Ka-Bar BK-16 Quality Control : UPDATE

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I just love my BK-16. I'm pretty darned amazed that they are able to make thousands of the things with some component of hand grinding and have them get as close as they did. I never would have thought to compare 10 different knives and trace them out on paper to see the minor differences. To the naked eye they don't look that much different to me, and with hand grinding, unless they have some crazy super robot machine with laser robot eyes, the guy grinding the knife only has his eyes to compare. Anyway just my humble opinion.

PS - thanks for creating another drool knife for me. I didn't even know the potbelly existed before seeing the pics in this thread. Wow! I'll be looking for one of those in the near future.
 
iwouldhurtafly said:
You did such a good job with one of your saber 16s, Probably one of my favorite 16 mods. The thing just looks amazing.
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Thanks man. Means a lot. I put lots of time into that blade and love it dearly.

I really hope to....... as they say...... Polish these turds......... into something amazing. I can't hurt anything right?

And yes I will post pics for sure.

daizee said:
Dex, on the stubby I think there are at least two good options:

1) straight-clip it from the current tip
2) straight-clip it down to 1/8" or so below the current tip.

I'd do both to a good 0.5-1.5" behind where the current drop meets the spine.

Both would result in a badass looking FFG blade. As Trade used to say, "send it to me and I'll re-grind it for you."

The flat-faced one could simply be sharpened back into the correct curve. Obviously nothing will replace missing metal.
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Might try that on one of them. I've made up my mind to make a Becker skinning blade out of one of them for sure.

And that last one really does have enough metal to grind it right and not affect the original design. I really don't know why they didn't fix it when I sent it to them. They have all the tools already set up to sharpen and could have done it in 45 secs. I remember a guy set one back and Toooj personally hit it up on the grinder. Guess those days are long gone.

averageiowaguy said:
I just love my BK-16. I'm pretty darned amazed that they are able to make thousands of the things with some component of hand grinding and have them get as close as they did. I never would have thought to compare 10 different knives and trace them out on paper to see the minor differences. To the naked eye they don't look that much different to me, and with hand grinding, unless they have some crazy super robot machine with laser robot eyes, the guy grinding the knife only has his eyes to compare. Anyway just my humble opinion.

PS - thanks for creating another drool knife for me. I didn't even know the potbelly existed before seeing the pics in this thread. Wow! I'll be looking for one of those in the near future.
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What's up AIG? Love the podcasts.... Been listening since day one. Y'all keep up the great stuff. And those two Becker interviews were classic.

Anyway, yea man in person those two are very noticeable. I never would have thought to compare them either except I noticed something strange as soon as I took them out the box. And two back to back with in a week of each other. That's a serious problem in my book because before that all my knives were great examples of that design. So the chances of me getting two back to back that look like that means that there are lots lots more going out the doors of the Ka-bar factory just like them and even worse. I honestly believe there is someone new behind the grinder at Kabar.

And yea, make sure you get the new edition Potbelly, it's a real cool knife.
 
Please revert back to rational, level-headed discussion, or this one will be locked down.
We don't need to circle the wagons or fan the flames. The discussion here is about Becker knives.
 
NikkiR said:
48b3217b1449dea16b124e570708dedd_zps3d0f90ef.jpg

Everybody lighten up.
Something, Something...BK16
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Be excellent to each other.
 
Seriously? Last call for relevant posts.
I don't want to lock a good discussion, but it's not going to become a thread about manners.
Please follow AIG's and Dex's model above and make it about the knives.
 
Sooooo, Someone a while back turned a ffg 16 into a "Bushcrafter" the 16s in question might be perfect for such a grand experiment.
 
Hope you you do something interesting with those 16's Dex. Thanks for letting us know how it all went.
 
I turned a FFG 16 into a Tweener Shortie with less blade width, but it was more about my incompetence with Ethan's KMG and less about a desire for a scaled-down blade.
Man, it took a while to make that knife anywhere "right" with stones. My point? If you stink at grinding, there are all sorts of possibilities. :D
 
I got my first becker a BK16 in December. It has the same flat spot grinded into the curve below the tip just like one of Dex's 16s. It just looked a little wonky and it just didn't seem right but I had nothing to compare it to until this thread. I kept it and will use it when I go hunting but I feel these knives could and should be a little more consistent from the factory. The knives Dex showed are just too different from each other to be acceptable. I wouldn't buy another kabar becker knife either if this is what I could expect for my money. Anyways just my opinion ~
 
I think there are real tanto opportunities here. :p
Someone did make a tanto BK-5 that was just stunning. I can't remember who did it though.

I can only say this from a personal perspective...
Like Kyle, I'm impressed with the overall consistency of Ka-Bar's products, given the volume we're talking about.
The quality is definitely a step-up from Camillus's offerings. I have knives from that era that look as though different people ground each side.
And Ka-Bar has made definite improvements in terms of etching, coating, and sheaths. If you don't have one of the Camillus green sheaths, take my word for it.
I'm not opposed to some of the earnest critique here, but with a longer view in mind, I'd argue the grinds, finishing touches, and sheaths have gotten better in the Becker line.
 
Silverthorn said:
Sooooo, Someone a while back turned a ffg 16 into a "Bushcrafter" the 16s in question might be perfect for such a grand experiment.
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I remember that. I think they traced a Condor Bushlore blade outline on it. Made it more of a spear point.
 
Guyon said:
I think there are real tanto opportunities here. :p
Someone did make a tanto BK-5 that was just stunning. I can't remember who did it though.
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Nick had me do a rendering of one, I think for a friend of his. Then he had it executed.
 
Yes Guyon, I have been impressed with Kabar as well up until those two or else I wouldn't have bought so many. I think that's why I was so upset, because out of nowhere, I got two that were not the quality that I was used to.

I saved these pics so I wouldn't have to go digging for them, can't remember who they belonged to tho. If they are your pics, I hope you don't mind me reposting them. I'll remove them if its a problem.
bk15tanto_zps6a749c2f.jpg

tantobk5_zpscc614c53.jpg
 
instead of a tanto, Dex could make one of those stubbies into a WHARNECLIFF :>

that would be baddddddd to the bone :)
 
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