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What Aleous said...
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
ESEE 6 or BK7?
- Thread starter a Trexler Ranger
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What Aleous said...
KingMC
The Pun-isher
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Product reviews are not really a good way to compare good knives to other goods knives, looking at the ESEE 6, RAT 7, and BK7 reviews on Amazon doesn't help this discussion in the slightest because all 3 of them have 4.5 out of 5 or higher and the 1-and-2-star reviews are mainly based on the seller rather than the knife itself.
reading up on the bladeforums is a much better way to get a grasp of the differences in these knives, folks who care about knives enough to sign up on the forums to discuss them are usually a bit more into knives than the average Amazon customer. When a 1-star review can be about thinking a blade'll be 1/4" thick based on the BK2's thickness and being disappointed when it's not that thick, it's hard to take them seriously.
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OK so I've continued my research and I keep jumping around... Right now I have the BK7 in the picture but am more seriously considering an RTAK II or the Rat 7. I'm leaning towards RTAK II because I have the Gerber Strongarm as a smaller fixed blade so as I've gone through my head ticking boxes I've decided a longer fixed blade will probably fit my purposes better. So sorry to keep throwing this thread in different directions, but how are feelings toward the RTAK II?
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I mean the companies in general, Kabar and ESEE, all the knives.
What's your hand size? I wear XL gloves and handle still feels a bit blocky. People with smaller hands than XL usually complain about handle.
If you're going into large knife territory, consider Becker BK-9. An inch shorter blade, but overall better. Most would prefer it over RTAK-II. About the same price too.
Creaky Bones
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I have a BK7, a BK9, and an ESEE 6. All absolutely great knives and all keepers. In the OP's original post before editing he specified that he liked to be rough with his knives (or something to that effect). If my plan was to beat the hell out of a knife I probably wouldn't choose any of the above. They are all tough as hell, and all have wonderful warranties, but all tools have limits. A Schrade schf9 is thicker 1095. Taiwan made, designed by a BF member. Much cheaper, and built to take abuse. You can upgrade it with micarta from ebay. If not that, I'd opt for a Terava Skrama. 80crv2 steel, begging to be beat on. I own both of those as well. Neither would be my first choice if my goal was to do normal camp knife tasks...that would swing me back to a Becker or esee, but if the goal is to pound the hell out of your knife the Skrama or the schf9 are made for it.
Just my opinion as someone who has more Beckers and ESEEs than I do fingers. Probably toes too.
Just my opinion as someone who has more Beckers and ESEEs than I do fingers. Probably toes too.
I beg to differ, yes all have similar ratings on Amazon but if you sit and read each review you see that each knife has qualities that people seem to point out in most of the reviews and if theirs a problem it pops out more than once usually in the poor reviews. You learn a lot reading all the different reviews people write. Some may be crap but most are not. As far as I've seen 1 to 2 star reviews on knives are usually lemons that failed and the buyer in question did not contact the manufacturer in regards to warranty or something equally stupid.
I do agree bladeforums is a better place to gather information on knives because it has a larger knowledge base and are more experienced in knives in general than the average amazon customer.
On more than a few of my knife purchases I've taken into consideration Amazon reviews and have not been disappointed yet on a high rated/reviewed knife. YMMV.
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RTAK II is a great knife with great steel but is a bit heavy at almost 23 oz. If you want a larger knife buy a Becker BK9, you wont regret it, they are amazing and relatively lightweight weighing in at about a pound.
If it's between the Rat 7 and BK7, it's a toss up, better steel on the BK7, better handle on the Rat 7, also like the blade design on the Rat better personally.
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Beat to hell isn't really what I meant. More along the lines of batoning chopping small limbs and some light to medium wood prying and tip splitting (Where you take the knife and stab it into a working surface) I don't consider those to be overly hard tasks because my Gerber Strongarm can do them all with relative ease, but I know several of the members I've talked with on here consider prying abuse.
I guess at this point I'll probably bite the bullet and go for a BK7 and if I don't like it pass it on to my brother or if I do like it upgrade the handle to micarta. Can it handle light prying lots of chopping and lots of batoning? It doesn't have to do any super fine tasks because I have the Strongarm and I carry a PM2 with me everywhere
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I think the BK-7 will work for you. I personally like the factory handles, but many don't.
Sigsog226
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Bk7 would be a great choice. Ive personally only owned the Esee Junglas, bk9, various kukris, and a rtak ii for larger blades. Used them all for similar task like you listed and all will do fine.
The rtak's handle was a little too large for me (med gloves fit me perfect) personally. But you get what you pay for, for the most part. Ive been planning on buying a large fixed blade again too. Still cant make up my mind though.
The rtak's handle was a little too large for me (med gloves fit me perfect) personally. But you get what you pay for, for the most part. Ive been planning on buying a large fixed blade again too. Still cant make up my mind though.
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To be OP I had this same quandary between these same knives a year ago and I went with the esee 6. What no one has brought up yet is sheaths. Once you get a sheath upgrade for your bk7 or rat7 they're all basically the same price. If this does not apply to you then I would say ignore and go with a rat 7 or bk7 to save money. It did matter to me and thinking about adding $30 for sheath upgrades and all knives being in the same price point, the fit and finish of the esee 6 stood out more.
Also, personal preferences. I think the esee 6 looks cooler than the bk7. There, I said it, I think it's the better looking knife. I'm ready for the coming thrashing.
Also, personal preferences. I think the esee 6 looks cooler than the bk7. There, I said it, I think it's the better looking knife. I'm ready for the coming thrashing.