BK&T or Rat Cutlery.

[dawsonbob]

I'm sorry, but if you think a blade doesn't perform just because people don't post many pics of "them in use" you need to put your head on straight. Rowen does a good heat treatment on RC blades, can't say the same for the heat treat Ka-Bar does (seen too many pics of shattered Becker blades). The coating holds up better on RC knives, fit and finish is better on RC knives. Most of this is why RC knives have a higher price, if you want to get a cheaper option then go for a Becker. Me? I'd rather pay a slightly higher fee to get a good knife that is backed by a great warranty.

A knife is a knife and they'll perform almost equally, but you want to go with one that's durable.

Just how many pics have you seen of "shattered" Becker blades? One? Two? Yes, there was a picture of a broken Becker that made the rounds for awhile, but Ethan replaced it right away. He's also replaced blades just for cosmetic reasons. I won't say that the Becker/Ka-Bar warrantee is as explicit as the RAT warrantee (it's not), but Ethan Becker (and Paul from Ka-Bar) stand behind their product. As far as the heat treatment, I think you'd have a tough time in practice telling the difference: both manufacturers produce excellent blades.

As far as the coating on RAT vs Becker blades, I, too, think that RAT may have the edge there, though I can't substantiate that (anyone done a side-by-side comparison?).

Fit and finish? Overall, I'd give the nod to RAT, but there's nothing at all wrong with the fit and finish in Beckers, either. Yes, as I said, I'd give the nod to RAT on this one, but you're going to pay more for it.

Have you ever owned a Becker? Didn't think so.

The bottom line for the original poster is: get the one that you like. As has been said, both companies produce outstanding knives, and you can't go wrong with either one.

 

[hoopster]

RATs are great, but I find that the Becker models speak to me MORE.
For example, I don't think RAT have anything like the BK-2, which is a big chunk of metal.
Also, I like the Necker more than the Izula.
So basically I guess it's all about taste. Go with whatever looks better for YOU. both are great companies, and probably won't disappoint.

The RAT RC-5 is very similar to the Becker BK-2. RAT's warranty is as good as any in the industry. RAT's heat treating is probably better than Becker's. I would not hesitate to spend my hard earned money on either brand but the RAT's appeal to me more.

 

[dawsonbob]

The RAT RC-5 is very similar to the Becker BK-2. RAT's warranty is as good as any in the industry. RAT's heat treating is probably better than Becker's. I would not hesitate to spend my hard earned money on either brand but the RAT's appeal to me more.

Now, see, that's a legitimate reason. Both knives are good, but the RAt's appeal to you more. Get what you like.

The RC-5 and the BK-2 are so close in practice that, for most people, it would come down to which handle they liked best (Becker, for me), and which sheath they liked best (I think the edge goes to RAT).

Either way, you can't go wrong.

 

[rmc85]

I'm sorry, but if you think a blade doesn't perform just because people don't post many pics of "them in use" you need to put your head on straight. Rowen does a good heat treatment on RC blades, can't say the same for the heat treat Ka-Bar does (seen too many pics of shattered Becker blades). The coating holds up better on RC knives, fit and finish is better on RC knives. Most of this is why RC knives have a higher price, if you want to get a cheaper option then go for a Becker. Me? I'd rather pay a slightly higher fee to get a good knife that is backed by a great warranty.

A knife is a knife and they'll perform almost equally, but you want to go with one that's durable.

Hmmmm...

Last time I checked the RAT's were at least twice the price.

Thats not really a "slightly higher fee".

 

[knerd]

Hmmmm...

Last time I checked the RAT's were at least twice the price.

Thats not really a "slightly higher fee".

It'll cost ~$100 for a RAT blade and ~$70 or so for a Becker. It's not that huge of a difference.

I'm not trying to say Beckers are bad, but I've seen more broken Becker blades than RC blades. All this warranty talk is pointless if you're depending on your knife to perform. If you're in the woods and your blade breaks it's worthless and the warranty isn't going to help you there. I have no doubt Ethan stands behind his products, but it's irrelevant when comparing quality of the product. And no I haven't owned a Becker, but I have a Ka-Bar USMC and it's a good knife albeit in a different class than my RAT Cutlery knives.

 

[IUKE12]

The bottom line for the original poster is: get the one that you like. As has been said, both companies produce outstanding knives, and you can't go wrong with either one.

That really is the bottom line here. Two good companies producing knives to be proud of. Made in the USA:thumbup:

 

[kgd]

Both are good blades and both have differences. Unfortunately it is rare to see any of these knives in brick and mortar shops so figuring out which one fits your hands better is guess work at best. Like I said before, the BK-7's handles don't feel as good to me. I wish they were thinner. But that is a very personal observation.

