BK-16 First Outing and Mods!!

[Greebe]

Thanks guys I will check into using your suggestions for liners. Maybe I will get something done tonight on this knife.

 

[CM_Rick]

Apparently the two feather fletch works as well if not better then three feather type.

Comes off of a primitive bow much nicer.

 

[Greebe]

Did my first set of mods tonight. This is just a simple sheath mod but i like it better.

All i did was to remove the top retaining strap and add a bungee through the two grommets. I like this better. I also added a bungee(wife's hair thing ;-) around the bottom strap to hold it out of the way to keep it from getting cut.

I also put a Metolius FS mini carabiner through the loop on the back so that i can quickly attach it to my belt and have it hang below my jacket out of the way. I like these biners as they are the size of a keychain biner but full load bearing. Rated for 22kn, sweet!!

 

[CM_Rick]

All good things. With your blessing I might copy you.

 

[Silver Needle]

Very nice looking arrows, you are quite the craftsman.

I had never heard of those carabiners before, but now I have some in my amazon shopping cart!

 

[Galeocerdoshark]

Nice pictures! I'd never heard of that type of wood either, but then again it might not be present over here. Very educational! Thanks for sharing, and have fun with your new acquisition!

 

[Greebe]

All good things. With your blessing I might copy you.

By all means go for it.

 

[Greebe]

Next thing I think I am going to try is to shorten the sheath like Dexwithers did.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1164089-BK17-sheath-mods?p=13320051#post13320051

 

[Silverthorn]

Add a simple fold over snap flap to the biner and you have a dangler sheath

 

[james terrio]

Great choice! I know people love to say, "You can't not have a BK-9"... but the BK-16 is a much handier, more generally-useful knife for most people.

I immediately put the tan scales on mine, too... it just looks nicer that way. Dexwithers has stainless flat-head and hex-head bolt/nut sets available that fit perfectly... also I think he has stainless sets that are black-oxide coated if you prefer the subdued look...

Very nice, I plan on getting one of those some day
G2

Don't hesitate. In my line of work, I get to play with, work on and design/build lots of knives in that size range. My sincere opinion is, the 16 offers by far the most bang-for-the-buck of any of the production models... and it's better designed, better balanced, more comfortable, and a better performer than a lot of knives costing 2 or 3 times as much. :thumbup: Young or old, raw beginner or experienced outdoorsperson, I have no problem recommending the 16 to anyone who wants a handy, sturdy knife that cuts well in a variety of tasks. (unless of course they'd rather buy a custom from me )

As for mods... like all Beckers, you really don't "have to" do anything to it except keep it sharp... but of course there's lots of fun stuff you "can" do to it if you like I really like the hair-thingy you added to keep the retaining strap out of the way.

 

[Charlie_K]

That looks like an interesting sheath mod. I might have to try that strap modification on a few of mine.

 

[Greebe]

I am home alone with the kiddos, so while they are napping, I took some time to prep the red osier shoots for seasoning into arrow shafts.

First is to carefully cut off the bark without cutting into the wood.

Here are a few shafts after debarking.

Then I use the back of the blade to scrape off the cambium layer.

Here we have some debarked and scraped shafts ready to bind in bundles. You can see how quickly they turn white from air exposure. The first one I did is at the bottom and then the last at the top.

And last is a glory shot of the 16 on the pile of shavings it made.

Greebe

 

[CM_Rick]

Nice 👍

 

[Ethan Becker]

Thank you Greebe..... Nice tutorial and great pix...... Thanks too for the info on the Micro Metolius ......... Gonna have to get a couple or three.......

Ethan

 

[Guyon]

Dollar stores have flexible cutting mats that are about .040". WalMart has them too, in colors, and seem thicker.

+1.

 

[Greebe]

We had company today but I decided to strip the paint off anyways. It is now hanging getting a forced rust patina.

 

[Dexwithers]

Awesome man! The 16 is where it's at. Nice stripping!


And cool mod to the sheath with the shock cord.


I have don a few of the Shorty Mods and keep forgetting to make a tutorial.

I am gonna make about 5 more shorties to sell and will make a full tutorial then.

If you have any questions about how to do it, please feel free to message me and I will walk you through the process.

 

[Greebe]

Thanks everyone.

Ethan -- the Metolius Micro biners are pretty sweet. I need to get a few more myself

I will have to check out the flexible cutting mats. I have yet to find anything around the house to use as a liner.

Dex -- Those short sheaths are looking good. I have company right now, but I will send you a pm to talk more about them later.

Thanks,
Greebe

 

[Greebe]

Just a quick update. I forced a patina using white vinegar and a paper towel. I soak the paper towel and wrap the knife in it and let it dry and rust. Here are the results.

Then I put the blade on a cookie sheet and pored boiling water over it to set the finish. I find this makes the finish more durable but it is low enough temp not to harm the temper.

Here is the result prior to cleaning it will fine steel wool.

Here the blade is finished and oiled.

Greebe

 

[Charlie_K]

Sorry Greebe, I stole your carabiner idea for my BK17. But I'm not sure if I prefer that for latching it onto a belt loop, or just wearing the sheath on my belt. It's kind of hard to tell since I had it replaced with the BK10.