-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Looking for medium size survival knife!
- Thread starter RobbyJoz
- Start date
Both. Those are two very different blades that compliment each other very well. If you can only get one get the BK2 and toss in a Mora for a few extra bones.
Why not? Is it against the "survival knife rules"?
Of course a Mora can be a survival knife. Any knife can.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2011
- Messages
- 1,486
If by 'survival' you mean something you could carry through the forest for days trying to make it back to civilisation (or hiding from civilisation) then the BK-2 is one heavy hunk o' steel and will have you thinking twice. The BK-16 is more the thing you want, but I just didn't like mine and so sold it. Will your budget stretch closer to the $100 mark? If so, check the ESEE 4, a great, tough knife, superior sheath to the BK-7 (which I also love btw) as well as being much smaller, and impresses everyone I show it to. It's the knife I would want with me in either of the 'survival' situations I outline above.
BK2, its hard to beat its versatility, and will more than likely make you a die hard Becker fan. I think you would be more than impressed with it.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,020
You know, for 75 bucks..you could get a Bk-11, a Leatherman Sidekick, and likely a small folding knife. I know it's been said many times, but "Survival" as well as "Tactical" usually means a saw-blade on the spine or a black coating. If you want a "survival" knife you can and will use, get something with a price tag that doesn't bug you and that you can EDC--a bk-11 or an Izula for example. Couple those with a multi-tool and folding knife and you've got it. 
shortwinger
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2010
- Messages
- 1,090
The most important question, found in post #2, has not yet been answered or even acknowledged and so people are just spouting "their" favorite, not what would work best for you.
Creaky Bones
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2012
- Messages
- 924
I have both the BK2 and BK16. I love the 16. The BK2 is an awesome knife, but more than I need for general use. All that being said, if I wanted to impress my grandfather (if he was still here) I'd look at a Queen Cutlery drop point hunter. D2, full tang, beautiful handle, and under your price range max, and it comes from a US company that's been around for 120 years. If I was headed out on a hike, I'd likely carry the BK16 or more likely my Swamp Rat Rodent Solution, but if I wanted to impress someone I looked up to, I'd go with the Queen. There's a semi-decent (but long) video review on You Tube- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E07n_3cYm30
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2012
- Messages
- 1,949
I cant say I understand this statement. So you are saying a Becker is more of a survival knife than a Mora is. Either one will most likely out last the person paying for it and as far as bushcrafting tasks go a Mora would run complete circles around a BK-7, the 7 would only do better on things such as chopping and batoning larger pieces of wood.
Btw my suggestion would be do your very best to save up an extra 25 bucks and take a hard look at an ESEE 3 or 4 I would take them over the Beckers. If you just can not manage that extra 25 (I know money is really tight for a lot of people right now myself inculded) there is nothing what so ever wrong with the Becker BK-16. It is a fine knife that will serve you well for years to come.
The BK7 will still do almost (if not all) of the same tasks that the Mora will do (albeit with less finesse), while being better at other tasks like you said. It is a good blade if you are looking for compromise. And most Moras don't look anything like rambos knife
.Also, the ESEE 4 is much more than $25 extra compared to the Becker BK16 the last time I checked. The ESEE 4 goes for ~$110-130, while the BK16 goes for ~$65 -70. I'll agree that they're great knives, just that the pricing on them is more like ~$40-60 higher. Of course they come with Micarta and kydex, and by the time you add that the the becker the total investment becomes roughly the same.
Also, the Becker is approximately the same size, with a thinner blade stock (5/32 vs 3/16) and I feel is a good split between the crazy tough super thick blades, and the thinner, mora type blades.
Thats just me though.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2006
- Messages
- 8,250
Not sure I understand how they compliment each other. Could you explain that one? I can see one being a backup for the other but at the weight these guys are at, that's a seriously heavy redundancy.
To the OP, if the beckers float your boat then go with the 16. Lighter weight means more likely carried. If you want the most usefulness then get a Mora and a Tram machete or a Silky pocket boy. Not flashy but will get the job done with a lot more ease and for a lot less cash. They're not flashy by any means but I'm sure your grandfather has been around the block a bit and would prize usefulness and thriftness over flash.
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2012
- Messages
- 1,949
The BK7 will still do almost (if not all) of the same tasks that the Mora will do (albeit with less finesse), while being better at other tasks like you said. It is a good blade if you are looking for compromise. And most Moras don't look anything like rambos knife
Also, the ESEE 4 is much more than $25 extra compared to the Becker BK16 the last time I checked. The ESEE 4 goes for ~$110-130, while the BK16 goes for ~$65 -70. I'll agree that they're great knives, just that the pricing on them is more like ~$40-60 higher. Of course they come with Micarta and kydex, and by the time you add that the the becker the total investment becomes roughly the same.
Also, the Becker is approximately the same size, with a thinner blade stock (5/32 vs 3/16) and I feel is a good split between the crazy tough super thick blades, and the thinner, mora type blades.
Thats just me though.
Just priced them out and your right it is about a 40 dollar difference for the BK-16 and the ESEE 4 with the molle back right around 25 for the 4 without the molle back. I do agree with the 5/32 over 3/16 then again I would take an ESEE 3 over the 4 or the BK-16 mainly due to its 1/8 inch thick stock. I think so very many knives this size are made out of stock that imo is just to thick. That is the reason I have sold off my ESEE 5 and BK-2 I think 1/4 inch thick stock in a knife that size is just plain useless.
Last edited:
I didn't realize the ESEE 3 was that thin, nice
.I also agree that thicker knives aren't always better. I do own a BK2, and agree its not the nimblest knife out there, but I've actually been surprised with how much detail work (bushcrafting wise yes, I'm not a hunter so I couldn't say anything about skinning/game processing). I'm not saying its my ideal bushcraft knife, but its actually surprisingly comfortable being pushed into many different uses.
Also, there are many good blades out there for this price range. The Cold Steel SRK, the Condor Bushlore, Kabar MK1, Condor Rodan, Condor Hudson Bay, Svord Kiwi General Outdoors, Svord economy drop point hunter are all worth a good solid look.
Good luck man, and I'm sure your grandfather will be happy with whatever you get. I think you'll impress him more by knowing how to handle it, use it, and maintain it though
.