BK11CSM -initial impressions/pics/QC

[winz]

Becker Necker by KaBAR – BK11CSM(Carbon Sai Mai)

The initial impression of the laminate is pretty cool. It takes on a very Kershaw type look as others have noted.

However, turning over to the right side, it is quite apparent that the blade isn’t as pretty and has a slight uneven grind.

The handle is rather ergonomic in the hand. The edges are chamfered for the most part…and evidently done so by a hand in haste because frankly certain parts aren’t exactly neat.

Ultimately, I’m not too concerned with the look of the handle. Most people seem to wrap theirs with paracord or some sort of cord or even having handle scales added.

What I wanted was a fixed-blade knife small enough to carry daily without looking like Crocodile Dundee, flat enough not to bulge and big enough to handle general tasks.

I’ll most likely figure out some fashion of bondage wrapping for the handle to give it some girth. Without cord, it’s decently comfortable in my medium hands but with any form of gloves on, I reckon cord-wrap might be better.

For carrying anything slightly bigger on an EDC level, I’d probably be more inclined to use a RAT RC3 but having factored in the bulk, the BK11CSM seems more reasonable.

I’ve seen many other pics of this knife and all seem very nicely done. I seem to collect all the ‘one-offs’….ie mutants made after a Sake influenced lunch

I would also say that the regular BK11 in 1095 can be had extremely cheap apparently and while 1095 isn’t as ‘cool’ as this carbon sai mai, it is good ol’fashioned hard working steel and is made in USA.

The BK11 is here sizing up to my mutant Buck Strider in a Battle of Midway manner….just ignore the fact that the Buck Strider has an ATS34 blade.

Along with my BK11CSM, for better or worse, I bought this as well. Probably utterly useless but heck it’s cool to have around when in a jam.

 

[winz]

I messed with some basic cord wrapping. There are plenty creative ones I've already seen on here....but I'm a KISS kind of guy and it feels decent with it.

 

[Jeff S1]

Nice photos, wrap & review. I am a bit shocked at how the handle was ground and the end result. I have a new KaBar bk11 standard, and it is free of any of the grind issues you noted. I really like the necker for EDC. I convexed mine and it cuts like a razor. Great knife!

 

[52100]

Great review and close-up photography.

 

[winz]

To be perfectly honest, receiving this (supposedly special edition) knife with all the ugly grinds was disappointing. Given the last several decades, Japan has been regarded as having some of the best quality control(eg Toyota and Honda), this is like going back to the earlier days when Japan was spitting out Honda Cups.

The grinds are superficial, that is true but given that the much cheaper, basic 1095 model made in the USA is generally quite smooth, it almost makes me wish they left the edges and let me do it myself.

The 1095 model doesn't actually seem to have any chamfer from the ones I've seen. Just looks like a nice thick coat of epoxy paint over the steel.

Jeff S1: You mean you put a convex edge on the blade? Cool. Show pics!

Yeah, the BK11 is pretty well covered for the original Camillus along with the KaBars with regard to handling, overall feel and etc. I didn't want to do a 'review' that was already redundant....so it's more a comment on the workmanship of the Sai Mai version.

 

[Agent Iron]

Thats brutal! My 1095 looks like the Mona Lisa compared to that.
Wrapped it looks great though, thanks for the posts.
AI

 

[Jeff S1]

Yes, convexed the BK11, came out really slick!
I just joined PhotoBucket. Is there a place here that outlines how to grab Photobucket images and set the here in a post? I am not that up on doing this...thanks.

 

[winz]

Merry Christmas everyone. Getting fat on Christmas’ great food also got me thinking and so I use the digesting time for this:

While I’m already getting a nice sheath from Eric of On Scene Tactical, I decided to play with possible carry options with the stock sheath.

KaBar will happily sell you their “TDI MultiCarry clip” which is not much more than a spring clip and some attachment screws. Well the fact of the matter is that I’ve grown to dislike spring clips for such things including for cellphone holders. Things move, items such as knives (ahem and cellphones with important contact info) fall off, etc etc

There is also the obvious factor for which I did not want the spring clip from KaBar…I’m already about to get a sheath from one of the best in the business.

Typically I would opt for proper 550 ParaCord, but for this purpose of playing around I went with the supplied neck cord.

With the original Becker Necker, one sees a lot of Paracord rigs with basically two loops running straight vertically down with the following sort of arrangement.

Because of the way KaBar and Ethan Becker designed the current one, other possibilities are available.

Vertical carry

Now some might ask what is the point of looping it such a way that the cord goes around the sheath. There is a reason for the next method of carry. However, at the same time, it serves to help add friction to stabilize the sheath. The length between the holes is going to be much greater than your typical belt, so doing it in this manner resists the sheath from sliding when drawing your knife.

Diagonal Carry(this shows it canted one way, obviously for a cross-draw or similar you use the other loop)

This is where having the loop go across comes into play. You now have the option to wear the knife in this manner and it will be very secure in place hugging the belt loop.

 

[Fletcher Knives]

To be perfectly honest, receiving this (supposedly special edition) knife with all the ugly grinds was disappointing.

Originally, I was going to get the CSM version of this knife, but after seeing this thread and the doodoo grinds, I think I'll just opt for the regular version. I know that the grinds on the handle don't hinder performance at all, but really I'd be getting the CSM version simply based on looks. I'm perfectly fine with the regular version's steel, but the CSM looked cooler. Maybe someone should talk to KaBar about the neatness of these grinds.

Ethan, I hope you don't think I'm in any way bashing you. Just trying to give you feedback. I trust you are a wise man who appreciates feedback, be it negative or positive.

