Becker Factory Sheath, could it be better?

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Jan 23, 2014
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Let me say the current factory sheaths are serviceable and keep the cost of the knives very reasonable for what you get, that's one reason we love them as well as the quality of the man behind the designs! Here it comes....BUT could there be better/other options out there at an economical price? The reason I ask this is that I got lucky and ran into nun-other than Joe Flowers at a tiny gunshow in the mountains of North Carolina last weekend! I was checking out his Condors and was really impressed with the sheaths and how they are so reasonably priced. I said to myself, I wish my Beckers had a quality leather sheath like that from the factory. I would even prefer if they can't be made in the US, that they be made in South America over China. Another example, Mora, their sheaths could be better too, but man a knife with an ok sheath that doesn't require a retention strap, easy in and out, for $12!

Please no flaming me, I'm just tossing out for discussion the question of could there be other good inexpensive factory options out there?

PS Joe shared with me how much he likes Mr. Becker and the respect he has for him, I had to agree!
 
I'm OK with what they come with. They are very usable and but if I want something special I'm good with spending some money to get just what I want. Personally I don't like leather for a working knife, or hand gun for that matter. In a humid environment they hold moisture and create added drag.
 
Eagle made the nicest sheaths imho esp for the time. great material, lined and flocked, good pouch, fantastic hardware.

lotta stuff now just feels cheap. the KaBar stuff is rather good i think. lotta knives don't even come with a sheath :D
 
Some knives don't even come with a sheath - you're on your own.

The sheaths provided with a Becker are serviceable and keep costs down. For many applications, that's fine. If you (or I) want something better, there's no shortage of suppliers.
 
I really don't like the nylon sheaths. However, they are the BEST sheaths for them. Is the quality the best? No (especially when compared to eagle), but check out the ontario sheaths and you will like the becker ones even more. Honestly though if you compare stock nylon sheaths from all the different makers I think that kabar comes out on top. The leather sheaths on condors knives are nice but really thats only good for belt carry. With the stock nylon sheaths you can belt carry, scout carry, strap it onto a pack with the molle. Even if it didn't have the molle they are nice enough to put tons of eyelets all over it so you could strap it to a pack, or strap it onto anything really. The pouch has the elastic cord to keep it closed and flat and most of them have the extra sheath built in for the bk13 (sadly the bk20/bk29 sheath does not have this). Finally one of the best features you never see on leather and kydex, the stock nylon sheath has a velcro belt loop so you can take it on and off without having to take off your belt off. Even if you shell out the extra cash for a custom leather or kydex (which I have done) it would be super hard to make one with all those features incorporated.

All that being said I still really hate the look of the stock nylon sheaths...
 
I'm ok with the quality of the sheaths, but they don't seem to be user friendly like kydex, but they are carry on my pack friendly.
 
I really like the sheathes and I love the fact that I didn't have to cough up another $60 for a manufacturer supplied sheath not of my choosing.
I can save that $60 for later or now if I choose, and pick up a nice belt sheath while having a very serviceable nylon sheath for my pack, trunk, floorboard, or even my belt.
Better yet...invest that money in some tools and supplies and make my own.
 
I like the factory sheaths just fine. They do the job they were intended to do.
 
I like the factory sheaths just fine. They do the job and most of the time, my bigger knives get stuffed into my pack or strapped to the outside of it.
 
The factory sheath is good for me, I like nylon sheaths and these aren't bad. Usually get Spec Ops sheaths if I don't have a sheath for a knife.
Don't care much for kydex, it digs into my side getting in my truck, getting on my 4-wheeler, getting in my tree stand, tried a dangler and then had trouble getting the knife out of the sheath one handed while on my 4-wheeler or running a weed eater.
Leather is nice but as others have mentioned a nylon sheath has extra attachment points and storage.
Not getting rid of my Becker sheaths anytime soon.

ETA: I carry weak side but use right or left hand to draw, hence why I favor nylon, just unsnap and grab.
 
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The full size models I like the sheaths. I'm never going to carry a knife the size of a bk7 or longer in my belt. So the factory sheaths are perfect since they're designed to be attacked to a pack. The tweeners are where I think improvements could be made. These knives are the perfect size to wear on your belt, but the sheaths don't wear well, in my opinion. Even if kabar offered a blade only option with no sheath, for a few bucks less. That way someone like myself, who will never use the sheath, could use those savings to help with the purchase of an aftermarket sheath of my choosing.
 
I think this is a topic that comes up rather regularly, with some folks falling on one side or the other or are simply ambivalent about it.

Here is my opinion regarding the factory sheaths, and said opinion isn't worth much:

Like it has been stated, these sheaths are of a surprisingly good quality compared to many of the nylon sheaths out there and considering that you are getting a sheath practically for free included with your knife purchase, the out of the box value of the knife is greatly improved. It can be rather frustrating at times to buy a new knife and then have to wait for a sheath to be made before you can venture forth and conquer.

However, with that said, I am not a fan of nylon sheaths in general. They are unwieldy, bulky, and due to their universal nature, the knife fits rather loosely. Plus they are rather unpleasant to look at. Since I have the tools, materials, and ability to make my own sheaths, that is usually the route I take. You can make leather just as versatile as kydex, and kydex just as simple as leather. Your imagination is generally your only limitation.

Regardless, for practically a free sheath, you get something you can wear on your belt, lash to your pack, holds doo-dads, and protects your knife. You could certainly do a lot worse.

Bottom line: Do you get to take your new knife into the woods right after you unbox it? Yes! Do they get the job done? Absolutely! Will your knife fall out? Most likely not. Are they pretty? Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...
 
I dislike the factory sheaths for many reasons: They have a big bulky print, I don't like my stuff to be tactical looking in the slightest, I prefer leather over synthetic material, I don't like straps with snaps around my handles and prefer pouch sheaths.

For those reasons, I replaced the sheath on my BK16 with leather, and my BK14 has custom kydex. I still use the factory sheath for my BK4, though. I don't love it, but it's pretty good and I can't deny that it is functional and utilitarian.

I do agree about Condor. Their sheaths are excellent, especially for the price point. I would personally prefer to see a basic, economical leather sheath like that offered with some of the Becker models.

To summarize: Could they be better? Definitely. Could they be better for the same price? Potentially. Do I like them? No. Are they terrible? They could be worse.
 
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