I saw a review where some guys said that their pinkies were hotspotting due to the angle of the handle. Is this something anyone has run into? Sorry just wasn't sure if the purchase money could be saved and put towards something else more fitting. When innawoods I bring a 2-14-15-16 set. The 15 is on my hip 14 is carried next to my belt buckle scout style and the 16 has a pocket sheath so all I feel riding is the 15 honestly. The 2 is tucked away in case someone around camp doesn't have a knife for the job. ( happens all the time) and for a fail-safe knife in my favor
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Bk4 or 5? Chopping ability?
- Thread starter SynSerp
- Start date
When I first got the 4 (my first Becker) I thought the handle would give my pinky and/or index finger hot spots because I have unusually wide/fat hands. However, after using it a bunch I haven't had any hot spots. Unless your fingers are too short to get around the grip or your hand is super wide (my palm is about 4.5" across) you'll be fine.
NJBillK
Custom Leather and Fixed Blade modifications.
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In that set up, I would swap the 16 for a 4. Since between the 14 and 15, you can cover just about anything that the 4 couldn't. Regarding the hot spot, I think it depends a lot on hand size and your grip. The tool is just that, an inanimate object. It is up to us to be able to work with what we have available, and if I had a 4, 14 and 15, I would be just fine.
Honestly, I would like to see a list of activities that you designate to each knife posted.
Do you use the 16 and 15 more and leave the 14 as back up, is the 16 your redundant knife, but carry it out of habit?
The good thing about the 4 is that different areas of the blade can be sharpened differently for specific tasks. You can put an uneven bevel on the recurve if you use it as a pull knife more often. How about a finer angle at the tip for when you hold the larger part of the blade as a choking up point for detail work. Even a convex for the belly to aid in chopping?
I Love my 4 and my 5 and the strengths and weaknesses of both have been stated. Have people used the 5 to chop, sure. Would the 4 be a better choice, probably.
But one thing to keep in mind is, what other tasks are more suited to each knifes strengths. More "camp" work, either will work, I will carry my 5 especially paired with a 14/15/16, but more wood processing, take the 4. (By camp work, I mean limbing small stuff around a fire at night, food work, clearing brush, things where a more nimble knife may be preferred.)
All of that being said, the 4 and the 5 can overlap some, only because they both are Very strong platforms that can perform in a multitude of roles. Which you feel more comfortable with unfortunately sides with your experience with both of them. Thankfully they are both inexpensive at the moment.
Honestly, I would like to see a list of activities that you designate to each knife posted.
Do you use the 16 and 15 more and leave the 14 as back up, is the 16 your redundant knife, but carry it out of habit?
The good thing about the 4 is that different areas of the blade can be sharpened differently for specific tasks. You can put an uneven bevel on the recurve if you use it as a pull knife more often. How about a finer angle at the tip for when you hold the larger part of the blade as a choking up point for detail work. Even a convex for the belly to aid in chopping?
I Love my 4 and my 5 and the strengths and weaknesses of both have been stated. Have people used the 5 to chop, sure. Would the 4 be a better choice, probably.
But one thing to keep in mind is, what other tasks are more suited to each knifes strengths. More "camp" work, either will work, I will carry my 5 especially paired with a 14/15/16, but more wood processing, take the 4. (By camp work, I mean limbing small stuff around a fire at night, food work, clearing brush, things where a more nimble knife may be preferred.)
All of that being said, the 4 and the 5 can overlap some, only because they both are Very strong platforms that can perform in a multitude of roles. Which you feel more comfortable with unfortunately sides with your experience with both of them. Thankfully they are both inexpensive at the moment.
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Ok so the duties and tasks associated with each knife go like this:
I use my 14 for most of my tasks I would normally wince at using my other edges for. I will literally abuse this knife because that's why I love it so much. It will take it and eat whatever is thrown at it. CroVan is the shit!
