Coming this Spring - KA-BAR Becker BK40 Folder

The Warrior said:
While I understand the disappointment where it's going to be made, there's other ways to express it. Saying things like commie, slave labor, China is not our friend, etc, isn't really necessary.
Click to expand...

There is no need to get political here. Suffice to say that I do not trust the source or anything about that knife.

n2s
 
I will keep an open mind until I carry one for a while. Like many said before I’d spend more for USA made and better materials.

But what does everybody think about the blade profile and ergos?? Im not in love at first sight but the more i look at it the more it interests me.

I have a couple of cheap kershaws and a few others sub $30 that dont hurt too bad to loose or break so there’s that.
 
The Warrior said:
While I understand the disappointment where it's going to be made, there's other ways to express it. Saying things like commie, slave labor, China is not our friend, etc, isn't really necessary.
Click to expand...

I agree this thread could go in directions None of us want...

Maybe it should be froze, closed, locked? Whatever we call it.

Pretty much everyone got a chance to see Their big announcement, and I doubt there will be any new
Productive views that add to the Party.... Haha
 
So here's a hopefully productive opinion:

I am not inclined to buy this knife because I do not like AUS-8. I gave up on it after carrying a large Cold Steel Voyager for a few years and I had a hard time getting a decent edge that would last more than a few cuts. I used it hard in a farm and ranch setting on feed bags, cardboard, rope, leather, and wood. By midday of even small cutting jobs, it was table knife dull. I lost it travelling and never mourned it.

I do like the look of the Becker folder, though. The blade shape looks like it would cover a lot of my needs on the farm and in the mountains. I am not concerned about the lock as I frequently use an Opinel, a slipjoint, and even a friction folder. The multiple clip options is a plus, though not an issue for me as I use a pocket slip. It seems like it would fit well in my hand and work well with gloves.

It is unlikely that this knife will beat any of Buck's light 110 variations for strength, durability, or sharpness, but for some it will hit just the right price and appearance appeal to make the purchase. I wish Ka-Bar luck with it. If it makes some folks into knife knuts or, better yet, Ka-Bar loyalists, so much the better.

I expect these to be seen in the pockets of folks who are not knife afficionados and contractors who are prepared to abuse a knife and not care how bad a beating it takes. The latter is how I treat a stock 110 LT, knowing that it can take it, keep its edge throughout the day, and come back razor sharp in a minute. This remains to be seen with the Becker folder. I am skeptical, but happy to be proved wrong.

Zieg
 
The Zieg said:
I expect these to be seen in the pockets of folks who are not knife afficionados and contractors who are prepared to abuse a knife and not care how bad a beating it takes. The latter is how I treat a stock 110 LT, knowing that it can take it, keep its edge throughout the day, and come back razor sharp in a minute. This remains to be seen with the Becker folder. I am skeptical, but happy to be proved wrong.
Click to expand...
And how are these salt of the earth working people going to get these KaBar Becker folders? Do these non-knife aficionados search the internet for their working class knife needs? I can go to the local big box hardware store and find a buck 110 easily. These becker folders, not so much.

Like it or not, this knife is intended for knife nuts, in the least, people who buy budget knives online. That market is already saturated with options. Beckerheads aren't really budget import folding knife buyers, IMO. It would be nice if this could be a working person's knife but I just don't see that happening. The average Joe or Jane six pack who needs a budget working knife already has options that are far more widely available and they don't care that much about the Becker name to seek this out. They'll never know this knife even exists.
 
craytab said:
And how are these salt of the earth working people going to get these KaBar Becker folders? Do these non-knife aficionados search the internet for their working class knife needs? I can go to the local big box hardware store and find a buck 110 easily. These becker folders, not so much.

Like it or not, this knife is intended for knife nuts, in the least, people who buy budget knives online. That market is already saturated with options. Beckerheads aren't really budget import folding knife buyers, IMO. It would be nice if this could be a working person's knife but I just don't see that happening. The average Joe or Jane six pack who needs a budget working knife already has options that are far more widely available and they don't care that much about the Becker name to seek this out. They'll never know this knife even exists.
Click to expand...
Well, that's beyond my pay grade. I have no idea how Ka-Bar intends to market it. I am not only ignorant of such things, I really do not care. I was just giving a personal opinion. Thanks, though.

