Going from the BK7 to the BK9

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YellowSwiss

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Sep 28, 2015
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The day I bought my BK7, I figured it would be my go to knife for the rest of my outdoor life. For all intents and purposes, it did everything I wanted it to do. Then, like so many here, I got Beckeritis and started adding to my Becker line up. After getting a steal of a deal on a 9, I took to the woods. After going back and forth between the 7 and the 9, I found out why mountain men and frontiersmen carried large blades.

Having found the 9 so wieldy, I did as many tasks as I could with it. This monster looks like you have a short sword in your hand, but cleans game like a 4 inch blade. Chopping, cutting and heck, even working kitchen duty all seem to be right up its alley.

I am definitely a fan of the king...anyone else find this big blade yo be your go to knife?
 
I agree. Think the 9 is probably the best all rounder. Even though it's LARGE, thin enough to slice like crazy as light enough to maneuver easily. Think the 7 can probably get just about everything done that 9 can but think the 9's more durable and better for wood work. That said I've really been thinking about giving the 7 another try. Didn't put the other one I had through many paces since was a Camillus version and didn't want to break it.
 
I'm not a fan of the BK-7, or medium-size blades in general. That 6-8" blade range is hugely popular among people who only want to carry one "do it all" knife, but the fact is they're mediocre-at-best at "almost everything", and not particularly good at anything. You're getting very nearly all the weight, but nowhere near the raw usefulness of a big knife.

A 9" or 10" blade has vastly superior leverage and power compared to a medium one, and can still be used for fairly fine work as you discovered. If I can only carry one blade into the boondocks, it's gonna be a big'un like the BK-9.

Better still, I prefer to carry a big knife for serious work and a smaller one for mundane tasks. BK-16, BK-11 are great choices for the "little brother" of the duo.
 
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Got to the campsite in the middle of the night. The BK9 helped make fire prep super fast. It had been raining all week, so splitting wood was a must. Thanks go to Ethan Becker for a great blade!
 
Thanks for a great post.... There IS a reason that Americans have been carrying big blades into the woods and off to war at the very least since the big kerfuffle at the sandbar........ A big Bowie is just so damned versatile......

The Nine had just been reissued by Ka-Bar when I went on a desert trip with Doug Ritter and Tony Nester and Soooo, I took it rather than some more "useful" size...... And I found that it was damned useful even in the desert....... Gathering thatch, putting together the framework for a hootch etc....... I have used big blades from Alaska to Argentina and there is no substitute.... I always want a Sixteen and an Eleven handy and an SA Rucksack for it's saw, can opener,
tweezers and eyeglasses screwdriver but, a big Bowie or Kukri has no real competition.........

Ethan
 
Ethan Becker said:
a big Bowie or Kukri has no real competition.........

Ethan
Click to expand...

Thanks for this insight! Wondering, Ethan, how you feel blades like the 9 and the 21 compare to each other, since they are so similar with the same blade profile, just in different shapes. If you could only take a 9 or a 21 into the woods, which would you take?
 
Hey JWL.....

A lot depends on where I was going, how much weight I was going to have to carry, etc...... If I was going into heavy tropical bush country and I was contemplating a lot of shelter construction the choice is obviously the RBK..... If I am traveling pretty light and the amount of bush construction is minimal I want a Nine...... If there is a jungle warfare scenario I am gonna put up with a lot in order to have the worlds best Kukri with me...... I have mentioned before George MacDonald Fraser's biographical 'All Quiet Out There' and his paen to the Kukri..... The Kukri has proven itself as tool and weapon from the Himalayas to Burma, Malaya to France, North Africa to the Falklands, and the list goes on..... And on...

It really depends on how much work is contemplated...... I rarely take my little work Kubota out and about without an RBK and a Stihl 170 in the back..... If I have a large tree down I go back to the shop for the Farm Boss...... I can handle The little to medium size with these two and the 170 is light and with a sharp chain is goer........ The Nine is like the small saw for anything reasonably small it is a perfect tool ...... The RBK does a lot more work per swing and it has reach for dealing with vines and thorny berry stalks and it will chop more efficiently but, like the Farm Boss it is not as easy to carry......

Trade offs, always trade offs...... Effing trade offs.....

Ethan
 
Ethan Becker said:
Hey JWL.....

