Becker or Esee for camp/survival????

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clusterchuck

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Jul 14, 2011
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My wife and I are going to start going on some camping trips where to try to take as little as possible. Being new to this type of activity and the rigors that we will probably be putting our knives through, would it be better to go with Esee do to the warranty. I am not putting any one over the other (I want a lot of both), but at this time can not afford to go aggro on the cutlery purchases. I only ask this because we are new and our woodland knife skills may not be up to par. We will be going with another couple that knows what they are doing in theory:p, but should I take the chance of using a becker for batoning and risk breaking it since I don't know what I am doing and losing the cost of the knife, or should I go with an Esee since they will ship a new knife if I break mine. Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
You won't break either of these knives even if you tried to. I'm assuming you're talking about the esee 5 and bk2. In my opinion it comes down to personal preference when it comes to those two knives. Personally I like the feel of the bk2 a lot more, as the esee 5's handle is a little too small for me + don't like the shape of it. Also keep in mind the bk2 is half the price of the esee 5, that means it can leave some room in your budget to get a small companion knife. I personally use a bk2 for chopping/batoning, and a benchmade snody 201 activator for smaller tasks.
 
Hi and welcome to BF :-)
Apart from personal tastes, and few differences, both Becker and ESEE will make an amazing use for ur camping tasks. If u have never handled a good outdoors knife (or no outdoors knife at all), u will find that both are more than enough. More than focusing on the brand (since both are very good), I would try to handle them and see what fits ur hand better in terms of size, weight, grip, and go for it, be it a Becker or an ESEE.
Warranty is important, but even more important is learning what a knife can or can't do. I believe that, in the average camping trip, there are little chances that u do serious damage to a knife, and since u are new to these things, just take ur time to develop knife skills in the outdoors, and keep it safe. With time, u will find that those knives can perform more tasks than u probably think now. Just try not to do anything stupid or dangerous, and avoid abusing the knife (meaning, avoid what u think would be an abuse to the blade). It will be enough. U might find it very useful to carry a folder too (like an Opinel or SAK).
And finally, answering ur OP, my vote goes for ESEE 3.
:cool:
 
A warranty does you no good on the trail, a broken knife is a broken knife. Here's what you need to do...
Use the search engine here, to find more info on batoning techniques. It's simple really, avoid knots, keep the knife level (don't press the handle down at an angle), and remember that you don't have to bicect each log. You can start on the outside, imagine de-barking a log but curtting in deeper. Another thing, I've broken down plenty of firewood with my hands and using a dead tree, or breaking by stomping.
Beckers are affordable, get a custom sheath and some micarta and you are very close to the cost of the similar ESEE. I have some of both, and find both brands to be great.
Here's the most important thing, what ever you buy, go use it. I mean use it, baton it, and know for sure that it has a proper heat treatment. Overconfidence in a product that you did not make and have not used could be a problem on the trail. Make sure it can do what you want it to, without failure, hot spots, muscle fatique etc..
PS, is you are breaking a knife, you're probably doing something wrong. Batoning is not beating the crap out of it, it's just splitting the wood apart, not hammering it through. If it's getting stuck, the wood is too hard and/or you should be closer to the edge of the wood, ie. removing less than half of the log with each cut.
 
I have handled the Esee 6 and the handles were okay but not awesome...I have some bear paws. My friend has a bunch of Esee's and he swears by them, but he also told me that the BK2 was a chopping beast. What would be a good fixed blade companion if I went with the Becker. Since the BK2 is pretty much half the price of an esee if you shop around I would have a little more money to work with. What would be a good knife for the little lady, she has small hands and the BK2 might be a little much for her.
 
either one will do just fine. and there is no chance you could break them. I also have seen people say great things about the Buck Hoodlum as a camp knife. and i personally like the spyderco Rock.
 
i think either would be good. i also doubt you'd break a becker. and if you did they have a similar warranty to ESEE.
 