Zieg
 
The Zieg said:
Well, that's beyond my pay grade. I have no idea how Ka-Bar intends to market it. I am not only ignorant of such things, I really do not care. I was just giving a personal opinion. Thanks, though.

Zieg
Click to expand...
Sure thing. Just wanting to point out some things that don't make sense about this, beyond the typical China bashing.

I live in a relatively dense population area, about 2 hours from NYC and 1 hour from Philly. In this part of PA, we have city and farmland within a 10-15 miles radius. I say this to give you an idea that we are neither urban or rural, but a good mix. When I think of where non-knife working people buy their knives, I don't see anything like this kabar Becker folder existing. Closest I can think of seeing a RAT 1 is a Cabela's 30 miles away. That said, I know I can find USA made Bucks in a handful of stores within 5 miles from my house, and even more knives from Kershaw, Gerber, CRKT, SOG, etc... And don't make me count the gas station knives.

My point being, this isn't a "knife of the people". Nor do I think this is a knife for the web purchased budget Chinese folder market, because with the smallest amount of research a savvy buyer can get better value (materials and price being defining factors). And last, I don't think this knife embodies the Becker brand because of the many ways already pointed out.

To me, this knife tries to please too many, unsuccessfully, but ends up not satisfying the one group who might have bought all they could make.
 
Last edited:
As a knife fan, I'm "meh."
As a KaBar fan, I'm inspired but think they could have done better.
As a Becker fan, I will buy one, mostly out of loyalty, but am bracing for a "meh" moment.

I think that with KaBar's reputation and Uncle E's touch, this knife could have been placed at a higher price point and been a knife above popular stalwarts like the Buck 110, the Gerber Gator and the RAT-1. Staying just above that price point allows ATS-34, certainly D2 and pretty nice fit & finish. Unfortunately, me thinks they missed that mark.
 
I think it's easy to overestimate the importance of Beckerheads/knife nuts. Toooj told us back in the day that Ka-Bar manufacturers tens of thousands of knives... Bladeforums members aren't buying all of those. I remember the Beckerhead-only knives, super special, small runs... certainly did not sell out particularly quickly. There's more Beckerheads these days but still I doubt we scale to that. They make their money from Joe/Jane Six-pack I would guess.

Since speculating is fun and one of the purposes of a message board, let me speculate that the BK-40 is intended to flood the volume channels and nobody at Ka-Bar is at all surprised at the reception here.
 
BRL said:
I think it's easy to overestimate the importance of Beckerheads/knife nuts. Toooj told us back in the day that Ka-Bar manufacturers tens of thousands of knives... Bladeforums members aren't buying all of those. I remember the Beckerhead-only knives, super special, small runs... certainly did not sell out particularly quickly. There's more Beckerheads these days but still I doubt we scale to that. They make their money from Joe/Jane Six-pack I would guess.

Since speculating is fun and one of the purposes of a message board, let me speculate that the BK-40 is intended to flood the volume channels and nobody at Ka-Bar is at all surprised at the reception here.
Click to expand...


Yes, agreed. Thanks for the wake up call. Truth Hurts. lol :)
 
It is also easy to underestimate the power of our words here on this forum. When someone googles BK40 this thread is likely to end up on page one of their search.

It isn’t just about us buying them, it is about the feedback.

If Ontario can sell a ton of budget folders then I don’t see why Kabar cannot. Did Ontario get this much pushback when they announced their offshore folders?

Can Kabar get this folder into the big stores? Walmart, Basspro and others? I see Ontario’s and even the Chinese Spyderco’s at my local Walmart.

I am still not buying one but I am a knife snob with piles of high end knives.
 
