becker or esee?

A

Andrew W.

Joined
Nov 27, 2012
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hey everyone. im new to knives and new to this site so im hoping for some good advice here cause im not sure where else to find it. im sure some of you have had these conversations many times but im looking for a basic outdoor/bush craft/camp knife. ive already narrowed it down to a kabar bk16 with a full flat grind or an esee 4. from what ive already learned i know they're similar in size and capability. but what i dont know is what makes one better then the other? im hoping thats where all of you come in. id greatly appreciate any advice that would help me choose one over the other.

-Andrew
 
You could go either way. The Esee have a slightly thicker grind, while the Beckers are slightly thinner. The Esee come with micarta scales, as well as better sheaths. The Beckers are lighter on price. They are both fantastic knives and companies. Depending on your needs and income..

Woodland--Bk-2 or Esee 5.
Survival--Becker 7 or Esee 6.
EDC--Bk11, Bk 14, Bk 16, Esee Candiru, Esee Izula, Esee Izula folder, Esee Izula II. Esee 3.
Cleaning up brush/etc:Becker kukri, Esee Lite Machete, Esee Junglas.

Both companies use 1095 steel. Both have great warranties. Can't go wrong with a Bk-11 or an Izula. :-) The main differences are in thickness of grind,
sheath, and scales.

Good luck!
B2D
 
I prefer ESEE personally for the reasons already mentioned. I also feel like they require less touching up and when I do booger up the edge, they seam to take less damage as well. I have a Junglas I beat the daylights out of and it just takes it all in stride.
 
You can't go wrong with either one. Of the 2 the OP listed, I would be hard pressed to actually pick one over the other. I like the Becker sheath, it has a pocket for a multi-tool, etc.... It also has a Molle attatchment. With 3 simple mods (D-ring & a belt keeper & leg strap) it can be worn on your leg all day in pure comfort. I also like the little choil on the ESSE. So, i guess if i modified my Becker with a small choil, it would be my hands down choice. There you go---hope this helped !!! LOL :D
 
Tough choice! Both make great knives! I've got an ESEE-4. It's a great knife! I don't have the BK16, but I've got a BK7 and a BK14. I think you get the best bang for your buck from the BK series. If it's your first, I suggest going with the BK first. Then later (since nobody can get just one), snag the ESEE.
 
No you cannot go wrong. I think ESEE does better in the smaller knives. The ESEE-3, ESEE-4, and Izula are, in my opinion, unbeatable by Becker in that size. However, the new Becker Shorts or whatever are new and unknown to me.

Starting at 5", I think It's neck and neck. Past 7", it's Becker's world except for the Junglas. The ESEE Light Machete is just an ESEE branded Imacasa and you can get those way cheaper than ESEE's price point.

Becker does not have very good sheaths at all in my opinion whereas ESEE has great ones. I felt basically compelled to make a sheath for my BK7 and that is one heck of a knife. It is about the same size as the ESEE-6, quite a bit bigger than the Ka-Bar USMC yet very fast and sleek.
 
They feel different in hand. You would have to use them for a while to see which is right for your uses. As far as quality goes, it is a dead heat. Both are great knives but I give the nod to ESSE because I prefer the micarta scales from the factory and the sheath. The scales I purchased for my Beckers do not have that custom fit us knife nuts love. They still work but screws are often at different depths and that is a bummer to me. No more Beckers for me until they start coming with the micarta scales on them from the factory. YMMV

Unklfranco
 
I have an ESEE-4 with TKC handles and love it - it's my go-to bushcraft/'survival' blade. Love the tough blade, love the sheath, love the small choil. I bought a BK-16 as I'm a big fan of the Becker line as well (I have the BK-3, 5, 7, 9 and 11), and hated it. For some reason it just didn't feel right in my hand and it wasn't long before I sold it. That said there are plenty of fans over on the BK&T sub-forum who love their BK-16s so there's no questioning it's a good knife, just not for me. I'd definitely recommend trying both in the hand if at all possible before making a decision.
 
