Not impressed with my first Becker

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connorr93

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So heres the story, I went on a 16 day camping trip this summer and felt the need to get my first fixed blade. After much looking around I decided on a Bk 7. Knife arrived shaving sharp and initially I was very impressed. Anyways, First day of the trip I take the knife to cut a small branch off a sapling to make a pole spear for fishing, when I get back to camp I decide to try a little buttoning for kindling and realize that my handle is loose. Apparently a single swing on a small 1/2 inch branch was enough to loosen one of the handle nuts enough to allow it to fall of. So I completely remove the handle and hardware not wanting to risk loosing anything else and fashion a handle out of duct tape and decide to try some more battoning. After the first 3-4 min I notice the blade coating was starting to chip and flake excessively which really surprised me. So first day out of a 16 day trip and my only fixed blade has no handle and is loosing its blade coating fast. Anyways halfway through the trip I realize that somehow the tip on my knife was getting very dulled and rounded. The only thing I could think of that might have caused this was stabbing it into a redwood a few times. Never dropped it or stabbed anything else. At the end of the trip after comparing it to my friends Ka Bar heavy bowie I it looked like a 15$ knife i got at big5. The blade coating had a extremely small wear resistance and I was very disappointed on how tight the handle screws came from the factory. Basically in conclusion I don't see what the big hype is about these knives and I wont be trusting one to get me through a camping trip again any time soon.


DISCLAMER

I do expect coating to wear off a blade with use but I wasn't expecting chipping and flaking like this.

Yes I should have checked the handle screws before leaving but I just didn't think about it. My fault

I know stabbing stuff dulls your tip but sticking it into the soft bark of a redwood a few times shouldn't.
 
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Yeah man, they don't lock tite them on since so many folks switch out to micarta scales or change out the hardware to stainless. If you crank them down tight they usually stay but some threadlocker or nail polish on the threads will keep them on for sure. As far as the coating goes, it does wear off with use but show us some pictures of what happened to yours. Most strip the coating anyways, I don't usually strip it because I like the beat up look. KA Bar has a new coating they are gonna start putting on them soon.
 
Welcome to the subforum.

The knife handles are held in place by screws/ bolts. Upon arrival, it may not be tightened completely. Some people (such as myself) like to remove the removable handles to make sure that the entirety of the knife is good to go. Others find it to be a bother, but a quick tightening (and maybe some locktight) would go a long way.

The blade coating will come off the more you use the knife. All knives will have their coating wear off eventually. My Kabar kukri machete (sibling of the heavy bowie) has a lot of its painting come off. The rate of coating material lost depends on what the knife is used on/ for. Unless your 7 and your friend's bowie did the same things, it may not be an apples to apples comparison.

As for the tip, stabbing it into a hard medium (such as wood) will start to dull it. Sheath may also dull it. Again, this goes for most, if not all, knives.

I hope you give the knife another chance. The 7 is a great knife, and it seems you and the 7 got off on the wrong foot.
 
I understand the handle hardware, but if you baton the coating will show it. And stabbing anything will dull any knife. I beat mine like a rented mule, and never had a failure.
 
My machax has been used for spitting firewood with a baton and the black finish is virtually undamaged except right where I was hitting the back of the blade. It sounds like they might have changed the coating the way you describe the finish coming off in flakes.
 
Too bad you feel you had a bad experience.

Just a couple observations (and with all due respect) this is your FIRST fixed blade and you're going on a 16 day camping trip ? I guess.

Handle hardware has been known to come loose. (give you that one) But that prob. would have happened when you were using and prepping your NEW gear BEFORE going out for 16 trip ... yes ?

Battoning is Battoning. Beats up a blade. It is what it is.

Stabbing a Redwood ... Hmmmmmm Why ?

Anyway - 7 is a great knife. JMHO
 
Tell us some more about your pole spear for fishing.What kind of barbs do you fashion on it,or do you go with a simple point and if so do you fire harden it?What kinda fish you spear out there?Yours was an extremely interesting post from an obviously gear savvy dude.
 
I highly doubt one swing loosened a nut completely enough to lose it somewhere. Did you even check your gear before leaving for a 2 week trip? Batonning will strip the coating off any knife I have ever seen. Stabbing things dulls a blade. Weird.
They are meant to be beat on.
 
