Picked up Becker bk7. Disappointed by it.

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Apr 28, 2011
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I am a new blade enthusiast. I own several knives by ESEE, and a few others that I have recently purchased for camping/survival. I really love the design of the Becker Bk7, so yesterday I pulled the trigger on it and bought one from a local army navy store.

Again, I couldn't be happier with the design. Mr. Becker did a fantastic job on this line of knives. That being said, the fit and finish of my blade leaves much to be desired.

The knife came brand new in box. When I got home and opened it, the first thing I noticed is how dull it was. Of course that's not the biggest of deals, I can sharpen it, but it was definitely the dullest of the knives I've bought in the recent past.

Secondly, upon inspection, there are several imperfections in the steel. What I mean by this is that there are spots in the tang and pommel where the steel is dented. If I was home right now I would post pictures. The only way I can describe it is it looks like someone took a small flat-head and hammered it into the steel.

Thirdly, and probably least importantly, the shape of the grivory handles does not line up completely with the tang. I've read that this is common.

Maybe I am just spoiled by the A+ fit and finish of my ESEE knives, but these three things left a sour taste in my mouth, which is rather unfortunate. I was looking forward to getting a BK2, and possibly others from the line. the store that I bought the knife from does not accept returns, so it looks like I am stuck with it.

Has anyone else had issues like mine? Maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist.
 
Eseestatic said:
Maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist.
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Maybe, but maybe not. I would like to see the pictures before passing any judgment.

The Camillus knives IMO had far more imperfections than the KaBar knives.
As for the handles, you can sometimes loosen the screws, re-adjust, and tighten.
 
Eseestatic said:
Maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist.
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Probably. In my opinion Becker knives are users. Yes, the shape of the handles doesn't line up with the tang. You can get micarta handles, they'll fit perfectly. And it will still be cheaper than an ESEE of the same size :D Just use it for a bit, if you don't like it you can alway sell it to one of us Beckerheads.

meat
 
Hey Essestatic.....

Sorry about the fit and finish complaints on your Seven......If there are probs you can contact Ka-Bar 1 800 282 0130 and ask for Tooj and he will most likely fix it.....Pics are good.....I too am a big fan of Esse Knives and love the usually impeccable fit that Shon Rowen bestows on everything that his name goes on.......

As for sharp....Ka-Bar products usually leave the plant with a very aggressive edge not polished but aggressive.....But, dullness like feces occasionally happens no matter how deplorable it is......Contact Tooj as soon as possible so we can fix...I hope that you will give us a chance to make it better and that you will give us another shot.....All Best....

ethan
 
Ethan Becker said:
Hey Essestatic.....

Sorry about the fit and finish complaints on your Seven......If there are probs you can contact Ka-Bar 1 800 282 0130 and ask for Tooj and he will most likely fix it.....Pics are good.....I too am a big fan of Esse Knives and love the usually impeccable fit that Shon Rowen bestows on everything that his name goes on.......

As for sharp....Ka-Bar products usually leave the plant with a very aggressive edge not polished but aggressive.....But, dullness like feces occasionally happens no matter how deplorable it is......Contact Tooj as soon as possible so we can fix...I hope that you will give us a chance to make it better and that you will give us another shot.....All Best....

ethan
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How much better than that can it possibly get? The designer of the knife you are disappointed with chimes in and apologizes for not making you happy. That is a lot more than I would expect at the prices of these knives.
 
Kudos, Mr. Becker. A customer levies a calm set of complaints, you get him on the path to getting it fixed. If only every customer service exchange went this smoothly!
 
You really can't get any better than that. Thank you Mr. Becker. Your post gives me confidence in the Becker line of knives. I don't think the imperfections will impede the performance of the knife.

I am at work today until 4, but will gladly post pictures when I get home. The BK7 that I purchased was the Ka-Bar, not the Camillus. I am sure the knife will be great in the field once properly sharpened (if only I was any good at sharpening.)

