Bk16...

R

Richbat

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Feb 25, 2015
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Ok I have a BK14[Eskabar]and a Mora HD Companion but am now looking at a BK16 to purchase,do you feel this knife will compliment the other 2 as far as basically covering the chopping,batoning and overall harder work that the other 2 might not? Or should I be looking at a whole different knife for my intended uses?
 
Get a 16!

But... for your intended use, you might also want to get something bigger. I would feel fine batoning appropriately sized wood with the 16, but from my experience it is way too light for chopping.

Are you looking at knives under a certain length or weight? The next biggest Becker after the 15, 16 and 17 is the 2. The blade length is about an inch different, but the 2 weighs much more. I'd say the 2 is the hardest use Becker because of the blade thickness. I like the saber grind and it has a stout tip. Not a lot of length for spanning would to baton, but you could beat on it all day with zero worries. If I hold down by the pommel, I've done some decent chopping.

With all that said, if I have the option to have more than one blade on me I will always go with my 9 for chopping and batoning.
 
I agree with Silver - if you already have a 14 for the detail work, I'd go with something like the 2 or the 9. The BK2 was my first and favorite Becker. It is a BEAST and will do most all of your heavy tasks without complaint. Just my thoughts...
 
The BK2 weighs in at 1 pound.

I have a BK15 and it wouldn't be my first selection for chopping. I'd say the BK7-BK10 for chopping. The BK2 is for splitting a Buick. :D
 
Silver Needle said:
Get a 16!

But... for your intended use, you might also want to get something bigger. I would feel fine batoning appropriately sized wood with the 16, but from my experience it is way too light for chopping.

Are you looking at knives under a certain length or weight? The next biggest Becker after the 15, 16 and 17 is the 2. The blade length is about an inch different, but the 2 weighs much more. I'd say the 2 is the hardest use Becker because of the blade thickness. I like the saber grind and it has a stout tip. Not a lot of length for spanning would to baton, but you could beat on it all day with zero worries. If I hold down by the pommel, I've done some decent chopping.

With all that said, if I have the option to have more than one blade on me I will always go with my 9 for chopping and batoning.
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I would like to get something with a bit more stouter blade and a little more length than my Mora HD,like I said,I feel I have 2 knives right now for small/medium tasks but not really anything for more tougher tasks such as chopping,batoning and such.
 
The 16 will handle the abuse but the effort it'll take won't be worth it. I would never argue against picking up a 16 for any reason but what you're looking for is the definition of the BK9. And you won't regret it.
 
Agreed - the BK16 is one of my favorite Beckers, and I consider it a must have...but it's no chopper. The 9 is the hands down winner of the group, in that category; and one of the best choices for batoning. Get'em both!
 
Richbat said:
as far as basically covering the chopping,batoning and overall harder work that the other 2 might not? Or should I be looking at a whole different knife for my intended uses?
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I didn't mention the BK4...don't let the shape put you off, it's that way for a reason. It'll handle all the hard work. Check you tube vids. It may just be what your looking for.
 
Get a 9 or a 4 for the heavy work cause it seems that you have the smaller knife bases covered with the 14 and the Mora. You can (and should) get a 16 later and when you do it will become your favorite knife in that size class. Not too keen on the 2 as I've had ten of them and either sold or gifted them although many people love theirs. Have fun in your new upcoming knife decisions.
 
Get thee the King - BK9!

The 4's okay, if you primarily just need a chopper. ;)

If the length of those two are a bit much, then a 10 or 2.
 
For reference, here's a 16 next to a 2:

DownloadedFile-19_zpsgl40d9za.jpeg

(Note: the choil on my 16 is a custom mod that was accomplished by the previous owner and not something I can take credit for, just don't want you to think they all come like that)

The 16 is more "nimble" in my opinion than the 2. Sure, you can baton and chop with it but it will take more work than it would using the 2.

The 16 is very versatile, however as it can easily be used as a skinner, whittler, chopper, food prep knife, etc. The 2 is a honker of a <6" blade. You could also use it to skin/whittle/slice grapes but it would probably be a little more "awkward" than the 16...

Your mileage may vary though, so the best advice is probably... GET BOTH! I may be biased, however.
 
What about the BK7?Looks like a work horse for what I'm looking for,kind of falls right in the middle I think.
 
Richbat said:
What about the BK7?Looks like a work horse for what I'm looking for,kind of falls right in the middle I think.
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Everyone has given some really good advice so far. I don't see why the 7 wouldn't be perfect for you. It won't span as much for batoning as the 9 or 4 and it is lighter when it comes to chopping, but if the size and design appeals to you it would do much better at the big stuff than a 16 would.
 
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Richbat said:
What about the BK7?Looks like a work horse for what I'm looking for,kind of falls right in the middle I think.
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I was thinking the 7 when I read this thread, I am biased however, the 7 got me into Beckers. I have heard the BK7 called the "the little black dress" of the Becker line, it is a do it all one tool option, which is why I originally choose it. I also have the 16 and it is my favorite knife of all time. However I always carry a small axe and a folding saw and a multi-tool when I am out in the woods so I don't do a lot of chopping with my knife. I do baton with it to process my kindling and it easily handles all my knife chores.
like others have said, get them both you wont regret it. :)
 
Richbat said:
What about the BK7?Looks like a work horse for what I'm looking for,kind of falls right in the middle I think.
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For chopping and batoning, the 7 can't compete against the 9 or 4. Indeed, IIRC, even the 5 is a better chopper.

If your tasks included survival/fighting, then the 7's long clip point would be an advantage. Otherwise, meh.

But get whatever you want. There's no 'bad' choice.
 
I would say "the king" bk9, both ends of the spectrum (bk14 & bk9) and they come close to meeting each other in the middle.
 
TravisH said:
The 4's okay, if you primarily just need a chopper. ;)
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Totally disagree. IMHO, the 4 absolutely smokes the 9 for fine carving tasks, and can do just about all the big stuff the 9 can do. It's a quirky beast to get used to, but now it's my absolute #1 woods knife. The BK16, interestingly, is #2.
 
Some might call the BK7 the little black dress (or it might be one person that saw the comment & keeps using it every chance he gets); but others call it the awkward middle child - not really big enough to play with the big kids, or small enough to fit in with the little ones (or maybe it's just me that says that, lol).
I like the size of the 7; but, while it is versatile, it doesn't really shine in any particular area (IMO).


I was going to comment on the 4 (if you just want a chopper) remark earlier, but held off. Since somebody else has pointed out that the 4 does other things well; I'll add that the 4, in my brief experience, is more of a medium duty chopper. Maybe I'll feel differently after a few more outings, especially if I do a head to head comparison?
 
Well just got a BK4 from Tomar over on the big auction site,now the wait begins.Thanks to all for the advice and help in deciding.
 
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