My 16 is my edge that I save for Campcraft work. Making camp comforts ( chairs, tables... Etc) snares, carving and whittling... This is the knife that Enjoy using more than the others.
The 15 is strictly a slicer. It will be used as my food prep and game processing knife. I'm a baker and chef. This is what I prefer and I really refuse to use anything but a trailing point to cut my veggies with because of how specific I like to cut my food. Really strange but depending on what I'm cooking I'll actually cut against or with the grain of the meat. I'm willing to let it along just because there's something that bothers me about digging a cathole with a knife then turning around after cleaning it and chopping an onion.
My 2 is my catch-all knife. I use it as my "you need a knife? Here's a knife!", I don't want to hurt one of my blades on this task, and wood processing knife. I use a Bahco Laplander to delimb my brush I'm going to burn and the 2 cleans them up to what I prefer for my fires.
I use my 14 for most of my tasks I would normally wince at using my other edges for. I will literally abuse this knife because that's why I love it so much. It will take it and eat whatever is thrown at it. CroVan is the shit!
My 16 is my edge that I save for Campcraft work. Making camp comforts ( chairs, tables... Etc) snares, carving and whittling... This is the knife that Enjoy using more than the others.
The 15 is strictly a slicer. It will be used as my food prep and game processing knife. I'm a baker and chef. This is what I prefer and I really refuse to use anything but a trailing point to cut my veggies with because of how specific I like to cut my food. Really strange but depending on what I'm cooking I'll actually cut against or with the grain of the meat. I'm willing to let it along just because there's something that bothers me about digging a cathole with a knife then turning around after cleaning it and chopping an onion.
My 2 is my catch-all knife. I use it as my "you need a knife? Here's a knife!", I don't want to hurt one of my blades on this task, and wood processing knife. I use a Bahco Laplander to delimb my brush I'm going to burn and the 2 cleans them up to what I prefer for my fires.
NJBillK
Custom Leather and Fixed Blade modifications.
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Well, that actually puts you in a bit of a pickle... So lets take this step by step to try to reach an agreeable conclusion.
-14- sounds like it earns its keep
Kept
-16- if you feel that this is "Your" knife and don't want to lend it out, keep it. But, remember that later on.
-15- food prep.
kept
-2- loaner for those unprepared, probably looking to swap out for 4/5.
(Here lies the problem)
I am a Butcher by trade, so I can justify your selection of knives for food processing and the particular cuts and direction of cutting (flank, flap and skirt for instance). On top of that, digging a hole with my food prep knife is also considered a bit of an issue. The 16 is your goto knife for anything else and you depend on your 14 for rough work. So those 3 are kept. But you may find the 16 being redundant when a lighter mora isn't being lent out. Unless you have a custom sheath, the mora is easier to draw and put away reliably while being lighter in hand, plus the steel takes less work to touch up when it does go sour.
Your 2 being loaned out is not much more than a nice gesture, and a heavy one at that. I suggest a stainless mora, it would work just as fine with having a bit less of a worry regarding cleaning for the uneducated masses and less nagging in the back of your mind. As well as being lighter, and causing the user to actually have some consideration towards usage vs just beating the wood with a now dull bk2.
Plus, a stainless mora is pretty easy to sharpen, especially with a ceramic rod/stone (which leads me to my next point).
Crovan responds Very nicely to ceramic, makes camp touch ups easy, and works out Very nice on the 4.
Swap your 2 for a 4 and a mora. Lend the mora out, use the 4 for heavier camp wood tasks and cross your fingers that you either get a 5 from santa or can save up and get one before they are gone.
In all honesty, the 4 is Very capable, including trap making. When the "try stick giveaway" came around, I made one using ONLY a BK4. It is a Great knife and you won't be disappointed.
-14- sounds like it earns its keep
Kept
-16- if you feel that this is "Your" knife and don't want to lend it out, keep it. But, remember that later on.
-15- food prep.
kept
-2- loaner for those unprepared, probably looking to swap out for 4/5.
