Beckers Not a Military Thing...?

S

Swa0210

Joined
Aug 2, 2012
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Okay, let me preface this by saying that I think that quite a few, if not all, knives in the Becker line make good military knives for varying purposes. But...

...Last month I'd been traveling to visit family and each part of my family lives near a military base. So I figured it would be easy for me to score my first Becker knife (I was leaning toward a BK2), or at least get hands on a few to see how they feel. The first base was Fort Benning, and after visiting just about every tactical and surplus store in town, none of them carried Becker knives. I didn't get a chance to visit the PX that time. Anyone I actually talked to really didn't seem too concerned that they didn't carry Beckers, and instead tried to show me every knife I did not want.

The next base was Quantico up in VA and I visited the tactical and surplus stores there as well, and I only came across one. I had to tell the guy that it was a Becker, he thought it was just a Kabar. I even called the PX and made sure to ask the guy what brand of knives he carried and if they carried Becker knives. None. And once again, no one was like, "Man, we don't carry them but I wish we did." This blew my mind, wasted gas and time, and left me without a Becker (which is okay, I ended up with a BK16, pretty happy with it)

Then I remembered...why I didn't remember Becker knives when I was in the Marine Corps? They just weren't around for some reason. I was at Lejeune and never remember coming across Becker knives around there. We typically focused on folding knives since we were issued the OKC3S or the Kabar for our fixed blades so we had a healthy does of exposure to the common tactical folder manufacturers. I assume that stores around base and on base would carry what the troops buy and when they didn't carry Beckers I'm assuming not many troops carry them.

Anyway, since I've been out, I've been able to do a lot of research on my own and when I finally decided on a fixed blade, I got a Becker. I just wanted to find out if anyone else had a similar experience or insight as to why the general military population isn't keen on the Becker blades?

I don't know, maybe it is just me...
 
Beckers are more outdoors, camp and woods knives. I can't imagine Becker knives being very efficient out in the field.

Maybe a BK11, but I think anything else would be pushing it.
 
I think its more of a marketing thing. I have never seen a Becker in a retail store. I know some have them but none around here do. Maybe in a few years this will change.
 
I think for the most part the majority is just not educated on them. As for military use I think the tweeners, bk7, bk9, bk10 hell I think they would all work great! I can say this, if I joined the service I would EDC a Becker for sure!
 
Doogoon said:
Beckers are more outdoors, camp and woods knives. I can't imagine Becker knives being very efficient out in the field.

Maybe a BK11, but I think anything else would be pushing it.
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Why? I think there are some knives in the becker line up that would work well in the field
 
Doogoon said:
Beckers are more outdoors, camp and woods knives. I can't imagine Becker knives being very efficient out in the field.

Maybe a BK11, but I think anything else would be pushing it.
Click to expand...

I don't know. 99% of the things we did were...outdoors, camp, and wood stuff....utility stuff. The Beckers are definitely field knives and utility knives. Looking at the full lineup, there were quite a few I wish I had instead of the Kabar or Multipurpose Bayonet (whispers: we never actually used these....ever) for picking dirt from under my nails, stirring my latest MRE concoction, or throwing at a wall or the dirt out of boredom.

I'd much rather of had a BK2, 7, 11, 15, 16, etc.
 
yoko said:
Why? I think there are some knives in the becker line up that would work well in the field
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I forgot about the BK7, that would be the other knife I could see being carried in the field.

I think it's too much weight, I don't know about other military forces, but the Canadian military make you carry a whole buttload of gear... I think Beckers are too heavy to add to that.

I love Beckers, they are my favourite knives and I EDC the BK2 every day, but I do not seeing the pros outweighing the cons in the military field.
 