Regarding price difference. They are made out of different materials, one is made by a huge company and another by a smaller one. I think the F&F comments go hand in hand with that. You pump out a few hundred thousand blades per year or you pump 5-6 thousand blades per year. Volume has its advantages on price point and disadvantages on F&F. You also find that the ability to step up F&F, particularly in larger companies, increases in relation to the size of said company. That is why when it comes to a really superbly finished knife, the best buys are from custom makers compared to going to something like a fallkniven Thor which will run you into the $300-400 range. They are great blades, but for $300-400 I can get one hell of a nice custom bowie.

In the end its your call. I can tell you one thing. The OP took the time to register on bladeforums and post a question. That means that this will not likely be their last knife purchase. In that light what is a $30-50 difference in price point? I mean really, the old saying goes - get both. People who post these things usually do....

Hell, its what I did. After having my RC-6 I still went out and pulled for the BK-7 when a deal came swinging my way. Great thing is, I have no regrets owning both these knives. I've even convinced myself that they serve different purposes. Chose the one you want the most. There will be another day to buy another knife....There always is

 

[rmc85]

It'll cost ~$100 for a RAT blade and ~$70 or so for a Becker. It's not that huge of a difference.

I'm not trying to say Beckers are bad, but I've seen more broken Becker blades than RC blades. All this warranty talk is pointless if you're depending on your knife to perform. If you're in the woods and your blade breaks it's worthless and the warranty isn't going to help you there. I have no doubt Ethan stands behind his products, but it's irrelevant when comparing quality of the product. And no I haven't owned a Becker, but I have a Ka-Bar USMC and it's a good knife albeit in a different class than my RAT Cutlery knives.

Which two would you be comparing? The BK2 is currently the only blade that has very similar specs to something RAT produces.

You dont own a Becker but you seem to know a lot about them. I'm not debating that Becker is a higher quality than RAT. Yes I think my Izula is overall nicer than my BK11 BUT I've slammed the crap out of my BK11 and had no problems at all. You make it sound like Beckers 1095 is made out of glass that will bust if you look at it the wrong way.

I love all my Becker's and RAT's! I'm pretty sure that 99.99999% of us on BF will never have our lives hang in the balance because of a knife.

You should try one before you muddy a good products name. The old "Well I dont own it but these guys on the internet say it sucks" doesnt go to far with me.

If everything I saw on the internet came true my Glock 23 would go kaboom, my Scrapper 5 could take the tracks off a tank, and every time I open a beer scantly clad women would be soon to follow.

 

[Marion David Poff]

For me, ergos or comfort in hand means a great deal.

And of the two, RAT Cutlery has it.

Marion

 

[knerd]

Which two would you be comparing? The BK2 is currently the only blade that has very similar specs to something RAT produces.

You dont own a Becker but you seem to know a lot about them. I'm not debating that Becker is a higher quality than RAT. Yes I think my Izula is overall nicer than my BK11 BUT I've slammed the crap out of my BK11 and had no problems at all. You make it sound like Beckers 1095 is made out of glass that will bust if you look at it the wrong way.

I love all my Becker's and RAT's! I'm pretty sure that 99.99999% of us on BF will never have our lives hang in the balance because of a knife.

You should try one before you muddy a good products name. The old "Well I dont own it but these guys on the internet say it sucks" doesnt go to far with me.

If everything I saw on the internet came true my Glock 23 would go kaboom, my Scrapper 5 could take the tracks off a tank, and every time I open a beer scantly clad women would be soon to follow.

I would be basing my pricing (never said anything about specs) off of the RC-6 and the BK-9. The RC-6 can be found for around $100 give or take a few dollars and the BK-9 is selling at around $70. I never said I know a lot about Beckers, but I have done research on them as well as RAT Cutlery. I own a Ka-Bar knife (They produce the current Becker models) and it's a good knife for the money, I'm not trying to crap on the company I'm just stating an opinion which kgd helped explain a little better. I also never said anything about lives hanging in balance because of a knife, I said that if you're using your knife in the woods and it breaks the warranty isn't going to help you one bit. Again, I never said anything about Beckers sucking. I compared/contrasted their products against RAT Cutlery's.

It seems you're assuming I'm meaning something completely different than what I'm typing, because all the points you were arguing to me were never typed by me.

