EDC scout carry? First Becker ideas

R

retrobass

Joined
Feb 8, 2013
Messages
21
Hi guys,
I'm new to forum, been lurking but I've barely scratched the surface of all the great ideas here. I'm trying to learn some basic bushcraft and I've got a Becker BK2 on the way. I hope I'm not flogging a dead horse, but I have a few basic questions.

1) Does anyone everyday carry a BK2 horizontally in the small of their back? I'm absolutely drooling over a skystorm sheath on ebay. How does the weight distribute? I have a thick leather gunbelt and will soon be moving my primary doublestacked weight to 1 o'clock appendix iwb position from 3 o'clock anyway, so there should be room. Just don't want to rupture a disk from getting too manic with the bat utility belt.

2) Are there any must-do mods I should work on when I get the BK2 in the mail tomorrow? I see a lot of folks stripping the stock grips, does this serve any purpose other than aesthetic? I'm definitely thinking of breaking out soldering iron and trying my hand at a bit of stippling.

3) Is there a section on the forum specifically devoted to how to best use these knives for bushcraft, survival, etc?

Sorry for undoubtedly noob questions, I'll utilize the search feature a bunch this evening now that I'm registered, I'm just soo stoked to get my hands on this knife :D
Cheers,
James
 
Last edited:
I don't EDC my BK2, but when it's with me (like right now:D) I carry it scout-style. I just use the stock sheath with a large tek-lok to attach it to my belt. Weight distribution is good; it feels evenly distributed, easily accessible and only sticks out an inch or so on each side. (For me, it's too big to conceal unless I wear a bulky sweatshirt or jacket.)

In terms of mods, to me, the ability to strike a firesteel is imperative for ALL of my knives. I stripped an inch of the coating off of the spine to facilitate that need.

Hope that helps!
 
Last edited:
I believe there IS a bushcraft/survival section on BladeForums. We don't have a dedicated subsection on the Becker Subforum.

I believe there is also another forum BCUSA which is more dedicated to bushcrafting type stuff. I haven't been over there yet but I know it is also a popular haunt among the beckerheads.


As for carrying a 2, I don't have one yet. Sorry. However I do scout carry an E-4 when wearing a pair of braces. I don't have any issues with it.
 
erik the red said:
In terms of mods, to me, the ability to strike a firesteel is imperative for ALL of my knives. I stripped an inch of the coating off of the spine to facilitate that need.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of getting sheath with firesteel attached. Are these essentially bars of flint? I've made plenty of fire with the little magnesium/flint firestarters over the years (foolishly using cutting edge of knives), but I've yet to venture into these. I'm assuming they just throw off some sparks. I'll DEFINITELY take at least some coating off the back of the blade if it prevents starting of fires with these tools.
 
Last edited:
retrobass said:
I was thinking of getting sheath with firesteel attached. Are these essentially bars of flint?
Click to expand...

You got it. I would recommend a firesteel loop on your sheath, or ranger band one on.

Sounds like you have a good handle on things. :thumbup:
 
retrobass said:
I was thinking of getting sheath with firesteel attached. Are these essentially bars of flint? I've made plenty of fire with the little magnesium/flint firestarters over the years (foolishly using cutting edge of knives), but I've yet to venture into these. I'm assuming they just throw off some sparks. I'll DEFINITELY take at least some coating off the back of the blade if it prevents starting of fires with these tools.
Click to expand...


Most of the Skygnome sheaths come with a firesteel and a Gobspark.....Square up the spine of the 2 and scraaaaaape .... Tons of sparks!
 
I think a high carry sheath at roughly 3:30 is best for EDC. In my experience, a scout style sheath gets stuck on everything.
 
Last edited:
GarnetandBlack said:
Never heard em called that on this side of the pond :D
Click to expand...

Hey mate, don't knock the braces! How else would one keep their trousers up??

