Esse RAT6 vs. Becker BK2

Beckers are famous for one thing and one thing only, and that is..................

Say it with me..................

Being a kick ass no nonsense tool for a reasonable price!

Yeah, I'm more partial to the BK&T side of things, but you can't go wrong with a comparable ESEE blade.
If I was you, I would buy whichever model appealed to me visually and run with it. They're all good.
 
Three pages and no one has mentioned that the OP should buy both. We are falling down on the job, folks!

OP: buy both!
 
Kansas Flatlander said:
No, not on all of these knives just the BK's. On every BK 9, 7 or 2 that I have owned the screws have come loose in the frist 5 minutes of use. They are famous for it and anybody who has actually used one for actual work knows the screws do come loose and fast.

I really like the BK9 but it needs improved upon in the handel holding area. I wish they would go G10 and glue and pin those grips because what they are using does not allow the screws to streach proper and keep a load on the grips so they back off fast and often unless you do something about it. I have two knives with only 2 screws because the others got lost from backing off. I do not like a knife that you HAVE to carry a allen wrench with you at all times.

The BK 7 and 9 are a great knife but I will not let a new buyer be lied to. On the BK the grips do get loose fast and often, no body elses does so pleas ask Ka-Bar to fix the problem if you know anybody who works there.
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so stop lying son!! There screws arent loose at all, and even if they are they can be tightened and then used for hours without coming loose.
 
Translash said:
so stop lying son!! There screws arent loose at all, and even if they are they can be tightened and then used for hours without coming loose.
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I think I have hurt the beckerheads feelings. Sorry to of yelled out that the king is naked.

This post is about what the OP wanted to talk about not my statements.
 
For a cheap, leave out in your bug out bag knife, I recommend a 20 dollar glock field knife with a 5 to 10 dollar edge reprofile at your local knife sharpener.
 
At risk of playing devil's advocate, I have seen 2 or 3 youtube videos of guys batonning the BK9 and the screws came loose. I've never had the problem but I went ahead and blue loc tited mine when I switched to micarta, and when I go on overnighters Ill bring the alan key in case.
 
As others have said, comparing a RAT 6 to a BK 2 is tough. The ESEE 5 and the BK 2 would be better comparisons, or a BK 7 vs. the RAT 6.
With that said, of OP's two choices, I would go with the 6. But that's just my personnel preference.
I've had a BK 2 and while it's a beast of knife, and can do just about anything, I found myself not using it too much.

As it always comes down to, it's what works for you, not what someone says on the internet.

If this is for a BOB, warranties won't matter much if the SHTF. But both companies have excellent backing.
And you can't go wrong with either.

As far as loose handle screws, it can happen. But no big deal ... tighten it. Lock tight, etc.
Should alyways check your gear anyway. Never want to rely on what "should" be.

Like I said, it comes down to personnel pref. Get what works for you. Use it. Get comfortable with it.
If you find you don't like it for what ever reason, you can always sell a good knife.
Excellent secondary market here on the forums.

JMHO, but I ALWAYS have my BK 7 in my pack. (plus a SAK and folding saw)
Just what works for me.

Good luck.
 
To the OP, if you're set on one of these two blades I strongly encourage you to lurk around here a bit more. Maybe stop in the Becker subforum. We'll be nice, I promise. No matter which of these two you end up with, you'll be well served by a great knife.
 
Kansas Flatlander said:
Sorry to of yelled out that the king is naked.
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Sometimes he is. ;)

5841005384_55ae722873_b.jpg
 
Firstly, apologies for getting the names/companies wrong, I think I meant Esse RC6. Secondly, I've been reading about knives on and off for a few months and I have heard About Becker grips coming loose but that wouldn't put me off if all it needs is a bit of loctite. I would only get micartas because I've read that they are more comfortable and provide better grip, but who knows, I might love the OEM grips!

I know that my BOB knives won't get nearly as much use as what a lot of the ones on here but I want to rest easy knowing that I have something reliable to hand if I ever have to use it. Thanks again for the advice, I'll definite look into some of the larger Beckers now too :).
 
aid1987 said:
Firstly, apologies for getting the names/companies wrong, I think I meant Esse RC6. Secondly, I've been reading about knives on and off for a few months and I have heard About Becker grips coming loose but that wouldn't put me off if all it needs is a bit of loctite. I would only get micartas because I've read that they are more comfortable and provide better grip, but who knows, I might love the OEM grips!

I know that my BOB knives won't get nearly as much use as what a lot of the ones on here but I want to rest easy knowing that I have something reliable to hand if I ever have to use it. Thanks again for the advice, I'll definite look into some of the larger Beckers now too :).
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the original handles are designed to give you a big beefy grip, without hotspots, and one of the tests they did a while ago was soaking the users hand in oil, and then doing full power stabs (both grips) into a 50 gallon barrel. no slippage. in that case, it's a matter of your gripping strength - if you keep your hand CLOSED, you can't slide off then handle.

KaBar has tweaked the handle design since Camillus. they're a little slimmer, have a bit more palm swell, and feel great.

tighten your bolts! :)

you don't hear kids complaining their wheels on their skateboards fell off because they were loose from the factory. they know to adjust and do maintenance if needed :D
 
I'd rather pay a lot less for my Beckers and suffer the horrendous, unspeakable pain of having to tighten down the bolts on my gear when I get it. Which I do anyways with anything I will be using outdoors, especially stuff with sharp edges.
 
I have both and love both. However the Esee feels a lot better in the hand. However the Becker is just hangin out with my socks in the drawer since I bought the 6. These two brands are two of the best out there for down right durability so either would be a good choice. Good luck.
 
I beat the crap out of my Bk2, I did lots of batoning, feather sticks, built a lean to, taken it on several camping/ hunting trips and the original grivory handles with paracord wraps did absolutely fine and no issues with the grips or screws coming loose. There are 2 generations now of the bk's and i have the second generation Bk2 and it seems that they have fixed the hardware problems. The knife is holding up great. An option to make the over-all grips better especially for bigger tasks like chopping and batoning is to do the 550 cord wrap that Adam from E2E did a how- to on youtube. Hope this info helps!
 
The BK2 is the one Becker design that doesn't interest me at all. Way too short and think to be good for anything other than a prybar. The thickness makes it an inferior slicer and the relatively short blade make batoning more difficult. I'd much rather have a BK7, BK9 or one of the smaller designs. Overall I'd probably prefer the ESEE just for the better sheath but it's really a matter of whether or not you want to pay the extra money.
 
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