BK16 with Micarta - How is the balance?

DavidCAndersen

DavidCAndersen

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Nov 11, 2013
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So I've come into possession of a new BK16 (a gift from Ethan Becker himself!) to go with my well loved 9, and the ergonomics are fantastic. Been thinking of getting some micarta scales, but wanted to know how they would affect the balance.

I love the neutral handling that the knife has right now, and would not want to mess it up. Does the micarta make the knife more handle heavy?

And Ethan, thank you again!

-David C. Andersen
 
The Micarta is slightly heavier than the Grivory scales...so t will tend to move the balance back and give it a more handle heavy feel. This to me is a non issue as I prefer the handle heavy feel...it helps anchor the blade in my hand and allows the blade to be more nimble for the lighter tasks the 16 excels at already....IMHO the swap makes it a better knife, at least for my use.
 
Yeah, a little heavier since the Micarta is solid but overall the are nice:

IMG_5510_zpsqgl2t6ct.jpg
 
Micarta as a whole is fairly heavy for a handle scale material, so I'm not surprised to hear that its heavier than the grivory. I doubt you'd notice a drastic difference though.

If you wanted, you could drill some shallow holes in the micarta to remove some material and lighten it up, but I think you're likely to be fine.

And congrats on the 16 from Ethan, thats pretty special right there. Congrats on the steel :thumbup:.
 
ocnLogan said:
If you wanted, you could drill some shallow holes in the micarta to remove some material and lighten it up, but I think you're likely to be fine.

And congrats on the 16 from Ethan, thats pretty special right there. Congrats on the steel :thumbup:.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of that too. Shouldn't be too difficult.

And it was definitely an honor to receive this knife. It is one of the few I own that I will absolutely never part with!
 
I have yet to try the micarta on the tweeners but plan on it whenever I can take it upon myself to divert my money from steel to micarta lol. I love the feel on the full size Beckers but I can't really feel a weight difference. Congrats on that steel man! Hope to see pics soon!

Orezona, that 16 looks sweeter everytime! The patinas beautiful!
 
That is a beautifully done choil as well. Nice job. I had not previously wanted to Choil my ffg 16, but now I kinda want to. Thats also EXACTLY how I want to tune up the choil on my 15. Got any tips for getting it that perfect ?
 
nyHiAS1.jpg

Here is mine with Micarta

KkIMWT8.jpg

and with G10

I cant really tell a whole lot of difference between the stock and the other two for balance, except I like the "feel" in hand better and they are a bit heavier.
 
more solid feeling perhaps.

good stuff.
 
On a knife that size, I doubt you will truly feel much difference in a blind test. We're talking about a couple/few grams here, not a massive difference in weight or balance. I say go for it, and see which you prefer.

On another note, even though I'm not a collector or "safe-queen" kinda guy...

Since the BK-16 you have was a gift from Ethan, I suggest you keep it "stock", and buy another one to mod/play around with different scales/etc. They're not terribly expensive, and then you'll have a really cool memory and a knife you're not afraid to beat the dickens out of. ;)
 
james terrio said:
Since the BK-16 you have was a gift from Ethan, I suggest you keep it "stock", and buy another one to mod/play around with different scales/etc. They're not terribly expensive, and then you'll have a really cool memory and a knife you're not afraid to beat the dickens out of. ;)
Click to expand...

I can think of no better way to honor the gift than by putting it to work. For me, any wear would only add to the story of the knife, and make it even more special :-)

Sure, I would hate to lose or break the knife. But I would hate it even more if the blade just sat in a drawer my whole life.
 
IF you were to use the 16 as a chopper, the micarta may shift the balance toward the handle. But it's not a chopper. So I would argue that the micarta would make little difference apart from 'feel' in the hand..

Short of me spending an arse load of money on flights and making it to a gathering, I sadly, will probably never have the ordained pleasure of meeting the magnificent human being that is our boss. If it were me, I would very nearly FRAME that 16 as a treasure. Yes, EVERY Becker deserves to be used, but that one brother is special. I agree with JT; buy another that you can flog. You're a very lucky guy. I'm super jelly..
 
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