camping and I pretty much never need to "baton" and chop. In a true survival situation, if you were daft enough to find yourself in one, the last thing you really should be doing is wasting time, energy, and water by "batoning" and chopping wood.

IMHO, for what its worth (which isn't much :D ), I would find a small, light, very comfortable fixed blade that its really good at cutting things (like knives are supposed to). If you want to chop wood, bring a hatchet.
 
SaintlyBrees said:
But let me complicate things a little more for you and add the Buck Intrepid XL to your list of knives to consider.
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Interesting choice. What does a tanto blade bring to the party? And the double guard? Doesn't that nake choking up on the blade for fine tasks difficult?
 
retzius said:
Unfortunately, I think this has become a bit of internet nonsense. I do alot of camping and I pretty much never need to "baton" and chop. In a true survival situation, if you were daft enough to find yourself in one, the last thing you really should be doing is wasting time, energy, and water by "batoning" and chopping wood.

IMHO, for what its worth (which isn't much :D ), I would find a small, light, very comfortable fixed blade that its really good at cutting things (like knives are supposed to). If you want to chop wood, bring a hatchet.
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I couldn't agree more.

Though, people do like to go out in the woods and beat the bejeebus outta trees with big, coated knives, and there is nothing at all wrong with that. Fun!

It just would be easier to help people out if we knew that was what they had in mind.

If that is what we are talking about here, I'd suggest Ontario Ranger RD7. Bashing the snot outta stuff is exactly what it was designed to do.
 
marcinek said:
Interesting choice. What does a tanto blade bring to the party? And the double guard? Doesn't that nake choking up on the blade for fine tasks difficult?
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If you're going to "baton" and "chop", the guards provide a measure of protection to your hand. For detail work, they allow for a remarkably sound grip. Yep, they make choking up on the blade difficult (lol! impossible), but that is compensated (IMHO) by the grip itself. First weekend that I had it, I carved the better part of a feather stick and did so fairly easily for a large blade. [Edit: obviously, not as easily as something like a Mora or its ilk.] The tanto tip? Nothing except for the sharp point. If the blade came with a drop point, it would be preferable IMO. But overall, it competes quite nicely with the BK2 - a knife which I obviously like as can be seen by my post above.
 
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The draw back I have with the bk2 is its sheath, I do not have personal experience with it but I have heard that since it is glass filled nylon instead of kydex it dulls the blade terribly & I have never tried to make a kydex sheath :(
 
Blade Lover said:
Yes, for outdoor recreation, unless of course I find myself in a survival situation.
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For outdoor recreation I would get an ESEE 3. You seem to like their stuff and I think it is one of their best blades because:

1. It is thin so it really cuts well
2. It is light so you are likely to carry it
3. It is very capable and pairs well with a hatchet, saw, or larger blade if you need that kind of thing

The thing about large thick heavy blades that can chop and "baton" is that they are large thick and heavy and once the coolness wears off they arent so fun to carry on a full day hike and they often end up being left at home...

A knife like the ESEE 3 cuts really well and is so light and small you will take it with you on all your adventures.

For example, the Becker BK2 weight a hefty 16oz. You can carry a ESEE 3 (5 oz.) and a Bahco folding saw (7oz.) and have much more versatility and capability for less weight.

Have fun.
 
Blade Lover said:
The draw back I have with the bk2 is its sheath, I do not have personal experience with it but I have heard that since it is glass filled nylon instead of kydex it dulls the blade terribly & I have never tried to make a kydex sheath :(
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This doesn't have to be the case now. They have a nylon sheath with a hard insert as an option, this does not dull the blade. Look up bk22 (its a bk2 with the new sheath)

Edit: oh and my vote goes for the bk2. I own both esee (5) and becker knives (10, 12, 24, 16, and 11), pound for pound they are both excellent knives but with becker, you have a little money left over.
 
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SideTracked said:
This doesn't have to be the case now. They have a nylon sheath with a hard insert as an option, this does not dull the blade. Look up bk22 (its a bk2 with the new sheath)...
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This is an excellent suggestion. I was unaware of the BK22 option when I got my BK2 and am now going to modify or replace the sheath.
 
I luckily got the gen 1 kydex sheath with a gen 2 BK2 when I ordered mine back when the gen2 first came out. and now we are on gen 3 knives with the etch instead of roll stamping
 
My vote is for none of the above. Get a BK-16, folding saw, and a SAK for really detailed stuff. Most of the survival stuff is nonsense and just for play in terms of needs beyond the BK-16. But if you just have to get the BK-2, do so and if you are like me, you leave it at home in most cases. The ESEE 3 is a very practical knife. The ESEE 4 is a bit heftier than the BK-16 but essentially the same size.
 
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