Bk9 convex saber- my 2nd Becker thread

Md 25v

Md 25v

Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
1,409
Hey guys, I think I should start with an introduction this time.
I made my first Becker post here: about a knife (Bk7) I had been given while in the Army. I gave it a convex saber grind and was thrilled with the results. The chopping was greatly improved and it had a little better edge retention when battoning due to the wedge action of the grind.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=801917

I hang out in W&SS and had never even been to the Becker sub-forum until making that thread a week ago. I had some down time so I read the F.A.Q. and then about 2/3rds of the pages on the sub-forum. I really like the "feel" of the guys here. Seems like a no Bu11sh1t, hard use kinda place. I don't "collect" knives. I have a few over fifty at the moment but they are all tools, to be used hard and responsibly, even the expensive ones... especially the expensive ones. I think that the best looking knife is the one you have counted on the longest and has the battle scars to prove it. I have trained in quite a few environments and have some pretty strong opinions on what makes good field equipment. I will trade light weight for reliability any day (might be the ARMY coming out) and prefer tools that are easily servicable in the field.

After my second term in the Army ended I felt kinda lost. I didn't have any civilian skills and had a hard time making a decent living. I have always had a strong interest in the outdoors and have several family member, including my father, that were Natural Resources Police. I had no interest in law enforcement but I was drawn to being out there in the field. I worked many construction and carpentry jobs until I saved up enough money to pay my bills while my USGI bill put me through school. I am now working toward a masters in conservation ecology. I spend 9 months out of the year working with and monitoring animal populations with cameras, traps, radio telemetry, and a host of other techniques. I have really come to enjoy my life now and spend more time outdoors and out of contact than I ever imagined.

The down side (here's why I like Becker) is that on average I am caught a time or two per year by quickly changing weather or other things that force you to "adjust you priorities". I have on several occasions had to strike camp when I wasn't planning to and have never felt that I was in danger because I had excellent equipment that I knew I could count on and the skills and experience to deal with the situations. For the past two years I have been working with three friends in SAR to improve my tracking skills and will be officially joining the volunteer SAR this spring.

Ok, enough crap about me... on to the knife.

I liked my Bk7 so much and have really liked what I have read on the Becker sub that I decided to order a couple more. My new Bk9 came today.

Bk9002.jpg



I chopped with it a little on some seasoned red oak (firewood) and was happy enough with the factory edge and the flat grind but I wondered how much it could be improved by giving it the same convex saber grind that I had already put on the Bk7. Over to the 2x72 (at work, not mine...I wish!!!) and after a few minutes I had it convexed. Then over to the 1x30 to sharpen it up to the 9 micron belt . There was NO need to strop it. It just wiped the hair off my hand, at least what was left of it:D

Bk9011.jpg

Bk9005.jpg



I have also ordered a Bk2 and an Eskabar which should arrive on Thursday. The new Machax has not been released yet so I think that about covers me for the time being.


P.S. I noticed the Bk9 has a thin sheath liner in the outside pocket. I know that it doesn't come with the remora any more but I was wondering if the Eskabar will fit in the same slot?
 
Glad to see you over here, MD. I like your selfbow vid from over in the WSS. Be sure and bring some of that goodness here as well.

Glad for the intro, now I more of the pieces fit.

Nice looking 9, I wish I could pull that grind off, but alas, I cannot. Looking real, real good brother.

Welcome, and glad you're here.

Moose
 
Thanks guys

Moose- If you don't have the power equipment to do it then you can wrap sand paper around a strop and do it that way. Lay the strop on a flat surface and lay the primary grind flat to the strop. continue until the there is no edge bevel left and the primary grinds have come together, think giant scandi. Then lift the back of the spine slightly until you have the desired convex angle on the edge.

Do NOT try this without stripping the coating! I made that mistake on my Bk7 before using the power equipment and the coating is insanely tough and would take an unreasonable time to get through by hand.
 
Md 25v said:
P.S. I noticed the Bk9 has a thin sheath liner in the outside pocket. I know that it doesn't come with the remora any more but I was wondering if the Eskabar will fit in the same slot?
Click to expand...


No, the Eskabar is way to big to fit in the Remora sheath thingy.
 
