Hello gang,
I just got my BK3 today. Many of you own this tool already but if you are like me and new to the Becker family of knives this review might be of some use, at least I hope it is!
It came in the standard Becker/Kabar black box. The overall size is somewhat smaller than I thought, but in a good way. I was worried it might be too big to carry but the size seems right.
the specs from the factory are as follows
Weight 1.30 lbs. Steel 1095 Cro-Van
Blade Type Fixed Blade Lock Style N/A
Measurements Blade length 7"; Overall length 12-1/2" Grind Flat
Edge Angles 15 Degrees Handle Material Grivory
Shape Chisel HRC 56-58
Stamp KA-BAR Becker Butt Cap/Guard N/A
Pocket Clip N Made in USA
NSN 1095-01-493-1802 KNIFE-COMBAT Blade Thickness 0.250
Here is the knife and sheath together
The sheath is some type of plastic, i dont believe its a kydex product. It has great retention and has mounting holes spaced user friendly. The belt loop and retention strap are a thin nylon. The retention strap is only secured by a single rivet, not very well.
Close ups of the nylon retention strap and rivet
The thumb ramp is well designed and greatly assists in getting the tool out of the sheath.
Ok here she is in in all her glory!!
Here you can see the blade and all her angles
Now on the back side of the blade you can see the chisel or tool grind, ie flat on one side. I thought it would be rather dull, Im not a fan of this type of edge but the BK3 sliced paper and did cut a couple hairs, not like the factory edge on my BK5, but better than I expected.
Here you can see a close up of the serrations, they appear to be very well designed and should cut fiberous material easily.
Here is a frontal view of the BK3, you can see the flat chisel/ pry tip very well.
You can see the strap or cord cutter. There is alot of controversy regarding this, some say it weakens the tip strength. I dont know about that yet but it is very roughly finished. The edge is very dull and not fully ground. It will not cut paracord in its present condition.
Here is a closer view of the cutter tip. You can see how it is not flush but has a bump still, it does not look like it was finished. You can also see a slight roll in the tip that was not finished.
here is another view
The handles are the standard size Grivory plastic composition. They are held on with three bolts. These are the same as on the BK2 and BK5, however on this tool they could be a little longer to facilitate use of heavy gloves, the type you would use for demolition type duties.
The handles are not aligned correctly and you can feel the ridges between the two handles and the full tang. I believe that by loosening the handles I should be able to align them correctly. I will let you know.
Final thoughts so far.
Very good size for its application I believe
The design is well thought out
the sheath internal retention and design is great
The thumb ramp on the sheath makes removing it easier.
THe edge geometry of the blade seems to be a good combination for getting an inital hole in materials such as metal
Cons.
well not many really so far. the finish of the blade is not up to the BK5 or BK2 that I have. The hook cutter is not finished correctly in my opinion. I believe a little work with a small file should take care of it but this is a review of the whole package overall. So I am nitpicking. I know its a tool that is going to be abused.
I tried on a pair of heavy duty work gloves and the length of the handle could be a little longer in my opinion, I have med. large hands.
The nylon strap should be sewn on as well as the single rivet. It is already loose just from playing with it for the last two hours. You do not need it for positive retention though. The sheath sucks that blade in and you have to make an honest effort to retrieve it. The way I could see this being an issue is when you wear it on a belt it may swing more, I cant say for sure since I have not worn it yet.
All in all , for the price of this knife I believe you are getting a well designed and implemented entry or escape tool. It is sized for convienent carry yet has enough mass to get most jobs done.
I think military and law enforcement will find this tool practical as will search and rescue and concerned citizens, ie first responders.
I have not used this tool yet but so far I would recommend it,:thumbup:
I will update this when i get to take it out and abuse it like it was born to be treated!!!
Thanks and hope you enjoyed it.
I just got my BK3 today. Many of you own this tool already but if you are like me and new to the Becker family of knives this review might be of some use, at least I hope it is!
It came in the standard Becker/Kabar black box. The overall size is somewhat smaller than I thought, but in a good way. I was worried it might be too big to carry but the size seems right.
the specs from the factory are as follows
Weight 1.30 lbs. Steel 1095 Cro-Van
Blade Type Fixed Blade Lock Style N/A
Measurements Blade length 7"; Overall length 12-1/2" Grind Flat
Edge Angles 15 Degrees Handle Material Grivory
Shape Chisel HRC 56-58
Stamp KA-BAR Becker Butt Cap/Guard N/A
Pocket Clip N Made in USA
NSN 1095-01-493-1802 KNIFE-COMBAT Blade Thickness 0.250
Here is the knife and sheath together
The sheath is some type of plastic, i dont believe its a kydex product. It has great retention and has mounting holes spaced user friendly. The belt loop and retention strap are a thin nylon. The retention strap is only secured by a single rivet, not very well.
Close ups of the nylon retention strap and rivet
The thumb ramp is well designed and greatly assists in getting the tool out of the sheath.
Ok here she is in in all her glory!!
Here you can see the blade and all her angles
Now on the back side of the blade you can see the chisel or tool grind, ie flat on one side. I thought it would be rather dull, Im not a fan of this type of edge but the BK3 sliced paper and did cut a couple hairs, not like the factory edge on my BK5, but better than I expected.
Here you can see a close up of the serrations, they appear to be very well designed and should cut fiberous material easily.
Here is a frontal view of the BK3, you can see the flat chisel/ pry tip very well.
You can see the strap or cord cutter. There is alot of controversy regarding this, some say it weakens the tip strength. I dont know about that yet but it is very roughly finished. The edge is very dull and not fully ground. It will not cut paracord in its present condition.
Here is a closer view of the cutter tip. You can see how it is not flush but has a bump still, it does not look like it was finished. You can also see a slight roll in the tip that was not finished.
here is another view
The handles are the standard size Grivory plastic composition. They are held on with three bolts. These are the same as on the BK2 and BK5, however on this tool they could be a little longer to facilitate use of heavy gloves, the type you would use for demolition type duties.
The handles are not aligned correctly and you can feel the ridges between the two handles and the full tang. I believe that by loosening the handles I should be able to align them correctly. I will let you know.
Final thoughts so far.
Very good size for its application I believe
The design is well thought out
the sheath internal retention and design is great
The thumb ramp on the sheath makes removing it easier.
THe edge geometry of the blade seems to be a good combination for getting an inital hole in materials such as metal
Cons.
well not many really so far. the finish of the blade is not up to the BK5 or BK2 that I have. The hook cutter is not finished correctly in my opinion. I believe a little work with a small file should take care of it but this is a review of the whole package overall. So I am nitpicking. I know its a tool that is going to be abused.
I tried on a pair of heavy duty work gloves and the length of the handle could be a little longer in my opinion, I have med. large hands.
The nylon strap should be sewn on as well as the single rivet. It is already loose just from playing with it for the last two hours. You do not need it for positive retention though. The sheath sucks that blade in and you have to make an honest effort to retrieve it. The way I could see this being an issue is when you wear it on a belt it may swing more, I cant say for sure since I have not worn it yet.
All in all , for the price of this knife I believe you are getting a well designed and implemented entry or escape tool. It is sized for convienent carry yet has enough mass to get most jobs done.
I think military and law enforcement will find this tool practical as will search and rescue and concerned citizens, ie first responders.
I have not used this tool yet but so far I would recommend it,:thumbup:
I will update this when i get to take it out and abuse it like it was born to be treated!!!
Thanks and hope you enjoyed it.
I had to do the same thing at the ESEE campout, to liberate some keys.