Finally getting a Becker

Sharp Knives 86 said:
Definitely want to upgrade to the micarta scales at some point.
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My backers wear Micarta. Not for the look, but for the feel. It takes a well made, high value knife and makes it feel like a higher end knife. Of course I realize that once you add the Micarta scales, you've invested as much or more than a comparable ESEE...


Sharp Knives 86 said:
I'm already trying to decide on my next Becker. Couldn't choose between the BK 7 and 9 I ended up flipping a coin which is how I ended up buying the 7. But now I'm torn between a BK9 or a 16 or 17.
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17 is discontinued, so if you want the 17, act quickly. Prices have gone nuts already and that's when you can find them...

The 16 is, in my mind, the best of the Becker breed, along with the BK4. It's versatile, comfortable to use, and a fantastic knife, all around. Lemme put it this way, after decades of knife making, it's the knife that Ethan wanted to make, as his ideal... that should tell you something. It's the culmination of all that experience and it shows!
 
The 7 has always struck me as the equivalent of a 4" barreled .357 Magnum revolver. It might not be the best choice for very many specifics tasks, but it sure can serve well enough for a lot of tasks.
 
19-3ben said:
17 is discontinued, so if you want the 17, act quickly. Prices have gone nuts already and that's when you can find them...

The 16 is, in my mind, the best of the Becker breed, along with the BK4. It's versatile, comfortable to use, and a fantastic knife, all around. Lemme put it this way, after decades of knife making, it's the knife that Ethan wanted to make, as his ideal... that should tell you something. It's the culmination of all that experience and it shows!
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Yeah I didn't realize that till I tried to check out prices for it yesterday. Bummer :( Has the BK5 also been discontinued? Heard it was but they seem to still be fairly plentiful.
 
Yes it was. I got mine for anticipation of a big cow cutting up session but they became to cute and are now pets. How can hairy scottish cattle be cute? o_O

If you want one you should get one soon. For a while the BK 4 was floating around every where...then try and find one new that's not to high a price. Glad I did.
 
Roguer said:
Yes it was. I got mine for anticipation of a big cow cutting up session but they became to cute and are now pets. How can hairy scottish cattle be cute?
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I battle that with my family too. Cute pets equals empty freezer.

Roguer said:
If you want one you should get one soon. For a while the BK 4 was floating around every where...then try and find one new that's not to high a price. Glad I did.
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I’m still mad I didn’t get a 4.:mad:
 
My BK7 arrived yesterday. So far I love this thing! Feels more nimble than I remember it being when handling it at a local knife shop. Grivory scales feel very nice. Nowhere near a slick as I'd been lead to believe and I think I'll be fine using if my hands are sweaty. I still wanna get micarta scales for it but am almost having 2nd thoughts as i know micarta weighs a little more and I really like the balance of this knife. I was a tad surprised my Buck 124 feels slightly heavier though i probably shouldn't have been since the 124 has micarta scales an aluminum pommel and guard. Probably won't get to really put the knife through it's paces till mid spring but I'll definitely have fun using for more general tasks at home until then. Really loving this knife. Definitely a new favorite.
 
Congrats man. Nothing like getting fresh steel in. :thumbsup:
 
Its always great news when you like something more when you receive it than you did when you went to order it :).

And I'm glad that you don't immediately feel the need to replace the scales with Micarta. I personally feel that the grivory gets a bad rap, and always recommend that people give it a try before they buy the Micarta. Not meaning the Micarta is bad of course, just that the grivory actually just works really well.

And, I've thought about drilling out micarta to try to keep the scales the same weight as the grivory (as you said, for the balance). Its just not something I've tried yet.

Anyway, congrats again on the new steel :).
 
Thanks guys.

