My first day with the BK21

[B.Mauser]

Love it! Thought I would go ahead and get that out of the way.


I know that I am a little late getting this but it came out at a rough time of year for me. We have finally (barely) recovered from Christmas and could afford one.

So my first day with this I had to find something to chop. We had a tough spring here in Colorado for fruit trees last year. In March 2015 we had a surprise heat wave. While we were all enjoying the sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures it made my fruit trees start blooming like crazy.

We were all hoping it would be an early spring....Nope. In April we had a blizzard. Lots of snow and freezing temps. Killed all the blooms and my trees never tried again. My pear tree that gave me 200 pears last year had not 1 successful pear. But it did grow a bunch of leaves and keep it self healthy. My nectarine tree dropped all its leaves and died.

I've been putting off removing it but with the BK21 showing up...Well I had to chop something and we are getting low on dining room chairs and I promised not to do that anymore...


This is a big knife. I have always wanted a bigger Becker that might out chop the BK9 but wanted it made by KaBar. Finally got it.


The BK21 showed up very sharp right out of the giant box it comes in. I was a little disappointed to see a pretty uneven sharpened edge though, one side was ground about twice as high as the other. But was still incredibly hair shaving sharp. So after I beat that factory super sharp edge off it I will have to even up the edge, not a big deal. Would be less of a big deal if i didn't suck at sharpening.

The blade coating is great. I think the best I have seen from KaBar. I didn't know it had changed again but sure seems that way to me. First we had the smooth coating, then we went to the newer rough coating that I have on my BK16. Now its smooth again? It sure held up great though. I am used to beating a big chunk of the coating off the big Beckers right away. This one barely looks used and I beat it till my arm was dead the first day.

Speaking of dead arms...Ouch. After the first day with my BK21 came the first night. A zip lock bag of snow makes a great ice pack.

The BK21 is a keeper for me. I dont see it replacing my BK9 but is a big beastly blade that I am excited to have and get to know better.

I made a video of me chopping down the Nectarine tree. It was about 12 feet tall and 4 inches thick where I was chopping. Fruit trees are pretty hard and it was probably frozen too. I had to dig the base of it out of the snow to chop it.

I was trying not to hurt the little maple trees right behind the Nectarine tree so they can take its place. Made it a little awkward but not a big deal.

After chopping down the tree it was still sharp enough to make decent feathers.

Here is my video on Youtube. If you enjoyed the video I sure would appreciate you giving me a thumbs up if you have the time. Thanks!


[video=youtube;yHRzVaGgZSA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHRzVaGgZSA[/video]

 

[Captain Airyca]

I definitely like that smooth coating. Cool video too, gave ya a thumbs up! The BK 21 is pretty. I wonder what it'd be like to clear some brush with it.

 

[TBL]

Look'n Sweet!

 

[The Warrior]

Good to see that you like it.

 

[tanglediver]

Chops furniture like a champ, too!! (which see:- "The Big Snit")

[video=youtube;90SIuISIVB8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90SIuISIVB8[/video]

 

[B.Mauser]

I definitely like that smooth coating. Cool video too, gave ya a thumbs up! The BK 21 is pretty. I wonder what it'd be like to clear some brush with it.

Yep I like this new coating too. I sure think KaBar got this one right. Beautiful and amazingly effective. Thanks for the thumbs up on my video!

I think the BK21 would devastate some brush. But its weight would probably be punishing to swing for too long. I would probably choose a lighter machete type blade if I had a bunch of brush to clear. I think this is going to be my big bruiser and the BK9 will still be my workhorse.

Look'n Sweet!

Thank you my friend! You going to get one? Its a beast.

Good to see that you like it.

Yeah your amazing thread had me pretty prepared for what was coming. I knew if it was hard on your arm I would be dying. But I think you have a more refined collection than me. I'm trying to get every KaBar Becker made. Only 2 left. So I probably would have kept this thing even if I didn't love it. But I do. I cant wait to use it more. My arm has almost recovered

Chops furniture like a champ, too!! (which see:- "The Big Snit")

[video=youtube;90SIuISIVB8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90SIuISIVB8[/video]

Haha That was funny. :thumbup: I guess I'm not the only furniture chopper out there.

 

[The Warrior]

Yeah your amazing thread had me pretty prepared for what was coming. I knew if it was hard on your arm I would be dying. But I think you have a more refined collection than me. I'm trying to get every KaBar Becker made. Only 2 left. So I probably would have kept this thing even if I didn't love it. But I do. I cant wait to use it more. My arm has almost recovered

I really wanted to like it, and I did, just not enough to keep it. I like my 9 and 4 way better than the 21. Just as capable, and much lighter. The 21 does look bad ass though. :thumbup:

 

[TBL]

Thank you my friend! You going to get one? Its a beast.

It's on the list! I played with one in-store a few weeks ago. Like all other things in my life, I just need to wait until the budget is there for it lest I wake up to find it stuck in me somewhere.....

 

[DOC-CANADA]

It's on the list! I played with one in-store a few weeks ago. Like all other things in my life, I just need to wait until the budget is there for it lest I wake up to find it stuck in me somewhere.....