Thanks for the batoning info as well. The warranty question was just because the first couple of camping trips won't be crazy backwoods. I know things can go wrong and I have been in a couple situations where there was a major butt pucker factor. These trips are just to get in some training before a big walk-about can be planned. Again thank you for helping out a noobie. :)
 
You and your wife can certainly complement each other's knives, and is what I do with my fiance. If you decide on the BK2, which I would personally choose over an ESEE, you have your stout blade more up to the task of batoning, chopping and being a general beast. You can easily get your wife something smaller and more manageable that will not only be more comfortable for her because it's lighter and smaller, but can do the finer tasks needed at camp that the BK2 is less good at. I would recommend checking out ragweedforge.com and looking at Mora knives. They're super light, cheap, dependable, and take a wicked edge. The Bushcraft Triflex is a great choice.
 
I just got a mora knife to carry in the pack, cheap and crazy sharp, and will be ordering another for her. If I get a "big" knife though, she will have to have something somewhat simular. Just her mindset I guess, she wants to be able to do anything I can, and I love that about her. If she gets into a survival/situation (she is a worrier of "2012") I want her to be able to handle it if I wasnt there. Is there a smaller blade that can handle batoning/chopping or will she need to get a biggin' and I can find a way to customize the grips for her?
 
Bring an ESEE-3 or ESEE-4 and get a folding camp saw. They are inexpensive and process wood a lot better than battoning a knife.

If you want stainless steel ESEE is coming out with the 4 in 440C or just buy a Fallkniven F1 or S1.
 
What kind of terrain are you guys going to be in? Have you considered saws or axes/hatchets?
 
Both companies make outstanding knives.If funds are limited go with Becker,the BK2 is about as bomb proof as they come.
 
Packing light is a fun way to test skills and learn new ones. Of course saws and machetes and hatchets and axes make camp life easier but not the hike to and from, so a good working knife is a great tool. Now I've owned an esee 5 and it was great but I personally like my bk2 more. The point seems to be more controllable on fine tasks and the handle ergo is great. When I go out I have a bk2 on my belt, a bk9 lashed to my pack, and a bk11 (or 14) around my neck for the small stuff. With those 3 stock your looking at about $20 more than ONE esee 5 (bk2 $50-60, bk9 $70-80, bk11-14 $30) And I've never broken any of them nor do I think Kabar would give me a hard time if I did (if they did its only cuz I end up modding the crap out my blades for fun) There great working tools for a working mans budget. Nuff said
 
I think even if you broke the Becker that they'd take care of you. That being said I'd go with the ESEE because...well...most Beckers are fugly in my opinion. ;) Which knife were you looking at?

clusterchuck said:
I just got a mora knife to carry in the pack, cheap and crazy sharp, and will be ordering another for her. If I get a "big" knife though, she will have to have something somewhat simular. Just her mindset I guess, she wants to be able to do anything I can, and I love that about her. If she gets into a survival/situation (she is a worrier of "2012") I want her to be able to handle it if I wasnt there. Is there a smaller blade that can handle batoning/chopping or will she need to get a biggin' and I can find a way to customize the grips for her?
Click to expand...
As far as batoning, a smaller blade works you just have to go after smaller diameter wood and/or whittle it down from the outside in.
 
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Pilot1 said:
get a folding camp saw. They are inexpensive and process wood a lot better than battoning a knife.
Click to expand...

^ +1. using a folding saw to process wood is alot more efficient than hacking at it with a large knife.

if you must have a large knife, either the ESEE 6 or the becker BK7 should serve you well. i would also throw in a smaller fixed blade (like a mora) and a little back up/skinner (like a necker or good folding knife).
 
If you manage to break a BK2, short of putting it in a vice and going to work with a sledge hammer,you need to get interviewed somewhere.

Anyway if you broke a BK2 doing something as simple as batoning or chopping wood I can't see Ka-bar not replacing it for you. I
 
Pilot1 said:
Bring an ESEE-3 or ESEE-4 and get a folding camp saw. They are inexpensive and process wood a lot better than battoning a knife.

If you want stainless steel ESEE is coming out with the 4 in 440C or just buy a Fallkniven F1 or S1.
Click to expand...

jimnolimit said:
^ +1. using a folding saw to process wood is alot more efficient than hacking at it with a large knife.

if you must have a large knife, either the ESEE 6 or the becker BK7 should serve you well. i would also throw in a smaller fixed blade (like a mora) and a little back up/skinner (like a necker or good folding knife).
Click to expand...

Depends on the work being done really. Saws are better at cutting cross grain but I haven't found I've needed to do that all that much in the woods and the times I have it's on vertical pieces where a folding saw likes to bind and kink.
 
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