Kabar has plenty of taiwan and china folders. I have not heard many complain about their taiwan made folders. I think ive heard more people complain about any ontario taiwan folder that isnt the rat 1 or 2. (Lot of dislike for those carter folders, i love mine though)

That being said, i have never experienced any of kabars china made folders and was not impressed with one of their taiwan folders. Perhaps, kabar told ethan that for now, it would need to be made overseas and he got to compare the construction and durability and found the china factory did superior work to their taiwan factory. We dont really know this stuff. One thing to note, the taiwan factory blades are usually aus8 or d2 while the china factory blades are a _cr__mov steel.
 
Mass1632 said:
One thing to note, the taiwan factory blades are usually aus8 or d2 while the china factory blades are a _cr__mov steel.
Click to expand...
Makes me wonder why these are AUS8? For example, when SOG moved the Seal Pup production to China, they switched from AUS8 to 8cr.
 
bearfacedkiller said:
Ontario can sell a ton of budget folders then I don’t see why Kabar cannot. Did Ontario get this much pushback when they announced their offshore folders?

Can Kabar get this folder into the big stores? Walmart, Basspro and others? I see Ontario’s and even the Chinese Spyderco’s at my local Walmart.

I am still not buying one but I am a knife snob with piles of high end knives.
Click to expand...


I don't see this as a "KABAR producing knives overseas" problem, because that's been happening for a while. For me personally it's a "KABAR is putting the BK&T name that we all respect so highly on a folder that's made in China with very subpar steel" problem. Not to mention the stamp on the blade that says USA.

I don't care that they make their other folders in China, most of them look like they belong in a jar on a gas station counter anyway.
 
Becker head #103 here. Hey everyone !

This new blade appeals to me. I will be buying one. I like a wide blade.

That said, I think everyone knows someone who literally buys knives from a gas station jar. Also knows someone who buys a new knife when it gets dull. That's their choice.

I think, or am at least hoping that the new BK-40 folder will be comparable to my AUS-8
CS Recon 1. If it does that for that price, it will be a good value. The locking mechanism may or may not be as good but for most people, the longevity of the blade sharpness is the most important thing. I enjoy the people hanging all their weight on the locking mechanism as much as the next person but in reality 95% of people are not going to need to do that. I have put my CS Recon 1 through the wringer & it is still going. If it can do that, at that price point, not sure what more you could ask for.
 
TwinStick said:
That said, I think everyone knows someone who literally buys knives from a gas station jar. Also knows someone who buys a new knife when it gets dull. That's their choice.
Click to expand...

Hey, im the guy that buys a new knife before my knife gets dull. Sometimes before ive even used my last purchase... probably has to do with manageable knife buying habits though
 
If it's got Ethan's name on it - I'm buying it; but we shall see how it fairs.
I still think that there is space above the point where this knife places that this knife could have filled.
 
hey guys,

Bladite here, #1 most loyal fan amirite? doinrite?

the last year or so has been rought on a lot of us...

even prior to that markets are such that "meh", companies do what they need to do

my last job or so has been toxic, and required a lot of my time and emotional energy to survive

likely so it is with KaBar...

i've never made it a secret that i was never a fan of the KaBar Becker versions of the #4 or #5. neither of them met the standards of prior versions. imho. yet, they sold well enough. now they are dead. forever probably.

can't say much about the new folder, i don't know anything. nobody has told me anything. i'm about out of the loop as it can be. is what is. same as the last few items.

my humble opinion: "meh", but if it get's Ethan some income, so be it. that's really all i care about. i'm his mod. not KaBars.

i don't own one, and tbh, other than having one in the drawer someday at my own cost, i'm really not excited by it.

feels like the Moses bowie - yet another of many attempts to modify Ethan's designs, without his authentic input - imho.

KaBar does what it needs to do, but it's been a few years now, and i fear they are on their own.

want to support Ethan? buy his stuff.

i recommend the Kephart, esp, and also buy the official book from smokey mountain park association.

want to support the KaBar effort? please do, they are good people at heart. though, tbh, i suggest: American only made knifes.

made in Olean, NY, USA, by real Americans.

thanks.

2021 : demand the MachAx XL - a bigger longer heavier MachAx like it was meant to be :D

Ethan deserves it

*i* deserve it :D

kisses!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top