I wish the BK7 and BK9 came with the same sheath as the BK2!

[bigghoss]

double post

 

[KevinOubre]

I'm on board with a kydex sheath for the other BKs. the factory sheath is a decent build quality but horrible for actually using/carrying the knife. the bk2 sheath is great I used the factory sheath plus the lower section of a esee molle back to create my idea of a perfect drop-leg sheath for my bk2. I would like to see some pics of the BK9 in a junglas sheath. I really want a 2 piece kydex for mine rather than a foldover like all the off-the-shelf sheaths I have found. I emailed one guy about a custom sheath but never heard back. I also got the idea to try "poor man's kydex" but the PVC pipe I had on hand is a real pain to work with and whenever you heat it it goes back to it's original shape and fights every step of the way. I should just break down, build a press and get real kydex and do it right. even going all out for the right stuff would probably be cheaper than one custom sheath, for sure 2, and defiantly the half-dozen or so that I want.

does anyone know if the MOLLE back for the RC5/6 will fit the junglas sheath? I would like to copy the mounting system I did for my BK2 as close as possible but the back that comes with the junglas sheath is one piece.

I don't think the molle back for the ESEE 5 will fit on the Junglas. The sheath is significantly wider on the Junglas

 

[bigghoss]

If you're looking for kydex, I'd suggest looking at azwelke's work (forum member here) http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...heaths-azwelke?highlight=AZWELKE+KYDEX+BECKER

I don't have a sheath of his (yet), but many others here do and I think the pictures speak for themselves. If you scroll down a bit on the link above you'll see the two-piece or 'pancake' style sheaths. Prices are very reasonable too.

If you search his name in the Becker forum you'll see a few reviews people have done too.

he's who I emailed about doing a custom sheath for me. haven't heard back yet.

 

[bigghoss]

finally got a hold of him but paypal is being a royal PITA and not letting me send money even though there's no reason for my account to be limited.

 

[GingivitisKahn]

The stock sheaths aren't as good as kydex or as good as some sweet custom job by some of the folks here but they are perfectly functional. They hold the knife and keep it from cutting you.

Kind of a silly reason to avoid a fantastic knife but whatever floats your boat.

---

Beckerhead #42

 

[Long.Rider]

I like the BK7 & BK9 sheaths as I posted on Beckers used in or as your survival kit b.o.b... thread. This set up has served me well and I know that if I ever get lost stranded or in some survival situation it could be a life saver. The sheaths have held up well for me. Though honestly my BK2 is set up with a similar set up and is the one always on my hip. The BK7 & BK9 are normally my camp knives or strapped to my pack. IMO the the BK7 & BK9 sheaths are quiet serviceable and can be made to hold a lot of gear.

This is my set up. Rather than take credit for it here is the original post by Mac

My BK 7 Kit Knife

Survival Knives

In my reasoning a “Survival Knife” is a resource to get you through a “Survival Situation”. All else has failed for some reason and I have to fall back on the contents of my head and the items on my person to stay alive until I can get to safety. The survival knife is the last line of defense.

The very idea of a survival kit located on the sheath knife is that the knife is the most basic piece of gear and stays belted on during any wilderness activity. It cannot fall out of a pocket and is unlikely to be left behind by accident. It is unlikely to be lost overboard or swept away when crossing a river. If a person needs to exit a burning vehicle the kit goes with him while the pack may be lost.

Placing survival items on a knife sheath also presupposes that the normal items carried in the pack cover any foreseeable needs and that nothing in the knife kit should have to be used under normal circumstances, other than the knife itself. They are limited to the items necessary to spend a night or two in the wilderness and signal for help with no other resources other than the contents of the knife kit. The items in the kit must be capable of getting wet and must not degrade with time.

Knife Choices

Over the years I have been through a constant evolution in terms of what blade occupied this role. For many years I carried a Ka-Bar or the Air Force Survival Knife set up as a kit knife. In both cases I covered the sheaths with a rubber sleeve of some sort and put the kit contents under the sleeve. This system worked very well as long as I paid attention to the condition of the rubber.

Upon arrival in Brazil it quickly became apparent that I would have to carry a machete at all times. The most effective combination here is a machete and a small fixed blade. For a long time I carried the AFSK kit knife in this role. Upon further evaluation I decided that if for some reason I lost the machete that the AFSK would be inadequate by itself. Most often I leave my machete attached to my pack and if it were lost I would be in trouble.

The Ka-Bar was too light for much of the chopping tasks encountered here. I decided that my survival knife needed to be capable of chopping and clearing trail if it was the only tool I had. I finally settled on the Becker BK-7 and Livesay NRGS neck knife as the tools that always stay on my person in the bush.

