-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Haze's Tough Guy BK9 Passaround Discussion and Review thread
- Thread starter Moosez45
- Start date
mrn8
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2007
- Messages
- 3,932
OK, here's the rest of my review. I really looked at this as an all-purpose camp knife test, since I don't have a 7 or 9 to compare it to. The bowie cut on the top of the blade is absolutely phenomenal for batonning. Like OLJ and Murph said, it doesn't chew up your baton, just takes some bark off of it. It also give an sweet spot for that baton to hit and it won't just slide off. After these few days with such an awesome blade, the 9 is on my buy list and I will definitely be considering finding someone to cut the swedge on the front down into a bowie cut. To be honest, I've never liked or understood the bowie blade shape, but now I'm really starting to love it.
So, here we start with a BK9, a baton, and a victim. All my seasoned wood is split if it's big enough for this test, so this is what we went with.
One strike into the log and 5 hits with the baton and we have a split log. I wasn't really wailing on it, either, otherwise I suspect it would have be able 3 hits with the baton log.
To start splitting off the smaller kindling pieces, one stroke near the edge did this, and one hit with the baton finished it off.
Two minutes later (literally, and with photos included) we have a pile of kindling and have proven that the BK9 can do some detail work.
The BK9 is turning into somewhat of a diva and needed another moment in the spotlight.
After this, it still slices newspaper cleanly. I quickly cut two strips and caught a snag partway through on the third. Mostly my fault it snagged, because I let the paper fold. It's off to the strop to get it ready to send off. Yes, I may shed a tear as I hand it off at the post office, but at least we'll get one more shot together for the tough-guy pose.
So, here we start with a BK9, a baton, and a victim. All my seasoned wood is split if it's big enough for this test, so this is what we went with.
One strike into the log and 5 hits with the baton and we have a split log. I wasn't really wailing on it, either, otherwise I suspect it would have be able 3 hits with the baton log.
To start splitting off the smaller kindling pieces, one stroke near the edge did this, and one hit with the baton finished it off.
Two minutes later (literally, and with photos included) we have a pile of kindling and have proven that the BK9 can do some detail work.
The BK9 is turning into somewhat of a diva and needed another moment in the spotlight.
After this, it still slices newspaper cleanly. I quickly cut two strips and caught a snag partway through on the third. Mostly my fault it snagged, because I let the paper fold. It's off to the strop to get it ready to send off. Yes, I may shed a tear as I hand it off at the post office, but at least we'll get one more shot together for the tough-guy pose.
GODSPEED TACTICAL
BANNED
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2011
- Messages
- 738
Everytime I look at this thing I think it looks like an "Angry Rhinoceros"! Can't wait to get my hands on it and I'm so glad I made the list, great pics so far. Now we're waiting for the "tough-guy pose"
Eli
Eli
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2011
- Messages
- 26,013
Good stuff mrn8.
mrn8
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2007
- Messages
- 3,932
First, the setup:
Saying a prayer for the soon-to-be deceased, or maybe contemplating my options.
Going for the straight-on chopping. Let's just say plastic rebounds...ended up cracking it, but was kind of hoping to split the lid.
OK, her's the tough-guy shot. I spend my days working in IT and figured, why not go "Office Space" style for this. Unfortunately, I just (in November) tossed out a few of the actual printer models from the movie, so this one that gave me fits from Day 1 gets to meet it's maker, via the all-mighty BK9. Along the lines of OLJ, I've got on Cabela's XPG winter gloves (mmm...toasty), lightweight winter jacket (not toasty, good for an office worker), Merrell Hiking shoes (that's my daily homage to the life I desire), and the printer was on fire in this pic. Can't tell, unfortunately, but with it snowing/sleeting with 20mph wind, and my 7D sitting in those elements, I decided to not push it.
Alright, it's sad to see this go, but my wife says I can order my own, so that make the pain a little more bearable. It'll be headed your way, Psyop! I'll send you the DC# shortly.
Saying a prayer for the soon-to-be deceased, or maybe contemplating my options.
Going for the straight-on chopping. Let's just say plastic rebounds...ended up cracking it, but was kind of hoping to split the lid.
OK, her's the tough-guy shot. I spend my days working in IT and figured, why not go "Office Space" style for this. Unfortunately, I just (in November) tossed out a few of the actual printer models from the movie, so this one that gave me fits from Day 1 gets to meet it's maker, via the all-mighty BK9. Along the lines of OLJ, I've got on Cabela's XPG winter gloves (mmm...toasty), lightweight winter jacket (not toasty, good for an office worker), Merrell Hiking shoes (that's my daily homage to the life I desire), and the printer was on fire in this pic. Can't tell, unfortunately, but with it snowing/sleeting with 20mph wind, and my 7D sitting in those elements, I decided to not push it.
