Broken BK2 update

You make a great point Tradewater. One I wish I had though of before posting my first reaction. :)

But they didn't say excessive abuse wasn't covered or anything else. They flat out said batoning a BK2 is not covered. And If that's the case I need to stop lying to all the people I brag my Beckers up to.

KA-BAR said:
This was replaced as a courtesy as batoning is not covered under Kabars limited lifetime warranty.
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I think part of my frustration is I was bothered by how Kabar handled Dex's lemons. Then when it didn't go well the thread seemed to be locked and swept under the rug. Now I see KA BAR saying this and I didnt like the sound of that either.

I dont want to say anything bad against BKT. I couldn't possibly find something bad to say about Mr Becker if I wanted to (other than hes friends with Moose.) ;-). But I am a little concerned by some of the things I am seeing regarding Kabar handling becker warranty's this year.

As someone who has dedicated the last 3 years to buying ONLY Kabar and nothing but Kabar products I don't feel out of line being concerned.
 
I totally agree with you Mauser. I was surprised to see batoning was considered abuse as well. Most of us do it routinely, even Ethan. I also think this was a case of extreme abuse that they would not be liable to address. The bottom line is it got replaced and he wasn't even the original owner. More important than the written warranty, we have an honorable and involved person that's got our backs. :thumbup:
 
Mauser, this is what I been thinking. I have re-read several times your post. Ka-bar wouldn't be able to have separate warranties for each knife. Most knives wouldn't be able to handle the abuse of batonning. (how DO you spell that properly?!) Yes the Bk-2 SHOULD be able to handle it and it IS really rare that it would break. I'd assume that is why Ka-Bar went ahead and graciously replaced it. Mind you, according their warranty SHOULDN'T have replaced it.

About Dex's knife, the Ka-bars are finished off by hand, they aren't all going to be exactly the same or exactly perfect there are going to be slight differences. One of the way they keep the prices down are by having tolerances that aren't OVERLY demanding, that 3/16th of an inch isn't going to affect performance.
 
A buddy of mine uses a rubber mallet to baton with his BK9. It works great...dunno about the added weight in the pack though...
 
Seems reasonable to me.

Guyon said:
I'm not entirely sure about the rationale, but we might remember here that some folks choose to "baton" with a hammer or hatchet rather than a wooden baton.
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That's exactly why I don't warranty against batonning, even though I do it all the time. I realize that annoys some people, but you just never know if some smart-alec goon will pick up a sledgehammer and bash a perfectly good knife through a cinder block... and then want a free one for his trouble.
 
james terrio said:
Seems reasonable to me.



That's exactly why I don't warranty against batonning, even though I do it all the time. I realize that annoys some people, but you just never know if some smart-alec goon will pick up a sledgehammer and bash a perfectly good knife through a cinder block... and then want a free one for his trouble.
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Exactly!!! most of us are smart enough too know how too do it without messing up a knife, but there are those out there that are shall we saw not the sharpest tool in the shed!!
 
Ka-Bar takes care of folks. Regardless of how it was done, I'm glad to see you got a replacement.
 
Quillan said:
A buddy of mine uses a rubber mallet to baton with his BK9. It works great...dunno about the added weight in the pack though...
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Could just as easily carry a small folding saw or hatchet instead of the mallet. The right tool for the right job. But that wouldn't be any fun, would it?
 
That warranty sure seems like KABAR doesn't approve of using there knives hard, actually it specifically said it wasn't designed for it hence the list of things that void warrany. While I agree knives are for cutting creating a .25 thick knife designed only to cut seems rather silly.
 
usarmy74d said:
That warranty sure seems like KABAR doesn't approve of using there knives hard, actually it specifically said it wasn't designed for it hence the list of things that void warrany. While I agree knives are for cutting creating a .25 thick knife designed only to cut seems rather silly.
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Please read through the entire thread.

I don't work for or speak for Ka-Bar in any way, but I would guess that warranty info covers all the knives they build, which range from very tough knives to light, thin pure slicers. There's simply no way they could warranty every knife against every possible use.

On the other hand, browse through this Becker forum as well. You'll quickly find that Beckers very rarely fail or break in any way, and Ka-Bar has bent over backwards to deal with the very few that have. :)
 
I read the entire thread, I have a bk 11,2,16 and usually check out the bk&t forum frequently. I know the knives are tough, and that ka bar almost always takes care of the customer. That said it seems there letting it be known that they won't be covering the use of there blades in the future for "heavy" use that it wasn't designed for. I think the bk2's main function is batoning its short and .25 in thick practically a wedge..for example the bk16 can do almost every task the bk2 can do I would think the bk2s advantage is batoning better than the 16 because of thickness and saber grind. My point is they stated the uses deemed heavy use and the bk2 is commonly noted as being the one knife to do most tasks they listed as heavy use.
james terrio said:
Please read through the entire thread.

I don't work for or speak for Ka-Bar in any way, but I would guess that warranty info covers all the knives they build, which range from very tough knives to light, thin pure slicers. There's simply no way they could warranty every knife against every possible use.

On the other hand, browse through this Becker forum as well. You'll quickly find that Beckers very rarely fail or break in any way, and Ka-Bar has bent over backwards to deal with the very few that have. :)
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Hard for me to reconcile the warranty limitations with KBar's description of the BK2. From their web page:

"For all those who camp, hunt or spend time afield. The Campanion works just as happily splitting out kindling as it does prying apart joints and skinning game, not to mention chopping onions for the campfire chili!
Made in the USA."

For kicks check out the spiel on the BK3.
 
My only thought...if I see someone batoning with a knife and a hammer, axe, etc., the first thing I will do is walk the other way. I value my health & eyesight. I am old and slow and have trouble dodging sharp chunks of metal flying through the air at me. Someone can correct me, but most of the implements of destruction such as hammers, etc. have a warning label on them stating what I already know...metal against metal can be a problem. Hardened steel can fracture, split and do strange things and take out an eyeball in a split second.

At minimum, I hope everyone is using eye protection when batoning...even with a wooden baton. Things go wrong. Things fly through the air. Besides, you'll have more money for knives instead of emergency room bills.

I use my Becker 9 & 16 all the time to baton. If I break it, in no way would I send it in. I am careful and I actually use a quality Estwing dead blow hammer (you can buy no name ones cheap at harbor freight, etc., don't waste your $$ been there and done that...the Estwings will hold up)...a heavy one with my BK-9. It absorbs a lot of the shock on my hands and wrists. You get good with batoning after a while...you read the wood and know when to stop before you get to the danger point of messing a blade up. I also use quality wedges when those problem logs show up. Stihl makes some great ones...just insert it into the crack you have started, bam bam with the dead blow hammer....done deal. I like wedges. Not wedgees.

My BK-9 cannot take the punishment forever that I am giving it. It will eventually break but let me tell ya' I have probably batoned through several ranks of wood on my first 9. I do have a spare ready to go at a moments notice.
 
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