Becker Choil Option

beachmaster

beachmaster

Joined
Oct 3, 2014
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679
I haven't been around Beckers long enough to know much about the history of Becker knives, but I have seen some options come up now and again.

If there is one thing I have noticed, it is that in reviews, people are constantly saying that they really like the knife because the manufacture decided to, or not to use a choil. It seems like there is a 50/50 split (to me) of people complaining about Choils, and asking for them.

So I was thinking it would be cool if the Becker line starting offering them as an option to their line. For instance, you could get a Bk9c, or Bk9 Choil. I would personally like one on mine, so maybe that is why I think that this is a good idea lol
 
A choil is a matter of prefrence...and adding a choil yourself is easy enough that the market for lets say a bk9c wouldnt be that big.
 
Hmm, I've seen a lot of pics of a bk9 with a choil in it, and I dunno, it looks cool, and would be a bit more comfortable choking up on it, but personally I wouldn't choil it myself, if I stuffed it I would cry. The micro choil in the blade is enough for sharpening purposes, and if you have problems choking up on the blade perhaps work on your technique.

And as budazz said, the market for people who want a choil and don't want to modify their Beckers (do they exist?) would be really small. On top of that, some people don't like the thumb ramp either, so they might have to make a model without the ramp etc etc

All in all, If you want a choil, have a red hot go and see what happens, take it slow and send pics :) You can always buy another one :)
 
I'm personally against choils although aesthetically I like the way choils look. With that said, I added a choil to a Kershaw JYDII which works out well, its not too deep and I did not take any cutting edge away
 
Thanks! I never did like the shark fin flipper, and nobody really liked that bat winged pocket clip. With a Dremel I added the choil and I cut out a slot on the frame for a low rider ZT pocket clip. If you still want to add a choil, get your tools out go slowly. If there was ever a brand made to mod, Becker would be the one!
 
The choil vs no choil debate seems to divide people quite sharply (that can be as much of a pun as you'd like it to be...).

I read that Uncle Ethan does not see a point to choils. It seems like most Becker lovers don't need one, but those that do, mod one. Beckerheads love their mods!

Does it seem like most people get their choil fix from ESEE's?
 
Tdhurl1103 said:
It is easier to add a choil than to take it away.
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True dat. I think it's a handy option on the bigger BK's but only really useful if you also mod the front of the scales. I find they're hard to get your hand over without some material removal. That being said, I'm pretty sure there's no market for them - anyone who really wants one will most likely gather up their stones and DIY.
 
Ahhh.....To choil or not to choil........ There used to be this space in front of the handle on a knife that was used to stamp the maker's name and that space was frequently utilized to create a choil ....... My early knives had panels at the top of the blade which I used to mark the knives......Now we got this laser thingy and you can easily mark the ground part......... I like as many linear millimeters of sharp as I can get and I try real hard to give a "thumb to sharp vertical line for small work to be accomplished efficiently....... I think choils can be attractive and on some blades quite aesthetically pleasing but, on working blades, I think the space you gotta give up is better sharp.... There are mostly theoretical safety issues with getting your fore finger in front of the guard(or with Beckers the front swell on the handle which acts as a guard)....... Obviously the closer your forefinger is to an unguarded sharp part the greater the risk of blood and curses....... If it is MY blood I do not like it and I ALWAYS curse....... LOL......

E
 
I agree with Mr. E... A choil's only place is on a knife that can't be chocked up on otherwise. The King needs no choil.
 
cEdge said:
IWith that said, I added a choil to a Kershaw JYDII which works out well, its not too deep and I did not take any cutting edge away
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That is brilliant. The flipper islarger than necessary on the JYD. I may do the same to mine.
(gotta do something about the stupid pocket clip too...)

But I agree that on the BK line, the handles are well-designed and no choil is strictly necessary.
 
Ethan Becker said:
Ahhh.....To choil or not to choil........ There used to be this space in front of the handle on a knife that was used to stamp the maker's name and that space was frequently utilized to create a choil ....... My early knives had panels at the top of the blade which I used to mark the knives......Now we got this laser thingy and you can easily mark the ground part......... I like as many linear millimeters of sharp as I can get and I try real hard to give a "thumb to sharp vertical line for small work to be accomplished efficiently....... I think choils can be attractive and on some blades quite aesthetically pleasing but, on working blades, I think the space you gotta give up is better sharp.... There are mostly theoretical safety issues with getting your fore finger in front of the guard(or with Beckers the front swell on the handle which acts as a guard)....... Obviously the closer your forefinger is to an unguarded sharp part the greater the risk of blood and curses....... If it is MY blood I do not like it and I ALWAYS curse....... LOL......

E
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This is exactly how I feel. While I am fairly confident of my knife handling skills, putting my finger right next to the blade right in front of the guard seems needlessly dangerous.

Also, so far in my experience the choils don't work well in alternate grips (particularly chest lever), which means I have to go farther away from the edge, and I loose some cutting power.

And Ethan, I know that the BK5 was designed by (with?) Jerry Fisk. Did he put the choil on there? Also, was he involved with the BK15, or was that more or less just a "shrink the BK5 by 30% and put a tweener handle on it" type of decision?

Thanks!
 
ocnLogan said:
And Ethan, I know that the BK5 was designed by (with?) Jerry Fisk. Did he put the choil on there? Also, was he involved with the BK15, or was that more or less just a "shrink the BK5 by 30% and put a tweener handle on it" type of decision?
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I'm curious about that too.

I find the choil on the BK15 very comfortable when choking up and very much under control.

But with the BK5, it feels a bit awkward, without that same sense of being in control. Indeed, it feels downright slippery. (Adding some jimping and stippling are first on my list.)
 
Hey ocnLogan.....

Everything forward of the handle on both blades are Jerry.......the ricasso was a necessity on the Five because there was no other place to stamp.... Hence there is room for a choil ....... I think Jerry wanted design continuity with the Five when he did the Fifteen...... These are two blades on which I would change nothing.......

E
 
Ethan Becker said:
Hey ocnLogan.....

Everything forward of the handle on both blades are Jerry.......the ricasso was a necessity on the Five because there was no other place to stamp.... Hence there is room for a choil ....... I think Jerry wanted design continuity with the Five when he did the Fifteen...... These are two blades on which I would change nothing.......

E
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Thanks Ethan, I'd been curious about that for a while :).
 
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