 

[Bladite]

Originally, I was going to get the CSM version of this knife, but after seeing this thread and the doodoo grinds, I think I'll just opt for the regular version. I know that the grinds on the handle don't hinder performance at all, but really I'd be getting the CSM version simply based on looks. I'm perfectly fine with the regular version's steel, but the CSM looked cooler. Maybe someone should talk to KaBar about the neatness of these grinds.

Ethan, I hope you don't think I'm in any way bashing you. Just trying to give you feedback. I trust you are a wise man who appreciates feedback, be it negative or positive.

I’ve seen many other pics of this knife and all seem very nicely done. I seem to collect all the ‘one-offs’….ie mutants made after a Sake influenced lunch

on my bk11csm, the handle chamfer grinds do NOT look like that. they're pretty smooth, and feel rather polished actually. you can see the very slight grind marks, but i'm not feeling them.

the blade grinds are VERY polished, and exceptional, it's "hair popping sharp". i'm waiting for a period of good light... i have time now, so i have a few pictures to start preparing of some old, new, and proto becker models

hopefully, my photos will show that not all CSMs are mutants. i did not that the INNER handle area is very 90 degree still - not chamfered - which is interesting. i thing a sweet mod would be to polish the handle a bit, so that it's perfectly rounded, inside and out. just a thought - lots of work there.

stay tuned


Bladite

 

[Fletcher Knives]

on my bk11csm, the handle chamfer grinds do NOT look like that. they're pretty smooth, and feel rather polished actually. you can see the very slight grind marks, but i'm not feeling them.

the blade grinds are VERY polished, and exceptional, it's "hair popping sharp". i'm waiting for a period of good light... i have time now, so i have a few pictures to start preparing of some old, new, and proto becker models

hopefully, my photos will show that not all CSMs are mutants. i did not that the INNER handle area is very 90 degree still - not chamfered - which is interesting. i thing a sweet mod would be to polish the handle a bit, so that it's perfectly rounded, inside and out. just a thought - lots of work there.

stay tuned


Bladite

That makes me feel better. I'll hold off until I see a few more.

 

[winz]

Originally, I was going to get the CSM version of this knife, but after seeing this thread and the doodoo grinds, I think I'll just opt for the regular version.

Ethan, I hope you don't think I'm in any way bashing you. Just trying to give you feedback. I trust you are a wise man who appreciates feedback, be it negative or positive.

Ditto on not being overly critical of the Becker knives. I love Becker's designs, simplicity and all.

Perhaps I happened to get one that was done up poorly. I certainly don't think all come out of that factory in Japan like that. However, one person who has one noted similar issues and touched it up himself.

 

[zombieHD55]

Thanks for the carry options, I gotta try those out. I would love to see pics of the On Scene Tactical sheath when you get it.

 

[diananike]

Hey winz
Got my 1095 Necker today and set it up just like yours, only I didn't gut the handle wrap. and I used OD 550.
Love that carry system that goes around the belt loop, keeps the knife in one place with perfect cant. I was going to custom mold a sheath but till then this works great.

 

[winz]

Hey winz
Got my 1095 Necker today and set it up just like yours, only I didn't gut the handle wrap. and I used OD 550.
Love that carry system that goes around the belt loop, keeps the knife in one place with perfect cant. I was going to custom mold a sheath but till then this works great.

As I mentioned above, I too will be going custom sheath(Eric of On Scene Tactical is making one for me).

As a usable carry option, I find looping it as such handy as a compromise and I'll even hazard to say a more secure and viable choice over the TDI spring clip KaBar sells.

With the cord, people can loop it exactly like in my pics, wear it vertical, wear it canted(as shown), wear it canted the other way for a crossdraw.

One can wear it on the back of the hip or small of the back as such or if one preferred, use the same loop method on the opposite side of the sheath...depending on how one wishes to draw the knife.

 

[winz]

Eric sent me a couple sheaths and of course the one for the Becker Necker is one of them.

The sheath is quite tight to get in and out. I just noticed that the front edges of the knife hilt are quite sharp. I might have to deburr/smooth them to make it slicker to get in and out of sheath.

I've been wearing the original everyday for about a month now and it hasn't given me any issues.

Eric's sheath just looks and feels a whole lot more sleek. It is also a little less wide.

Update: I did smoothen/round out the edges of the hilt area including the area alongside the flat grind so that the knife goes in and out of the sheath smoother. Generally it is quite a bit more difficult to make a kydex sheath for a skeleton type knife because kydex sheaths are usually secured via the handle design. Having less surface area to grab is the culprit.

 

[Todd A]

That is sweet!!!!

I have been carrying my 1095 BK11 on the belt now for awhile with paracord.I tie mine a little little differant than your pics.

Can you post a pic of the otherside of Erics sheath?

Also If you don't mind what was his delivery time?

 

[winz]

Well you are in luck, I had taken a bunch of quick snap shots.

I have a pic of the other side with the belt loop. I didn't bother too much because all of Eric's belt loops are quite the same. The picture doesn't show this but on the inside of the belt loop, there are three holes so that the knife can be carried low vertical using the holes currently used. The knife can also be carried canted.

The bottom holes can be used to carry high vertical, I use this for another knife I carry.

Delivery time, I can't say precisely but reasonably fast definitely. The holidays, me being away and Eric having a Necker to mold with factored into it and yet the sheath was still awaiting my return when I got home today(haven't been home since the begin of month). Eric will be able to get a sheath to you readily now. For any other knives of which he doesn't have, you should send the knife to him and his turn over would be fast as well, giving time for delivery of knife back and forth.