Indeed on the grivory. Some of the guys on YouTube make it sound like grivory is as slick as a lubed up cucumber but it feels fine to me. The micarta on my Buck 124 is much smoother. Like I said I'll try out the micarta scales eventually but I think my first upgrade will be a nice sheath but I'm also in no hurry to replace the stock sheath either. Feels much more solid and durable than I'm used to seeing on a nylon sheath so I'm curious to see how it holds up. Rattle is it's only real negative which is a non-issue for me since my use for this knife doesn't require stealth.

One thing I noticed on mine is the etched logos appear to be a more gold color rather than white and was curious when Ka-Bar started doing this if anyone knows. Looks nice.
 
Actually let me retract what I said about the logos. I think it was the lighting my house cause when I took it outside, they looked white. Sorry bout that fellows.
 
i'd recommend against hockey tape on the handle. tried it, then the glue warmed up. sticky hands. sticky handle. sticky everything I touched. I also tried the gutted paracord wrap and the inner tube trick. I like the naked handle the best.
 
Congrats on your first Becker!!! ... for what you get vs cost they are one of the best values you can buy.

I don't own a 7 my gateway into Beckers started with a 15 and quickly added a 5 ... and now have three 15s and three 5s ... I have tried others and enjoy the 10 and 16 ...

And recently added a 9 after a few years of thinking about it and have to say .. I waited too long ... it's a great blade ... so after you break in the 7 and find your "tweener" knife ... you should check out the 9 if you like the 7.

welcome to the family JJ
 
Yeah, doubt I'll wrap the handle. The grivory feels a lot like the plastic on my Ontario GI machete and I've never had that slip from my hands whether they were moist or not and I don't really do lanyards. And the BK ergos are eons better than the GI machete's (though that machete is still a solid tool and my favorite).
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
Congrats on your first Becker!!! ... for what you get vs cost they are one of the best values you can buy.

I don't own a 7 my gateway into Beckers started with a 15 and quickly added a 5 ... and now have three 15s and three 5s ... I have tried others and enjoy the 10 and 16 ...

And recently added a 9 after a few years of thinking about it and have to say .. I waited too long ... it's a great blade ... so after you break in the 7 and find your "tweener" knife ... you should check out the 9 if you like the 7.

welcome to the family JJ
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Thanks JJ. Definitely torn between the 9 and the BK5 and BK12 atm. I want the 16 but there are a few other small knives I'm looking at too that are a bit cheaper.
 
Well you can't go wrong with any of those ... the 12 a bit larger I think near 6" blade is a nice knife ... the 16 I think the blade is just under 5" ... then the 5 is quite a bit larger but a great knife.

Good luck with whatever you chose I think you'll be happy.
 
An over the thumb, around back of the hand lanyard is easy to make, easy to use, and adds a great deal of security. The lanyard hole in the BK handle is so large that you can slip the lanyard on using a girth hitch, then add or remove it from the knife in seconds. Just sayin'.
 
Bicycle inner tube, some people say never use one but I can’t remember why not. I always end up buying or making micarta handles for the Becker’s I use most often, the bk9 and the bk20. There real easy to swap out(for the larger knives) if you pack a different knife, so you can get by on one set. $40 is the best price I’ve seen. Then I started looking for affordable sheaths...
 
Do the micarta scales add any noticable difference to the balance of the BK7? I know micarta is heavier than grivory but I really like the balance of this knife. Much more nimble than you'd think just by looking at it and was wondering if anyone who had the micarta scales, does the BK7 feel more handle heavy with micarta? Speaking of just weight, do you prefer grivory or micarta?

I'm not worried about the knife being too heavy or anything like that, I just really like how this knife feels in hand now that I've had a chance to play around. Feels nimble and agile for it's size but still durable that you don't worry about pampering it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though since it's designed as a combat utility blade.
 
I haven’t tried the g10 scales, they must be a bit lighter in hand than the micarta though. My bk9 usually wears the micarta, and it’s a noticeable shift even with the larger bk9. To me they look a little bit more serious, or dangerous if that’s the right word, with different handles, but it’s up to the users preference
 
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