Pulled the trigger on a BK14 - Questions for owners.

S

SpencerCE89

Joined
Sep 4, 2012
Messages
41
I'm excited. I've been eyeing it for way too long. Called the company to make sure they had the etched ones, fingers crossed that "white stamp" means etched. :grumpy:

First question, what kind of scales do you find yourself preferring on your BK14? Wood, Micarta? How about the actual shape of them. Do you like them to cover the big hole, or leave it exposed? For those that leave it exposed, do you like the scales that surround the hole, or the ones that stop before it? Aside from personal preference, have you found any advantages or disadvantages to any of these options? Also, what's the size of the hex hardware on the official black/orange scales?

For those who have PCB etched their logo, what's your preferred technique? How many applications, and for how long? I've seen some that have turned out beautifully, with results that look very similar to the old stamp.

I'm not planning on sticking with the stock sheath, I'm thinking of making a leather one. I haven't really seen any that have caught my eye. Not sure if I want something I can put on a belt, or slip in a pocket. Heck with a little creativity I supposed I could do both.

Anyway, I'd really like to hear about everyone's personal tweaks, preferences and add ons. Don't be afraid to spam me with photos of your BK14, I need something to hold me over until it arrives.

Thanks!

~Spencer
 
Great choice! I really love mine. Here's what happened to my 14 over the course of one year, to give you an idea.

He came out of the box like this
i52ng6.jpg


Soon, he was put to work, accompagnied by a paracord wrap. That's quite OK, looks good imo, but a pain to clean (cordage gets dirty/unsanitary).
34phmcn.jpg


So it clearly needed scales. The factory zytel scales are awesome. They fill the hand well, and give a whole new feel to the blade. No more hotspots, yey! And all of that at such an affordable price (and you get two pair for that too).
a3ntiu.jpg


The started to strip off, and sometimes little flakes of paint ended up in my food. Not cool. Stripping time! But... don't strip the handles. Else it will rust underneath the scales and you'll have to clean them pretty often. I reapplied some spray paint to keep it from rusting underneath.
2ugebdk.jpg


And patina time (forced at first, but it worn away and now has developed naturally by usage). I also convexed the edge. Not that it improves the cutting performance or sharpness for me, but when it has that sharpness, it keeps it somewhat longer now.
708hp2.jpg


But it doesn't really matter if you keep sharpening it when the sheath keeps dulling it. A new sheath is a must. Ow yeah, I also put stainless hardware on it.
106gbhu.jpg


And finally, het got some brothers to play with. Most recently his bro in another steel, the 24. Now that one still needs a new sheath someday :-)
300uqg8.jpg


So yeah, I'm sure you'll enjoy yours. They're very versatile and extremely comfortable to use if you get yourself some scales for them. A pair of scales that doesn't extend over the hole at the end of the tang will fill the palm of your hand, but I don't think they're comfortable for your pinky or ringfinger. The ones that cover the whole handle are the way to go, imo. And a new sheath, that too. Unless you want to sharpen your knife every day, or like working with a dulled blade.

Pretty much my favourite knife. The 24 might take its place though, that's still unsure at the moment :D
Put it to good use, and enjoy it!
 
Thanks for the in depth reply! Do you know the specific size of the stainless hardware that you bought? I'm leaning towards scales that cover the whole handle, maybe some denim micarta, but if I don't feel like messing with that I'll probably go for oak.

Have you EDC'd it? I may replace my folding knife with this if it's relatively easy to carry around, and if I can come up with a sheath that doesn't make it overly obvious that I'm carrying a fixed blade. Hope to keep it discreet like a folder.
 
Nope I can't tell anything about the bolt or nut sizes. I received them from a fellow forummember and still had to grind them to the right length. I carry mine in that azwelke taco style kydex sheath. Fits well in my front pocket, diesn't show.
 
I read recently that the 14 zytel takes #6 screws, but I haven't bought 'em to confirm.

Mine's a 24. I hope you don't mind. Same dimensions, different steel.
I have big hands, and wanted my scales to come down the finger guard a ways. So I made my own from mycarta (homemade micarta). I Love 'em.


I wanted a compact cross-draw leather sheath. This is what Psyop came up with for me. Love it, as well.



There is a recent thread by someone else - "out for delivery" - showing a few kydex pocket sheaths for the 14. Check it out for some ideas.
 
8729163067_d3ecd530a0.jpg
[/url] Bk14 finished by creakybonespics, on Flickr[/IMG]

Liked my 14, but never loved the length of the handle. Just a bit too short, so I made a longer handle out of a chunk of cedar. Totally transformed it from a rarely used backup blade to my favorite user. It's like the love child of a stock 14 and a stripped 16. I wish they'd offer something similar from the factory.
 
