Becker BK7

[sophijo]

I really like the looks/utility of this one. One question...carbon steel blade with "epoxy" coating. Is rust going to be a problem for prolonged use in wet climate?

 

[Loki]

I suspect that any carbon steel knife will suffer rust in a wet environment - say like the pacific northwest coast or similar. That being said, you can take simple steps like wiping after use and oiling to keep the blade in good shape. For real wet you may want to consider a stainless blade.

 

[Mark Nelson]

I have the BK7 and the BK9. I have not had a very big problem with rust. The epoxy coating has held up very well (so far), to some heavy abuse. I just wipe it down after use and a bit of oil when I get a chance.

 

[Jason Burns]

The Beckers are awesome and require very little maintenance!

 

[akjon]

I have one of these and I like it a lot BUT I can not claim to have ever used it a lot in humid/salt climates.

With that caveat, I say buy it! (Hey, if I give bum advice its on a $50 knife and not a $200 knife )

 

[OwenM]

The edge will rust overnight if put away wet. Had it happen on my 7 while camping this winter.
I've never had a problem when they (Beckers) are wiped down before putting them up. For that matter, I've had no problems with my 0170-6 Blackjack as long as it gets wiped off before resheathing, though it has no coating, even on 2-3 day camping trips where it rains the whole time.
A little care goes a long way.
No idea how it would hold up to a saltwater environment, but I imagine it would rust like crazy...

 

[frank k]

I had the same thing happen with my BK9, it got wet (fresh water) and the edge started to rust after only about 2 hours. The rusted parts of the edge had lost the ability to shave cleanly, but I was able to restore the edge quickly and easily with a ceramic rod, since the rust was only beginning to take hold.

If the coating is intact, it dose a very good job of preventing corrosion, but the exposed edge needs to be kept clean and dry (and preferably oiled) to keep it free of rust.





- Frank

 

[Terrill]

A bit of care and they will hold up quite well. We used, abused, and otherwise tested several Beckers this weekend. They came out looking good!

 

[Cliff Stamp]

They do indeed rust very rapidly when exposed to salt water, and cannot tolerate even plain water for any period of time. Some kind of rust inhibitor will be required if the humidity is high or the enviroment is damp. The blade coating wears off quite fast and thus offers minimal protection to the flats. The edge has no coating anyway and that is the more critical area. You will need to dry it when not in use and coat it with oil or something when packed away at night or in the evening. This isn't a problem inherent in the Becker steel, all low alloy plain carbon steels will rust fairly quickly like that. The Becker steel is better than some (L6), but worse than others (INFI).

-Cliff