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JK, I'm a fan of ESEE because that was my first "real" knife. I'm sure beckers are just as good being that ESEE and Becker do a colab.
 
As others have said, you can't go wrong with either.

I have both the ESEE 4 and BK 17.

Here's my 2 cents (lol) ...

The Becker has a much more comfortable grip (for me) If you have large mits, the 4 handle can be a little small.

The Becker is less expensive (if budgets are an issue)

The new Becker sheaths are great.

Again, both GREAT knives. Can't go wrong with either.

As always, it comes down to personnel preference.

Even with the Micarta the 4 just didn't fit my hand like the Becker.
Had to make some custom wood scales for the 4.

JMHO.

And remember, you can always sell a GOOD knife, if you find you don't like one. Both have good resale. You make take a little hit, but not much.
 
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Jeff and Ethan both said if they didnt have their own knives they would buy the others. Id say that a good endorsement of either brand. I prefer Beckers because the handles fit me better. That is often the difference between a knife that is just ok and something you love. If you get a chance handle both and then decide what fits you better. Both will be great knives.
 
I had both a bk16 and an ESEE 4. Both are good knives, but the Becker feels better in hand. I sold the ESEE 4, but I still have a 3
 
thank you for all the posts they were very helpful! i decided to go with the bk16. it seemed like a no brainer to get the one thats a lot cheaper but seems to be just as good as the esee from what most of you had to say about it. though i dont know how ill feel about the finish on the blade. from close up pics ive seen it looks like its very rough. almost like it was coated with bed liner
 
Hard to beat the ESEE 3 - 4 - 5 or 6 as they just seem like they are made for the hand and I EDC the #3 everyday.! And the #6 has gutted and help cut up 2 Deer so far this year and that edge on that #6 just keeps right on going ~~ have yet to sharpen it or even touch it up yet.!* Says a lot about a knife blade when you can do that.* { do like the BK10 though.} for heavy stuff.*
 
Andrew W. said:
thank you for all the posts they were very helpful! i decided to go with the bk16. it seemed like a no brainer to get the one thats a lot cheaper but seems to be just as good as the esee from what most of you had to say about it. though i dont know how ill feel about the finish on the blade. from close up pics ive seen it looks like its very rough. almost like it was coated with bed liner
Click to expand...

The coating was one of my main gripes with the BK-16. It is much, much coarser than the ESEE-4.
 
Here lately Ive been on the hunt for a large knife to complete my three knife theory; small, medium, and large depending on the task... Just makes sense to me. Refer to your knife drawer in your kitchen, I bet you will find different knives for different tasks. Anyway.... I started this theory off with the Becker bk2 with the aftermarket micarta scales. If you buy a becker, please buy yourself the scales. I love um. Then I sought out a small knife and found the ESEE/Becker "Eskabar" BK14. I also bought the aftermarket scales for it, and love it for the little things. Now it has come to the last one on my list, "the chopper" I searched high and low, from review to review, test to test, and also a little research on the companies. Ie. "cold steel" :/ The becker bk9 just didnt appeal to me for some reason, the cold steel trailmaster will leave you shit out of luck if it breaks, Id prolly cut my leg off with a kukri, blah blah blah, so on and so fourth.... I landed on ESEEs front door and it all came together. I chose the Junglas because it has truly perfected its areas of expertise. So with that being said, in my opinion you cannot go wrong with either company, Becker or ESEE... Ask yourself what you want to use the knife for, compare the designs of both companies, trust your gut, and only you know what you like. You cannot go wrong with either one bro. Ive got a ESEE/ BECKER system going on, and it cant be stopped. I love um both.. It comes down to what you like. But at least you are in the right place. :) Hope this helps you make up your mind on some things. Because Ive felt the same way... I want a BK16 also, so good choice!!! Later on bro
 
IMHO the BK16 is a great knife. Strip the coating off the blade and your good as gold. Also, factory micarta scales will be coming very soon!
 
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