I don't think you get the whole Becker thing, not to offend you. If you want a knife that is probably ready to go from the box (probably, still a good idea to check your gear before you head out though) get a Busse or ESEE or something along those lines, but expect to pay 2 to 3 to 4 times as much (or more for certain Busse's). If you want an American made, quality piece of steel for a great price that is set up for you to make it your own then buy Becker.

And always check factory hardware before you use it, I check the tightness of bolts and screws on every new folder or fixed I get. It's just a good idea.
 
Hi all, Yes I admit that I should have checked the handle screws before I left for the trip so I guess my bad. And I understand that no coating is perfect and that with battoning wear is expected but what I was getting at is that compared to my friends heavy bowie the coating on the becker was in my opinion very inferior. His coating looked more like is was slowly rubbing off where mine was chipping and flaking. As for the tip If people are interested in seeing pictures of it I can provide them.

"Stabbing a Redwood ... Hmmmmmm Why ?" When I am done using my knife instead of laying it in the dirt on the ground I usually just stick it into a tree.

"Tell us some more about your pole spear for fishing.What kind of barbs do you fashion on it,or do you go with a simple point and if so do you fire harden it?What kinda fish you spear out there?Yours was an extremely interesting post from an obviously gear savvy dude."

It was just a simple pole spear, no barbs and just a normal tip. I did fire harden it but it caused the pole to warp so I had to fashion a new one. It was actually more of a experimental thing for fun. We only got one fish but it was sure tasty!
 
connorr93 said:
Hi all, Yes I admit that I should have checked the handle screws before I left for the trip so I guess my bad. And I understand that no coating is perfect and that with battoning wear is expected but what I was getting at is that compared to my friends heavy bowie the coating on the becker was in my opinion very inferior. His coating looked more like is was slowly rubbing off where mine was chipping and flaking. As for the tip If people are interested in seeing pictures of it I can provide them.

"Stabbing a Redwood ... Hmmmmmm Why ?" When I am done using my knife instead of laying it in the dirt on the ground I usually just stick it into a tree.
"Tell us some more about your pole spear for fishing.What kind of barbs do you fashion on it,or do you go with a simple point and if so do you fire harden it?What kinda fish you spear out there?Yours was an extremely interesting post from an obviously gear savvy dude."

It was just a simple pole spear, no barbs and just a normal tip. I did fire harden it but it caused the pole to warp so I had to fashion a new one. It was actually more of a experimental thing for fun. We only got one fish but it was sure tasty!
Click to expand...

Interesting ... since this was "your first fixed blade knife" Guess it must have been all those Hinderer 18's you've been using before :D

Welcome to the Forum ... Dude :D:D
 
Would you mind posting pics? I'd like to see what the flaking coating looks like, and how the tip looks, if possible.
 
"Interesting ... since this was "your first fixed blade knife" Guess it must have been all those Hinderer 18's you've been using before
Welcome to the Forum ... Dude"

Not exactly sure what your getting at here. I have never owned any other fixed blade before but I have used many and I am smart enough to know its not a good idea to lay your knife on the ground in a campsite especially when there are dogs and other people around. Hope this clears things up for you. ;)
 
Connorr93

If you really don't like that Becker knife, I will gladly take it off your hands for a fair price.

You have to tighten the hardwear, other than that blade coatings were meant to come off.

Seriously contact me if you want to sell it.
 
Since you absolutely hate such an obviously inferior knife, I will take the burden of disposal and recycling the materials off your shoulders.

Send it to me forthwith and I will see to it that the defective blade coating is thoroughly tested for wear resistance, or any lack thereof, and will report back to all here.

As for the handles, defective bolt system and the blade itself, they will also be thoroughly tested for retention, resistance to impact and wear.

I offer this in true spirit of Becker Brotherhood and with no wish to gain in anyway other than to assist you and all other Becker users, past, present and future!
 
I've never had my hardware come loose, but I've always made sure it's tight.

As for comparing the heavy bowie compared to BK7, I'm sure your BK7 will look like god to the Heavy Bowie when the tang snaps out from beneath it's rubber handle.
 
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