Opinion on this 5 needed please

K

kraash

Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
240
Ok to start, yes, I know I'm a bit of a perfectionist, it's why people hire me to hang their doors and such :)

So I bought a bk5 from an online sale site. It came with about the last 3/4 of an inch of the tip uncoated. Otherwise it was ok. So it was an easy exchange by mail and only cost me about $4.

Now that the new one came there's something freaking me out, yes I know it's a $60 production knife so no need to fire off the ole insults. But what I'm worried about here is that the edge is off center near to tip so much that I'm afraid I'll have a hard time keeping and edge on it. Am I crazy or should I send it back?




 
I wouldn't worry one bit! You need to remember that these are all hand ground by kabar.

Just put it to your favorite sharpening system and wrote it straight over use not all at once. Don't be afraid fui use it either. I beat the crap outta mine and couldn't be happier!
 
I have many production knives with slightly uneven tips like that. I don't think it's a huge issue, especially at this price point. Plus, after a bit of use and sharpening it can go away.

It could be a lot worse on a lot more expensive knife. I've seen a Busse with such a terribly uneven grind that it almost looked like a chisel ground tip.
 
I can't believe how sharp backers can be. This thing came sharp enough to shave without feeling it and pretty much falls through thin paper
 
Yep, use it and it will love you for it. That thing was meant to make cutting seem easier than it actually is. Seriously, go give it a work out.
Go into the yard and find a few 1/2" limbs to practice your wrist snap on, then find one that is 3/4" - 1" limb and pass through it with one clean swipe.
- Remember to contact on a bais, not perpendicular, and watch your follow through. We all get bit by the 5, she is toothy, but you don't want it to happen while limbing something.

Enjoy it and have fun.
Welcome to the forum and sickness.
 
NJBillK said:
Yep, use it and it will love you for it. That thing was meant to make cutting seem easier than it actually is. Seriously, go give it a work out.
Go into the yard and find a few 1/2" limbs to practice your wrist snap on, then find one that is 3/4" - 1" limb and pass through it with one clean swipe.
- Remember to contact on a bais, not perpendicular, and watch your follow through. We all get bit by the 5, she is toothy, but you don't want it to happen while limbing something.

Enjoy it and have fun.
Welcome to the forum and sickness.
Click to expand...

I was cutting broccoli using a snap cut with the five, missed and cut my finger. It certainly wasn't a fun experience and after 6 stitches and a few months after I still can't feel some of my finger. But I absolutely love the 5. Such a wonderful performer and a joy to use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
BK doesn't keep their edges centered, the only factory maker I know of to do this consistently, or inconsistently if you prefer... In addition, many of their blades are cooling warped, including my BK-9, which combined both problems.

I think reasonable edge centering to the spine, not 100% perfect but close, is really an absolute minimum for long term function: If in your photo the blade is centered, and it really is that bad, then you will have a taller final bevel on one side, and this will only get worse over time: It means more work to get one side fully re-ground, and wonky looking bevels when you do... The side view profile will also gradually flatten its belly faster from the uneven sharpening...

This could make sharpening to a good standard very hard.

The question is, do you use your knives constantly? If so, wear out this one, it will work. If you only use them occasionally, this is poor, and the replacement you get from BK may be even worse...

If you do care about this sort of thing, look elsewhere...

Gaston
 
You're good to go. These are users, and the marks from use will out-distance the minor edge asymmetry in a couple days. Sharpen it and it will even up. That knife costs $7.50 per inch of blade. Ka-bar does not produce perfection in their volumes at that price point, and it matters not at all to performance. If you're collecting it for eye candy then have it professionally sharpened, or choose an actual high-collection-value knife.
 
I have some ridiculous OCD, and I have rarely if ever scrutinized my knives to this level. They work. And being off by a millimeter here or there will make literally no difference when you're pounding it through wood or food. Wood and food don't care. It will get sharp, and it will cut, and ultimately, that's the name of the game.
 
As already mentioned, after a bit of usage and sharpening, it'll straighten out. ;)

Every one of my 5's have bit me, one within 5 minutes of opening the box. Just love bites. It's that trailing point. ;)
 
There's work horses and then there's show horses; Becker knives are work horses. Nothing in any of those pictures would bother me a one tiny bit.