Welcome to the Beckerhood! I just stared at your pics the first time you posted them. Very nice indeed.
 
Md 25v said:
Other than a Remora (not interested in hollow grinds) what other thin knives will fit?
Click to expand...

Any that match the Remora's specs. Its pretty much made for it.

I don't have the "knack" for convex. I don't have the equipment, but honestly, I like my sabre grinds, truth be told. Nothing wrong with either, I just like'em.

I have done some convexing, it, just doesn't seem to fit my personality, I like angles, and symetry, parrallel and perpendicular, yessir, nosir, 3 bags full.

You do nice work though.

Moose
 
Md 25v said:
Thanks guys

Moose- If you don't have the power equipment to do it then you can wrap sand paper around a strop and do it that way. Lay the strop on a flat surface and lay the primary grind flat to the strop. continue until the there is no edge bevel left and the primary grinds have come together, think giant scandi. Then lift the back of the spine slightly until you have the desired convex angle on the edge.

Do NOT try this without stripping the coating! I made that mistake on my Bk7 before using the power equipment and the coating is insanely tough and would take an unreasonable time to get through by hand.
Click to expand...

Seems like you could go through the coating with some high grit sandpaper pretty quickly. Just figuring that after a little batoning, the coating was showing a lot of wear, IMO.

Good work on the convexing btw.
 
riz_aaroni said:
Seems like you could go through the coating with some high grit sandpaper pretty quickly. Just figuring that after a little batoning, the coating was showing a lot of wear, IMO.

Good work on the convexing btw.
Click to expand...

Chemical stripper is all that I have found that will do the job in short time and little effort. I sanded the finish off one once. Ta hell with that. I will say the finish is pretty tuff and thick, and ta hell with sanding it. It may wear on the primary grind shoulders and the grind itself, but mine took alot of wood to get it there, lol. Jasco for the win, Alex.

Moose
 
moosez45 said:
Chemical stripper is all that I have found that will do the job in short time and little effort. I sanded the finish off one once. Ta hell with that. I will say the finish is pretty tuff and thick, and ta hell with sanding it. It may wear on the primary grind shoulders and the grind itself, but mine took alot of wood to get it there, lol. Jasco for the win, Alex.

Moose
Click to expand...

The amount of pressure and force involved in chopping/batoning is probably a lot greater than I probably think it is. Which would explain why it is so tough to sand through, but not necessarily wear off through use. Just inspected my bk9 and I there is less wear than I thought. Was pretty sure there were deeper grooves in the paint.
 
riz_aaroni said:
The amount of pressure and force involved in chopping/batoning is probably a lot greater than I probably think it is. Which would explain why it is so tough to sand through, but not necessarily wear off through use. Just inspected my bk9 and I there is less wear than I thought. Was pretty sure there were deeper grooves in the paint.
Click to expand...

Almost all my knives get stripped right off the bat. I have 2 that are still coated and none of them are Beckers. I think they work better, polished smooth. I notice a big difference in the dense hardwoods, Oak, Hickory, etc. They seem to slide through easier. Plus, I like shiny things.

I am also scared to alter the blade. Get excited, using some 20 sandpaper and you got a nice 2" wide scallop in the blade body:eek:. I do alot of work to my knives by hand, machines don't have the kind of feelers I want. Now, grinding stuff off, or major alterations, yeah, beltsander here I come, but for most sanding, polishing and sharpening, I likes me digits for that.

I do leave the coating on under the handles now. It helps with corrosion, and its less work to not have to pick that crap out.

Moose
 
moosez45 said:
Almost all my knives get stripped right off the bat. I have 2 that are still coated and none of them are Beckers. I think they work better, polished smooth. I notice a big difference in the dense hardwoods, Oak, Hickory, etc. They seem to slide through easier. Plus, I like shiny things.

I am also scared to alter the blade. Get excited, using some 20 sandpaper and you got a nice 2" wide scallop in the blade body:eek:. I do alot of work to my knives by hand, machines don't have the kind of feelers I want. Now, grinding stuff off, or major alterations, yeah, beltsander here I come, but for most sanding, polishing and sharpening, I likes me digits for that.

