Do you use the choil on your BK15/5?

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ocnLogan

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Jul 31, 2011
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As some of you may know, I just got a BK15 two days ago. Since then, I really haven't been able to do anything other than fondle it (for what its worth, its the sharpest factory knife I've ever had).

I've been trying different grips and whatnot with it, and I still can't quite tell if I'm going to like the choil on the ricasso there. Has anyone else wondered what the BK5/15 would be like with just the normal BK16/17 style "sharpening" choil?

Was the choil part of the original Jerry Fisk design? With the full size Becker handle I can kind of get a choil, but with the tweener handle being so much closer, I'm still trying to see if I will use it much.

Your thoughts?
 
I like it, I find it works out well for choking up while breaking down joints, think a pork shoulder, rack of veal or splitting ribs on a rib roast... I am a butcher by trade and my family has been involved in the meat industry for the last 40+ years. I find that I can tell whether I like a knife or not within the first 5-10 mins of actually working with it and the 15 works. I can't offer any more praise than that.

It is an efficient, smooth, clean and balanced knife. It works great for medium kitchen tasks, and is one of the best camp kitchen knives I have found. It just works.

That being said, I have a 5 on the way. :D
 
Wolf_1989 said:
I dislike choils and never use the things.

But I can mostly ignore 'em though.
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This is how I'm thinking, I was just curious if others used them is all. And the only time I feel like it "really" gets in the way is with the chest lever grip, I think I could manage to use it for light whittling in a normal grip. Its just when I start gripping harder, I like my fingers to be behind a bit of a guard just in case I slip.

Anyway, thanks for the comments. As I said, this was more just an "idle wonderment" of mine.
 
ocnLogan said:
I've been trying different grips and whatnot with it, and I still can't quite tell if I'm going to like the choil on the ricasso there. Has anyone else wondered what the BK5/15 would be like with just the normal BK16/17 style "sharpening" choil?
Click to expand...

Just got my BK16 today (thx Dex!) and holding it side-by-side, with my BK15, I can tell that wittling/feathering/shaving is going to be much easier with the 15. The choil lets me choke up on the blade for a more precise controlled feeling of the blade. Indeed, I wish the jimping on the 15 were extended another 1".

Side-by-side, with their ricassos matching, part of the 15's finger choil forms a sharpening choil.
Side-by-side, with their handles matching, the 15 would gain another 7/16" of cutting edge if it just had the 16's sharpening choil. That'd be nice too.

BTW, how come the BK5 doesn't have jimping like the 15? If ever I needed more blade control, it would be on the 5! It's downright slippery when using the finger choil.
 
TravisH said:
Just got my BK16 today (thx Dex!) and holding it side-by-side, with my BK15, I can tell that wittling/feathering/shaving is going to be much easier with the 15. The choil lets me choke up on the blade for a more precise controlled feeling of the blade. Indeed, I wish the jimping on the 15 were extended another 1".

Side-by-side, with their ricassos matching, part of the 15's finger choil forms a sharpening choil.
Side-by-side, with their handles matching, the 15 would gain another 7/16" of cutting edge if it just had the 16's sharpening choil. That'd be nice too.

BTW, how come the BK5 doesn't have jimping like the 15? If ever I needed more blade control, it would be on the 5! It's downright slippery when using the finger choil.
Click to expand...
No need to wish if you can lay your hands on a little rat tail file....
 
I don't use it on the 5 but do in the 15... It really helps you use the 15 in bushcrafter type tasks and doesn't hinder the cutting ability at all... I am sure it is the same with the 5 but really who is doing much other then feather sticks with the 5 in terms of bushcrafting... It can chop and baton and cut some serious meat ... Both animal and yourself if not careful. Sure the 5 can do most all but why use it for smaller tasks when you have the 15, 16, 17... Oh and the 10, 14/24... Etc
 
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