A lot depends on where I was going, how much weight I was going to have to carry, etc...... If I was going into heavy tropical bush country and I was contemplating a lot of shelter construction the choice is obviously the RBK..... If I am traveling pretty light and the amount of bush construction is minimal I want a Nine...... If there is a jungle warfare scenario I am gonna put up with a lot in order to have the worlds best Kukri with me...... I have mentioned before George MacDonald Fraser's biographical 'All Quiet Out There' and his paen to the Kukri..... The Kukri has proven itself as tool and weapon from the Himalayas to Burma, Malaya to France, North Africa to the Falklands, and the list goes on..... And on...

It really depends on how much work is contemplated...... I rarely take my little work Kubota out and about without an RBK and a Stihl 170 in the back..... If I have a large tree down I go back to the shop for the Farm Boss...... I can handle The little to medium size with these two and the 170 is light and with a sharp chain is goer........ The Nine is like the small saw for anything reasonably small it is a perfect tool ...... The RBK does a lot more work per swing and it has reach for dealing with vines and thorny berry stalks and it will chop more efficiently but, like the Farm Boss it is not as easy to carry......

Trade offs, always trade offs...... Effing trade offs.....

Ethan
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insight. I like trade-offs, FWIW. Do I want to have a nice Nakiri for slicing onions...and not use my RBK? Can you cut timberframe joinery with a 5/8" chisel? Maybe....but can you also cut dovetails with a 2" slick? No. Perhaps it's because I like knives/tools, and perhaps, there is no ONE single cutting edge to do EVERYTHING. This is OK with me.....The RBK, the 9, the 4 and all of your other fantastic designs have their place and best use. For instance, I can open beers with my 9....but I really prefer the discreet and lightweight carry of the 11. Trade-offs? Sure. More knives for me? You bet! Thanks, Uncle E. My life has taken a different vector since I found the 9.....and this wonderful BK&T sub and its many adherents.
 
My mission (not groundbreaking by any means) is to find that one knife to fulfill as many needs as possible. The 9, with a multitool in the pouch (and ferro rod) fills so many needs.
 
Well this thread pushed me to add another Becker. I picked up a BK9 to go with my 2,5,7,10,15 and 17 and a 13 too.

The 7 is my favorite and I am hoping I'll like the 9 even more.
 
Ethan Becker said:
Hey JWL.....

A lot depends on where I was going, how much weight I was going to have to carry, etc...... If I was going into heavy tropical bush country and I was contemplating a lot of shelter construction the choice is obviously the RBK..... If I am traveling pretty light and the amount of bush construction is minimal I want a Nine...... If there is a jungle warfare scenario I am gonna put up with a lot in order to have the worlds best Kukri with me...... I have mentioned before George MacDonald Fraser's biographical 'All Quiet Out There' and his paen to the Kukri..... The Kukri has proven itself as tool and weapon from the Himalayas to Burma, Malaya to France, North Africa to the Falklands, and the list goes on..... And on...

It really depends on how much work is contemplated...... I rarely take my little work Kubota out and about without an RBK and a Stihl 170 in the back..... If I have a large tree down I go back to the shop for the Farm Boss...... I can handle The little to medium size with these two and the 170 is light and with a sharp chain is goer........ The Nine is like the small saw for anything reasonably small it is a perfect tool ...... The RBK does a lot more work per swing and it has reach for dealing with vines and thorny berry stalks and it will chop more efficiently but, like the Farm Boss it is not as easy to carry......

Trade offs, always trade offs...... Effing trade offs.....

Ethan
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks for that explanation!

I agree it's all about the tradeoffs. These days for woods use I've settled on the "small/medium/large" combo of the 16, 4, and 21. Then, I have a 5/15 combo for other tasks. Oh, and my 2.... and.... and.... and....

Stoopid tradeoffs. :-D
 
These two, along with the 5 and 15, are my favorite blades in the lineup. I think I'd probably pair the 21 and the 15 if I were going to carry 2. But then, I have a big bias towards khukuri.
 
I like a hawk, a fairly large knife that is good at clearing brush like the BK5, and either a multi tool or small boning knife like the Cub Bear. That said, the BK9 intrigues me and I wonder about its cross cutting abilities.

Survivormind
 
Those other blades are lying on the ground because my nine just simply gets it done. Quicker, easier, without fail everytime
 
For me the Bk7 is like when you go on a date and realize its wrong immediately, but you stick it out for the evening. However for the Bk9, its more like "Hey Baby, will you marry me?"
 
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