 

[dawsonbob]

I would be basing my pricing (never said anything about specs) off of the RC-6 and the BK-9. The RC-6 can be found for around $100 give or take a few dollars and the BK-9 is selling at around $70. I never said I know a lot about Beckers, but I have done research on them as well as RAT Cutlery. I own a Ka-Bar knife (They produce the current Becker models) and it's a good knife for the money, I'm not trying to crap on the company I'm just stating an opinion which kgd helped explain a little better. I also never said anything about lives hanging in balance because of a knife, I said that if you're using your knife in the woods and it breaks the warranty isn't going to help you one bit. Again, I never said anything about Beckers sucking. I compared/contrasted their products against RAT Cutlery's.

It seems you're assuming I'm meaning something completely different than what I'm typing, because all the points you were arguing to me were never typed by me.

I don't know, AKnife, the first thing you started off with was "I'm sorry, but if you think a blade doesn't perform just because people don't post many pics of "them in use" you need to put your head on straight. Rowen does a good heat treatment on RC blades, can't say the same for the heat treat Ka-Bar does (seen too many pics of shattered Becker blades). The coating holds up better on RC knives, fit and finish is better on RC knives. Most of this is why RC knives have a higher price, if you want to get a cheaper option then go for a Becker. Me? I'd rather pay a slightly higher fee to get a good knife that is backed by a great warranty.

A knife is a knife and they'll perform almost equally, but you want to go with one that's durable."

Let's see. You started off by implying that Becker's have poor heat treats, followed that by saying that Becker's shattered, followed that by denigrating the coatings and then the fit and finish. You wrapped up by implying that Beckers were a poor, cheap option (not durable? Thousands of people, including many RAT owners, must be laughing their lower posteriors off at that one). By your own admission, you don't know what the hell you're talking about, so what kind of conclusion are people going to draw?

When you're well informed on a subject, you should help fellow forumites out. When you're not, perhaps you should simply listen and learn. I've made it clear in my posts that I have great respect for both companies, and that you can't go wrong with either one. I don't think that bashing a company you have no experience with is the best thing you could have done. Ask Jeff over at RAT what he thinks of Ethan Becker and Becker knives. Sure, he likes his own knives (well, duh), but I've only heard him praise Becker, which is, incidentally, why I will buy a RAT knife in the future.

 

[knerd]

I don't know, AKnife, the first thing you started off with was "I'm sorry, but if you think a blade doesn't perform just because people don't post many pics of "them in use" you need to put your head on straight. Rowen does a good heat treatment on RC blades, can't say the same for the heat treat Ka-Bar does (seen too many pics of shattered Becker blades). The coating holds up better on RC knives, fit and finish is better on RC knives. Most of this is why RC knives have a higher price, if you want to get a cheaper option then go for a Becker. Me? I'd rather pay a slightly higher fee to get a good knife that is backed by a great warranty.

A knife is a knife and they'll perform almost equally, but you want to go with one that's durable."

Let's see. You started off by implying that Becker's have poor heat treats, followed that by saying that Becker's shattered, followed that by denigrating the coatings and then the fit and finish. You wrapped up by implying that Beckers were a poor, cheap option (not durable? Thousands of people, including many RAT owners, must be laughing their lower posteriors off at that one). By your own admission, you don't know what the hell you're talking about, so what kind of conclusion are people going to draw?

When you're well informed on a subject, you should help fellow forumites out. When you're not, perhaps you should simply listen and learn. I've made it clear in my posts that I have great respect for both companies, and that you can't go wrong with either one. I don't think that bashing a company you have no experience with is the best thing you could have done. Ask Jeff over at RAT what he thinks of Ethan Becker and Becker knives. Sure, he likes his own knives (well, duh), but I've only heard him praise Becker, which is, incidentally, why I will buy a RAT knife in the future.

Uh what? I own a Ka-Bar which is the manufacturer of Becker's, and I'm basing my opinion off of my knife (coating started rubbing off after batoning very little amount of wood and edge didn't hold up as well as my RAT knives). I said I can't say the same thing about the heat treatment on Becker's that I can with RC's, I never said the treatment sucks I just said I've seen pics of shattered Becker's and have yet to see one of a RC knife. Never said Becker's were cheap I said they were a cheaper option than RC's. Again, I never said Becker's aren't durable, I did however suggest that RC's are more durable from what I've seen. I'm not bashing any companies here, we're talking about knives last time I checked.

I don't see why there's so much tension here, it's a simple compare/contrast of two knives that the OP asked about.

 

[dawsonbob]

Uh what? I own a Ka-Bar which is the manufacturer of Becker's, and I'm basing my opinion off of my knife (coating started rubbing off after batoning very little amount of wood and edge didn't hold up as well as my RAT knives). I said I can't say the same thing about the heat treatment on Becker's that I can with RC's, I never said the treatment sucks I just said I've seen pics of shattered Becker's and have yet to see one of a RC knife. Never said Becker's were cheap I said they were a cheaper option than RC's. Again, I never said Becker's aren't durable, I did however suggest that RC's are more durable from what I've seen. I'm not bashing any companies here, we're talking about knives last time I checked.

