Becker History Lesson

22-rimfire

22-rimfire

Joined
Nov 20, 2005
Messages
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I was thinking today that my own knowledge of Becker knives really only started when Kabar began making them. I was wondering if knowledgeable folks here could sum up the history and possible what knives were being made and by whom in years past?

What prompted this was a comment in another forum that the Becker Kabar relationship started after ESEE and Kabar started butting legal heads.
 
Can you please link the thread about esee and KaBar butting heads?

I believe Camillus made both Beckers and KaBars plus many others before they went bankrupt in about 95 or 96ish

But Beckers were made by Blackjack in the past to iirc

Some gurus will really know though. Im just telling what I think happened.
 
I think we should differentiate that “KaBar” could be referencing either a specific knife type or a specific company that makes knives.

A pet peeve of mine is how people start threads about Camillus KaBars in the official Ka-Bar section of BF.
 
The company only.... KaBar, not the WWII knife that I believe Camillus had the contract to make for the military back then. I also know Camillus made some of the more or less current models like the BK-2 but I don't know when that stopped.

The butting heads comment was my interpretation, but it amounts to the same thing. RC vs ESEE models of nearly the same knife model.... I only assumed that it was a legal matter to be honest.
 
Short version. Cincinnati, Blackjack, Camillus, now kabar.

Slightly longer version.

Cincin was when Ethan started becker knife and took he was living in Cincinnati about 1985. He'd had the knives made from various auto and machining shops around.

Knives made were Machax, cAmpanion, divtul and tactuls.

Then he partnered with blackjack. 1991 I think. Knives made were

Burte, cAmpanion, divtul, Machax, magnum camp, Reinhardt kukri.

About 1999-2000 blackjack went under and Ethan made a deal with Camillus. Knives started around 2001. Camillus is where the numbers came from.

The made the bk1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11

Cam went down in 07 I think. Ethan then went to kabar.

Kabar currently only makes the 2 3 7 9 10 11 13 14 16 21 62.

Through all that time there has been many special/limited/odd coating/discontinued configurations. That I didn't mention.

I can PM links to hours of more detailed info if anyone wants.
 
Last edited:
knifejunkie1928 said:
.....Cam went down in 07 I think. Ethan then went to kabar.....
Click to expand...
What does Cam mean? Oh I see, Cam=Camillus.

I think Ethan and Brian Griffin are kindred spirits in this business, designing affordable knives.

Added: I figured that one out myself so I won't add another comment below yours.
 
22-rimfire said:
I was thinking today that my own knowledge of Becker knives really only started when Kabar began making them. I was wondering if knowledgeable folks here could sum up the history and possible what knives were being made and by whom in years past?

What prompted this was a comment in another forum that the Becker Kabar relationship started after ESEE and Kabar started butting legal heads.
Click to expand...

22-rimfire said:
The company only.... KaBar, not the WWII knife that I believe Camillus had the contract to make for the military back then. I also know Camillus made some of the more or less current models like the BK-2 but I don't know when that stopped.

The butting heads comment was my interpretation, but it amounts to the same thing. RC vs ESEE models of nearly the same knife model.... I only assumed that it was a legal matter to be honest.
Click to expand...

ESEE and KaBar butting heads? Do you mean ESEE and Ontario knives?
 
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