Cutco/Kabar outdoorsman. Becker influenced? *update*

I kinda dig the Zomstro. It's on my list of must buys. Of course, its far down on the list, but its there nonetheless.:D
 
many years ago my parents bought a cutco kitchen knife set. i didn't cook much as a kid, so i didn't really get to appreciate them until later in life. my wife also had a set and sent my butt to work in the kitchen. i find them real nice to work with. especially after helping with dinners for people with crappy knives. my wife's dad has a lagostino set. they're horrible to work with. expected a lot more from a kitchenware company.

just my unsolicited 2 cents.
 
I first saw this thing a month or so ago in the kabar chat thread (IIRC). The handles and pommel area looks very, very Becker Influenced. The blade is actually a great shape IMO, and the size would be very useful as a general camp/and camp kitchen knife.

The price is a real surprise though. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Becker/Condor/Mora/Svord strong value proposition :/, but I'd expect it to be priced similarly to the JAB Gamestalker (kind of same size range, same steel), but at 3x that price, I'm sadly not too interested in this thing. That, and the grind looks mighty low. Without info on the spine thickness, I'd might be worried it wouldn't cut all that well.

Its a good looking blade though :).
 
I'm alittle new to this forum but I've had 3 cutco clip point hunting knives. Say what you will but they have served me very well for the last 15 years. I prefer them for dressing big game(moose and bear), as their serrated edges hold up through much heavy use. (one is a regular straight blade).

My mother gave them to me because she loved her Cutco kitchen knives that she has had since she was married in the 60's and is still using. I am really intrigued by this kabar, the price isn't that bad if you consider that it would last a lifetime. Perhaps I'm one of the ignorant masses. I understand that there is better steel out there but I'm not sure if that means that this is bad steel! The knife looks great, even the green! Thought i think I like the outdoors kabar better.
 
I really like the design. A lot actually. A tweener handle w/ a bk2/bk10 blade. I would be willing to drop some serious scratch on it if it was carbon steel w/ the Becker logo. Just saying.

I agree that it is overpriced as is. 440a is ok if priced accordingly.
 
i seem to recall that cutco as the mothership, sneered at green handles...

kabar went and [re]invented the green handled zombie knife thing

sold quite well

irony that cutco is jumping on that

though perhaps too late
 
Etap73 said:
I'm alittle new to this forum but I've had 3 cutco clip point hunting knives. Say what you will but they have served me very well for the last 15 years. I prefer them for dressing big game(moose and bear), as their serrated edges hold up through much heavy use. (one is a regular straight blade).

My mother gave them to me because she loved her Cutco kitchen knives that she has had since she was married in the 60's and is still using. I am really intrigued by this kabar, the price isn't that bad if you consider that it would last a lifetime. Perhaps I'm one of the ignorant masses. I understand that there is better steel out there but I'm not sure if that means that this is bad steel! The knife looks great, even the green! Thought i think I like the outdoors kabar better.
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No one is saying they're bad, but for the price, there are way better knives IMO. Beckers included in the "way better".
 
Noswad0208 said:
No one is saying they're bad, but for the price, there are way better knives IMO. Beckers included in the "way better".
Click to expand...
If you read through this thread, there are a few saying that the steel is bad. I think like someone earlier said cutco does a good job heat treating.
I'll admit that unless I want a knife with the dd serrated edge, I'd probably buy another brand.
 
Etap73 said:
If you read through this thread, there are a few saying that the steel is bad. I think like someone earlier said cutco does a good job heat treating.
I'll admit that unless I want a knife with the dd serrated edge, I'd probably buy another brand.
Click to expand...

For the price, the steel is mediocre.
 
I'm really having a hard time with this discussion. Everyone knows that 440A is, as someone said, mediocre . Not like that's a secret. Do you know ANYONE who wants ANYTHING they buy ....mediocre ? Hello? If you like the way this knife looks, why not buy a Becker that looks just like it, in 1095 cro-van, for half the price of this POS? What is the actual problem here? Can hardly believe this thread is still gasping for air. :rolleyes:
 
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440A is a good consumer steel.

it does the job, it pretty much is bullet proof for average users, doesn't rust to speak of, and few users would have complaints in normal use...

