Simple question, is the BK-21 the best Becker for self defense? Of course then comes the question of will you have it with you and what’s the practical way to do that?
For me, that choice is very simple..... The Reinhardt/Becker Khukri..... Anyone coming at me with Hank’s Kuk is gonna be the recipient of as many bullets that I have with me..... it is a head lopper, for certain....... But, always remember this true pearl of wisdom——-Never, EVER bring a knife to a gun fight and ALWAYS bring a gun to a knife fight....... Given that, the Khukri is gonna be your best bet...... It is a monster...... What it does to flesh tends to be scary in the extreme........ The Nine, 20 and 21 will be very good choices as well...... All my best to you and I hope you had a great Christmas....... Ethan
No 5 in your ranking? I am astonished. It is in mine. The 5 is such a Great quick option, especially when thinned a little.
I, of course, did not read the entire post and the answer to the second half of your post is that the bigger is gonna be better so, it is possible to put a Nine in an inside the belt kydex rig you will find it a bit awkward.... I always have(when legal) a BK11 in may left front cargo pocket and if I am wearing”normal” pants I wear it as a neck knife...... I do not regard it as a”combat” blade but it is sharp and it has a point and most people are somewhat frightened of being cut and it always with me...That “always with me”is the operable phrase... Bad answer but it is the best I can do..... E
Mr. Becker, I did have a wonderful Christmas, any holiday shared with my sons is always good, thank you! I don’t have my new RBK in hand yet, but given what I’ve read about the Gurkhas experiences with theirs and the way Mr. Reinhardt described its capabilities, I figured it was top dog. As I understand it, the laws in NC don’t allow any sized fixed blade to be carried concealed. Open or concealed the RBK is a big blade to carry!
The BK21 is a beast of a blade. An extremely sharp edge, with the forward swoop and the power you can generate behind the swing, I have no doubt you can easily lop off human limbs!
No kidding. I already have my beckers but at the moment I'm doing a ton of overtime, special duty and the boys wrestling tournaments so not much Becker time. Soon I'll get that 21 out. Although I too have no doubt in its body chopping capabilities. I think one day I will have some type of chop off with the 21 and the cold steel Guhrka kukri. Two killers.
Well I'd day a big blade serves as a great deterrent of some one wanting to do you harm. Just its presence can deter a would be attacker on you or some one near by. Sure smaller lighter blacktical tactical whacktical knives are faster to handle, but first they have to get through the longer blade being used for defense. The potential attacker seeing a larger blade would probably decide getting hit by some thing like a large kukri or any large knife might not be worth what ever gain one can get out of going after some one with a big bladed knife. One hit from a Kukri and well I wouldn't want to be the one to clean up the bio-residue that would be left after such an encounter.
LukeTheSpook, love to see that Chop off! Roguer, “bio-residue”, haha!! BRL, if you are referring to me....Smarty Pants!
As has been said in this thread already, the visual aspect of a big knife can be an enormous deterrent. Even smaller blades can serve as visual deterrents in their own way. I'd say most small time hoodlums are opportunists, even the ones with violent tendencies, so seeing any knife is going to make them think twice about accosting you. When it comes to small knives, the same thing can be said of them as is said of small caliber bullets: In the end, you don't want to be shot and you certainly do not want to get cut, regardless of the size of projectile or sharp pointy thing. But in terms of what would make the best Becker for self defense, I will defer to Ethan and others who might have more knife fighting expertise. I am able to carry a gun pretty much everywhere I go so I do not necessarily look at my knives as anything more than cutting tools. But I also recognize that my freedom is a right that not everyone has access to.
The best knife for self-defense probably depends a great deal on the fighting style or discipline you train. Having said that, most of us probably don't train enough, if at all, and this also applies to those of us who carry concealed handguns. Also, as the OP notes, you have to have it with you, which means you may not be able to carry your first choice. (It is similar with guns. Except for the tactical advantage of not appearing armed, a handgun may not be your best first/best choice. Most would rather have a long gun in a fight.) After that, all the great quotes apply, but the ones Ethan has already mentioned about bringing a gun to a knife fight are good ones to start with.
Frankly, for home defense, you’d be better off with a shotgun. If you are planning on carrying that knife in public, there are state and city laws to consider. From what I’ve heard talking with law enforcement agents and former military, pepper spray is the best EDC self-defense weapon. If I were going to carry a Becker with me for self-defense, I would carry the BK9. Ditto on the training that Gun Doc mentioned.
Oh, and to add to the actual topic at hand, really any of them could be very effective weapons for all the reasons mentioned. One that has not yet been mentioned is the old BK6 Patrol Machete. I'd hate to be face-to-face with someone who had a knife that offers that combination of reach and nimble handling, while still having enough of a point to stab and enough forward weight for a very effective chop. (P.S.- I hope some day Kabar decides to produce that again. heavy machetes are totally in these days. Heck, look at Condor's lineup, and even ESEE has two of them right not (the lite machete, and the expat machete). I want a Becker to compete in that mix.)