As far as price goes, I paid 89.99 plus tax for a total of $95 and change. My ESEE 6 cost $108 from an online dealer.
I know I could've gotten the knife much cheaper online, but I was so excited about owning it and using it on this weekend's hiking/camping adventure that I gave in to the nagging voice in my head that demanded instant gratification.
I will be the first to admit that I am being extremely nit-picky, but for my first kabar/Becker purchase I expected nothing but perfection.

Once again I appreciate all of your feedback.
 
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I'm just throwing this out there about the coatings. The Becker blade coating is smooth, While the Esee coating texture is similar to a spray on bedliner. The rougher coating will go a long way to hide imperfections.

We need pics!
 
Eseestatic said:
You really can't get any better than that. Thank you Mr. Becker. Your post gives me confidence in the Becker line of knives. I don't think the imperfections will impede the performance of the knife.

I am at work today until 4, but will gladly post pictures when I get home. The BK7 that I purchased was the Ka-Bar, not the Camillus. I am sure the knife will be great in the field once properly sharpened (if only I was any good at sharpening.)

As far as price goes, I paid 89.99 plus tax for a total of $95 and change. My ESEE 6 cost $108 from an online dealer.
I know I could've gotten the knife much cheaper online, but I was so excited about owning it and using it on this weekend's hiking/camping adventure that I gave in to the nagging voice in my head that demands instant gratification.
I will be the first to admit that I am being extremely nit-picky, but for my first kabar/Becker purchase I expected nothing but perfection.

Once again I appreciate all of your feedback.
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What was the avenue of purchase? I've noticed that when using services such as Amazon or auction sites the quality is less than what I had anticipated, but when using specific retailers, the quality of the knives were flawless.
 
slapper said:
I'm just throwing this out there about the coatings. The Becker blade coating is smooth, While the Esee coating texture is similar to a spray on bedliner. The rougher coating will go a long way to hide imperfections.

We need pics!
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The ESEE coating is not a rough as you say and I've stripped dozens of them. Each one is flawless.

I've also stripped a bunch of Beckers. They run a close second to the ESEE. I have seen more variations in edge and grind on the Beckers, but they all still work like crazy and hold a great edge.
 
slapper said:
I'm just throwing this out there about the coatings. The Becker blade coating is smooth, While the Esee coating texture is similar to a spray on bedliner. The rougher coating will go a long way to hide imperfections.

We need pics!
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That's a good point. Pics will come at 4 PM(ish) EST. (Edit: I posted this before seeing TAGannon's post.)

Arkanian said:
What was the avenue of purchase? I've noticed that when using services such as Amazon or auction sites the quality is less than what I had anticipated, but when using specific retailers, the quality of the knives were flawless.
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The Kabar/Becker Bk7 was purchased from a local army navy store. The store is great and is where I have gotten a lot of my supplies for my BOB. The only downside to the shop is they have a no returns policy on their knives.
 
GRIM 62 said:
One question,if you purchased the knife from a store,why did'nt you inspect it first?
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I didn't think twice about it. I inspected the display model, which was perfect. I haven't owned a Becker/Kabar knife before and have heard nothing but rave reviews, thus leading me to believe that there would be no need to inspect a product from such a reputable company/manufacturer.
 
Eseestatic said:
I didn't think twice about it. I inspected the display model, which was perfect. I haven't owned a Becker/Kabar knife before and have heard nothing but rave reviews, thus leading me to believe that there would be no need to inspect a product from such a reputable company/manufacturer.
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there's a difference between a return and an exchange for a defective item. if you go in and argue they are selling defective merch, esp if there is a crowd and you use a loud voice ;) point out as well you've spent $/$$$ there easily... and as well, they are charging QUITE a lot more than online, but if they don't appreciate you supporting them, you can just vote with your $$$$ and feet :)

regardless, you're going to get taken care of. as pointed out above, you're in good hands.
 
Is it a Camillus or a KA Bar?

I ask because that sounds like how all of my Camillus blades have come.

Pic's please.
 
OREGON FAL'ER said:
Is it a Camillus or a KA Bar?

I ask because that sounds like how all of my Camillus blades have come.

Pic's please.
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Kabar.

<Jedi Hand Wave> Read the posts, you will want to read the posts.

:D

Moose
 
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