First impressions of BK10

H

hwyhobo

Joined
Jan 23, 2006
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I got my Becker BK10 today from New Graham and wanted to share some early impressions and pictures. Let me just say the knife is fabulous, and it far exceeded any expectations I may have had. They only possible nitpick is a rather mediocre sheath, but that can be remedied in time.

First some pictures. At the URL below you will see several knives side by side. At the bottom you will also find comparison pictures of Buck 119 (which is portrayed earlier next to BK10) and Ranger RD7.

Here are the pictures

Now impressions:

Balance is exactly on the guard (top screw). That makes the knife so easy to maneuver and handle, it seems like an extension of your arm. The grip, which some complain about, fits my hand perfectly. It couldn't fit better if it was measured (I do have a fairly large hand). In fact, balance and grip fit (and general fit and finish) are major advantages that I see to BK10 over RD7. The latter for me had a poor grip, too slim for its mass and nose-heavy balance. Its fit and finish were also sub-optimal.

Even though BK10 is less than half the weight of RD7, it is no lightweight. It feels very substantial and solid. It inspires confidence. Out of the box it was sharper than either of my two Spydies (portrayed in the pictures). :)

Overall, I cannot understand how I managed to live without it so far. ;) I will definitely consider buying more BK10s for gifts for my friends.
 
Nice colection! I have the bigger brother (BK7) and love it. By using 150 sandpaper you can really make the handle fit you hand better.

I will buy a BK9 and BK10 when im in the US someday.
 
I was thinking of getting the BK7 as well (I probably will in the near future), but the logistics of carrying it while hiking are better with the BK10. I was thinking that a 6" version of it might be my ideal, but I settled for the 5.5". I suppose one sacrifices penetration and reach with the shorter brother, but most of the functionality is still there (plus improved easy of carrying).

The handle fits me like a glove as is - I consider that lucky, as I rarely find knives that fit me. The grips usually feel too small.

Overall, it really is a great knife. I am amazed at its price, too.
 
hwyhobo said:
the logistics of carrying it while hiking are better with the BK10
Click to expand...

That's the same reason why i would like to have the BK10. but next to penetrating power it has a lot lass chopping power.
 
I took my Crewman on a week long survival class and it got borrowed a lot by all the others who to a person, had Moras.
 
Macclint said:
I took my Crewman on a week long survival class and it got borrowed a lot by all the others who to a person, had Moras.
Click to expand...
Macclint, please tell us about your experience. How was the class in general, what did the Crewman did particularly well, where did it fall short (no pun intented ;)), and any other impressions you may have had of it.
 
The only complaints I can come up with in regards to the BK10, is that I wish I had slightly thinner handles (easily remedied) and I wish the tip was just a bit pointier.
 
Those knives have caught my eye on several occasions, but right now with no spare finances I can't justify getting something I have no real use for. Already got the territory covered with a bigger blade. I think if I were to get one though, I'd probably remove the handle scales and see if I could modify the tang by tapering it to improve the dynamic balance.
 
:) Sorry man, I shouldn't have baited you like that. I've been trying to help shed some light on balance issues for a while now.

You seem to think the balance at the guard makes the blade feel light. This may be true while just holding it in your hand or while using it like a paring knife, but will not be true if you try using it in dynamic situations like a big blade should. You lose things like handling speed and cutting power at the same time.

Here's one thread where I mentioned the same stuff. Ka Bar Heavy Bowie
And another where I put some of these principles into practice while modifying another knife.
Improving my Khukri's balance.
 
the possum said:
You seem to think the balance at the guard makes the blade feel light. This may be true while just holding it in your hand or while using it like a paring knife, but will not be true if you try using it in dynamic situations like a big blade should.
Click to expand...
But it is not a big blade. For those who want a hatchet substitute for chopping, there is BK9 and BK1 (and even BK7 as a compromise somewere in the middle). Why would I want the same balance out of a short-bladed knife?
 
Because it will still matter even for lighter impacts, such as trimming small branches, and will still make a big difference if you want to use it for splitting/batoning. But you're right in that I should have asked whether you even care to use it in the same manner I use my knives in that size range. I'll step down from the soap box now. :)
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macclint
I took my Crewman on a week long survival class and it got borrowed a lot by all the others who to a person, had Moras.

Macclint, please tell us about your experience. How was the class in general, what did the Crewman did particularly well, where did it fall short (no pun intented ), and any other impressions you may have had of it.
Click to expand...

I took this Class with Earthwalk Northwest
http://www.earthwalknorthwest.com/courses/survivaltrek.htm

My Becker Crewman was used to chop and limb willows up to about an inch and a half in diameter. I wrap the lanyard around my wrist and swing the knife from the end of the handle for more force. I found the handle slick, so I wrapped a little camo cloth tape around it, and it was just fine.

The Moras, while great for peeling bark and slicing, were not so great at anythng that involved splitting or chopping. I used the Crewman to make a bow drill set from a limb, and I was able to get the basic shapes very quickly by splitting/battoning the Crewman through various willow branches. I also used the crewman, (grabbing the back of the blade) as a draw knife for smoothing out rough spots on an Atl Atl dart. It was also used to gouge out pitch from a log. At the end of the week, I only had to do a light touch up on the edge to get it back to excellent sharpness.

It also let me sleep more soundly at night as I was sleeping under a tarp with Coyotes running the length of the valley all night (and howling).

The only time I couldn't use it was when I had to dress a mallard. I can't imagine using the crewman for any fine work.

I own a BK9 and a BK7 and they are excellent knives, but I like the crewman best because I can fit it in a butt pack. Most folks I meet on the trail are intimidated by sheath knives, :eek: and that's not what I want. Most of the people I meet here on the trails in the Cascades are nice people, made even friendlier by being out in the glory of the mountains. I keep my knife (and usually my camp) hidden so that I can enjoy the interesting folks I meet.

But that's just me, I could be wrong. :p

Clint Hollingworth
The Wandering Ones webcomic
http://www.wanderingones.com
 
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