I do leave the coating on under the handles now. It helps with corrosion, and its less work to not have to pick that crap out.

Moose
Click to expand...

That makes sense. A polished blade has to have lower friction than the paint, at least the paint on most knives. Strippers are more fun that sandpaper anyway. ;)
 
riz_aaroni said:
The amount of pressure and force involved in chopping/batoning is probably a lot greater than I probably think it is. Which would explain why it is so tough to sand through, but not necessarily wear off through use. Just inspected my bk9 and I there is less wear than I thought. Was pretty sure there were deeper grooves in the paint.
Click to expand...

give it some time battoning seasoned oak and it will show much wear.. I battoned a bunch of firewood with my bk2 and stripped it the second day I got it because my wife said I ruined it, 'its ugly now' !!! well I'm just happy she thought it was pretty before:D

MD did you ever get a change to work the bk7 to death with all the wood you were gonna process??
 
oh, i would LOVE to do a grind like that. alas, i don't have the time to do it by hand, and not currently the space for the machines. SOMEDAY. oh yes.

mmm, 9 micron.

the Remora is a NICE little scalpel hollow-grind and all; Ethan usually doesn't like hollow-grinds, but on this one, i think he likes it just fine.
 
Bladite said:
the Remora is a NICE little scalpel hollow-grind and all; Ethan usually doesn't like hollow-grinds, but on this one, i think he likes it just fine.
Click to expand...

It's not just the hollow grind that throws me on the remora. Its also the steel choice (440a) that I don't want. I have nothing against stainless in general but 420hc and 440c are the only 400 series steels that I have had any experience with decent durability and edge retention. I really wish I could like that knife. The convenience of the slot in the sheath for a back-up or fine work blade.
 
Md 25v said:
It's not just the hollow grind that throws me on the remora. Its also the steel choice (440a) that I don't want. I have nothing against stainless in general but 420hc and 440c are the only 400 series steels that I have had any experience with decent durability and edge retention. I really wish I could like that knife. The convenience of the slot in the sheath for a back-up or fine work blade.
Click to expand...

For the price and convenience, is it worth it not to buy the knife? If the grind was alright, I can't imagine the steel would prove to be a major issue. Just my 2 cents.
 
Md 25v said:
It's not just the hollow grind that throws me on the remora. Its also the steel choice (440a) that I don't want. I have nothing against stainless in general but 420hc and 440c are the only 400 series steels that I have had any experience with decent durability and edge retention. I really wish I could like that knife. The convenience of the slot in the sheath for a back-up or fine work blade.
Click to expand...

I like the concept, and the product. Not to say its for everyone, but they were made to be a "parasite" blade for the larger Beckers. Those things are like scalpels, man, I tell you what. I always think of them as small game workers, take the 9 and a Remora, and there is not much in the woods you can't take care of with that combo. YMMV, though.

Moose
 
riz_aaroni said:
If the grind was alright, I can't imagine the steel would prove to be a major issue. Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...

Yes and no. If the grind was right for what I want to do with the knife then the steel would be less important. I don't want my small knife to be relegated to cleaning fish and small game and I don't want to have to constantly touch up the edge. I want to be able to do wood working and trap work as well with harder woods like oak and maple. I prefer harder woods for traps because you can use thinner pieces without losing strength. If it were flat ground I could back the edge up and convex it to make it more efficient but the thin hollow grind does not have enough behind the shoulders to let me reprofile it to make up for the soft steel.
 
Md 25v said:
Yes and no. If the grind was right for what I want to do with the knife then the steel would be less important. I don't want my small knife to be relegated to cleaning fish and small game and I don't want to have to constantly touch up the edge. I want to be able to do wood working and trap work as well with harder woods like oak and maple. I prefer harder woods for traps because you can use thinner pieces without losing strength. If it were flat ground I could back the edge up and convex it to make it more efficient but the thin hollow grind does not have enough behind the shoulders to let me reprofile it to make up for the soft steel.
Click to expand...

I guess if you were able to find something more suitable for that work and it fit in the same spot, all would be good. I guess what I am saying is it is light/cheap enough to just through in the sheath and not worry about. Winds up being the back up to the back up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top