I'm baaaaack !!!!!

Ethan Becker

Ethan Becker

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Joined
Sep 1, 1999
Messages
3,564
Hey Everybody.......

I just spent 3 days with Tooge, John Stitt, Kim, and Tara at Ka-Bar, and Jason over at the Cutco plant where all the US made Ka-Bar product is made......Tooge and I were mostly working on a new series of knives to be made on a new smaller handle......I really am excited about the new stuff and the new handle......Many of you saw protos at PWYP last year and the year before.....I really liked the handle then but the intervening months have convinced me that changes have to be made.....With Tooge's input (and John's too) we are ready to get mock ups ordered.....Yeah, Hooray, etc.!!!!!!!!!!...

I am frothing at the bit about the little guys and can hardly wait to feel the protos in hand.......No matter how sexy you make stuff on paper you really never know how its is gonna feel in the hand or how it will WORK !!!!!.....I am certain that we are maybe only one revision away from making production plans....HOT Damn !!!!!!.....

I had the opportunity to both meet and take a bunch of pictures of some of the great people who make Becker Knives.....Sometimes I forget how much better the fit, finish and quality is now as opposed to how it was when I put them together in my garage in Cincinnati...... WOW.....The grinds alone are just amazing to me......The symmetry is as good or better than almost anybodies (Yeah, yeah--Ok,Ok ...then there is Chris Reeve)...I can see the crew over at Cutco improving with every batch.....I always cruise the Ka-Bar Marine Combat line and every time I do I see a marked increase in quality and production advances that IMPROVE the finished product, not just make it cheaper.....Very, very good to see in this day and age.......

I will be going thru the pix later today and then making sure I get the names right from Tooge monday and the impose on Bladite and post it all tomorrow or tuesday........

All Best.....

ethan
 
mmm, imposition :)

sounds like good stuff is coming...


Bladite
 
Ugh, you're such a tease! I'd be hugely interested to know what you've got cooking, the shear simplicity and rugged 'demeanor' of the Becker collection is imminently appealing.

You said smaller handle, how small are we talking?

And what sorts of blade shapes/purposes are we talking? (Small belt knife, camp knife, chopper, etc)
 
Oh, yeah, smaller handles if you like. What I would really like to see though, is a new Becker with about a 3 1/2 to 4 inch blade, and a real handle.

I know I've been whining about it for awhile, but I sure would love to see one.
 
it would be great if the necker handles and these new knives all fit, are interchangeable, come in sets, in colors, and ... well, you get the idea.

as well, if they work WITHOUT the handles, awesome :>

be sure to send out testing samples ;)


Bladite
 
Bladite said:
it would be great if the necker handles and these new knives all fit, are interchangeable, come in sets, in colors, and ... well, you get the idea.

as well, if they work WITHOUT the handles, awesome :>

be sure to send out testing samples ;)


Bladite
Click to expand...

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
and all of them hand convexed by toooj :)


Bladite
 
Ethan,

Glad you made it back okay. The weather was not cooperative but I hope you had a good time and I think we got alot accomplished.
Everyone in the factory was really stoked that you were out there glad handing.
They are great to work with.
We are already talking about the protos.


Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr. Eng.
Prod Dev and Quality
KA-BAR Knives
 
Toooj said:
Everyone in the factory was really stoked that you were out there glad handing.
They are great to work with.
We are already talking about the protos.
Click to expand...

get to convexing! :)


Bladite
 
Eh how are you gonna improve the classic BK&T handle? The size and proportions are doggone nearly perfect as they are.
 
Wolf_1989 said:
I think I'd like them better in micarta, but the form and shape are just right IMO.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the optional micarta grips might be better but, like you said, it's exactly the same form factor. I've been using knives for about 60 years, and the Becker grips are the best I've ever used.
 
dawsonbob said:
Yeah, the optional micarta grips might be better but, like you said, it's exactly the same form factor. I've been using knives for about 60 years, and the Becker grips are the best I've ever used.
Click to expand...

I've used my Magnum Camp extensively helping out neighbors butcher hogs and cattle. Even with the handle totally covered with blood, it's slippery but there's just something about the shape itself which helps it sort of lock into my grip. Ethan got it just right. I think if anything the micarta might add a bit more texture to it making it even better. But that's the only change I can see improving on something so nearly perfect.

It might be me but have you noticed that the screw hole in the center of the handle is in just the right place for the tip of your middle finger to stick in it just a little bit, improving your grip when the handle is slick?
 
Wolf_1989 said:
It might be me but have you noticed that the screw hole in the center of the handle is in just the right place for the tip of your middle finger to stick in it just a little bit, improving your grip when the handle is slick?
Click to expand...

I think you're correct: Ethan did get it just right.:thumbup:

No, until you mentioned it, I had never noticed that about the middle screw hole. When I read that I reached over and grabbed my BK-2 and — guess what — my finger falls naturally into that hole. Funny that I never noticed that before, but you're right: it does.
 
WOW ......

THANKS for the compliments......Only problem I am gonna have is fitting my old bald head thru doors the rest of the day!!!!!!!....

The smaller handle is really needed for the size of blades I wanted to design.....I really think you will like what you see and what you will feel......(I ALMOST wrote trust me!!!).....Seriously, I do think that you all will get a case of the slobbers soon...

All Best....

ethan
 
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