(Here lies the problem)
I am a Butcher by trade, so I can justify your selection of knives for food processing and the particular cuts and direction of cutting (flank, flap and skirt for instance). On top of that, digging a hole with my food prep knife is also considered a bit of an issue. The 16 is your goto knife for anything else and you depend on your 14 for rough work. So those 3 are kept. But you may find the 16 being redundant when a lighter mora isn't being lent out. Unless you have a custom sheath, the mora is easier to draw and put away reliably while being lighter in hand, plus the steel takes less work to touch up when it does go sour.
Your 2 being loaned out is not much more than a nice gesture, and a heavy one at that. I suggest a stainless mora, it would work just as fine with having a bit less of a worry regarding cleaning for the uneducated masses and less nagging in the back of your mind. As well as being lighter, and causing the user to actually have some consideration towards usage vs just beating the wood with a now dull bk2.
Plus, a stainless mora is pretty easy to sharpen, especially with a ceramic rod/stone (which leads me to my next point).
Crovan responds Very nicely to ceramic, makes camp touch ups easy, and works out Very nice on the 4.
Swap your 2 for a 4 and a mora. Lend the mora out, use the 4 for heavier camp wood tasks and cross your fingers that you either get a 5 from santa or can save up and get one before they are gone.
In all honesty, the 4 is Very capable, including trap making. When the "try stick giveaway" came around, I made one using ONLY a BK4. It is a Great knife and you won't be disappointed.
My 2 is for wood processing primarily. I like to pawn it off to people who have never batonned in their life and get a thrill out of making my firewood for the night. Haha, I DO use it myself but I try to be slick and save my arms the ache lol kids never learn
The only time I had an issue with the handle on my 4 is when I got sap on the handle and on my hands so I put on some gloves. Problem solved. I used it and only it for an overnight camping trip and it preformed great. I only did that to test it out but you could get by just fine with only a 4 or 9 and no other knives. Having a small knife too makes things a lot easier though.
NJBillK
Custom Leather and Fixed Blade modifications.
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Quick problem solving time!
If you get sap on your hands, find the driest dirt you can (ash should work too, but I haven't tried that yet. I will on sunday.) and rub that all over the sap. It will dry it out and actually make it a bit smooth so you can remove it by means of the spine on your knife. Once you are at this stage, put more dirt on it to dry up the base adhesion point and continue on your way with a new "dirt freckle".
Yea, I just made that term up, feel free to use it whenever the situation warrants it.
If you get sap on your hands, find the driest dirt you can (ash should work too, but I haven't tried that yet. I will on sunday.) and rub that all over the sap. It will dry it out and actually make it a bit smooth so you can remove it by means of the spine on your knife. Once you are at this stage, put more dirt on it to dry up the base adhesion point and continue on your way with a new "dirt freckle".
Yea, I just made that term up, feel free to use it whenever the situation warrants it.
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- Dec 27, 2010
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I'd wait for the RBK if I wanted to replace my hatchet, and get a 4 AND a 5 to play with while I waited, personally. I didn't really like the 4 that much, but couldn't tell you why. It's the only Becker that's left my collection. Love my 9, and love the slicing power of the 5, but it's definitely not the best chopper in the collection. I'm awfully tempted to make myself a hefty 3V RBK while I wait, but I think I'm more likely to do another bush sword for chopping. I'll be getting a couple RBK's if they ever come out though.
NJBillK
Custom Leather and Fixed Blade modifications.
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I can understand that sentiment, but I prefer to spend the time relaxing when near a fire. I still say get a 4 and a polymer splitting wedge for weight savings while gaining functionality.
But remember, I'm just some jerk on the internet!
It is really easy to re-bevel the blade differently
The recurve and the belly respond well to canoe type sharpening stone
They are less than $20 a piece
I get the recurve crazy sharp and does not take direct impact like the front belly of the blade
Then the belly I convex for impact