I think ideally the kit should be built around a machete but I know myself in that I don’t like having anything that large attached to me in the bush. The BK-7 kit is about as much as I tolerate. I have a tendency to put my machete on my belt when traveling in heavy brush because the machete is in and out of its sheath often enough to warrant having it on the belt. If I run into the occasional snag I have found the BK-7 to be effective in cutting myself free but it is much harder to swing it constantly like a machete.

Likewise I vastly prefer the machete for clearing campsites and constructing shelters. The BK-7 can do these things as well but it is more work. I can live with this limitation because I can live with the BK-7 on my belt at all times. I know my habits enough to know that if I am in the bush with only a machete and small fixed blade that the small blade will be on my person and the machete attached to the pack 90% of the time. I’m much less likely to lose the BK-7 and it works well enough for a survival situation if that’s all I have.



BK-7 Kit Knife

HANDLE CONTENTS – The handle scales of the knife can be removed to reveal two small hollow cavities. These are removed with a small hex-wrench and filled with a fishing/trapping kit: line, sinkers, hooks, wire.

SHEATH CONTENTS – The sheath has a pouch that fits an Altoids tin and there is room below it to attach items with a rubber sleeve. Paracord is attached to the leg tie at bottom of the sheath and the wrist lanyard hole on the handle of the knife.

KNIFE SHARPENER
- US Army ceramic stone, Tied on, rides under velcro strap on top of Altoids tin

FIRE – The kit has both tinder and an initiator that are impervious to the elements.
- Sparklite fire starter, tin
- Sparklite tinder, 4, tin
- BSA Hotspark, in pouch alongside tin
- Straw of treated cotton, spare straw in tin
- Strike anywhere matches, waterproof, 6, under rubber sleeve
- Birthday Candles, 3, under rubber sleeve
- Rubber ranger bands, excellent fire-starters, various locations

WATER – The knife contains both a water container and treatment method.
- 5 liter galão de Emergêcia, rolled tightly under rubber sleeve below pouch
- Potassium Permanganate, 20mg, tin

SHELTER – The shelter provisions are intended to make the construction of an expedient shelter easier, not necessarily to compose a shelter. There are three components, water/wind proofing, heat proofing, and cordage. In practicality only a space blanket will fit on the sheath, attached by wide black rubber bands below the pouch. The space blanket is waterproof/windproof and will trap body heat. The duct tape is used to seal leaks and join seams. The space blanket and rolled water carrier is no more bulky than the pouch and Altoids tin above them.

- Space Blanket, under rubber sleeve
- Para cord, 7 strand, 2 meters attached as leg tie
- Duct tape, 1 meter, wrapped around space blanket
- Heavy needle and #4 waxed line for clothing repairs, tin

SIGNALS
- Starflash mirror, tin
- ACR Whistle, under rubber sleeve on back of sheath
- Inova Night Vision Red LED light, tin on braided neck cord
- Other signal methods include space blanket as reflector/marker, and fire/smoke
- Night signal reflector on back of medallion compass

NAVIGATION
- Medallion type liquid filled compass with braided #4 waxed-line neck cord, tin

LIGHT
- Inova Night Vison Red LED light
- 3 Birthday Candles
- Fire
MEDICAL
- Moleskin, inside bottom of tin
- 10 Ibuprophen, tin
- Salt, tin
- Potassium Permanganate, tin
- Sterile Scalpel Blade, tin
- Single edge razor blade, tin

Braided neck cord – The compass, Inova LED, ACR whistle, and Starflash mirror are to be attached to the neck cord and worn around the neck at all times during a survival situation. This leaves the compass readily available for navigation. It also leaves the day/night signal capability instantly accessible during the emergency.

BK-7 Kit Camp

With only the contents of this kit I would have the means to construct an improvised shelter and be able to wrap up in the space blanket inside it. I would have a fire and five liters of treated water, with salt to aid re-hydration in Brazil’s extreme heat. The signals group allows for some sort of signal capability, active and passive with sight and sound, day or night. If I had to walk out I would have a compass and foot care. I chose the Ibuprofen, as it is both a painkiller and anti-inflammatory. I believe the items in this kit will aid in actual survival and are not there just because they are nifty and small.

The other item that I always have belted on at all times is a US Army canteen with steel cup and stove sleeve. The pouch on the canteen carries two bottles of Potable Aqua, a yellow mini-bic lighter, and a small foil packet of KMnO4 as a back-up water purification system. Most of the time I also have my Recta DP-2 compass and a bottle of Bens 100 in a pocket along with some snack food items.

Mac

My BK 7 Kit Knife

 

[northingeasting]

As to sheaths, even Ethan has acknowledged that they are not the best. His comment was that Ka-Bar understands that a good percentage of Becker customers just go right out and order up a custom sheath anyway, so by providing a 'less than premium' sheath they can put more money into the knife itself.

