First Post With a Question About A BK-9

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Joe_N

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Nov 11, 2015
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I just found BladeForums recently and this is my first post. I am a little overwhelmed with all the content on this site and I did do a search but didn't find an answer to my question. Yesterday I got my KaBar BK-9 and though I haven't had a chance to use it I am impressed with the knife, however, the coating on the blade is very rough. Will that roughness cause the blade to bind or drag any when chopping or batoning and will it wear smooth with use? I was thinking about using a ScotchBrite pad or some fine sandpaper to smooth the finish some. I am not interested in completely removing the finish just smoothing it out some. I know some of you on this site have a lot of experience with the BK-9 so should I try to smooth the finish some or not worry about it and just use it?

I am relatively new to the world of knives although I have always been fascinated with knives. I have carried a knife almost all my life and have been carrying a Buck Cadet for the last 35-40 years. I worked for an electric utility company and skinned many a control cable with the Buck knife and wore out more than one blade through the years. I grew up in a town that had a Case cutlery plant and as a kid had a drawer full of case knives. We could buy them for about a dollar apiece back in the 50s so we considered them more or less throwaways. I wish I had kept them but don't have one left. I still carry the Buck everyday at work but normally carry a Benchmade Mini Griptilian on the weekends. I have just started buying knives and the BK-9 was my most recent purchase though I have an ESEE 3 and another Mini Griptilian in the mail. I can see right now this newly revived interest could cost me some serious money.
 
Joe_N said:
I just found BladeForums recently and this is my first post. I am a little overwhelmed with all the content on this site and I did do a search but didn't find an answer to my question. Yesterday I got my KaBar BK-9 and though I haven't had a chance to use it I am impressed with the knife, however, the coating on the blade is very rough. Will that roughness cause the blade to bind or drag any when chopping or batoning and will it wear smooth with use? I was thinking about using a ScotchBrite pad or some fine sandpaper to smooth the finish some. I am not interested in completely removing the finish just smoothing it out some. I know some of you on this site have a lot of experience with the BK-9 so should I try to smooth the finish some or not worry about it and just use it?

I am relatively new to the world of knives although I have always been fascinated with knives. I have carried a knife almost all my life and have been carrying a Buck Cadet for the last 35-40 years. I worked for an electric utility company and skinned many a control cable with the Buck knife and wore out more than one blade through the years. I grew up in a town that had a Case cutlery plant and as a kid had a drawer full of case knives. We could buy them for about a dollar apiece back in the 50s so we considered them more or less throwaways. I wish I had kept them but don't have one left. I still carry the Buck everyday at work but normally carry a Benchmade Mini Griptilian on the weekends. I have just started buying knives and the BK-9 was my most recent purchase though I have an ESEE 3 and another Mini Griptilian in the mail. I can see right now this newly revived interest could cost me some serious money.
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Many KaBar/Becker users strip the coating off their knives for the very reason you mentioned. It's a very common practice. There are a ton of YouTube videos on modifying Beckers.
 
And there's a ton of experience on the Becker Forum. I'm sure the folks here will welcome you warmly.
 
I'm sure there would be somewhat more of a drag, but negligible. My BK4 has the new coating on it, and I didn't notice any deficit using it. It will smooth the more you use it. Here's a thread on my first use of the 4. There are tons of non knife related photos, but if you scroll down to the close up of the blade, you can see how the coating smooths out. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1223343-Fun-Weekend-With-The-BK4-(Photo-Heavy)

Nothing to worry about at all, use it like it was intended to be used.

By the way, congrats on the new 9. It's a hell of a blade, and still my favorite. Welcome to the forum, always good to see new people.
 
the coating doesn't add appreciable drag, but it does pick up and hold onto sawdust and dirt. :)
it will wear down over time, or you can smooth it down with medium/fine grit sandpaper -- a couple minutes with some 400 grit makes a noticeable change pretty quick.
One of the guys here worked his way through the grits with automotive wet/dry sandpaper (up to about 2000 grit) and ended up with a mirror polish on his coating.
That's a little excessive IMHO.

personally, I would just take it out and use it - then decide.
enjoy!
 
It'll pick up wood chips and such, for sure...even the smoother coated Beckers do it. What I haven't tried, but seems like it'd work, is wax the coating. There's a thread in the BK&T sub somewhere. Though I usually strip mine or do nada, the wax method seems like it would deter some of the "wood stick" I get with my still-coated blades.

And welcome to the forum, friend.
 
The more Beckers you buy, the more you will fall into a pattern with them. For me, I buy, beat the hell out of it, then strip the black and do some minor modding. It's a ritual that I've come to love. The more you use your 9, you will quickly decide if you want to keep the coating. Either way, it will smooth and begin to wear off.

Hope you have many good years out of your 9. And, welcome!
 
Thanks for all the responses. I'll use the knife for awhile and see how it does then if necessary I may do some smoothing.
 
The fresh coating will actually light a match. That could come in handy. :thumbup:
 
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