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BK4 vs. BK9

I have 2 KaBar BK-4s, 1 Cincinatti BK-4, and 1 BK-9, which I never use. I've had my Cinci for 20-25 years and I have no idea what people are calling a learning curve. If there is one, it's so innocuous I've never noticed.

"You can't ask for more, when you have a 4!"

Doc
 
DOC-CANADA said:
I have 2 KaBar BK-4s, 1 Cincinatti BK-4, and 1 BK-9, which I never use. I've had my Cinci for 20-25 years and I have no idea what people are calling a learning curve. If there is one, it's so innocuous I've never noticed.

"You can't ask for more, when you have a 4!"

Doc
Click to expand...
I only speak of a learning curve in hitting the sweet spot. Chunks were still flying when I didn't however.

4.png
 
bigghoss said:
And it is bloody. Best to not ask questions.
Click to expand...

EeGads! :grey:

BK4 score and BK7 years ago, our founder brought BK4th to this continent a new knife.

It began, innocently enough, the Machax, a quizzical sort of moniker for a quizzical sort of blade. :confused: Yet, through the corridors of time, the veritable advantage of said tool lay hidden in plain sight. And though many were the patrons who gleefully explored the potency of such a worthy design, the general butter-knife using public failed to see the manifold merits of angular kinetics. Therefore, in the infinite wisdom of the marketplace built upon supply and demand, the decision was made to retire said jewel. Such are the reasons I, only moments ago, obtained claim to yet another specimen, before they are forever delegated to the auction block.

(Basically, I figgerd, get another BK4, before the door hits me on the way out.
I would have gladly shopped at Dex's place, alas, out of stock...) See what I mean? :nightmare:

[video=youtube;lDLusxLvIoE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDLusxLvIoE[/video]
 
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OK. The deed is done!!!!!

Thank you guys for the help.
I ended up ordering the BK4. Why, you might ask? I know I'm going to end up with both anyway, so I went with the BK4 first because a) Can't say no for the price, and b) since it's going away "for realsies" and I know i want both, I might as well get it while the gettin's good and pick up the BK9 after.

Now, time to hit the gym and start training for the apple fritters so that when my BK9 gets here, I'll be ok! My car is looking forward to the wiper upgrades too, by the way. Gonna be great.

Thanks for the info, and the good laughs. For that matter, now that the original question has been resolved, might as well turn it into a snark thread! Soo..... uhhh.... someone funnier than me, say something funny! Go!
 
The BK4 is going to do well for you. As an experiment I did an overnight campout and the only tool I brought was a BK4. My original plan was to do 24 hours but I really didn't need the knife for anything after about 9 hours so I left first thing in the morning. I put the video on my youtube channel that I linked to above. I gathered firewood, made several tent stakes, a digging stick for a cathole, and a couple forked sticks to cook my dinner. I don't advocate one tool for everything but the 4 and the 9 are certainly capable of it. There are people in the world doing far more with worse tools.
 
Your logic is sound.
The BK4 is a bargain at discontinued pricing and will ultimately no longer be available NIB except through the secondary market. Besides, it's cool - it looks cool, acts cool and performs cool. The BK9 is a common shape and, hopefully for our lifetimes, will be readily available and ... like you said ... you're going to eventually get both anyway.
 
For me, by far the biggest learning curve on my 4 is sharpening it. Just requires a lot of practice. A bit of a curve in use, but not much.

I think you'll find the 4 is great. When you are choked up doing fine carving tasks it's a lot like the 16 imho, but it has the extra length and curvature for larger knife tasks.
 
JWL said:
For me, by far the biggest learning curve on my 4 is sharpening it. Just requires a lot of practice. A bit of a curve in use, but not much.
Click to expand...

I'll be interested to see how my Worksharp KO handles it!
 
I haven't taken my BK4 to the worksharp yet but I find that sharpening my other kukri-like blades with a lot of re-curve is more challenging than other blades, at least if I'm using the guide. You have to try to keep the edge perpendicular to the belt and not get hung up anywhere or you could put a wave in the edge. When I use my worksharp with the guide I hold the momentary position on the switch rather than using the constant on position so that I can let off quick if I get stuck. Plus I'm not dropping my knife down onto a moving blade which is my my BK9 has a slight wave in the edge.
 
I have heard, but not seen or practiced, that using the narrower "regular" Workshop belts on the KO Edition gets along best with recurves such as the BK4.
 
SALTY said:
I have heard, but not seen or practiced, that using the narrower "regular" Workshop belts on the KO Edition gets along best with recurves such as the BK4.
Click to expand...

I have the original Worksharp, never tried the Ken Onion edition. But that makes sense to me.
 
bigghoss said:
Also, the BK4 is cheaper. But a wise man once said "You NEED a BK9. You can't not have a 9"
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he only said it once?

Of that pair, I'd vote for the 9.
If you really want a curvy blade, get the 21.
 
SALTY said:
I have heard, but not seen or practiced, that using the narrower "regular" Workshop belts on the KO Edition gets along best with recurves such as the BK4.
Click to expand...
Makes sense from a theoretical standpoint, though the 1 inch belts on the attachment do a fine job too :-)
 
Oh that's ok. I believe it was Ben Franklin who said that nothing can be certain in this world except death, taxes, and having a BK9.

The OP will certainly be buying a BK9 in the near future.
 
19-3ben said:
Oh that's ok. I believe it was Ben Franklin who said that nothing can be certain in this world except death, taxes, and having a BK9.
Click to expand...

I don't think that to be factual accurate - especially that Ethan, the designer of the BK9 and founder of the BK&T Company could not have been but merely a child (or perhaps an adolescent) in Franklin's time (1705-1790).:foot:
 
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