Alright, it's sad to see this go, but my wife says I can order my own, so that make the pain a little more bearable. It'll be headed your way, Psyop! I'll send you the DC# shortly.
GODSPEED TACTICAL
BANNED
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2011
- Messages
- 738
Well done sir! Like the "Office Space" action.
Eli
Eli
Psyop
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2011
- Messages
- 9,412
I got the knife late Saturday afternoon. First test is some chopping I am far from an expert chopper. The log was a branch from my apple tree that I cut several months ago and saved for the smoker. It was maybe half way between green and dry.
Here is my 9 next to Hazes
I started with my 9 it got a decent bite the first swing
All of the chopping was done kneeling with the branch on my block Im recovering from a back injury and cant bend very well. It certainly would have been easier if I was on my feet instead of knees I think. Anyway 50 chops with my 9
Now for Hazes
It took right at 54 chops
Next I tried the Fiskars I really thought it would chop way better it didnt at least not from the same kneeling position
58 chops
Couple thoughts I think Hazes chopped a bit better than mine but it was at a disadvantage as my lanyard fits me right and I think I had better leverage.
I really was surprised that they both out chopped the hatchet, but I would have normally been stooped over the wood so it may not have been a fair test.
The finish on Hazes knife is holding up VERY well it still looks good and has pretty minimal wear.
More to come
Here is my 9 next to Hazes
I started with my 9 it got a decent bite the first swing
All of the chopping was done kneeling with the branch on my block Im recovering from a back injury and cant bend very well. It certainly would have been easier if I was on my feet instead of knees I think. Anyway 50 chops with my 9
Now for Hazes
It took right at 54 chops
Next I tried the Fiskars I really thought it would chop way better it didnt at least not from the same kneeling position
58 chops
Couple thoughts I think Hazes chopped a bit better than mine but it was at a disadvantage as my lanyard fits me right and I think I had better leverage.
I really was surprised that they both out chopped the hatchet, but I would have normally been stooped over the wood so it may not have been a fair test.
The finish on Hazes knife is holding up VERY well it still looks good and has pretty minimal wear.
More to come
Psyop
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2011
- Messages
- 9,412
I have it but I should have taken it took work today. Had a nice fire I could have got a cool pic. Thats me on the far left.
http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/30306362/detail.html
http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/30306362/detail.html
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2010
- Messages
- 15,417
I have it but I should have taken it took work today. Had a nice fire I could have got a cool pic. Thats me on the far left.
Oh, shit. I thought I recongized you.
Epic pic.
Moose
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2010
- Messages
- 6,852
Hey, check it out. Psyop actually IS a tough guy. Hope you come up with something comparably epic that doesn't require someones house to burn down. Also, looking forward to seeing this beauty.
- Joined
- May 7, 2011
- Messages
- 1,880
This could be an entry to my contestI have it but I should have taken it took work today. Had a nice fire I could have got a cool pic. Thats me on the far left.
http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/30306362/detail.html
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2008
- Messages
- 9,366
That is a seriously awesome picture.
I have it but I should have taken it took work today. Had a nice fire I could have got a cool pic. Thats me on the far left.
http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/30306362/detail.html
Psyop
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2011
- Messages
- 9,412
Well I had a bit of time to play with it today so I decided to try a feather stick. It handled it fine although it wasnt my best stick ever, Hazes knife was still plenty sharp and I had good control. I had not sharpened it after my chopping and batoning.
Psyop
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2011
- Messages
- 9,412
I got the knife in the mail today. Crimson should get it Wednesday. I was sad to see it go.
Over all I think its a great knife. I all ready loved the BK9 and Hazes mods improved it. The finish is very tough and the convex grind seemed to hold an edge much better than my stock one. The swedge was an improvement for batonning as the standard one chews up batons pretty fast. Thanks for the passaround!
Over all I think its a great knife. I all ready loved the BK9 and Hazes mods improved it. The finish is very tough and the convex grind seemed to hold an edge much better than my stock one. The swedge was an improvement for batonning as the standard one chews up batons pretty fast. Thanks for the passaround!
