No no no, Kabar didn't make a BK10. This is a review of the Camillus BK10, just to hold you over until we get something close to it from Kabar. I'm not going to compare it detail-for-detail to the Kabar Beckers because the Camillus was out first, but I will give you my thoughts on the main differences. This is the Becker BK10, Combat Crewman. Some are called Combat Crewman and some are simply Crewman; my blade says Crewman but the box says Combat Crewman. Doesn't matter enough to me to research it. It's a great design, whatever it's called. Somebody said it was designed as a smaller version of the BK7, which makes sense.
Here's what we're talking about...
The Handle: Like all Beckers, the Crewman has a fully exposed tang with dual handle slabs bolted on. The slabs are black 6V6H polymer, which I'm pretty sure is the same thing as Grivory or Zytel. They're smooth and have no rough spots, and are secured with three 5/32" hex bolts. The handle's overall length is 5-5/16" long and 15/16" wide, with 4" of the handle being inside the grip. The butt is flared out for a better grip on the knife, and both the butt and the tang have guards. The BK10 comes with a lanyard hole large enough to thread several lengths of non-gutted 550 cord in, which I like. I prefer a lanyard whenever I can. The full tang goes all the way past the handle slabs and ends in a flat pommel, which sticks out 1/8" from the handle slabs. One more thing I like about the handle scales is that because they're hollow on the inside, you can unscrew them and put some small survival supplies in them, then screw them back on. Or you can leave the handle scales off and cord wrap the handle; it's skeletonized.
Using the BK10 was a joy, as there were no sharp edges on the handle or worries about damaging the handle itself if it needed to be hammered. The handle is long and thick enough to fill your hand without sacrificing a good grip. It's definitely one of the better handle design on the market.
The Blade: The BK10 has a blade made of 1095 carbon treated to 58-59 Rockwell, and it has a black epoxy coating on everything except the grind line. It's 3/16" thick and 5-6/16" long with a 1-1/2" swedge on the back. I haven't sharpened mine, and don't intend to. The blade is flat ground and makes a phenominal knife for batoning and slicing. Chopping is do-able, but not ideal with a blade of this length. The only markings you'll find on the BK10 are stamped on the left side near the spine: BK&T CREWMAN 10 over Camillus, NY, USA. There's also a functional thumb ramp on the spine for the first 1/4" near the handle, and it's jimped. Out of the box, the BK10 was almost shaving sharp. It got there quickly after a minute on the strop, and has held a razor edge through some decent work. I like this blade design much better than the Pilot Survival knives, which the BK10 was designed to replace. It's thicker and generally better-suited for, shall we say, survival?
The Sheath: Every good knife should come with a good sheath, and the BK10 does just that. It's OD green nylon with black trim, and it has a Kydex liner inside so the knife doesn't cut through. The sheath can be carried in a number of ways: there's a belt loop that will fit anything up to a standard GI pistol belt, and there's slots for attaching ALICE or MALICE clips (clips not provided). There are also two lined holes in the bottom of the sheath so that it can be tied down to your leg, but I feel this is unnecessary unless you're airborne. With some of the larger Beckers I understand, but mine is used solely to transport cordage. The top of the sheath has these attachments also, I assume so you can make the knife more secure in the sheath. The BK10 is held in the sheath with a black nylon snap, and can be inserted in either the left or right side position. The sheath is 13-1/2" long, and it also has a pouch. The pouch is large enough to accomodate a standard double-stacked pistol magazine, but I use mine for storing a multi-tool. It is retained with a strong elastic strap, which is then secured with a black nylon flap with Velcro fasteners.
The Becker BK10 is a time-proven design and continues to satisfy almost everybody who has them. There have been many requests that Kabar pick up the design and make their own, like most of the Beckers. Whether that will happen or not isn't up to me, but Ethan Becker did a great job in designing the BK10; one of the best outdoor knives without giving a Rambo look.
Here's what we're talking about...
The Handle: Like all Beckers, the Crewman has a fully exposed tang with dual handle slabs bolted on. The slabs are black 6V6H polymer, which I'm pretty sure is the same thing as Grivory or Zytel. They're smooth and have no rough spots, and are secured with three 5/32" hex bolts. The handle's overall length is 5-5/16" long and 15/16" wide, with 4" of the handle being inside the grip. The butt is flared out for a better grip on the knife, and both the butt and the tang have guards. The BK10 comes with a lanyard hole large enough to thread several lengths of non-gutted 550 cord in, which I like. I prefer a lanyard whenever I can. The full tang goes all the way past the handle slabs and ends in a flat pommel, which sticks out 1/8" from the handle slabs. One more thing I like about the handle scales is that because they're hollow on the inside, you can unscrew them and put some small survival supplies in them, then screw them back on. Or you can leave the handle scales off and cord wrap the handle; it's skeletonized.
Using the BK10 was a joy, as there were no sharp edges on the handle or worries about damaging the handle itself if it needed to be hammered. The handle is long and thick enough to fill your hand without sacrificing a good grip. It's definitely one of the better handle design on the market.
The Blade: The BK10 has a blade made of 1095 carbon treated to 58-59 Rockwell, and it has a black epoxy coating on everything except the grind line. It's 3/16" thick and 5-6/16" long with a 1-1/2" swedge on the back. I haven't sharpened mine, and don't intend to. The blade is flat ground and makes a phenominal knife for batoning and slicing. Chopping is do-able, but not ideal with a blade of this length. The only markings you'll find on the BK10 are stamped on the left side near the spine: BK&T CREWMAN 10 over Camillus, NY, USA. There's also a functional thumb ramp on the spine for the first 1/4" near the handle, and it's jimped. Out of the box, the BK10 was almost shaving sharp. It got there quickly after a minute on the strop, and has held a razor edge through some decent work. I like this blade design much better than the Pilot Survival knives, which the BK10 was designed to replace. It's thicker and generally better-suited for, shall we say, survival?
The Sheath: Every good knife should come with a good sheath, and the BK10 does just that. It's OD green nylon with black trim, and it has a Kydex liner inside so the knife doesn't cut through. The sheath can be carried in a number of ways: there's a belt loop that will fit anything up to a standard GI pistol belt, and there's slots for attaching ALICE or MALICE clips (clips not provided). There are also two lined holes in the bottom of the sheath so that it can be tied down to your leg, but I feel this is unnecessary unless you're airborne. With some of the larger Beckers I understand, but mine is used solely to transport cordage. The top of the sheath has these attachments also, I assume so you can make the knife more secure in the sheath. The BK10 is held in the sheath with a black nylon snap, and can be inserted in either the left or right side position. The sheath is 13-1/2" long, and it also has a pouch. The pouch is large enough to accomodate a standard double-stacked pistol magazine, but I use mine for storing a multi-tool. It is retained with a strong elastic strap, which is then secured with a black nylon flap with Velcro fasteners.
The Becker BK10 is a time-proven design and continues to satisfy almost everybody who has them. There have been many requests that Kabar pick up the design and make their own, like most of the Beckers. Whether that will happen or not isn't up to me, but Ethan Becker did a great job in designing the BK10; one of the best outdoor knives without giving a Rambo look.
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