- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 4,670
It's been a week since I received my BK11 Becker Necker and I thought I'd post a mini review. I've been a big fan of all the Becker products. Honest to goodness, stout working knives. Knives that will stand up to extreme use/abuse. And being a fan of neck knives, naturally, I couldn't wait to get a BK11. I've never been a fan of skeltonized handle neck knives but that was overshadowed by other characteristics the knife has.
The knife has been around my neck the past week and it's already seen quite a bit of use. First off, the design. A deep belly, drop point blade of 0170-6C tool steel and an ergonomic handle with integral guard. Right there, those are my two favorite characteristics I look for in any fixed blade. The BK11 has both in one. The 0170-6C steel cuts like crazy. Having slung around such bigger Beckers like the Patrol Machete, Combat Bowie, Machax, and the Brute, I am quite versed in the performance of this steel. This steel cuts/chops aggressively yet is very easy to resharpen due to its non-stainless nature. Speaking of, the BK11 is given the same epoxy coating as found on other Beckers. It's tough. Stock thickness is around 1/8", and the high flat grind removes enough stock for the blade to be effective yet leaves adequate body for lateral strength and tip strength.
As far as the handle goes, I admit the BK11 is slowly turning the tide of my opinion of skeletonized handle neck knives. Not only does the handle shape accommodate my grasp well, the lack of scales makes the knife as slim profile as possible for easy carry. The epoxy coating also adds a bit of traction, though with dry hands. At the butt end of the handle is a strange looking cut-out. This was designed as a wire breaker and bottle opener. I haven't tested these features out yet, but I assume they work or else Camillus wouldn't have included these.
The BK11 cuts best when you grip the knife in such a way that your index finger lies on the blade spine. With this grip, you can feel the control you have over this blade. I mainly used mine as a small utility knife in the kitchen, and it really does a nice job. I understand some folks have used the BK11 for skinning and caping and they have reported it works very well for this application too.
Sheath - the accompanying sheath is as top notch as the knife that it holds. Molded from Concealex by knifemaker Ryan Wilson, the sheath features holes that [I think] will work with a mini Tek-Lok should neck carry not be desired. The edges of the sheath are very smooth and the seam is blended in. A length of 550 cord is supplied with each BK11 for neck carry.
Top notch knife....top notch sheath. What more can one ask for in a neck knife? Oh yeah, a great price! SRP $49.95 means the BK11 can be had for around $30-$35. Pocket change!
Here's a pic of the BK11 off of the Camillus site:
The knife has been around my neck the past week and it's already seen quite a bit of use. First off, the design. A deep belly, drop point blade of 0170-6C tool steel and an ergonomic handle with integral guard. Right there, those are my two favorite characteristics I look for in any fixed blade. The BK11 has both in one. The 0170-6C steel cuts like crazy. Having slung around such bigger Beckers like the Patrol Machete, Combat Bowie, Machax, and the Brute, I am quite versed in the performance of this steel. This steel cuts/chops aggressively yet is very easy to resharpen due to its non-stainless nature. Speaking of, the BK11 is given the same epoxy coating as found on other Beckers. It's tough. Stock thickness is around 1/8", and the high flat grind removes enough stock for the blade to be effective yet leaves adequate body for lateral strength and tip strength.
As far as the handle goes, I admit the BK11 is slowly turning the tide of my opinion of skeletonized handle neck knives. Not only does the handle shape accommodate my grasp well, the lack of scales makes the knife as slim profile as possible for easy carry. The epoxy coating also adds a bit of traction, though with dry hands. At the butt end of the handle is a strange looking cut-out. This was designed as a wire breaker and bottle opener. I haven't tested these features out yet, but I assume they work or else Camillus wouldn't have included these.
The BK11 cuts best when you grip the knife in such a way that your index finger lies on the blade spine. With this grip, you can feel the control you have over this blade. I mainly used mine as a small utility knife in the kitchen, and it really does a nice job. I understand some folks have used the BK11 for skinning and caping and they have reported it works very well for this application too.
Sheath - the accompanying sheath is as top notch as the knife that it holds. Molded from Concealex by knifemaker Ryan Wilson, the sheath features holes that [I think] will work with a mini Tek-Lok should neck carry not be desired. The edges of the sheath are very smooth and the seam is blended in. A length of 550 cord is supplied with each BK11 for neck carry.
Top notch knife....top notch sheath. What more can one ask for in a neck knife? Oh yeah, a great price! SRP $49.95 means the BK11 can be had for around $30-$35. Pocket change!
Here's a pic of the BK11 off of the Camillus site:
