Becker BK7 or Rat 7

O

orangish ducktape

Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
904
I am not sure if i should buy a Rat 7 or a BK7.
Any ideas?
also any sheath ideas, i will be buying a custom sheath for either of these knives.
-orangish ducktape
 
Welcome!

I would recommend the BK7.

There is a Becker subforum here, under the manufacturers forums. You will be able to find all that you want to know there about sheaths.
 
BK7 all the way. Handles are more comfortable, the steel and heat treat is better, and so is the fit and finish.

Plus, the BK7 has one of the best customer service groups backing it up, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Welcome to the KA-BAR forum, and Bladeforums, glad you're here.

BK7 all the way, brother.

Moose
 
+1 for Moose. If you stick around very long you'll find that there is a lot of love for BK&T around here and rightly so.

Almost forgot... Welcome!
 
Bk7 hands down. More comfortable and faster in hand. The palm swell on the Ontario's is very wide and is uncomfortable after long term use. Plus the bk7 is so sexy with micarta handles and in upgraded sheath.

photobucket-3954-1319663591323.jpg

photobucket-2060-1319678680923.jpg
 
Thanks for the responses guys
i think I'm leaning towards the bk7 now
Are the Micarta handles for the BK7 any good, or should I look on around for something a little better?
-orangish ducktape
 
The Kabar micarta is great. There are custom micarta makers that sell on a popular auction site in black and green canvas. I prefer the natural tan myself. And for a kydex sheath maker I'd recommend Azwelke, he made the one in my pic. For leather look at mywifethinksimcrazy or goose52 but I'm not sure if goose is making sheaths for the 7 yet. Hell MWTIC makes a leather wrapped kydex scout sheath. I'd also like to recommend tomars kabars since you can get both the bk7 and micarta in the same order.
 
BK-7 all the way brother. It's handles are much better than those of the Rat 7s. Get a 7, you won't regret it.
 
I don't own either, but I'd get the BK7 as well. All the reasons mentioned are right on. Ontario has a softer HT, in my experience, the handle scales won't line up with the tang, and the edge may not even be ground evenly. Oh yeah, the Ontario comes with a horrible sheath, I understand you want a better one, but you'll still be paying for that cordura POS.
 
Another one for the BK7. It is light, fast and mean. Just can't beat it for the price. a big thumbs up to the micarta as well. They are top notch. I didn't like the rough unfinished look on the ones I got (most do) so I sanded them a bit and put some compound on them and polished them up. Could not be happier.

P1010496.jpg


P1010512.jpg
 
bk7 with micarta, and I recommend Kiahdex, just cuz she's in mah home state. The price: still cheaper than a rat 7 with kydex.
 
foxx said:
I don't own either, but I'd get the BK7 as well. All the reasons mentioned are right on. Ontario has a softer HT, in my experience, the handle scales won't line up with the tang, and the edge may not even be ground evenly. Oh yeah, the Ontario comes with a horrible sheath, I understand you want a better one, but you'll still be paying for that cordura POS.
Click to expand...
I'm curious about the softer heat treat. I have a BK9 and a Rat 5 and have not noticed any big differences in the steel other than the coating, they both had relatively uneven edges, and the handle scales are quite aligned, maaaaaybe a mm off. I like both knives a lot but I honeslty found them to have almost the exact same shortcomings, including sheath...
 
HardTripper said:
I'm curious about the softer heat treat. I have a BK9 and a Rat 5 and have not noticed any big differences in the steel other than the coating, they both had relatively uneven edges, and the handle scales are quite aligned, maaaaaybe a mm off. I like both knives a lot but I honeslty found them to have almost the exact same shortcomings, including sheath...
Click to expand...

I don't think softer, just not the same. Toooj and Kabar have their HT down, I mean really down, and they are taking 1095CV to the max. If you can get a better heat treat on 1095CV better than Kabar, share, because I'll be gettin' me some of it. Tough, with good flex, great edge retention, and a better recipe would be better than saying softer.

I don't have an Rc machine here with me, or I would tell you, but I know the 58-59 that Kabar is doing is perfect, and its consistant, so, you don't have to worry about this blade being one way and another, different. Which has been seen time and again.

I don't have a problem with Onario Knives, I have a couple of them, but I don't think they are making a better product than Kabar, and I'm not just saying that because I am a mod here, I mean that from a consumer's perspective. The only other folks that I think are doing as good of a job with 1095 is Rowen, but no one is doing 1095CV like Kabar. Toooj's recipe is spot on.

Moose
 
Yeah but its no secret is it? I'm sure Ontario has their "Tooj" with his own good recipe, they have been making knives long enough to be doing something right. I loooove my Kabar for a few reasons but Ive never had my Rat act in a way that Id say " my Kabar wouldn't do this " How different can the process be, dont you just heat the steel and quench??
 
I think Ontario's biggest problem is their lack of publicity. They have no forum and in fact they have huuuge numbers of Rat Packers dedicated to bashing then because of a business decision Jeff Randall made most likely to get more money for himself. Now to clarify in case I sound like a dick head ; I love Kabar, I love ESEE,I'm a RAT Pack member, I own and enjoy an Ontario knife, and I too would leave Ontario if I could start my own brand if I could make more money.
 
thatotherguy said:
bk7 with micarta, and I recommend Kiahdex, just cuz she's in mah home state. The price: still cheaper than a rat 7 with kydex.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the props, but I'd make an ugly woman. Avatar is Paz Lenchantin.
 
HardTripper said:
Yeah but its no secret is it? I'm sure Ontario has their "Tooj" with his own good recipe, they have been making knives long enough to be doing something right. I loooove my Kabar for a few reasons but Ive never had my Rat act in a way that Id say " my Kabar wouldn't do this " How different can the process be, dont you just heat the steel and quench??
Click to expand...

Theres lots that goes into it, thats why those guys are engineers and chemists. Alll i know is ive seen more ontario fail videos and threads than becker fails. thats proof enough for me. Everything fails from time to time, it happens and i get that. Whats different is how a company reacts to its failures and how it looks to improve, and from my understanding ontario isnt good at either. plus the swells on the handle are less comfortable. dont matter how good your heat treat is, if my hand hurts after 20 minutes of use your knife is going to the exchange.
 
clich said:
Theres lots that goes into it, thats why those guys are engineers and chemists. Alll i know is ive seen more ontario fail videos and threads than becker fails. thats proof enough for me. Everything fails from time to time, it happens and i get that. Whats different is how a company reacts to its failures and how it looks to improve, and from my understanding ontario isnt good at either. plus the swells on the handle are less comfortable. dont matter how good your heat treat is, if my hand hurts after 20 minutes of use your knife is going to the exchange.
Click to expand...
Yeah true enough, and all this to say I too would choose the BK7 to a RAT 7, although I prefer a drop point I like the Becker handle, ramp, and no choil.
 
ihaving just got a rat-3 and being preety fond of it, I'd say the only possible answer is "both"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top