Becker BK9 as primary woods survival knife?

[TravisH]

BK9 is an excellent primary woods survival knife.

Add a BK16 as your secondary and you're all set.


Come join us over in the BK&T subforum for more testimonials, maybe even from Ethan Becker himself. 😉
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/827-Becker-Knife-amp-Tool

 

[bowieknifenick]

I was actually thinking of getting the Bk13, since it fits in the bk9 sheath, in the pouch theres a little plastic insert for it. You can see it on kabar's site. I think adding the bk13 in the sheath with the bk9 will be a perfect combo. I have a little altoids tin survival kit in the pouch that has a firesteel, whistle, petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls wrapped in plastic wrap, a maglite solitaire led and an extra AAA battery.

 

[Gaston444]

Few big knives can chop, at best they bludgeon. They weigh far too much to carry any distance other than for a jolly in the woods..

I'm inclined to think you have only ever had experience with the heavier Busse models, and have never actually handled a real knife...

There are just better tools for what they are trying to do. One being an axe and another for pure wood processing is the saw..

So let me get this straight: You complain that big knives are far too heavy, yet you describe them as inefficient compared to an ax?

Now I get the sense you have never handled a real knife or carried a comparable size hatchet...

My Skama is a thinking man's golock, so a cutter not a chipper like an axe. Its more a European forest parang or machete than big knife which is why I like it. It still needs a small knife, saw, and even an axe, to best compliment it.

This is too funny: 1-A golock-type thing, 2-a hatchet, 3-a saw, 4-a small knife, and this is what you mean by, let me quote you exactly:

"Trekking its all about weight saving"

And also this priceless gem, considering we were talking about survival:

"With so much land being in conservation mode then there really isn't much "wood" processing to be done."

HMMMM....

The basic 5-6" sheath type knife is as good a knife as anything. .

Actually 5-7" is a range of length that is demonstrably the least useful (as was pointed out by Bill Moran, Bill Bagwell and other know-nothings): Compared to 9" it loses 75% of its chopping power for a 30% gain in weight...: See the photo I posted above... Compare the abysmal chopping performance of the 7.4" knife versus the 8.9" knife (it felt way worse than it looks, on top of that!): All at the same number of hits, and at a ONE and a HALF inch difference in blade length...

For small tasks, beyond 3-4" blades, geometry matters more than length, so again the 5-7" range offers no real advantage over 9-10".

Typically a knife between 5-7" can neither chop nor slice well: The best example of something close to total uselessness is the Becker BK-2: It is basically all handle, and is neither a slicer nor a chopper. At 16 ounces is almost as heavy as a 10" Lile "Mission"...

I would say the Becker BK-2 illustrates best everything that should be avoided in a knife...

With so much land being in conservation mode then there really isn't much "wood" processing to be done.

In Canada you often have to cut a lot of wood before you have room to actually set up a tent... Or you have to clear space by cutting wood before you can... Cut wood...

And this level of dense, untamed woods sometimes snakes right next to, or into towns of 300 000...

We aren't exactly talking about "surviving" in people's backyards here... I would agree in most of Europe a 10" survival chopper would look out of place, especially considering the mild weather...: I think in Europe survival would likely involve two-legged critters mostly: More up the alley of a 7-8" dagger: The only case I can think of this kind of length being any good...

Gaston

 

[DPC]

Big knives rule in the outdoors.

They're good everywhere you go, including desert. Axes are only great in the woods and when it's not extremely cold.

 

[AntDog]

This space reserved for future comment...

 

[bowieknifenick]

I may have misconstrued the point of this thread, but for a survival knife I mean I'm going out into the woods for the day, hiking, whatever it may be, hunting, etc. I want to have something on my belt that would help me survive the night if something should happen, I get lost, I roll my ankle badly (happened before), break something, etc. this isn't meant to be long term, just for an overnight in the woods until the next morning. I usually have a pack, sometimes I don't. I want a knife that can ride on my belt. I'm not looking to carry an axe, i'm not looking to skin game, not looking to carry much more than a knife to do everything. This is just for immediate short term survival, lost in the woods type scenario.

I am thinking the bk9, paired with the bk13, would help me the most. My main priorities would be shelter building and fire making. I won't be chopping any 6" diameter trees, more like forearm sized trees for a lean to, and processing dead wood for the fire.

