RokJok
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,198
Well, this curmudgeonly old Busseholic got his BK&T Combat Utility 7 from 1SKS a few days ago. I haven't yet taken the time to test the BK7 on cutting/slicing or chopping chores around the house and yard. That'll most likely happen this weekend.
This is my first BK&T and it certainly made a very nice first impression. In initial handling of the knife I really liked the broad radii of the BK7's very comfortable handle and the blade's sharp edge. It was literally shaving sharp out of the box. Because it is very neutral in balance, I expect chopping will be a tough test for this knife. We'll see how it handles trimming 1/2"-3/4" maple branches, which is the never-ending task for my mid-size knives. I am especially interested in how comfortable the handle is while chopping vis-a-vis the handles on my Busse Basic 7, which is my current standard for comfortable handles because its somewhat rounded shape fits my shorter fingers extremely well. The BK&T handle likewise has a rounded cross section, albeit at a somewhat large diameter, which should bode well for it being a very comfortable user blade.
When I got the knife the only thing I raised an eyebrow at is the smallness (pointiness) of the extended tang pommel/skullcrusher. For field hammering I prefer a full height extended tang hammering surface. This is especially true for crushable materials like improvised green wood tent stakes where you want to spread applied force over as much area as possible. It also provides some forgiveness to those of us who have less than perfect aim while hammering with a knife pommel.
On the other hand, it looks like trimming the upper part of the extended tang downward will prevent it from digging into the ball of your hand if you choke all the way back to the end of the handle while chopping. It likewise leaves available a bit of the nicely radiused rear edge of the handle as a thumb-rest in a reverse grip. Striking a bone with the pommel in its current narrow & pointy configuration would concentrate the applied force and cause more severe damage. I'm hoping someone can enlighten me on the reason for the narrowness of the pommel hammer. Not that it's enough to make me get rid of the knife.
And I guess that points out how much I really do like this knife -- that the only thing I can find to question is the extended tang hammer. The usual biggies that make up a knife (steel, blade & edge geometry, handle materials & comfort, sharpness, sturdiness, appropriateness to mission, etc) have already been taken care of nicely at a very sweet price. As others have noted, the sheath is also very utilitarian with its kydex liner and handy outside pocket. My hat's off to Ethan Becker for the design of this knife and to Will Fennell for marketing it at a very affordable price.
This is my first BK&T and it certainly made a very nice first impression. In initial handling of the knife I really liked the broad radii of the BK7's very comfortable handle and the blade's sharp edge. It was literally shaving sharp out of the box. Because it is very neutral in balance, I expect chopping will be a tough test for this knife. We'll see how it handles trimming 1/2"-3/4" maple branches, which is the never-ending task for my mid-size knives. I am especially interested in how comfortable the handle is while chopping vis-a-vis the handles on my Busse Basic 7, which is my current standard for comfortable handles because its somewhat rounded shape fits my shorter fingers extremely well. The BK&T handle likewise has a rounded cross section, albeit at a somewhat large diameter, which should bode well for it being a very comfortable user blade.
When I got the knife the only thing I raised an eyebrow at is the smallness (pointiness) of the extended tang pommel/skullcrusher. For field hammering I prefer a full height extended tang hammering surface. This is especially true for crushable materials like improvised green wood tent stakes where you want to spread applied force over as much area as possible. It also provides some forgiveness to those of us who have less than perfect aim while hammering with a knife pommel.
On the other hand, it looks like trimming the upper part of the extended tang downward will prevent it from digging into the ball of your hand if you choke all the way back to the end of the handle while chopping. It likewise leaves available a bit of the nicely radiused rear edge of the handle as a thumb-rest in a reverse grip. Striking a bone with the pommel in its current narrow & pointy configuration would concentrate the applied force and cause more severe damage. I'm hoping someone can enlighten me on the reason for the narrowness of the pommel hammer. Not that it's enough to make me get rid of the knife.
And I guess that points out how much I really do like this knife -- that the only thing I can find to question is the extended tang hammer. The usual biggies that make up a knife (steel, blade & edge geometry, handle materials & comfort, sharpness, sturdiness, appropriateness to mission, etc) have already been taken care of nicely at a very sweet price. As others have noted, the sheath is also very utilitarian with its kydex liner and handy outside pocket. My hat's off to Ethan Becker for the design of this knife and to Will Fennell for marketing it at a very affordable price.
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