99% of the people out there buying cheap kitchen knives would be appalled at carbon-steel. they simply wouldn't know what to do with it anymore... like cast iron; for them, the world has gone on to slippery when wet non stick stainless lasting polymer goodness. no rust, no wood, bleah bleah bleah.

iron-ically (pun), people are now looking at high carbon/cast-iron/natural-materials (wood) as "high end" pro-sumer desirable goods. lol.

or something like that.
 
Bladite said:
440A is a good consumer steel.

it does the job, it pretty much is bullet proof for average users, doesn't rust to speak of, and few users would have complaints in normal use...

99% of the people out there buying cheap kitchen knives would be appalled at carbon-steel. they simply wouldn't know what to do with it anymore... like cast iron; for them, the world has gone on to slippery when wet non stick stainless lasting polymer goodness. no rust, no wood, bleah bleah bleah.

iron-ically (pun), people are now looking at high carbon/cast-iron/natural-materials (wood) as "high end" pro-sumer desirable goods. lol.

or something like that.
Click to expand...

But, Bladite...we all know that. Why at this price? It's just like the overpriced 440A crap that Cutco has been selling for decades, to folks who don't know any better, which I consider as, basically...dishonest. There are tons of other just as "bullet proof" knives out there that are better, cheaper , get sharper and will last just as long, or longer. Why do you continue to defend Cutco...you have stock in the company? What? I don't understand.
 
ichor said:
But, Bladite...we all know that. Why at this price? It's just like the overpriced 440A crap that Cutco has been selling for decades, to folks who don't know any better, which I consider as, basically...dishonest. There are tons of other just as "bullet proof" knives out there that are better, cheaper , get sharper and will last just as long, or longer. Why do you continue to defend Cutco...you have stock in the company? What? I don't understand.
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oh, i'm not defending them.

not at all.

i'm explaining their mentality.

they are a business. they have a model. they make money.

consumers provide money.

it's not dishonest at all. it's marketing. it's business. they are selling a solid product with an image at a cost.

that's actually quite fair.

caveat emptor basically. let the buyer beware.

it's that simple. if you don't get it. think about it.

business 101. making a buck.

PT Barnum had a paraphrase on that... suckers are born by the minute.
 
so confused now. I'm missing the point/belly/spine/ricasso of it...I guess we all agree on basic points, like overpriced considering the materials. The rest is up for grabs. Aesthetically, I like it. If I were to make it, it would have a higher saber grind instead of a hollow grind, and it would be carbon steel with micarta scales, and it would be endorsed by uncle E, and I would make millions out of it and buy a private island :D
 
Thread back from the dead with an update!

All this time and I finally got one. Only paid $65! Looks like dreams do come true haha. I hope the guy I got it from didn't pay full price.

If you want one all I can say is keep an eye on the used market. I have a feeling most people who get tricked into buying theses from cutco never actually use them, and then sell it a few years down the road.

IMG_5169.JPG

Really feels like a becker. Still not sure if Ethen had anything to do with it. However I'm inclined to think so. I've seen other kabar knives that I'm fairly certain have had Ethan's input. So it's extremely possible this one does.

Reminds me of the prototype tweener I got to hold in Ethan's shop. 4th from the right. (If anyone has a better photo of just that proto please post it. This is all I could find on my hard drive.)


PA260001 copy.jpg


If the crazy price was not enough I know most of you will be put off by the 440a and hollow grind. However, 440a is probably going to be nice to have around now that I'm in Florida. The hollow grind really doesn't bother me, in fact I was surprised at how shallow it was. The hollow grind on my bucks are way deeper. The grind on this is as close to saber as hollow can get. I was also surprised to find it was true full tang not skeletonized.

The sheath is very similar to the bk2 sheath. However, this one is made is the USA and is much nicer quality. Unlike the bk2 sheath this one does not hurts my thumb to get out. The nylon is also of a much much great denier.

This knife is definitely for the outdoor kitchen. And as said above for the glamour campers. Again I don't mind, all the camping I've done since I married my wife has been car camping, which is basically glamour camping.

I'll try to post some better photos of the grind, sheath, and size comparisons of the bk2/16 soon.
 
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