The BK5 is my favorite Becker and the performance and value you will get out of that knife would make you forget any cosmetic imperfection.
 
Gaston444 said:
BK doesn't keep their edges centered, the only factory maker I know of to do this consistently, or inconsistently if you prefer... In addition, many of their blades are cooling warped, including my BK-9, which combined both problems.

I think reasonable edge centering to the spine, not 100% perfect but close, is really an absolute minimum for long term function: If in your photo the blade is centered, and it really is that bad, then you will have a taller final bevel on one side, and this will only get worse over time: It means more work to get one side fully re-ground, and wonky looking bevels when you do... The side view profile will also gradually flatten its belly faster from the uneven sharpening...

This could make sharpening to a good standard very hard.

The question is, do you use your knives constantly? If so, wear out this one, it will work. If you only use them occasionally, this is poor, and the replacement you get from BK may be even worse...

If you do care about this sort of thing, look elsewhere...

Gaston
Click to expand...

Is your bk9 a roll stamped, or laser engraved model? Kabar switched to laser engraving their mark, because their roll stamp process warped the blades occasionally. My ~6 year old (and therefore roll stamped) bk2 has a slight warp to it that you can only see if you take the handle scales off and lay it on something flat. The blade is bent slightly to one side, but otherwise oriented correctly.

I've heard of the roll stamp bend. Never heard or seen the "heat warping" thing before. Just curious.

And the top photo the blade looks canted a bit. The swedge just looks like it had its grind start at slightly different spots on the spine, which functionally is no big deal imo.

And in terms of sharpening, you'd have to sharpen it a lot, very aggressively to wear the blade down in any meaningful way. I'd be fine with it, and would keep it. But I'm one that is just a user, looks and fine details like this aren't important to me as long as it functions, which from the photos it looks like it should do just fine.
 
ocnLogan said:
Is your bk9 a roll stamped, or laser engraved model? Kabar switched to laser engraving their mark, because their roll stamp process warped the blades occasionally. My ~6 year old (and therefore roll stamped) bk2 has a slight warp to it that you can only see if you take the handle scales off and lay it on something flat. The blade is bent slightly to one side, but otherwise oriented correctly.

I've heard of the roll stamp bend. Never heard or seen the "heat warping" thing before. Just curious.

And the top photo the blade looks canted a bit. The swedge just looks like it had its grind start at slightly different spots on the spine, which functionally is no big deal imo.

And in terms of sharpening, you'd have to sharpen it a lot, very aggressively to wear the blade down in any meaningful way. I'd be fine with it, and would keep it. But I'm one that is just a user, looks and fine details like this aren't important to me as long as it functions, which from the photos it looks like it should do just fine.
Click to expand...

How do I tell if it's roll marked ?
 
Roll marked the lettering will appear pressed into the steel; you could feel it easily and certainly catch it with your fingernail.

Laser etched will seem as though its applied onto the steel compared to roll marking.
 
kraash said:
How do I tell if it's roll marked ?
Click to expand...

If I remember right, almost all BK5's were roll stamped. As salty said, you can tell easily if its roll stamped. Its literally a big metal "stamp" that smooshes the model number, manufacturer into the steel.

This is a roll stamped mark.

BK17%20newer%20Stamp_zpswvhozagk.jpg


This is a laser "stamp" (engraving of the makers mark and model number).

IMG_1390_zpsadbad489.jpg


Its really not a big deal if its one or the other. I just know that they changed to reduce the number of blades that were slightly bent during stamping (my BK2 has it, but it is slight. You can't tell at all in your hand, but if you lay it on a piece of glass without the handle scales you can tell). The other reason they changed, was because the roll stamping required a flat portion of the blade to be present for the mark. The Laser doesn't require that. That was one of the main things that allowed the FFG BK16 to exist, was the fact that the laser engraving was a possibility now.
 
kraash,

Clearly this is a defective knife, unfit for use. Please send it to me for proper disposal... who knows what harm may come to its user due to this imperfection.


;)


Just kidding brother--use that thing and don't look back. It's a fine blade.
 
Most of my knives from Kabar have had unevenly ground tips. It is a bummer but it is usually something that can be fixed with a little time on the stones. I enjoy sharpening so I don't mind resetting a bevel. Your example doesn't look too bad so my advice is to just sharpen it out and use it.
 
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