BK 15 design question?

[Karambit777]

I am the new owner of 2 BK 15 Shorts. I bought one and was pleasantly surprised with the fit, feel, and performance of this design, and so much so that I bought another for my dad for fathers day coming up.

My only question about this design is, what is the main advantage of having the spine beveled back instead of leaving the spine full thickness? Was this just a cosmetic adjustment to the design, or was this done for another reason?

The balance of the knife is already handle heavy, and seems like if the spine was left full thickness, that it would perfect the balance, and dramatically increase the strength and stability of the blade and also increase tip strength.

Don't get me wrong, the knife is awesome, but I am just curious about this. Anybody else feel as I do about the spine grind???

 

[tjswarbrick]

The swedge can make it easier to pierce or thrust into things.
Maintains thinness behind the blade for precision cuts on small, thin or soft materials.
Plus it looks more interesting than a constant thickness all the way across.

Notice Becker's trailing-point 5 & 15 have the Swedge; my modded trailing-point 11 does not.
It isn't nearly as pretty.

 

[The Warrior]

When you slash through something, it makes an easier exit, so to speak. I believe that's what Ethan said, that Jerry Fisk said.

 

[Semper Praesidio]

The swedge can make it easier to pierce or thrust into things.
Maintains thinness behind the blade for precision cuts on small, thin or soft materials.
Plus it looks more interesting than a constant thickness all the way across.

Notice Becker's trailing-point 5 & 15 have the Swedge; my modded trailing-point 11 does not.
It isn't nearly as pretty.

Good grief, what a sheath rig TJ! How do you not constantly walk in circles from the weight pulling you to the right?

Just kidding - that looks sweet, dude.

 

[tjswarbrick]

Good grief, what a sheath rig TJ! How do you not constantly walk in circles from the weight pulling you to the right?

Just kidding - that looks sweet, dude.

I know, right!
Hooked up as a sheath, but mostly to keep 'em together when I hang 'em off a peg, tree or table.
Not even sure I've tried wearing it yet.
Hiking - "Hmm. Sure looks like I've been here before..."

 

[SALTY]

When you slash through something, it makes an easier exit, so to speak. I believe that's what Ethan said, that Jerry Fisk said.

Think of the aft section of a helicopter or airplane's fuselage how it thins out and almost comes to a point - that is so that the air has less to grab onto as the aircraft goes through the media (air) not unlike a knife slicing through media. There is a place in the universe of knives for thick square spines but not on slicers. The 5 and the 15 are slicers.

 

[The Warrior]

Think of the aft section of a helicopter or airplane's fuselage how it thins out and almost comes to a point - that is so that the air has less to grab onto as the aircraft goes through the media (air) not unlike a knife slicing through media. There is a place in the universe of knives for thick square spines but not on slicers. The 5 and the 15 are slicers.

Oh, I understood what he was saying.

 

[Karambit777]

I watched the video of Becker and Fisk discussing the design, and the back swedge does make sense on the larger magnum camp knife. The shorter 15 is already thin stock, and I doubt the swedge makes much of a difference in the penetrating capabilities, although Im sure it does present an advantage in slicing duties.

IDK, I was just curious. I think the 15 would still be sexy with a non-swedged spine, and I know it would be substantially stronger at the tip and as a whole. But the 15 is designed to be a slicer on steroids, so I just have to get over it I guess

 

[TravisH]

Think of the aft section of a helicopter or airplane's fuselage how it thins out ...

Analogy would also be boats where the stern tapers to reduce drag.

Also bullets ... as in 'boat tail' ... for reducing air drag.

I believe Jerry Fisk mentioned the design was for slicing 'through', not just 'into'.

 

[Wramo]

Analogy would also be boats where the stern tapers to reduce drag.

Also bullets ... as in 'boat tail' ... for reducing air drag.

I believe Jerry Fisk mentioned the design was for slicing 'through', not just 'into'.

Yup. A swedge like this will improve the way it makes long slices through things especially. I've used my bk-15 on some deer and used it to (carefully) filet some larger fish, and that swedge really works. Sort of like aerodynamics, but with flesh.

If you make the bk-15 thicker then you sort of defeat the purpose of it. There are already many other knives in the Becker line that make a thicker bk-15 redundant, IMO. The Bk-15 is still a very stout knife, but its thinness goes a long way to making it what it is.

It's also why I like it better as a general use knife. The Bk-15 is a great, stout slicer. IMO, It could even be a little thinner. If I need to baton a lot of kindling, or if I want a "one tool option", or I am clearing some brush, or I want something more tactical, then there are more appropriate Beckers. But what knife is good for medium to large game, excels at food prep (these two being most of what I use knives for), is useable for non chopping camp stuff, is small enough to have on me, and yet is stout enough to get me out of the woods if it had to? Bk-15 for me. YMMV

 

[Tdhurl1103]

What is said here is correct.

Hear it from Master Fisk himself by watching these videos. Ethan and he are talking about the BK5 in the first video, which has the same blade shape. At 4:45 is what you are looking for.

[video=youtube;p0RHtnkagz0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0RHtnkagz0[/video]

[video=youtube;EPYtMd7vKjY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPYtMd7vKjY[/video]

[video=youtube;W5yBp3IcsDM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5yBp3IcsDM[/video]