Help me to understand the 2

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
8,250
So I see a lot of people on here that say the 2 is their go to woods knife and that strikes me as odd but maybe it's just cuz I AM odd.:D Seems to me it's one of those in between blades that really doesn't do anything well. Is it a favorite because of the batoning and prying aspect or something I'm missing? I would think the best Becker knife for the woods would be a 9 teamed with a small and light companion whether it's a fixed or a folder. My go to is a BHKmachete, CS tomahawk or gb mini paired with a pocket knife.
 
why do you think it doesn't do anything well?

it can chop, pry, make feather sticks, cut your steak, split heavy logs, be used as a step on a tree, and does all knife duties.

sure, they're not quite as keen an edge as a mora, or as stout as an axe, but it really is a do all.
 
Shotgun said:
So I see a lot of people on here that say the 2 is their go to woods knife and that strikes me as odd but maybe it's just cuz I AM odd.:D Seems to me it's one of those in between blades that really doesn't do anything well. Is it a favorite because of the batoning and prying aspect or something I'm missing? I would think the best Becker knife for the woods would be a 9 teamed with a small and light companion whether it's a fixed or a folder. My go to is a BHKmachete, CS tomahawk or gb mini paired with a pocket knife.
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True, the 9 + smaller combo is quite versitle, and would suit you in the woods just fine.

The 2 fits the middle of the road aspect, with the ability to range out to smaller work and large knife work. The 9 can outchop the 2, but the 2 can chop, kinda like a small hatchet.

Jeff Randall has been carrying a GB Mini for a while now and loves it. Add up both the bits edges, its about the length of a 2, and it can slice better. Plus it can carve well too. As good an Opinel or Mora? No it won't. But it can carve anything I need in the woods.

Its a good in between, and the stoutness of the blade lends me confidence to use it as need or want to, with out any thought of it breaking and leaving me having to sort out a new blade from the broken pieces. I can drive it in a fatwood stump and kick it, to pry off big chuck. Its not the safest way to go about it, but it can be done safely. Beat it, pry, carve, chop, slice, push cut, and draw knife, lot of things I use in the woods.

Confidence carries a lot of weight with me, when choosing a knife. I tend to be rough with my stuff, and the BK2 is one of those knives I can be rough with.

The reason why I like the 2 and always have it in a bag with me, is because it fits all the needs I might have in an outing, or a tough spot. That and the price, you can get it and not break the bank.

Moose
 
Bladite said:
why do you think it doesn't do anything well?

it can chop, pry, make feather sticks, cut your steak, split heavy logs, be used as a step on a tree, and does all knife duties.

sure, they're not quite as keen an edge as a mora, or as stout as an axe, but it really is a do all.
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#

oh, and going on your icon, you're a Nessmukite :) the Trio is all important there. still, if you're carrying ONE knife, the BK2 is pretty bullet proof that way. the BK10 is not bad either, but even that is thicker than a typical Nessmuk blade and thus is more robust, so yes, you can use your primary blade as a end-all-be-all... it's much more portable than a BK9. possibly even a BK7.

even the largest Becker will fall behind a small forest axe, though the Machax/Combat Bow might make even with a hatchet...
 
Some people like to have some chopping ability without having to carry a long knife like the 9 on their belt.
 
It's a good "all around" knife, you're right that it doesn't excel at anything but it's able to do almost everything. If a person is limited to only carrying ONE knife on them, IMO the bk2 is the perfect compromise. Plus for $58 shipped, you're getting a LOT for your money. I take it you probably don't have a bk2.... buy one and you can see for yourself why it's so highly praised.
 
See post # 7. I like it because it is damn near indestructable. When i got my 9 & my 7 so stuck in a piece of hardwood that i was batoning, that i could'nt budge them, the BK2 came to the rescue. I put it tip first & batoned on the extended tang & it was enough to finish splitting it & get my 7 & 9 out.
 
