NEW BK&T Combat/Utility 7!

Will Fennell

Will Fennell

Joined
Oct 4, 1998
Messages
1,597
Introducing the new release from BK&T, the BK7 COMBAT/UTILITY KNIFE! In an effort to bring an AFFORDABLE, high performance, combat/utility knife to our troops, Ethan Becker consulted with fellow tactical trainers, and also, veteran and active duty infantrymen around the country. They all said that troops need multipurpose knife that is capable of cutting, light chopping, prying, and hammering....all in a lightweight package. The operators also said that the sheath has to be easy to use in conjunction with web gear, and durable. After much prototyping and testing, we bring you the newest offering from BK&T, a knife designed with today's high speed soldier[and a Grunt's budget] in mind...The BK&T COMBAT/UTILITY 7. This knife takes the spirit of the age old Camillus 7" combat/utility knife to the next level!

Spec.'s
Blade: 7" 0170-6c carbon steel, .188" thick stock.
Grind: High, flat saber grind.
Finish: Coated in black epoxy-powder coating.
Handle: Full tang, with trademark BK&T ergonomic scales of GV6H.
Sheath: OD green PROPEX nylon w/ kydex insert.
Will fit GI pistol belt, and has ALICE clip attachment points.
Weight: 12.9 oz.s
MSRP: $69.95
We will begin shipping late next week!
 
I like it, the knife and sheath are really nice.

"We will begin shipping late next week!" Hey Will, Is that the shipping date for the Military or every body?


Heber
 
I had to post here too. THat is one AWESOEM package. Congrats to Camillus and Ethan Becker.
 
Oh, BABY...Come to PAPA! I LIKE that knife!.:).

Is there any-chance (in the future) of seeing that knife with a 9 inch, 1/4 inch thick blade?
 
Dann,
BK&T really looks at individual designs, with specific needs in mind, rather than just making different lenghts of the same knife. The COMBAT/UTILITY 7 was conceived as a knife that embiodied plenty of performance, in lightweight package for ground pounders. In a 9-10", .250 thick "chopper" like you describe, there would be no need for the thumb ramp that is incorparted in the BK7 for support/security during thrusting. There would be no need for the short section of the full width panel incorparted in the saber grind for increased strenght in the .188" stock blade, if the blade was .250".

Different designs for different purposes/needs.

For a .250" thick, 9-10" long, heavy duty, prying-chopping blade, we already have the BK1-BRUTE:D

Thanks for the interest!
 
.....on coming up with another knife to pry money out of my wallet;)

Where will this model be on sale?

Thanks for the great products,
Patrick Mc
 
But,
I will say that www.1sks.com put in one of the first orders, and they will be one of the first shipped. Next week! They already have them up on the homepage of "One Stop".
 
Originally posted by Will Fennell
But,
I will say that www.1sks.com put in one of the first orders, and they will be one of the first shipped. Next week! They already have them up on the homepage of "One Stop".
Click to expand...

Sweet!:D Will, out of curiousity, can you tell us what the military is saying about this sweet knife? Any reviews would also be nice. Thanks,
 
I really like it and will probably scoop one up as I said in my post over on the general forum. While I understand that anything under 7 is not much for chopping, I must say that knives around 6 inches even at most would have suited most folks better. That last inch gets kind of long. I carry a Livesay Air Assault which is 5-3/4 and a Reeves Shadow 4 the same size a lot more than my 7.5 inch project one. But then those 2 dont really chop at all. Its also way too big to use for field dressing big game, where as 5 3/4" can still kind of work in a body cavity without banging around too much. Also many units of the Military have very anal commanders that dont like knives that are big. Hence the popularity of a lot of 4,5,6 inch fixed blades. I think civilian sales will far outpace military ones. This is not gospel, just what forumites on active duty have reported of late. Mileage will vary with the unit.
 
Hey Guys !

Really gotta say THAANKYOU for your enthusiasm for the new blade!

Will suggested that I should share some of the design considerations that went into the combat utility.
The blade length of 7 inches was forced on me by the fact that a lot of commanders won't allow carry of anything longer than a marine combat.

Weight was also a huge consideration. As Steven Dick is constantly reminding me(and well he should) the modern pounder of the ground does not need to carry more weight! we missed our goal on that one by 2 oz.

The weakness inherent in the Marine Combat is the skinny tang which is unavoidable with a stacked leather handle. Full Tangs are heavy so we skeletonized the tang using nicely rounded rectangles so as to not add any stress risers.

We added a headache maker which doubles as a spot to hammer on. A user note... He who uses a knfe pommel to hammer nails or stakes or any other small thing will probably end up with severely a lacerated palm...my scar is almost gone but the memory of the pain is still sharp.

This is the first of my designs in which thrusting was a real consideration so we added a thumb ramp and slightly extended the lower guard area,,,,and speaking of thrust the straight clip point is a REAL penetrator!
You will note that the grind is high and the blade is wide. This blade geometry gives great slice and slash and with the blade made of the really fine Camillus 0170-6C steel it will be plenty sturdy.

The sheath is a return to the second sheath design BK&T used which was pioneered by the late Al Mar and made back then by John Carver for both Al and me. I have always been partial to the design as it doesen't go bump in the night quite as badly as straight Kydex and the pouch is quite useful for a stone and multi tool or a magnesium bar,etc.,etc..

By the way skeletonizing the handle gives almost pefect balance....just the slightest weight to the nose just in case you need to chop something.

Again THANK YOU for the kind comments!!!

ENJOY !
Ethan
 
Ethan,

thanks for your input. It is always interesting to hear from the designer of gear. Here's what I like:

Wide blade, high grind. This means slashing power/cutting power, as you said. The straight clip looks good and, as you said, should make a nice penetrator. A wide blade is awesome for thrusting, as it makes a large wound channel. A look at the Strider Knives Ajax model will give you an idea of this as well. I like the lowered guard area on the bottom as well. This should improve handle security.

The only thing I don't like is the idea of someone using this blade in a saber grip for thrusting or snap cutting. Bob Kasper used to advocate snap cutting a lot, and typically thi sis done with the thumb on top of the blade. Through experimentation Bob found out that when you have your thumb on top of the blade, you have a little break in your grip between your thumb and fingers. If your hand receives lateral force as compared to the direction of your applied force, the knife can be knocked out of your hand.

Not what said, I like the thumb serrations on the top. Any military user would be using this knife FAR more often for openinf ammo crates or other utility chores than using it to fight with. Though, if someoen did press it into fighting service, it is my recommendation that they lay off the saber grip.

Again, this in no way takes away from the knife! It is better to have the thumb serrations there than not! They will help in utility chores for sure.

oh, another thing I like which shows either your (Ethan) or someone at Camillus' brains is the rounded tang lightening holes. As you said, this helps eliminate stress risers. THis knife is a well thought out knife, and worthy to take over the job for the venerable USMC fighting/utility.
 
Wow. I come back in town early, and the first thing I see is this!
Got on the phone and ordered one while I was looking at this page...:)
Been hoping something along these lines would be added to the Becker line, and had thought of posting asking about the possibility (moot point, now). Fills the niche nicely, IMO.

I'm about to call back and order another for a friend. Maybe I'll even give it to him:p
 
I ordered one today myself, just could not resist the damn thing. I have two other Beckers (Companion & Magnum Camp), this one really was calling to me though, I think this is gonna be my favorite!
 
Got mine on order.:cool: Geez, what's next, a Becker Drop point hunter made of the same stock thickness? (hint, hint);) I've got a name for it already, the Mini Campanion.:)
 
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