Okay, which one?

Dark Horse Dave said:
Hi Claudiasboris. I recognise your name from Bushcraft UK, where I usually hang out.

Hi also to all Becker Forum people. This is my first post, and I found my way over here when looking for fellow Becker fans - I haven't found any as yet over my side of the pond!

I have 2 Beckers, and I rate them both very highly. My first, and one I would highly recommend is the BK-2. I was interested to read that the design was inspired by the old British MOD Survival Knife, because it was looking for that very knife or one similar that led me to the BK-2 in the first place.

Anyway, I well remember getting it out the box for the first time and thinking
"whoa, this is a beast!". But it's a beast that sits so comfortably in the hand though, making you almost forget what a bit piece of steel it is - especially when you compare it with the sorts of knives you generally see in a British bushcraft moot (get-together). And of course it is quite small compared with other Beckers in the range - I'll have to work my way up! I reckon the BK-2would be a good place to start (:rolleyes:) for others too.

My other Becker is the BK-11, or Becker necker, which is a perfect accompanyment to the bigger BK-2 in my opinion. I was inspired to get after seeing Pict's Youtube video on his neck knife survival kit (this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BwUydd2JKo). Although Pict, who is a memebr on here too I believe, doesn't use a Becker in the video, I've found the BK-11 works very well for me set up along similar lines.

Best wishes to all from England.

Dave
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Hi Dave,

Welcome to the Becker forum.

I hang out on BCUK a lot too. I didn't do a review of my BK7 or BK9 over there over the last couple of years because I really just didn't want the arguments that usually come with posting larger knives there. However I am working on material a very comprehensive post on the BK2 I have now and the BK11 I'll have soon over there. In fact I have now officially been inspired to post up something in the out and about :)

Peace,

Brian
 
Wow, I've been away a day or so and I've got two pages of replies! Thanks Team Becker!

moosez45 said:
The BK2 is a different creature all together. Nothing like what you listed. This knife is full .250" thick or 6.35mm. The best part is the balance, it just kinda floats in the hand, with a slight forward weight. It chops outside of its length class, but because of the flat grind, and the height, it can do many, many fine chores. Some crazy nut make a figure 4 deadfall out of toothpicks with one. Guy was a wilderness genius, handsome, charismatic, the envy of all who knew him. Wish he was still around.

Anyhoo, BKT has been around since 1985, but, Ethan has been around longer (sorry E). The Machax was born out of a need to outfit his friends during Vietnam, and the BK2 was born of the British Survival knife, the MOD1

images


Ethan has said, on camera, that he bought one, in the hope of finding a good survival knife, and he knew there was one in there somewhere. So, he modded the MOD1, into what you see today as the BK2. The handle is definetly Becker, no doubt, but the blade design, length, thickness, geometry, and so forth, all came from what Ethan took OUT of the MOD1. Ethan says he made it in '85 or '86 (I'm on the phone with him now), so that puts us at really close to 30yrs old, just a little shy of it.

So, 26 or 27 years. Enjoy your purchase no matter what you choose.

Moose
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Thanks for the info Moose. Ironically, the MOD knife is on my list of soon-to-buys as a British classic.

Hi Claudiasboris. I recognise your name from Bushcraft UK, where I usually hang out.

Hi also to all Becker Forum people. This is my first post, and I found my way over here when looking for fellow Becker fans - I haven't found any as yet over my side of the pond!

Hi Dark Horse Dave! It's good to see more Brits over here, I was wondering if I was here on my own. This is a great place for bushcraft US-style. And a great place for knife porn. What can I say? I'm a voyeur.

I hang out on BCUK a lot too. I didn't do a review of my BK7 or BK9 over there over the last couple of years because I really just didn't want the arguments that usually come with posting larger knives there. However I am working on material a very comprehensive post on the BK2 I have now and the BK11 I'll have soon over there. In fact I have now officially been inspired to post up something in the out and about

Peace,

Brian

I know what you mean MW: I don't really understand the big knife haters over on BCUK. They don't seem to want to understand different views on knife work. I've always enjoyed your posts over there though!

Thanks for the responses, folks, you've given me plenty to think on.

Cheers,
Claudiasboris
 
Claudiasboris said:
I know what you mean MW: I don't really understand the big knife haters over on BCUK. They don't seem to want to understand different views on knife work. I've always enjoyed your posts over there though!
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Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy the posts!