Shotgun said:
Seems to me it's one of those in between blades that really doesn't do anything well.
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You are wrong. It does many things well. It isn't the best at everything but it is good at everything I've tried with it. It is a good chopper if you hold it correctly - though a BK9 is better. It is excellent at fine work. It is outstanding at batoning. It is good at slicing (though I suspect the BK5 is better) and so on. You'd likely have a better basis for opinion if you used one for a bit rather than guessing about it.

---

Beckerhead #42
 
I have been moving more in the direction of a "one knife" guy. I used to have all kinds of gizmo's and knives in the truck with me, or on my person.
I still love my Mora's and Puukko's...I have several, and take them on outings as well.
Why the BK2? Teamed with my Leatherman Wave....
Its is a great knife, it fits my hand well, I can whittle very well with it, a keen edge can go far. Its a great steel IMO. Its a perfect size, you can carry it cross draw or on your hip, or in your pack easily. It actually chops better for me than the 9, I don't use my knives to process firewood (unless it was some kinda emergency) so I usually chop to speed up carving, and the BK2 handles very well for detail work.
I think that if I was carving a chess set, I would take my Mora 510, but if I wanted to set up a camp site, the BK2 is the best knife on the market at its price point, and in many HIGHER price points as well. Unlike a Mora, I would pay much more for the BK2 than I have had to.

Finally..
If you wanted to buy a "survival knife" than the search is over...when you get right down to the brass tacks...we are all knife nuts here...so we often split hairs in our opinions.
I like many of Ethan Beckers designs, but the BK2 is "just right" on so many levels.
It is one of the BEST survival knives ever designed or made. The more I use it in the woods, the better a campanion it has become.
 
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BK2 - Jack of all trades, master of none.

Personally when I'm in a situation where a specialized knife is all I have I find that limiting. I don't want to carry several knives when packing lite is important. The BK2 may not be the BEST option in some circumstances, but it will always be a GOOD one in all.
 
I can second most everything that has been said here, except for this whole "cutting thru the side of an aircraft" business, I think I would prefer them not cut up.
 
My BK-2 can fit inside a small shoulder bag, on my belt, or pack, and stay out of the way. The fact that I can take it on a day hike is important. Maybe I'll take a Junglas, a small belt knife, and a folder when camping, but not on a day hike. In the event that I have to stay out, which has never happened, but could, then I'd be very glad I had my BK-2. Then I could make a fire and a shelter, and have confidence that the blade will do what I need. It chops better than you might think, with a lanyard and a two finger/thumb grip.
 
Widerstand said:
I can second most everything that has been said here, except for this whole "cutting thru the side of an aircraft" business, I think I would prefer them not cut up.
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Yea but dont you ever get tired of just sitting there waiting for people to get there stuff out of the overhead compartments? ;)
 
Getting down to the root of my multifaceted interest in knives reveals to me a primary theme (for myself).......... safety. I fell SAFER in an unpredictable environment if I have a tool with an excellent rep for reliability. This is also an important reason why I originally bought a Becker Brute years ago when I was in the far north. Getting lost in an unforgiving environment or being nibbled on by large bitey\scratchy things was not appealing to me. When I strapped that big hunk of steel on my leg I felt much more secure and in more control of a possibly poor situation. The 2, beside it's hard to describe excellent feel in hand, and performance, also gives me that reassurance that I am much better prepared in a bad situation outdoors. Much more so than just having a small folder that's for sure. Sure there are guys out there that can carve a log cabin with a pen knife, but I'm not one of them. I appreciate the concept of a relatively compact knife that's too tough for me to screw up.....................as I'm pirouetting through the woods.
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Buy one, understand.
If you don't understand, sell it.
To me at a discounted price say.
 
trailbum said:
Buy one, understand.
If you don't understand, sell it.
To me at a discounted price say.
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I will pay $2 more than trailbum....so keep that in mind. LOL.
 
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