BK 16 or BK 17

Revolverrodger

Revolverrodger

Joined
Jul 23, 2007
Messages
3,883
Hello there,
I need your help choosing the BK 16 or BK 17.
I can't get both right now so I will have to make a decision.
The use will be: survival + bushcraft.
I plan to also get the micarta handles one of these days.
Please clarify the pros and cons of each

Thanks
 
For bushcraft the 16 might be better since its more slicey than the 17 and aesthetically it looks more bushcrafty. The pros of the 17 are that it is potentially stronger given the saber grind and more metal and some find the pointier tip more useful, downside is that it doesent slice and shave wood (like feathersticks) as well. If you're good with a grinder you can grind a clip point into a 16 to have the best of both worlds. My vote, the 16.
 
I would think that if you liked the clip and wanted the flat grind, it would be easier to clip the point of the 16 than to flat grind the 17, but the 17 has more metal and you might be able to convex the blade. Just a thought.
 
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My advice (and I have both) is pick which one your drawn towards the most. They are very similar. I use both interchangbly often but grab the 17 when I'm carving wood because the point reaches into small nooks.
 
The 17 has a sharper point, which is useful for a number of things, one being digging out splinters.

The 16 has a stronger point. You can still pierce with a drop point, but the drop point has more steel at the tip, making it less suitable for tiny detailed work but much better for durability.

I'm liking the BK-16 the more I look at it.
 
I went through this same decision process a while back. I was fortunate enough to watch as the knives developed from prototype to production. I can say fortunate now that the years long wait is over, didn't always seem so fortunate during the waiting :) . I was waiting the whole time on the drop-point model, now called the BK-16, because I had recently tried to move more toward drop point knives around my younger students because of the tactical perception that seems to accompany clip points. However, in the wiat process I experimented with a LOT of drop points only to learn that, regardless of their perceived tactical association these days, there are a lot of uses I personally prefer the clip for. My earliest experiences with survival studies involved knives like the Army pilot's survival knife, the Marine Ka-Bar figting utility, the Navy MK III, and a SOG S1 Bowie. Those were the knives I was carrying when I learned to forage in the wild, make trap triggers, and make field expedient water filters...as well as digging out splinters when nothing else was available. I am going to base my answer on your placement of "survival + bushcraft" rather than "bushcraft + survival" in your description, and say that the 17 offers a finer point for more detailed work, and the saber grind offers more lateral strength to the blade. The tip is a little weaker that the 16 yes, but more useful in my opinion. My vote goes for the 17. Survival was the primary reason for my choice, and I am extremely happy with the choice I made.

You can see some of my uses for the BK-17 here

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1008357-Some-Mid-Autumn-Foraging
 
My 17 arrived yesterday and was I surprised. The 17 is one sweet knife when in my hand. The balance, for me, is perfect as well as the handle shape. I convexed the cutting edge and the 17 shaves hair easily. No need for pics since we all know what they look like. Lately I have found the smaller knives very interesting as potential projects for modding and for using as a steak knife or food prep. I would not consider myself hadicapped if this were my only knife. The 17 is a good choice for just about anything you would need done either in camp or hunting.
 
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