 

[pinnah]

Gaston, I think regionally based generalities are hard. I note that prohibitions against harvesting live plants and trees are on the books in both Gros Morne and Gaspe. Perhaps better to say that harvest based camping makes sense in places where it is allowed? Related, have you experimented with hammock camping in the thick boreal? It's becoming more popular in NH as a way of dealing with thick woods, rough ground and copious amounts of dead fall. It's a direction I may move for summer trips.

Bowieknifenick, as I see it, putting too much thought into a survival knife is out of balance if the goal is to survive an unplanned night in the woods. I'd rather invest my precious carried ounces in a broader set of survival gear. Google for "the 10 essentials" for a start. In the context of a more robust kit, I find a much smaller and lighter knife is more than sufficient.

 

[stabman]

Related, have you experimented with hammock camping in the thick boreal?

Good hammocks are a great camping idea.
Certainly makes setting up for the night easier, and site selection less of a pain.
My brother has used his in up to negative 10 degrees centigrade conditions, so it can be used for much of the year. :thumbup:

Works as a comfy chair to sit in too.

 

[GREENJACKET]

Gaston444, wow you do take some liberties; with giant leaps of opinion of other people, based on not a lot. I'm not sure you got the gist of what I said. I'm not quite sure what your angle is either; what you actually like???

My credentials are that I was taught "Survival" by Lofty Wisemen some 25 odd years ago. I got Ray Mears up to speed on his firearm before he became famous. I've had an interest in knives all that time and seen how "survival" has changed and bushcraft skills become more prominent. I've used a lot of blades over this time to. I remember when Cliff Stamp first got into testing knives.

Survival is all about using your brain and using whatever is available at hand. A good First Aid and bushcraft course are good things to do to start.

I've done enough forestry, hunting, mountain, and Africa, to have some idea of different environments. I prefer wet, cold, to hot; all extremes require knowledge and some preparation. The locals usually know what they are doing, so I ask about.

I always carry a pen knife. Usually a bigger knife, or multitool, too. I'll take an axe and a saw if I require to process a lot of wood by hand. I have a selection of cutting tools and take what I need. I've carried enough and often more than whats ended up needed, but hey ho.

Here is a knife that is comparable to a Small Forest Axe, its about as small as I would want to go if I wanted to chop something:

Generally when I want a knife I want it for its cutting edge, to cut things.

Here is another of my chopping knives:

But then I'll only carry a large chopper if I really need to. In truth a full felling axe is preferable for chopping. Frankly I prefer a truck, mule, or sledge to carry it for me. On my person I'll just have a knife or two, and maybe a Pocketboy saw.

So I'm not sure where you are coming from????

An axe or hatchet will chop better than nearly any knife whatever the build size. Cliff Stamp has had built a forest sword but that was for the heck of it. If a log needs cutting in half then use a saw.

 

[GREENJACKET]

To answer the question then take a knife that has a keen good cutting edge, and a pocket saw.

If I don't want to carry a saw to save every ounce then this is my walkabout choice when with a small pack:

 

[GREENJACKET]

Just looked up Bill Moran and Bill Bagwell and now have some idea where you are coming from. I have one of these:
http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz128/Muskett_2009/BLADE/025.jpg

Its a pig sticker rather than fighter, and it does work.

The big bowie frontiersman approach is reasonably questionable to quite how frequently it was really ever encountered. Definitely in the American Civil War the "big" knife was popular within the lower ranks; poor man's sword when firearms weren't that reliable. Other privateers and adventurers on other continents often chose a big blade too, though mainly as a self defence and basic camp tool. They didn't cut logs with them, thats for sure. Many were just big butchers knives.

The big Rambo (First Blood was an excellent anti war movie), type knife has a following. I'm not convinced as basically there are few places you can get away carrying one around the world. Secondly, they aren't that good at anything much when compared to specialised tools. The thing is I'm not convince at all on the "one knife do all" argument. I did carry a CR Project II for ten years; it was worth carrying for what I was doing, but I also carried a Leatherman Wave and or folder. The latter two did the vast amount of the work, and the Project rarely saw the light of day.. or night.
In terms of self defence then give me a 10mm Glock.

Depending where in the world you are, then that really dictates whats best. If in a survival situation you actually have something on you then thats a bonus.

 

[22-rimfire]

Depending where in the world you are, then that really dictates whats best. If in a survival situation you actually have something on you then thats a bonus.

That's why for most of us, we're more likely to have a folder on us regardless. Maybe not the best, but it is certainly better than finger nails.