I don't see why there's so much tension here, it's a simple compare/contrast of two knives that the OP asked about.

Uh, huh. Well, as I pointed out in one of my earlier posts, I think you my be right about the coatings, though I've never done a side-by-side comparison. Don't know why the edge didn't hold up on your Ka-Bar; my Ka-Bars and my Beckers hold up pretty well, but different batches sometimes are... different. Be all that as it may, my point was that — and go back and read them yourself — your posts certainly came across as calling Beckers inferior. What bothered me (and apparently several others) is that you don't know what you're talking about: you've never owned a Becker. I can understand that you like RAT's: they're fine knives. But bashing Becker's is not the way to get that point across.

And yes, we're talking knives here. People take their knives seriously around these here parts, pardner, so maybe bashing someone else's favorite —whatever it might be — isn't the best way to go.

 

[knerd]

Uh, huh. Well, as I pointed out in one of my earlier posts, I think you my be right about the coatings, though I've never done a side-by-side comparison. Don't know why the edge didn't hold up on your Ka-Bar; my Ka-Bars and my Beckers hold up pretty well, but different batches sometimes are... different. Be all that as it may, my point was that — and go back and read them yourself — your posts certainly came across as calling Beckers inferior. What bothered me (and apparently several others) is that you don't know what you're talking about: you've never owned a Becker. I can understand that you like RAT's: they're fine knives. But bashing Becker's is not the way to get that point across.

And yes, we're talking knives here. People take their knives seriously around these here parts, pardner, so maybe bashing someone else's favorite —whatever it might be — isn't the best way to go.

Well the edge wasn't dull but definitely noticeably less sharp than my RC-4 when using it in the same way. I have nothing against Becker's, was looking at getting one sometime ago. Just letting the OP know that he could spend a tad more $ to go for a RAT knife which (in my experience) seems like a better option if you're opting for just one knife from the two companies at hand. Yes, I don't own a Becker, I do however own a Ka-Bar which is the manufacturer (same with Rowen being the manufacturer for TOPS and RAT) and I doubt there's much difference between the steels seeings how they're both the same. I also don't own all the RAT models, but I base opinions off of the models I do own because they use the same steel.

 

[Bluntedgedinstrument]

Both are good blades and both have differences. Unfortunately it is rare to see any of these knives in brick and mortar shops so figuring out which one fits your hands better is guess work at best. Like I said before, the BK-7's handles don't feel as good to me. I wish they were thinner. But that is a very personal observation

Thats exactly what I was thinking, I cant go by feel. I am gonna get both I think.

 

[rmc85]

I would be basing my pricing (never said anything about specs) off of the RC-6 and the BK-9. The RC-6 can be found for around $100 give or take a few dollars and the BK-9 is selling at around $70. I never said I know a lot about Beckers, but I have done research on them as well as RAT Cutlery. I own a Ka-Bar knife (They produce the current Becker models) and it's a good knife for the money, I'm not trying to crap on the company I'm just stating an opinion which kgd helped explain a little better. I also never said anything about lives hanging in balance because of a knife, I said that if you're using your knife in the woods and it breaks the warranty isn't going to help you one bit. Again, I never said anything about Beckers sucking. I compared/contrasted their products against RAT Cutlery's.

It seems you're assuming I'm meaning something completely different than what I'm typing, because all the points you were arguing to me were never typed by me.

How can you base pricing off two blades that are very different? The BK-9 is a chopper and the RC-6 is more of a camp/utility blade. If anything were to be compared it should be the RC-5 and the BK-2.

I just dont see how someone who doesnt own a product can have such an informed opinion on it. If you are running around the woods I dont think a Becker or RAT product is going to fail you. Both Becker's and RAT's are AMAZING knives that you can beat to death and they will beg for more.

If you use these knives for what they are made for it then you'll be alright. I'm not going to try to pry things with my BK-9 because its a long thin blade made for chopping. I also wont pry stuff with my RC-3 (on order) or Izula because thats not what they are made for.

After hanging on BF for a while I've found that many people who really use their blades own both Beckers and RATs.

 

[rmc85]

Thats exactly what I was thinking, I cant go by feel. I am gonna get both I think.

That sounds like a dang good plan!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Thats exactly what I was thinking, I cant go by feel. I am gonna get both I think.

The best way to go. Always.

 

[Bluntedgedinstrument]

Gonna hit the trade section right now and see what I can swap for them.

 

[Chopper Head]

removed