esee junglas or bk 9

As others have said, you can't go wrong with either.

As I always say, it comes down to personnel preference. Read: what works for you.
The only way to really know, is to use both.

For me, the Junglas handle just didn't fit my hand. (as with most ESEE knives - to small and blocky for me)
Fortunately a friend had one for me to try.

Lots of folks don't care for the BK 9 Grivory handles. OK. But don't make up your own mind 'till you try 'em.
Actually very comfortable. Slippery ? Couple slices of bike tubes or "ranger bands" (lol) is an easy fix, if it's an issue.

Sheath ? It's a shealth. It carries your knife. That's it. Stock one works fine.

Warranty ? Both are excellent. If you have any issues with a BK, go on the Becker forum
and actually talk to the guy who designs 'em (Ethan Becker) No one better IMHO.
He even opens his own house twice a year for people to come and hang with him.

Again, it's what works for you. All the info. here is great, but ...

And remember, you can always sell a good knife if you don't like it.
Great secondary market here on the forums.

Again, can't go wrong with either, but I'll take TWO BK 9's (well almost :D)
for the price of one Junglas. JMHO.

Good luck. Stay safe out there.
 
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Cobra281 said:
As others have said, you can't go wrong with either.

As I always say, it comes down to personnel preference. Read: what works for you.
The only way to really know, is to use both.

Lots of folks don't care for the BK 9 Grivory handles. OK. But don't make up your own mind 'till you try 'em.
Actually very comfortable. Slippery ? Couple slices of bike tubes or "ranger bands" (lol) is an easy fix, if it's an issue.

Sheath ? It's a shealth. It carries your knife. That's it. Stock one works fine.

Warranty ? Both are excellent. If you have any issues with a BK, go on the Becker forum
and actually talk to the guy who designs 'em (Ethan Becker) No one better IMHO.
He even opens his own house twice a year for people to come and hang with him.
Click to expand...

True. I stretched a piece of inner tube of my BK9 and BK2 handles and it works great. Better than my RTAK II with micarta.

Ethan Becker monitors the BKT sub-forum and in the Ka-Bar (current Becker manufacturer) sub-forum is frequented by a KB rep and the lead product developer. If you have an issue with a Becker they're easy to contact and generally prompt to respond and Ka-Bar's CS is second to none.

HOWEVER most diehard becker fans and "Uncle E" himself will say that the junglas is superior to the BK9. That's why it costs more. And as I mentioned, if you want a kydex sheath or micarta handles the junglas will be the better value, unless you make your own sheaths and micarta, neither is hard to do.

The BK9 will probably be easier to handle for the smaller stuff but I can make fuzz sticks with a Ka-Bar grass machete without bracing the stick against anything and holding the GM one handed like any other large knife. And you should just have a smaller knife for that stuff anyway.

If you can afford a Junglas you should get one, you will not regret that decision. Unless by some chance you just don't like how the handle feels, but it won't be an issue with the quality of the knife.
 
Lonewolf01 said:
I don't meant to derail the thread or anything, but can I ask why you say the BK16 isn't as good as your ESEE-3?

I own a BK-16 and an ESEE-3/4 and I've used all 3 pretty extensively. I find I really enjoy using the BK16 since it's not quite as thick as the ESEE-4 but still has around the same blade length, I'm just curious of your opinion that's all.
Click to expand...

I acutally liked the 5/32 stock of the BK16 what I did not like about it was just about everything else. Sheath was no where near as good as the one on my 3 mil, the stock scales on the Becker felt very cheap to me I really would like to see micarta on the smaller Beckers as they acutally cost more than the larger models do, my ESEE held its edge a good bit longer (due to a better heat treat imo), the fit and finish of the Becker wasnt on par with the ESEE, the balance was much better on the ESEE (this is the reason I dislike the ESEE 4 is it just doesnt feel balanced to me). Literally the only thing I dislike about the 3 is its choil I just dont feel its needed on a knife that size.
 