Read over on the Becker forum that you chipped (big time) your fairly new BK-9. Ethan is a good guy. Call him.

I banged up the edge on my favorite machete the other day.... that's what happens when I just happen to cut into a brick hidden by vegetation. Oh well.....

 

[DeadboxHero]

To answer the question then take a knife that has a keen good cutting edge, and a pocket saw.

If I don't want to carry a saw to save every ounce then this is my walkabout choice when with a small pack:

Wow, great collection bro!

Hey, what are your thoughts on that opinel saw?

 

[GREENJACKET]

Opinel saw and an Opinel knife is perfect for the walking the dog coat pocket. Doesn't scare fellow walkers. Light weight, not bad at all.
The Opinel saw isn't tapered like a Silky so 8/10. Fine for cutting the odd stick; how much sawing are you going to do? One step up from a SAK or Leatherman due to size.

Pictures are my personal kit, read pampered. I have work kit too.

I always carry a penknife, or a Victorinox Huntsman, or a Leatherman Charge TTi. Often one of my folders though recently the little S!K GSO's.

 

[Stubai]

GREENJACKET...is that a BJ Marauder? I always thought that was one of the coolest looking choppers out there.

 

[GREENJACKET]

Yes, my second as the first was stolen. I beat the hell out of the first one and they are very capable, the equal to a small forest axe. Too heavy for machete jungle work, better for forestry. Only 500 of the green handled ones were made circa 1990; believe it is Aug6 steel.
I now use a Skrama which is lighter.
I had a kydex sheath made last year for it. I have a selection of personal tools for jaunts into the woods.

And here are my selection of folders, well some that have survived the test of time:

I have some fixed blades to.
You will notice most of my knives are quite old, and all I can say is quality counts. There are a few missing, a few old friends lost, and some are replacements so look better than they might if I could have shown the original. I have a few others that didn't make the picture too.
A knife gets carried a lot, so it better not be heavy, and it better be efficient when put to work. I work to the knife's strengths and rarely try to go beyond its limitations (I have a few broken blades in my skrap heap draw). Buy quality, use it sensibly, and they last.

 

[Steve6387]

I'm with Pinnah and the other minimalist folks. My hiking set up is a Leatherman PST and a Rat1 folder.

If you are concerned about survival, invest in books and clothing. The right layers will do a whole lot more for you than a BK9 if you break an ankle while hiking. Also the type of hiking you do may limit what you carry. My hikes tend to (used to) involve a lot of miles up and down in mountainous terrain. There is no way I'd haul an anchor like the BK9 on most of my trips.

And just so no one thinks I'm trying to be a purist snob of some sort..... I am planning to buy a BK9 soon. It will be used for car camping, clearing brush and tree work around the house. I will chop and baton stuff mainly because it can. I am sure I will feel all sorts of manly about it and I know my friends will "oohh" and "aahh" over it. It will also help feed my elaborate fantasy life which does include hand to hand combat with zombies ;-)

What it won't do is be my primary survival tool.

 

[22-rimfire]

..... And just so no one thinks I'm trying to be a purist snob of some sort..... I am planning to buy a BK9 soon. It will be used for car camping, clearing brush and tree work around the house. I will chop and baton stuff mainly because it can. I am sure I will feel all sorts of manly about it and I know my friends will "oohh" and "aahh" over it. It will also help feed my elaborate fantasy life which does include hand to hand combat with zombies ;-) What it won't do is be my primary survival tool.

Take a look at the new BK-20. It would fit your fantasies and might just be useful for chopping.

 

[GREENJACKET]

Don't get me wrong, much of my knife inventory is just for the fun of it. Its a hobby. Heck, I no spin knives knives for fun... no practical use what so ever (not my good ones). I also own a few chainsaws!

In truth people buy what they fancy, I do. Nice when something is better in use than you thought.
Modern survival can be a charged mobile phone and a credit card, as a call and cash can usually get you out of a mess.

If you are going to chop, set up the chop correctly, as its not good to get it wrong.

 

[JDMiller]

What are your opinions. Is the bk9 too much blade for the woods?

My BK 9 is my most used knife and pretty much been carring it only on my daily hikes. I have a azwelke taco sheath and use paracord and a small carabiner to hook it to my belt loop as a cross draw.

Heck No, the bk9 in not too much blade for the woods? I need it where a smaller blade is practically worthless for my hikes