LeBaron?

 

[granitestateofmind]

Yeah your amazing thread had me pretty prepared for what was coming. I knew if it was hard on your arm I would be dying. But I think you have a more refined collection than me. I'm trying to get every KaBar Becker made. Only 2 left. So I probably would have kept this thing even if I didn't love it. But I do. I cant wait to use it more. My arm has almost recovered

That's what you get for going in there swinging like a maniac without warming up . Definitely a bit of a learning curve (which, BTW, I have not NEARLY mastered myself) to be efficient with that thing. I'm trying to get the hang of using less force and more letting the wrist snap and the weight of the tool do their jobs.....and still looking for the sweet spot consistently. Still, when (by luck, so far) everything aligns properly, that thing hits hard. It does punish bad technique a little, IMO. Good hits are just solid and I don't feel any vibration, bad hits are a little like what happens to your hand when over-swinging an ax or a hammer - you definitely get negative feedback.

 

[madhappy]

Looks like I will have to get one I like big choppers

 

[TBL]

LeBaron?

Nope,

I was down at S&R. Picking up a ZT Pen for Christmas If I were to get it, It would be at LeB's. I have a hard time going there just to look their ammo prices are just so nice lol. Every time I leave Le B's I end up spending big bucks.

 

[B.Mauser]

It's on the list! I played with one in-store a few weeks ago. Like all other things in my life, I just need to wait until the budget is there for it lest I wake up to find it stuck in me somewhere.....

Ha ha I hear that. My wife sleeps with a tomahawk beside her bed.

This ones been a long time coming. The last knife I bought was a BK7 in February 2015.

Bought our house in December 2014 and I have been poor ever since. But this is a good time of year for me. My birthday is tomorrow and then we always get a big income tax return in February and everyone gets to buy stuff then too. So I will be getting another Becker very soon. :thumbup:

Looks like I will have to get one I like big choppers

Hi madhappy. I bet you will love this BK21 then.

If you ever want to head up to Ft Lupton you can check mine out.:thumbup:

 

[The Warrior]

Happy Birthday man. Hope ya have a good one my friend.

 

[B.Mauser]

Happy Birthday man. Hope ya have a good one my friend.

Thank you!:welcoming:

 

[madhappy]

That sounds good I will have to do it some time if i can get motivated

 

[B.Mauser]

That's what you get for going in there swinging like a maniac without warming up . Definitely a bit of a learning curve (which, BTW, I have not NEARLY mastered myself) to be efficient with that thing. I'm trying to get the hang of using less force and more letting the wrist snap and the weight of the tool do their jobs.....and still looking for the sweet spot consistently. Still, when (by luck, so far) everything aligns properly, that thing hits hard. It does punish bad technique a little, IMO. Good hits are just solid and I don't feel any vibration, bad hits are a little like what happens to your hand when over-swinging an ax or a hammer - you definitely get negative feedback.

You have a great point about warming up. I just walked out and attacked the tree. I dont remember any painful vibrations but my muscles were so tight and painful in my forearm and shoulder after about 15 minutes. Then the next day I felt like I had tennis elbow too besides the angry sore muscles. I am going to stretch and warm up next time, I bet it makes a difference.

 

[upnorth]

God Lord. I really had no idea that it was so huge, wow !

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

You have a great point about warming up. I just walked out and attacked the tree. I dont remember any painful vibrations but my muscles were so tight and painful in my forearm and shoulder after about 15 minutes. Then the next day I felt like I had tennis elbow too besides the angry sore muscles. I am going to stretch and warm up next time, I bet it makes a difference.

Yeah, technique on the 21 (and khukuri in general) is a good bit different than the 9, IMO. I seem to get best results from just loosely gripping with thumb and forefinger, and having a pretty solidly loose grip with the rest of the fingers, so that the blade can swing freely, and just clamping down naturally at the bottom of the stroke. It does bite deeply when you get it on the sweet spot. It flows very well too as a fighting knife.

God Lord. I really had no idea that it was so huge, wow !

Having a tough time resisting the temptation on this one...

 

[mbay1455]

Yeah, technique on the 21 (and khukuri in general) is a good bit different than the 9, IMO. I seem to get best results from just loosely gripping with thumb and forefinger, and having a pretty solidly loose grip with the rest of the fingers, so that the blade can swing freely, and just clamping down naturally at the bottom of the stroke. It does bite deeply when you get it on the sweet spot. It flows very well too as a fighting knife.

My experience is the same as CF explains above. I think a lanyard is absolutely necessary not only for safety but to really experience the 'solidly loose grip' that I think makes this blade so effective. I also felt that using it this way, without trying to swing hard, yielded many more accurate hits, making it both more effective and more efficient. It in some ways is a counterintuitive blade. It is light in hand, which may lead some to think it must be swung harder to compensate. After using it what comes to mind is the same type of experience as a good golf swing. Swinging harder is counterproductive and completely unnecessary and technique is everything.

As always, YMMV.