I have the kabar zytel, they do quite well, but as of right now I have small hands so its a 4 finger grip. I like the look of the g10 scales the knife connection makes for the ESEE izula. The ESEE factory micarta are nice but not hand filling enough for me. And you NEED to get a new sheath. I will have to try to make one soon for mine. And convexing it is a good idea. Cuts better and is easier to sharpen (for me)

Hope this helped
 
Creaky Bones said:
8729163067_d3ecd530a0.jpg
[/url] Bk14 finished by creakybonespics, on Flickr[/IMG]

Liked my 14, but never loved the length of the handle. Just a bit too short, so I made a longer handle out of a chunk of cedar. Totally transformed it from a rarely used backup blade to my favorite user. It's like the love child of a stock 14 and a stripped 16. I wish they'd offer something similar from the factory.
Click to expand...

First, love the longer scales! I've thought about doing some G10 or Micarta like that for mine. Second: How do you get your pic to post from Flikr? I've tried putting the url in the image post box and it has never worked for me. Am I missing something?

I love my 14. I have the Zytel scales as well which are pretty awesome. I recently removed them and put a nice wrap on it just for fun. The wrap gives good traction but collects dirt and stays wet for a long time, so it probably won't be on there a whole lot longer. Making a new kydex or leather sheath is a must though. I haven't been carrying mine much because it comes out dull. Oh well. Great knife!
 
Hit the share photo icon (box with a right pointing arrow) then select the "grab the html/bb code" option. I don't have a clue what the bb code is, but it seems to work.

The 14 with a slightly longer handle is an amazing knife.
 
I've been using the factory zytel which is decent for the money though sometimes a little slick and thin for me (btw, the stock scales use 6/32 x 3/8 screws. I posted the measurements somewhere but can't remember 100% so don't quote me on that).

But ultimately I think my favourite material would have to be G-10 or micarta like the ones I made below which came out a little thicker at just under a .25" and IMO a little more comfortable. As for the actual shape of the scales, I do prefer it when they cover the entire handle over say, the izula style ones which just cover the middle webbing.


003 by CamH_16, on Flickr
 
CamH_16 said:
(btw, the stock scales use 6-32 x 3/8 screws. I posted the measurements somewhere but can't remember 100% so don't quote me on that).
Click to expand...

Fixed that for ya!

Man, Cam, I've probably seen these a dozen times, but each time I do they still look so professional. Nice job.
 
Those look great. I just picked up some OD/Black layered G10 at blade. May have to try some on my 14. Do you grind the insides to fit in the gaps in the tang like the zytel ones do?
 
Mine has the KaBar handle kit & a TDI clip on the sheath. I REALLY like this set up. Handle kit & TDI sheath clip make a world of difference IMHO.





 
Last edited:
minkeyman said:
Those look great. I just picked up some OD/Black layered G10 at blade. May have to try some on my 14. Do you grind the insides to fit in the gaps in the tang like the zytel ones do?
Click to expand...

I ground mine down to fit. Took a ridiculous amount of time, and isn't perfectly flat. Still works great, I must say.
After having done so, I wish I simply took a 1/8" sheet and cut it to fit, and popped a pair of sleeves in it.
Some people have been known to thermoform some kydex in there instead.
 
HWF said:
^^
Well done. I really like those!
Click to expand...

tjswarbrick said:
Fixed that for ya!

Man, Cam, I've probably seen these a dozen times, but each time I do they still look so professional. Nice job.
Click to expand...

Thanks guys, I appreciate it :).

minkeyman said:
Those look great. I just picked up some OD/Black layered G10 at blade. May have to try some on my 14. Do you grind the insides to fit in the gaps in the tang like the zytel ones do?
Click to expand...

Nope. They just sit flush. I was gonna make some liners out of .030" G-10 but didn't end up doing so. As tjs said, it will take a lot of time to do so you're better off just cutting some thin material as inner liners.
 
I love mine- it's stock, 1095, roll stamped, factory blem from the Ka-Bar booth at the 2012 NRA National Convention. I threw some Izula micarta on the handle, and put a paracord belt lanyard on the end of the sheath so that if I need/want my knife fast I can yank it out of my pocket and extend my arm out in any direction and the knife will pop out of the sheath. The sheath, at that point, dangles by my side at about knee level via the paracord lanyard attached to my 3 o'clock belt loop.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top