- Joined
- Jul 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4,666
I know I'm probably about to butcher a sacred cow, which might actually be a good job for a BK2, come to think of it, so here goes...
I love the idea of a BK2 in theory. Just because I feel like a beefy, indestructible hunk of steel is cool. But once the logical side of my brain kicks in, I find it hard to justify. Here's why.
The thing is TOUGH and THICK. No argument there. One could baton that sucker all day long every day and never break it. But with a blade at only 5.25 inches, you're really only batonning rather small branches anyway. So it's not like you'd ever stress the steel enough to NEED that thickness if you're only splitting wood let's say 3" thick. For that matter, the BK16 could probably do 90% of the batonning tasks you'd do with a BK2, and in a more compact, slicier, and much lighter package.
So maybe all that weight is good for chopping? But with the 5" blade, you'd be really limited with chopping. On the other hand, a BK9 weighs only an ounce more than the BK2, and chops like a beast.
I would imagine a stretched out BK2 might be useful. Something like a 7" saber ground, drop point blade at 0.25" thickness and those wonderful Becker grips would fill a gap in the Becker line up.
The obvious drawback in a knife like this is weight. But with that weight, I would imagine it's too short to be a great chopper and batonning knife, and also a compromise on fine tasks, vs. something like a BK11/14 or a BK16 which excel at such things. (Yes, i know there's a pic I see around here of a BK2 that feathersticked a tooth pick. Very cool. But that doesn't mean it's the right tool for the job.)
So if it's neither fish, nor foul, and the things it SHOULD be great at because of its weight and thickness, it can't be good at because it's just too short, I guess the question is, does it actually excel at anything other than "being tough."
Just in the interest of full disclosure, I have never used one, but have handled one. It felt awkward in the hand due to weight, whereas the BK16 was my first Becker and immediately felt like shaking the hand of an old familiar friend.
I really do ask this as an honest question in the hopes that I might see the light. I love my 24, 16, and 4, and I trust that if Uncle E designed it, it's got to be good. I kinda thought I'd like to add another Bk to the tool box and was considering a BK2, but I am not a collector and as knives that "work for a living" I'd like to know what job it could do for me.
I love the idea of a BK2 in theory. Just because I feel like a beefy, indestructible hunk of steel is cool. But once the logical side of my brain kicks in, I find it hard to justify. Here's why.
The thing is TOUGH and THICK. No argument there. One could baton that sucker all day long every day and never break it. But with a blade at only 5.25 inches, you're really only batonning rather small branches anyway. So it's not like you'd ever stress the steel enough to NEED that thickness if you're only splitting wood let's say 3" thick. For that matter, the BK16 could probably do 90% of the batonning tasks you'd do with a BK2, and in a more compact, slicier, and much lighter package.
So maybe all that weight is good for chopping? But with the 5" blade, you'd be really limited with chopping. On the other hand, a BK9 weighs only an ounce more than the BK2, and chops like a beast.
I would imagine a stretched out BK2 might be useful. Something like a 7" saber ground, drop point blade at 0.25" thickness and those wonderful Becker grips would fill a gap in the Becker line up.
The obvious drawback in a knife like this is weight. But with that weight, I would imagine it's too short to be a great chopper and batonning knife, and also a compromise on fine tasks, vs. something like a BK11/14 or a BK16 which excel at such things. (Yes, i know there's a pic I see around here of a BK2 that feathersticked a tooth pick. Very cool. But that doesn't mean it's the right tool for the job.)
So if it's neither fish, nor foul, and the things it SHOULD be great at because of its weight and thickness, it can't be good at because it's just too short, I guess the question is, does it actually excel at anything other than "being tough."
Just in the interest of full disclosure, I have never used one, but have handled one. It felt awkward in the hand due to weight, whereas the BK16 was my first Becker and immediately felt like shaking the hand of an old familiar friend.
I really do ask this as an honest question in the hopes that I might see the light. I love my 24, 16, and 4, and I trust that if Uncle E designed it, it's got to be good. I kinda thought I'd like to add another Bk to the tool box and was considering a BK2, but I am not a collector and as knives that "work for a living" I'd like to know what job it could do for me.