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2010
- Messages
- 6,852
It's Wednesday, and I just got the box. I haven't been this excited to open up a box in a LONG time. I've kinda gotten used to the BK2, which is one heavy behemoth of a blade, and unlike many of the other fellows, I don't own a BK9. I have really been excited to find out what all the hype is about, especially with one that's as classy as this knife. I was surprised, just for starters, at how light the box was. The stock is much thinner than on the 2, so I was surprised upon unboxing it at just how quick and light this blade is.
Anyways, as someone who doesn't know already first-hand how great the BK9 is, I'm going to approach the review aspect of this passaround from a different perspective, and talk about it in context of someone who loves khukuri, and wants to find out just how amazing this knife can be.
The first thing I noticed is that it comes in what I believe is the Spec Ops sheath. It's a well-made sheath, for those of you that haven't seen one. I found it worth remarking that while the sheath has clearly been well-loved, evidenced by wear on the retention strap and front pouch, it's still in perfectly good and functional condition. This doesn't have a whole lot to do with Haze's modifications, of course, but still, it's a nice sheath. As well loved as it is, however, I'm excited to see what GODSPEED comes up with in the leather realm.
It's a big knife, but perhaps because I've been working on swords and khukuri for a while, it doesn't strike me as being scary big, and it's also very well balanced, and surprisingly light for someone used to the BK2. Still, it's one serious hunk of steel!
It's currently wearing micarta, which I am guessing is the micarta from Ka-bar. We all know how comfortable a Becker handle is, and this one is no exception. The swell in the middle of the handle provides good control on a snap cut, and it does a good job of fitting the hand. There's a paracord lanyard on this one to help keep it in your hand.
One of the changes I noticed that Haze made, is that he ground down the pommel into almost a chisel or large screwdriver. It looks like it would work in a pinch as a large screwdriver for some jobs, and also makes for a nice feature for prying, I'd imagine.
Becker goodness:
Check out the balance on this bad boy!
It balances maybe a half-inch above the top of the handle. So it's a little blade heavy, lending power to those snap cuts. But it's far enough back that you can move the blade around very easily. The BK9 is called the Combat Bowie, and it certainly shows in Haze's rendition. The center of balance gives it a little snap on a chopping cut, but is not so forward that you feel like you might lose it.
Oh, and did I mention that this is a nice big hunk of steel? Cause, that's a KNOIFE!
Notice the clip point on this blade. Losing the swedge and putting in that clip really gives it more of a bowie look, to my mind, than the original has. For reference:
From my micrometer test, it appears to be about .187", probably around 1/5 of an inch. Some places call it 1/4", but it's not that hefty of a blade for something that's got a massive 9" blade. I can't get over how it doesn't feel like a blade that long. So far, in the hour I've had it in my hands, that's something that just keeps coming up in my mind.
It came pretty darn sharp, and also seems to have a little sharpening stone in there. I'm not sure who's responsible for the edge, so I'm not going to remark on it too much. It's not exactly a mirror edge or anything, but it's plenty good. I noticed that it's prone to tearing newsprint on a push cut closer to the handle, for whatever reason (maybe my crappy technique), but it eats it up nice and smooth on the rest of the blade.
It also appears to be nicely convexed, which will doubtless help it in the chopping contest.
So far, I've got very positive first impressions of Haze's BK9. The changes he made are aesthetically pleasing to my eye, and appear to be well thought out as well. Grinding down the pommel gives you a prying surface on a part of the blade that's supported by the handle, and a field-expedient large screwdriver for certain tasks, although it's likely to be more uncomfortable if you want to use it to pound the blade into stuff. That doesn't feel nearly as nice on the palm as the standard handle. The clip point also gives a good grip for a baton, or for your hands on a draw cut. However, I'm most struck by the finish. You can see from the pictures that after 4 people have done some good chopping and cutting with this knife, it's still holding up fine. I've done a bit of knife-making here and there, strictly amateur, and I can attest to the fact that durable finishes aren't easy to do. Sure, it will scratch on something hard fairly easily. But wood, cardboard, etc, doesn't seem to touch it.
Next installment will be a chop-off, starring the BK9, Ka-bar Kukri machete, and one of my HI khuks. I'm also going to test out one of my own make and design for my own edification, but I'll leave that part out unless someone wants to see. Thanks again to Haze (and Moose?) for this contest and pass-around. I hope you find my contribution worthwhile. More to come!
Anyways, as someone who doesn't know already first-hand how great the BK9 is, I'm going to approach the review aspect of this passaround from a different perspective, and talk about it in context of someone who loves khukuri, and wants to find out just how amazing this knife can be.