I think the tweeners would work well, the knives carried are rarely used for fighting, more daily chores
 
Yeah, the BK7 would be the closest to what is issued to the USMC. Weightwise, its a scratch:
OKC3S - 14oz
BK7 - 0.85lbs ~13.6oz

US military does the same thing, loads you up with a ridiculous amount of gear.
 
i'd assume the military these days places little emphasis on knives.

i'd expect larger PXes, esp outside US bases to have them, but what do i know? :>
 
Unless you are on a specific mission while deployed most blades longer than the width of your palm are "questioned" by the brass
 
When I got out of the Corps in '05 there was still heavy emphasis on bayonet & knife fighting. Of course the new Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) was all the rage. Ontario makes the "tool" designed with MCMAP in mind. I personally carried a BK4 for the invasion into Iraq for OIF I and latter carried a BK10 during OIF II and through the successful push through Fallujah. The Beckers excelled at any and every task I asked of them. The px's push whatever they're told to, but can order most anything. If you're having trouble finding a particular model let me know, I'll loan you one. Semper fi!
 
Oh MCMAP, the memories. Sometimes it seemed like standardized hazing. One mind, any weapon....

Murph, so how did you become familiar with Beckers while on active duty? Or were you a fan before joining?
 
Swa0210 said:
Oh MCMAP, the memories. Sometimes it seemed like standardized hazing. One mind, any weapon....

Murph, so how did you become familiar with Beckers while on active duty? Or were you a fan before joining?
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I only got as far as green belt, screw the instructor rating. On the ship to Iraq a buddy from 2nd platoon came down to my berthing and told me his fire team leader had a big knife he wanted to get rid of before we debarked. I go see what he had, it was a machax. He'd cord wrapped the handle, wrapped the sheath and added a quick detach drop. I was in love! He sold it to me for $80. I sold that particular knife to a buddy prior to our leaving Iraq back to CONUS. So basically, I lucked into Beckers.
 
I've been in the AF for 27 years and never seen one in any BX I have been in around the world. But then again, I've never seen one in any retail store either. To own a Becker means joining a secret society with a password and secret handshake. Really it's a society of beer drinkers with a knife problem.
All the best
Balding
 
BaldingEagle said:
I've been in the AF for 27 years and never seen one in any BX I have been in around the world. But then again, I've never seen one in any retail store either. To own a Becker means joining a secret society with a password and secret handshake. Really it's a society of beer drinkers with a knife problem.
All the best
Balding
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Bacon should be in there somewhere.
 
When I was in the Marines(80 to 84)I would have loved to carry a BK5 in the field.Oh yeah,there was no such thing back then.:D
 
"BK 7 Combat Utility"

"BK 9 Combat Bowie"

"BK 10 Crewman Utility"

"BK 3 Tac Tool"

"BK 2 Campanion"

"BK 8 Prototype Helicopter Egress Tool"

Those ALL sound like Military designed tools to me, i'm just sayin'. That is their name, right from the "Blade database."

I was in the US Army from 81-84, NYANG from 84-89. I would have been proud to carry ANY Becker blade, as they are ALL stronger & more HD than our stupid bayonet that was issued or the Gerbers that were avail from the PX's.
 
BaldingEagle said:
I've been in the AF for 27 years and never seen one in any BX I have been in around the world. But then again, I've never seen one in any retail store either. To own a Becker means joining a secret society with a password and secret handshake. Really it's a society of beer drinkers with a knife problem.
All the best
Balding
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I knew I belonged!

Okay, so it seems that this lack of military awareness might be by design due to lack of marketing or whatever. I kind of have to ask, why? Is there a stigma to being designated a military knife versus a camp/field/survival knife?
 
All they care about nowadays is having the latest eotech holo sight and surefire weaponlght and some Magpul accessories. Knives are just an afterthought in case you need to stab someone. Striders (blah!) and Emersons are all the rage, but they aren't really utility knives, they are expenive-ass cool kids club knives....good, but I wouldn't buy one. Noone worries about the quality and functionality of a knife anymore. Just stick the pointy end in the bad guys chest. Even a Cold Steel can do that.

War in the future will be waged by fat kids with xbox controlllers. Who needs knives?
 
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