Go junglas! I don't know if it's the beckers higher chromium or the mar tempering but i find they have a higher edge retention but less tuff. i broke a bk-7 during abuse that my esee 6 takes on a regular basis. but i find my bk-2 will keep an edge a lot better than esee 5. just what i've noticed from personal experience.
 
HepatitisJ said:
Go junglas! I don't know if it's the beckers higher chromium or the mar tempering but i find they have a higher edge retention but less tuff. i broke a bk-7 during abuse that my esee 6 takes on a regular basis. but i find my bk-2 will keep an edge a lot better than esee 5. just what i've noticed from personal experience.
Click to expand...

I believe that Esee has a lower rockwell hardness around 56 or something, which allows them to take more stress.
 
Cobalt said:
Not trying to be an arse here, but if you think that the junglas handle is too big, then you either have very small hands or you actually had an RTAK, which does indeed have a very wide handle. The junglas handle is not large at all and if I still had my BK9 I'd measure them and prove that the BK handle might actually be larger



That is what I figured but never had a bk7, and it seems to be the one listed when you see micarta handles for sale. I had the BK9, Brute and BK2.
Click to expand...


Cobalt, no problem, I deal with arses everyday :p. I've had the Ont RTAK, RTAK II and the Junglas, so I know what size each of the handles are. I wear a size 14 ring and XL gloves, BUT, my fingers are really short, so that's what screws me up on a lot of different knife handles.
 
PatrickKnight said:
People say this often but I have yet to have someone point out what a BK9 will do that a Junglas wont.
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exactly. The difference in size is minimal, so there is nothing that can't be done by both. I had the BK9 for sometime and it was good quality, except for the handle which I hated. With a micarta handle it would be much better and I might still have it.
 
MEJ said:
Whats the price tag on the puppy? I have read quite a few horror stories on Bark River Goloks chipping so im a bit wary of BR.
Click to expand...

I've seen BR bolo II's on the web for about the same as an esee. I've had my Bravo1 up against other blades (ZT, Cold Steel, Chinese crap, etc. but no BK's or esee's. all the others chipped or dulled significantly but the BR always remained shaving sharp. I was going to buy either the BK9 or the Junglas but will be buying either an A2 prototype or the standard Bolo II. I wanted a khukri for years but the handles on Barkies really work for me.
 
sd550 said:
Cobalt, no problem, I deal with arses everyday :p. I've had the Ont RTAK, RTAK II and the Junglas, so I know what size each of the handles are. I wear a size 14 ring and XL gloves, BUT, my fingers are really short, so that's what screws me up on a lot of different knife handles.
Click to expand...

LOL, I have wide hands and shorter fingers but not that short. Handles are truly a personal thing, like bike seats and handgun grips. Nice thing about micarta is you can shape it to fit if there is enough of it there.
 
PatrickKnight said:
People say this often but I have yet to have someone point out what a BK9 will do that a Junglas wont.
Click to expand...

I doubt you can find a task that either blade can do that the other can't. Both knives are good choppers (for knives, anyway) but just like the Junglas is slightly better at chopping, the BK9, in my opinion is slightly better than the Junglas at other tasks. The BK9's shape is better, imo, for weird tasks like dressing game. I'm sure I could use my son's Junglas to clean fish and squirrels (both tasks I've done with the BK9 - just because) but the shape of the BK9 makes that blade better for me for that.

More sensibly, the BK9 is, imo, a much livelier blade and is quite a bit better at snap cuts than the Junglas (though the Junglas can certainly make snap cuts). I usually use a smaller and more reasonable blade for cleaning game, but I get lots of use out of the BK9 for snap cuts when I'm out in the brushy, thickety areas I hunt.

Honestly, I think it boils down to whether the OP prefers a large, modern bowie style knife like the BK9 or a machete-like knife like the Junglas. Both are excellent quality and both are great at what they are. I like the BK9.

---

Beckerhead #42
 
To everyone saying that ESEE has a better warranty, KA-BAR will replace pretty much any knife you break as long as you weren't being idiotic.
 
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