The first thing I noticed is that it comes in what I believe is the Spec Ops sheath. It's a well-made sheath, for those of you that haven't seen one. I found it worth remarking that while the sheath has clearly been well-loved, evidenced by wear on the retention strap and front pouch, it's still in perfectly good and functional condition. This doesn't have a whole lot to do with Haze's modifications, of course, but still, it's a nice sheath. As well loved as it is, however, I'm excited to see what GODSPEED comes up with in the leather realm.
It's a big knife, but perhaps because I've been working on swords and khukuri for a while, it doesn't strike me as being scary big, and it's also very well balanced, and surprisingly light for someone used to the BK2. Still, it's one serious hunk of steel!
It's currently wearing micarta, which I am guessing is the micarta from Ka-bar. We all know how comfortable a Becker handle is, and this one is no exception. The swell in the middle of the handle provides good control on a snap cut, and it does a good job of fitting the hand. There's a paracord lanyard on this one to help keep it in your hand.
One of the changes I noticed that Haze made, is that he ground down the pommel into almost a chisel or large screwdriver. It looks like it would work in a pinch as a large screwdriver for some jobs, and also makes for a nice feature for prying, I'd imagine.
Becker goodness:
Check out the balance on this bad boy!
It balances maybe a half-inch above the top of the handle. So it's a little blade heavy, lending power to those snap cuts. But it's far enough back that you can move the blade around very easily. The BK9 is called the Combat Bowie, and it certainly shows in Haze's rendition. The center of balance gives it a little snap on a chopping cut, but is not so forward that you feel like you might lose it.
Oh, and did I mention that this is a nice big hunk of steel? Cause, that's a KNOIFE!
Notice the clip point on this blade. Losing the swedge and putting in that clip really gives it more of a bowie look, to my mind, than the original has. For reference:
From my micrometer test, it appears to be about .187", probably around 1/5 of an inch. Some places call it 1/4", but it's not that hefty of a blade for something that's got a massive 9" blade. I can't get over how it doesn't feel like a blade that long. So far, in the hour I've had it in my hands, that's something that just keeps coming up in my mind.
It came pretty darn sharp, and also seems to have a little sharpening stone in there. I'm not sure who's responsible for the edge, so I'm not going to remark on it too much. It's not exactly a mirror edge or anything, but it's plenty good. I noticed that it's prone to tearing newsprint on a push cut closer to the handle, for whatever reason (maybe my crappy technique), but it eats it up nice and smooth on the rest of the blade.
It also appears to be nicely convexed, which will doubtless help it in the chopping contest.
So far, I've got very positive first impressions of Haze's BK9. The changes he made are aesthetically pleasing to my eye, and appear to be well thought out as well. Grinding down the pommel gives you a prying surface on a part of the blade that's supported by the handle, and a field-expedient large screwdriver for certain tasks, although it's likely to be more uncomfortable if you want to use it to pound the blade into stuff. That doesn't feel nearly as nice on the palm as the standard handle. The clip point also gives a good grip for a baton, or for your hands on a draw cut. However, I'm most struck by the finish. You can see from the pictures that after 4 people have done some good chopping and cutting with this knife, it's still holding up fine. I've done a bit of knife-making here and there, strictly amateur, and I can attest to the fact that durable finishes aren't easy to do. Sure, it will scratch on something hard fairly easily. But wood, cardboard, etc, doesn't seem to touch it.
Next installment will be a chop-off, starring the BK9, Ka-bar Kukri machete, and one of my HI khuks. I'm also going to test out one of my own make and design for my own edification, but I'll leave that part out unless someone wants to see. Thanks again to Haze (and Moose?) for this contest and pass-around. I hope you find my contribution worthwhile. More to come!
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2010
- Messages
- 15,417
That's a standard Kabar sheath, btw, and it was mine. I carried my BK9 in it for a while, until I decided to make a couple for it.
Yeah, well loved. I had to wash all the mud off of it, before I sent it out. The sheath Haze sent it to me in, had some, um, er, modifications.
Moose
Yeah, well loved. I had to wash all the mud off of it, before I sent it out. The sheath Haze sent it to me in, had some, um, er, modifications.
Moose
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2010
- Messages
- 6,852
Thanks for the info. I just did a little pounding on some wood with a few of the blades I mentioned. I'm actually very surprised by how hard it is to cut a two by four across the grain. Granted, my technique sucks. But tests along the end grain were somewhat inconclusive, because all of the knives split the two-by-fours in one blow. I had to swing pretty lightly to get the BK9 and my own knife to NOT cut all the way through, and the HI WWII is just too hefty, and it practically splits the wood by itself. I think I need to find a log or two to beat on here.