As a device to safely carry a large blade the BK-7 & 9 factory sheaths are a good basic design. However, with a bit more thought and care that same design can be significantly improved. For example, the sheath provided with the Doug Ritter/Becker RSK MK II Perseverance is the same basic design as those provided with the BK-7 & 9, but is made of heavier material, has a better fitting insert, better stitching and a few touches like a stiffening tab on the retention strap pull and a MOLLE strap on the back. I think if Ka-Bar sourced their sheaths from the same manufacturer Doug Ritter gets his from (Doug's are made in Mexico) then I think a lot of gripes about the Ka-Bar sheaths would go away.

That said, the BK-7 and a custom Kydex sheath is a sweet combo. I had Azwelke make me a southpaw version and I love it!

 

[BRL]

I'm kinda partial to KA-BAR's model of providing simple sheaths that are adequate to hold the knife and cover the edge, while keeping their cost to the buyer very very low. I wouldn't want to have to pay for a great sheath for every knife; a lot of them sit in the truck or the shed or on the bench and probably won't ever ride my hip much. For the ones that do, it's not a bad thing to have gotten the knife cheaply and then been able to spend the money on a good custom from a wide variety of options.

Maybe it'd be cool if they had really good Becker sheaths available as an optional accessory, like for some of their f/us. I'd probably still buy a custom from the guys here though.

 

[abrasion]

Pretty much the opposite here.

I like the 9 sheath and wish my 2 came with one like it.

I have been thinking about finding an unwanted stock 7 sheath and using it for my 2.

I bought a kydex one from azwelke for my 7 and have an empty 7 sheath. If you want it it's yours, just pm me your address and I will send it to you.

 

[Long.Rider]

I'm kinda partial to KA-BAR's model of providing simple sheaths that are adequate to hold the knife and cover the edge, while keeping their cost to the buyer very very low. I wouldn't want to have to pay for a great sheath for every knife; a lot of them sit in the truck or the shed or on the bench and probably won't ever ride my hip much. For the ones that do, it's not a bad thing to have gotten the knife cheaply and then been able to spend the money on a good custom from a wide variety of options.

Maybe it'd be cool if they had really good Becker sheaths available as an optional accessory, like for some of their f/us. I'd probably still buy a custom from the guys here though.

EXCELLENT response thank you

 

[bigghoss]

As to sheaths, even Ethan has acknowledged that they are not the best. His comment was that Ka-Bar understands that a good percentage of Becker customers just go right out and order up a custom sheath anyway, so by providing a 'less than premium' sheath they can put more money into the knife itself.

the only reason I'm ordering a custom sheath is because I'm forced to. I would like to see them do like they do with the ka-bar fighting/utility knives where you can order it with a cheap sheath or for a bit more you can get the good sheath.

 

[TAGannon]

Crappy factory sheaths and companies like Busse and kin created this fantastic cottage industry of sheath makers. I for one am glad those companies do it like they do. Sure, for the casual buyer, it is a pain to hunt down a sheath. And sure, maybe Becker may lose a sale or two to ESEE because of the sheath, but if I really love a knife, and the sheath stinks, it does not keep me from still wanting the knife.

 

[trailbum]

I'm kinda partial to KA-BAR's model of providing simple sheaths that are adequate to hold the knife and cover the edge, while keeping their cost to the buyer very very low. I wouldn't want to have to pay for a great sheath for every knife; a lot of them sit in the truck or the shed or on the bench and probably won't ever ride my hip much. For the ones that do, it's not a bad thing to have gotten the knife cheaply and then been able to spend the money on a good custom from a wide variety of options.

Maybe it'd be cool if they had really good Becker sheaths available as an optional accessory, like for some of their f/us. I'd probably still buy a custom from the guys here though.

I agree.
I like the idea that I don't have to buy the premium package ( better sheath and micarta scales) on every knife I buy.
I can buy 2 Becker knives for every Esee.
That being said, I think Esee is a outstanding value for what you get.

 

[upnorth]

I agree with the O.P. I also had my 2 altered at a shoe repair business. He took off the small retaining tab and created a much larger, snug, double snap retainer. Didn't cost much and man that knife rides snug and secure.

 

[therainmaker]

I don't like the BK7 & 9 sheaths either. I'd like to see a picture of the 9 in a Junglas sheath like the poster above was referring to.

 

[Guyon]

Crappy factory sheaths and companies like Busse and kin created this fantastic cottage industry of sheath makers. I for one am glad those companies do it like they do. Sure, for the casual buyer, it is a pain to hunt down a sheath. And sure, maybe Becker may lose a sale or two to ESEE because of the sheath, but if I really love a knife, and the sheath stinks, it does not keep me from still wanting the knife.

I agree. I'd rather tailor my sheath preferences and not pay a bundle up front for a factory sheath I may not like.
That said, Randall and Perrin got it right with that Junglas sheath. I think I like it better than the knife.