My BK2 Arrived! The coating looks different, should I still strip it?

K

KOLONEL SOPDROL

Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
58
Hi Guys,

My BK2 finally arrived! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: :D:D:D:D:D

I got some paint stripper today but I am a bit hesitant about stripping the coating: The coating on my BK2 looks different from most of the other BK2s that I have seen on the internet.

For one thing, it looks much thicker, rougher and more durable.

On the other BK2s that I have seen on the net, the coating looks much smoother and thinner. On the others, the BK2 and KABAR text is stamped INTO the blade. On mine, it looks more like the text is stamped / etched into the coating only.

Take a look at the pics and let me know.... On the ones with the text you can really see the thickness of the coating.

Is this a difference between the first and second gen Ka-Bar BK2s? Or am I just seeing things?

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That's the new coating that Kabar is using. It is thicker and a bit more durable than the old coating. The markings are now being laser etched and the etch does go into the metal a bit, but not very much. Some people are using PCB etchant to make the markings deeper before stripping.
 
I guess I will keep the coating on for the time being and see how it wears down...

After all, you can strip the blade at any time, but once the coating is off there is no way of getting it back.
 
I think they look better when they are worn and battle scarred rather than polished and shiny. A Becker is a user, let it look like it's been used. Too many drawer queens around here IMHO.
 
This change has been around for awhile now so I'm kinda surprised you haven't seen the new coating before. I don't know how others judge it but to me the BK-2s with the new coating are considered 3rd gen models. Give the coating a chance and see how you like it since its not that bad once it wears down a little. Enjoy the new steel man, definitely gonna be a BK-7, 9, 14 and 16 in your collection soon too (With that you'll be able to do anything) :D.
 
I've been in the same boat. My last BK2 I wore through the finish the first time I batoned trough a log. This new finish I have barely begun to wear through after a winter of backyard fires. Good tough stuff! Keeping it a little longer to see how much of it will remain on the blade at years end.
BTW, Awesome pics man!
 
CamH_16 said:
Enjoy the new steel man, definitely gonna be a BK-7, 9, 14 and 16 in your collection soon too (With that you'll be able to do anything) :D.
Click to expand...

don't forget a 10 :D

The coating is tough stuff indeed. Personally, I usually like to just let my coated blades wear away naturally over time. I'd leave it on a while, give it a month or so to see how you like it. Like you said: It's alot easier to take off than to put back on.
 
Congrats on your BK2, it's a great all-purpose workhorse. For some a bit too heavy, but to me I'd rather it be over-built than not. My BK2 is unaltered, I just made some changes to the kydex sheath it came with, but the knife itself is just like it came - with blue Loctite added to the screws is all.
 
Yup, like others said, its the new coating with the laser etching. I expected the old coating with the stamp and when I got mine it was just like yours. I stripped the coating away pretty soon after I got mine, but I kind of wish I had left it on. Anyway, you got a good 2. Use it well! Congrats......and those are some great pics.
 
Ta hell with thar coating. Rip it off. :D

I find that every knife worka better without paint on it, but thats just my take.

Seems that they stick in media more, and drag when you are cutting stuff.

Most of a the 200lbs of knives I own, have been stripped.

Moose
 
Damn... Couldn't help myself... I stripped it.

At least if it doesn't work I can blame Moosez45. :p

I got some paint stripping stuff from a local hardware store. Pretty nasty sh!t.... After I applied it, nothing seemed to happen for a few minutes then the coating started peeling off:

In some areas I could literally pull the coating off with tweezers.

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After washing and cleaning the blade you can really see how roughly the blade was made. The spine is covered with rough grind marks and the blade is pitted and scarred.

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The BK text is still visible.

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Before the stripping the BK2 looked like a knife that you would buy in a shop. Now it looks like a slab of sharpened steel with grips bolted onto it.

I couldn't be happier! :thumbup::thumbup:

I now also like the feel and sound of the knife in the sheath. Much smoother. Its like the difference between a new stiff leatherman and one that you have been using for a couple of years.
 
Moosez45 said:
Ta hell with thar coating. Rip it off. :D

I find that every knife worka better without paint on it, but thats just my take.

Seems that they stick in media more, and drag when you are cutting stuff.

Most of a the 200lbs of knives I own, have been stripped.

Moose
Click to expand...

I 100% agree
 
KOLONEL SOPDROL said:
Damn... Couldn't help myself... I stripped it.

At least if it doesn't work I can blame Moosez45. :p

I got some paint stripping stuff from a local hardware store. Pretty nasty sh!t.... After I applied it, nothing seemed to happen for a few minutes then the coating started peeling off:

In some areas I could literally pull the coating off with tweezers.

1.jpg


2.jpg


After washing and cleaning the blade you can really see how roughly the blade was made. The spine is covered with rough grind marks and the blade is pitted and scarred.

3.jpg


The BK text is still visible.

4.jpg


Before the stripping the BK2 looked like a knife that you would buy in a shop. Now it looks like a slab of sharpened steel with grips bolted onto it.

I couldn't be happier! :thumbup::thumbup:

I now also like the feel and sound of the knife in the sheath. Much smoother. Its like the difference between a new stiff leatherman and one that you have been using for a couple of years.
Click to expand...

I bet they leave the tooling marks to help the coating bond. Is that your wife's cutting board:) If so, that would get me oodles of noodles for dinner.
 
>I bet they leave the tooling marks to help the coating bond. Is that your wife's cutting board If so, that would get me oodles of noodles for dinner.

Fortunately we had an argument before I started.

Arguing about what you can use is always preferable to getting into crap after using something you shouldn't have. After all I don't want to run the risk of getting my BK2 confiscated for kitchen duty....
 
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A little experiment:

I am going to look around for something else that is also made of 1095 carbon steel and then leave it outside in the garden for a few weeks to see what happens. If I had a VERY accurate scale it would be interesting to track the material loss through rusting: Weigh, leave outside for a time, clean off rust and weigh again.

I am quite curious about how rust-prone the carbon steels really are...
 
Odd Ogg said:
Way to go Kolonel! Now a 2 hour soak in vinegar
You'll love it!
Click to expand...

I did a vinegar soak last night for about an hour. You are right I love it. The patina has really darkened the blade a lot. I kept turning the blade around to get rid of the bubbles. This resulted in a really uneven patina that looks like an ancient map.

Since I am going to be using the blade for food prep as well, I would prefer to stay away from too much oil and stuff. Use wash and dry.

My wife got a couple of small victorinox kitchen knives a few weeks ago. Extremely sharp thin little knives.

Last night we were eating Biltong : its a local delicacy consisting of cured dried meat with herbs and spices. My wife was using her victorinox knives. She found the fact that I insisted on cutting the biltong with my crowbar quite funny until I gave the knife to her to try.

Everyone was EXTREMELY impressed with the edge on the BK2 and the way it sliced through the meat. I have a feeling that there is a BK16 on the horizon for kitchen duty.
 
Yeah, I did my bk9 and my 2, the 9 came out fairly
even and the 2 is a bit uneven, both nice though,
can't decide witch one I like better.
Yep, the 16 is perfect for kitchen duty, but You better
get 2, cause Your wife will most certainly confiscate one.
 
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