Practical mods for bk2 blade

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smo1898

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Nov 14, 2014
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I posted this question on the general forum with not much luck so I figured I'd try it here.
I got my bk2(2) a couple weeks ago and am loving it, I haven't been able to put through any serious hard use yet due to work but I have used it to process wood for a few good fires and of course it worked great. My question is what is the most practical mod for the blade/steel? In terms of performance and longevity? I know the coating can/will cause some friction problems and comes off with continuous use (haven't experienced that yet) so is stripping it my best bet? If I do should I blu it? or force a patina (aesthetically my least favorite thing to is a FP) or perhaps a just sand it and make sure I maintain and oil it? I've seen a few pictures of beautifully mirror polished bk2's and kinda fell in love, I'd love to do this but is it too much upkeep and bound to lose its visual appeal after a few good uses? Should I just keep it as is? Any suggestions or recommendations would help.
 
Don't ignore the handles. Stippling the scales with a soldering iron is a quick-n-easy way to improve the grip.

If your blade has the thick coating, EB metioned in a vid about hitting it with some 400 sandpaper to smooth it up to improve performance.

Don't blue it if you use it for food prep.

Just sanding and regular maintenance works. If you don't let it sit for weeks/months on end where the rust starts pitting the metal, any surface rust is easily removed with a good scrubbing. Then again, on 1/4" steel, what's a little pitting?

Mirror finish is relatively more rust resistant since there's not a lot of places for water to hide. But it can be a lot of work to get/keep that mirror on a user.
 
Chameleonbear said:
Google "Bk-2 Landshark" <-- Thread winner.
Click to expand...

I hate that thing. Ruined it in my opinion.

I think the best thing is to smooth it if you're worried about friction. Truthfully, it's not going to make that much of a difference in performance. Really, the mods are your preference.
 
While it isn't ALL my cup of tea, I do like the idea of the serrations at the front of the blade, and I like the idea of the pot/bail lifter. Those two things in my opinion make the knife quite handy. Plus I bet it would only have a negatable difference on the integrity of the blade.
 
Unless you have a look you are going for, I'd say the best mod is to use it as much as possible. Let it's natural beauty emerge with time.
 
If you strip it, just use CitriStrip - no sanding needed. Some of the Beckers I've stripped have really nice stonewashed finish under the paint, which you can just leave alone. Rub the parts under the handle with wax to protect from unseen rust.

It is possible to do a FP that is smooth and even. This is essentially "bluing", but without any chemicals aside from whatever acid you choose. The trick involves full immersion and rinsing rather than wiping.

There are also spray on and bake Teflon paints, if you want a coating but no friction. I removed the paint just because I don't like paint on metal - guns or knives.

I think high polish is pretty cool - probably the reason all those samurai swords survived for centuries. But it takes real work to get it there. No need to carry a signal mirror, once you're done.


There are all sorts of radical mods you can make, but I think you paid $70 for a knife rather than a knife making kit. So do the minimum that gets the knife to where you like it and then use it.
 
You can go nuts with modding any Becker knife. I suggest that you just go out and use it. Learn what needs to be modded to fit your style by getting it dirty. They really don't NEED anything from the factory to work.

A few practical mods would be squaring the spine for scraping or using it on a ferro rod. Maybe thin and convex the edge. Modding or changing the sheath so it can carry a ferro rod and tinder. Adding a lanyard or also very handy.

Whatever you choose to do please post pictures of the evolution of your knife.

Jeremy
 
The best mod is to take all the finish off.......by using the crap out of it until the coating wears off.
 
Chameleonbear said:
Google "Bk-2 Landshark" <-- Thread winner.
Click to expand...

CM_Rick said:
I hate that thing. Ruined it in my opinion.

I think the best thing is to smooth it if you're worried about friction. Truthfully, it's not going to make that much of a difference in performance. Really, the mods are your preference.
Click to expand...
The Landshark isn't for everyone, but I like it because it's a user that's been modified based on it's owners experience; made better for that person's specific needs. Everything that was done to it is a well reasoned solution to meet some useful function for its owner.
So I'd agree with the others here who have said "use it"....and then figure out if it might serve you better with modification. It's (relatively) easy to remove steel.....putting it back is the tricky bit. I've had my Camillus 2 inked for mods for a year, but I'm not sure yet that those mods will improve it or whether I'm gonna go in a different direction.
 
I stripped mine and did my best to convex the blade. That's about it. I gotta say though, since its a hard use knife for me, the next one that I buy will stay stock until the coating wears off from use.

I have a hankering to stipple the scales as was stated above.

I'm also a sucker for a giant braided paracord lanyard. On all of my knives.
 
Yea I stripped just blade portion and did a nice convex edge by hand with sand paper and some thin foam stuff as a backing.
Added a patina. Added Micarta scales and stainless hardware.

The I added some jimping and made it squared off just where the jimping is so I could strike a ferro rod. Then I rounded the rest of the blade off.

And I'd add a nice para cord lanyard.

I also made a nice sheath for mine.

Here she is when she was still kinda new. (Well, less than a year old)

BK2001_zps78f54a68.jpg~original


BK2002_zps266fd3f7.jpg~original


This was her about a month or so ago.

bce3a39043bce3442d0749915315bc20_zpsc303b95f.jpg~original


a91a252f6a01525cb4b953036854562f_zps1edcf58c.jpg~original
 
Some great suggestions on this thread. I would also suggest using loctite (or clear nail polish) on the nuts and bolts that hold the scales in place. It's a simple mod that ensures you won't be dealing with loose scales during real-world use.
 
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