Becker Necker, Carbon San mai

Hey Everybody.....

WOW... Where to start.....The San Mai Necker is the result of an AHA moment last year during a meeting at Ka-Bar with the Fukumoto people about a kitchen knife project....They pitched the Hitachi white steel #2
for a"mass market' series of kitchen blades for the US and while we were letting the Fukumoto people down gently John, Paul and I looked at each other and said NECKER!!!!!..SO....These are a limited run and will be followed soon by a slightly reconfigured Necker in 1095 CROVAN (whose chemistry differs from the Camillus 0170-6C by having the addition of .25%Nickel and is functionally, pretty indistinguishable from it).......Ka-Bar does cook it's 1095 slightly differently which results in a drop of approximately one Rockwell point---BUT gives a very large return in mechanical strength, including edge chip out....There is very little lost in edge retention!!!....All in all a big net improvement in functionality.....The new blade is a trifle thicker and so in order to maintain the great blade geometry of the orginal we are grinding it all the way to the top....the blade IS marginally heavier but it does heft better in my hand....

.Paul Tsugimoto at Ka-Bar designed the new sheath and it offers a considerable number of improvements......Many NECKERs ended up zip tied on body armor as a non obtrusive go to very,very quick blade and the new sheath has many carry options-up-down or the very secure optional clip which is available (or should be from your friendly helpful retailer....BTW, I have been carrying it a lot since february and have found it to be quite comfy, otherwise it would not be out there...

As far as the price of the new BECKERs is concerned, Please be prepared to be pleased...The new Neckers in CROVAN wil be well under 60 bucks retail....and expect the other members of the family to be equally good value!!!......
I hope I have covered all concerns and if I have not I am looking forward to you guys letting me know...

I will be around for a few days and then I am off to Blind Rver Ontario to go grousing about in the woods and doing further field tests of the new CROVAN NECKER...

All Best

Ethan
 
Great stuff, Ethan! Can't wait to see the rest of the line return to production!

I'm in for a new carbon Necker when they come out.
 
Ethan,
I'll trade you my secret mole' recipe for a knife. Absolutely, 100% guaranteed to be the best you will ever find, or your knife back. The only problem with it is, that it takes a full day to whip it together. It has just enough room for creativity that you will want to put your personal subtle touch onto it, but not so much that you can ruin it. On second thought, TWO knives. I'll sign off now. My cheek is getting a cramp and my tongue is drying out from holding it in place.
 
Thanks for the info Ethan! It's a wonderful thing when you get answers straight from the "horse's mouth." I'm looking forward to the CROVAN knives.
 
Last edited:
Glad to get the info! Thank you. Are there going to be 1095 neckers available in the original (I mean non-tanto point) style?
 
cadjak said:
+1 I've been looking at the PSK too. simple, clean, strong design that show up on the forums for between $50 and $100.

Edit: Found a new PSK online for reasonable price (a lot less than the San Mai Becker). My neck knife dance card is full for a while. Plus I get to blab with the other PSK folks. It's always a plus to be able talk about our knives with other people who have the same ones.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=819
Click to expand...

I have never seen one for sale before on this forum, and if I have I don't recall seeing one for under $100, let alone well under $80:( Not sure which for sale sub forum you found that deal in. But I have been looking into a Gossman for while now but funds holding me back.

Great to hear from Ethan Becker:thumbup: I can't wait to read some reviews.
 
DrivebyTrucker said:
I have never seen one for sale before on this forum, and if I have I don't recall seeing one for under $100, let alone well under $80:(
Click to expand...


It seems like a lot of guys order their PSK customized with micarta or stag scales. The original format is a bare blade plus cordwrap. If you get one from Scott, and use it as-is, or do the cordwrap yourself, the cost is well under $100.

Drop Scott an email, or check his forum for ordering details. He's a great guy to work with.
 
Hey Guys...

My thanks to dutchv, fudo and driveby for your words of encouragement...
It IS good to be back, finally, and now that stuff is coming thru I will be talking to y'all much more often....

k-spar.....the new BK11 NECKERs are the same blade shape....I would in fact be a fool to NOT do one of MY favorites and it is THE knife that I ALWAYS carry
off pavement.....It is the knife I use each and every chilly morning to baton out fatwood slivers and small (usually oak) kindling for the morning fire...
It is my knife of choice for skinning and my small camp chores......The tanto shape you mention will (if we do it) is a micro tactul......Try a NECKER I think you will like it just fine...