So one vote against scout carry so far. Am I being unrealistic to think of concealing a knife this size all the time? I've definitely been known to throw on a pair of suspenders/braces to keep up a heavy belt. I find its hard to keep my drawers up anyway with my skinny build.
 
GarnetandBlack said:
Never heard em called that on this side of the pond :D
Click to expand...

Suspenders:
axlab%C3%B6nd.jpg


Braces:
IronManSuspenders_L1.jpg



Basically the way I learned it was this, suspenders are stretchy braces are silk. Suspenders clip on, braces button in. I wear braces. I got a couple of suits that do not have ANY belt loops cause I had them made specifically for wearing braces with.
 
Well dang, never knew there was a difference. I spent a good chunk of time living in a couple places in the uk and braces was pretty much synonymous with suspenders which is why it caught my attention hahah
 
GarnetandBlack said:
Well dang, never knew there was a difference. I spent a good chunk of time living in a couple places in the uk and braces was pretty much synonymous with suspenders which is why it caught my attention hahah
Click to expand...
Year in Ox and a year in Exeter for me. Devon might be one of my favorite places on earth, but I sure was missing our sticky humid summers and second amendment toward the end there.

Be they braces or suspenders, I'm likely going to have to do something extra to hold up my pants weight if I end up carrying a bushcraft knife around with me everywhere.
 
Just unboxed my first Becker. All I can say is WOW, what a piece of steel! I understand the beckerhead addiction now. I have a D2 Ka Bar classic fighting pattern with a flaking epoxy coat, but this Becker dwarfs it in thickness. Carrying it around everyday, at least into town, is starting to seem sillier and sillier, though I just may find a way. This think could jsut about use some kinda shoulder holster!

For a practical question, if I just wanted to remove an inch or so of coating off the back of the blade, would it be alright to do so with a file or should I chemically strip it?

And, I've read that the factory holster will dull the blade, should I avoid using it at all? I'm gonna be whacking some limbs and maybe firing up the soldering iron this evening :D :D :D
 
Use citristrip or some other paint stripper to remove the coating, don't use a file, that's way too aggressive.

As far as the sheath goes - that's kind of outdated info, as far as I've seen. The old sheaths supposedly had the problem. I have two BK2s now and neither was ever dulled by the stock sheath. If you pull it out and drag the blade against the plastic, it's going to dull. Any knife will dull scraping against the plastic like that. If you remove the knife properly, dragging the spine instead of the edge against the sheath, you will have no problems. Mine must have gone in and out of the sheath 100 times before I started using it, and it would shave hair and cut paper each and every time I tried.
 
Congrats on the BK2. I've had mine over a year now and LOVE it. It's an outstanding heavy-duty outdoorsman's blade. Also carry mine in the stock kydex sheat with large TekLok but I carry it vertical high and close on my right hip. For me at least Scout-Carry just wouldn't be comfortable, especially for all day long due to issues like sitting in the truck, or even just sitting in general. But that's an individual preference. When carrying a sidearm I switch the BK2 over to my left side as the M629 rides on my right hip vertical.

Enjoy your new BK2 and share some pics ASAP! :)
 
I EDC a BK-11 in an Azwelke kydex sheath horizontal & edge up on my belt, like a small viking seax. But I wear it over my right front pocket, to the side of my belt buckle.
 
The two is a beast to be trying to edc and scout carry it imho. I would say a 14 is best suited to this task and carry.
If you NEED something larger, I would get a FPR BK-16 and a scout carry sheath for that. Its like a mini 2, its a ton of knife packed in a reasonable package.
 
Wolf_1989 said:
I EDC a BK-11 in an Azwelke kydex sheath horizontal & edge up on my belt, like a small viking seax. But I wear it over my right front pocket, to the side of my belt buckle.
Click to expand...
I had a bad experience first gathering I went to with an edge up carry incident. It is mostly healed up (been almost a year now) but there is still a scar. Since then I never carry edge up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top