Just put a post in the out and about that features the BK-2 :)
 
I'll be sure to check it out soon. Thanks for letting me know. I have a feeling that the BK2 would be very suitable for British bushcraft. Though the fact that Ray Meares doesn't use one will limit the chances of that in many minds.

Claudiasboris
 
Claudiasboris said:
I'll be sure to check it out soon. Thanks for letting me know. I have a feeling that the BK2 would be very suitable for British bushcraft. Though the fact that Ray Meares doesn't use one will limit the chances of that in many minds.Claudiasboris
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21st century. new rules :)
 
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Well, you have to view it in pespective. One of my best friends is from England, and we talk alot about the differences between out two countries.

We talk about the limits put on everyone there in regards to outdoor activities, and large knives, scare people, even in the woods. I mean, we are talking about a country where its illegal to carry a folding knife that locks, with a blade longer than 3" and has a point. You can't own guns, and generally, unless you are wealthy, alot of the activities we enjoy here it the "colonies" are off limits.

Me and my bush buddies talk about the necessity of bushcraft there was born of joy in the mundane tasks that we do here, while on an outing. Like, when we go trout fishing, we will bushcraft along the way, but mainly because we are deep in the backcountry and when you want to eat, sit and brew some tea, you gotta do it somewhere, but we are out fishing, and taking a break, not going backcountry to simply bushcraft.

Same thing when hunting, and hiking. The idea of going out only to bushcraft seems foreign to alot of folks here, just because it something that we do as a part of going fishing, hiking, hunting, and exporing.

The Swedes have a different idea all together, they go out for a hike, and take food to prep as that is the point of the hike, not the views. I was talking with the designer of the Mora of Sweden Bushcraft Lineup, and I was asking him about that dramatic grind on the front of the Forest and Signal as well as the Mora 2000. He told me that grind was put there for spreading butters and jams on the hard bread they take to eat as their picnic snack. Wild, I thought it had some super hyper ninja skill involved with it, nope, its for smearing stuff on toast , while hiking. Awesome. I love it.

Moose
 
moosez45 said:
...I was talking with the designer of the Mora of Sweden Bushcraft Lineup, and I was asking him about that dramatic grind on the front of the Forest and Signal as well as the Mora 2000. He told me that grind was put there for spreading butters and jams on the hard bread they take to eat as their picnic snack. Wild, I thought it had some super hyper ninja skill involved with it, nope, its for smearing stuff on toast , while hiking. Awesome. I love it.Moose
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what kind of jam? :)

i have pawpaw jam :>

and i DO love that Mora 2000 a lot!


Bladite
 
Just to get feel the BK11 or 14, but if you're feeling froggy the BK2 is a nice all around beast. All the others will come in time. Probably sooner than later. ;)
 
moosez45 said:
Well, you have to view it in pespective. One of my best friends is from England, and we talk alot about the differences between out two countries....

We talk about the limits put on everyone there in regards to outdoor activities, and large knives, scare people, even in the woods......
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I actually understand this...Seeing my BK7 make some younger students nervous here is one reason I wanted the BK2.

I just like to give the ones "over there" who come at me with a lot of attitude a hrad time :)



Claudiasboris said:
So which Becker is best for Nutella?
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BK11, BK14...and BK13 if it's a little jar :)
 
mistwalker said:
I just like to give the ones "over there" who come at me with a lot of attitude a hrad time :)
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:) Go for it Brian (and thanks for the welcome too!)

That said I think the BK-2 is a very good size for British bushcraft. In fact, I was out with mine earlier today in a cold, half-frozen half-damp British woodland. I think this sort of environment is where Beckers come into their own. You want a tool that will give you confidence, that you won't be afraid of getting dirty or damaged. And that's comfortable to use.

I was just playing today really - prying bark off dead standing birches for tinder, a bit of branch-chopping (leuku style, ie holding near the pommel - I thought I could have done with a lanyard though - round the thumb & back of the hand style), a bit of limbing, then finally making up a small fire. All good practice.

Previously I've prepared squirrels with my BK-11 & BK-2 combo, with the smaller necker doing the skinning & gutting & the BK-2 as a chopper to lop off legs & head.

I'm tempted to have a go with the larger Beckers, but I certainly haven't found my current two lacking in any way. They look the part too!
 
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