Cadjak...Bring some of that mole' to the Practice What You Preach weekend next year and it is possible you could have a deal....I'll bring the Negro Modelo, so what have you to lose !!!!

All Best...

ethan
 
I have never seen one for sale before on this forum, and if I have I don't recall seeing one for under $100, let alone well under $80 Not sure which for sale sub forum you found that deal in. But I have been looking into a Gossman for while now but funds holding me back.
Click to expand...

Google is our friend.
http://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/spo/834278433.html
GossmanPSK001.jpg
[/IMG]

Cadjak...Bring some of that mole' to the Practice What You Preach weekend next year and it is possible you could have a deal....I'll bring the Negro Modelo, so what have you to lose !!!!

All Best...

ethan
Click to expand...

ethan,
I hadn't heard about PWYP before. North Carolina is a bit of a haul for me, but it seems like it could be worth it. Actually, Negro Modelo is one of the beers that I drink. But... this dish needs Moose Drool as its' accompaniment. This is not one of those foodie "one ups", just my opinion. Does this mean that I have to bring the beer too?;) On second thought it could be a try at a foodie one up.

One of the ugliest scenes that I've witnessed in the wilderness, was a revolt of clients, on a trip down the Middle Salmon, when they discovered the wine did not match the wine list that they had been sent before the trip. Something no true woodsman should have to witness. Carnage beyond any imagination. (true story)

BTW I own a BK2 Campanion, BK3 Tac Tool, and BK10 Crewman
 
Last edited:
EthanBecker said:
k-spar.....the new BK11 NECKERs are the same blade shape....I would in fact be a fool to NOT do one of MY favorites and it is THE knife that I ALWAYS carry
off pavement.....It is the knife I use each and every chilly morning to baton out fatwood slivers and small (usually oak) kindling for the morning fire...
It is my knife of choice for skinning and my small camp chores......The tanto shape you mention will (if we do it) is a micro tactul......Try a NECKER I think you will like it just fine...
Click to expand...

So glad to hear this, thanks a lot Ethan. I will be getting one as soon as they are out. Glad you're back!
 
Hey cadjak....

I do hope you make PWYP this spring, itis almost too much fun and anyone with such fine taste as to own several of my blades is more than welcome at my fire....I will be happy to provide the beer-especially if it will induce you to tell the tale of the REVOLT ON THE MIDDLE SALMON........You bring the mole' and I'll bring some knives....

All Best...

Ethan
 
Can anyone elaborate on Hitachi White Steel 2.I know there's also a blue one but what the difference between the two.Maybe Ethan or someone can explain why was white chosen instead of blue.
 
Hey Razorburn....

In at least a partial answer to your question, the Hitachi white steel 2 falls in the 1095 family...in the NECKERSM it is hardened to 59RC and if you want to compare it to other steels it's chemistry is as follows:

C .95>1.05
Si <.35
Mn <.5
P <.03
S <.03
Cr .2>.5
Ni .7>1.3
The cladding steel is 410SS
Hitachi is known for it's super clean, super quality cutlery steels in a society that really pays attention to such matters....the Fukumoto guy was really surprised when we told him of the rather casual attitude most Americans have toward kichen cutlery......

Hope this helps...

All Best...

ethan
 
Hey macgregor22....

Hopefully, just in time for Christmas you should be able to get a BK9 COMBAT BOWIE...
Other than the MACHAX the COMBAT BOWIE is the best big knife I have done to date....It is fast, and powerful and if you use a snap cut it really does make the chips fly...
It is also much more useful for whittling and other small stuff like crowning a stake when you choke up on it...A BK9 and a NECKER make a really great combo for the trail.... Hopefully next year there will be a MACHAX II.....We will just have to see.... I can design 'em a whole lot faster than Ka-BAR can tool 'em and make 'em and I am pushing them ashard as I can...They desrve all the sympathy you can spare as I have several years of frustration that they are manfully trying to bear up under.....

All Best...

ethan
 
EthanBecker said:
...They desrve all the sympathy you can spare as I have several years of frustration that they are manfully trying to bear up under.....
Click to expand...

Ethan old friend,
are you sure "frustration" is the correct word? :p
 
Congrats on the come-back! There's a bunch of us (anyone w/ common knife sense) who've been waiting like hell for you to start up again.

I'm really glad to know you'll be doing the Necker fairly close to the original, and I'll be sure to not pass up on the BK7 this time... I've been kicking myself for a few years now for that one.

Thanks for being active on the forum too, I'll be frequenting it more too since you're back at it.

Thanks again!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top