Rc-6 vs bk-7

udtjim

udtjim

Joined
Sep 4, 2007
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For those with both or knowledge of these two knives, How would you compare them? Pro's and Cons.

One more thought, would you opt for the BK-9 Do all three use 1095?
 
All 3 are 1095 if we are talking about Ka-bar Beckers..... All 3 are American made knives and backed with great warranties,hard to go wrong with any of the three listed... comes down to personal preferrence I guess ,I would lean towards the RC6 but that is just me...
pro's RC6 has no swedge at the tip,I am not a big fan of swedges, the RC has Linen micarta scales over the BK plastic scales.... the factory sheath on the RC is better compare to the So-so sheath of the Beckers... I would not opted for the BK9 overThe BK7 & RC6 ,THe BK7 & RC6 are good size field knives,wielding a BK9 instead of a 6" knife has limited usage...The BK7 & RC6 can do what the BK9 can and give you more of a utility factor over a big'ole chopper....I under estimated the actual size of the BK9 until yesterday when I received one in the mail....That thing is freaking huge...it has cool factor & performer written all over it but I do not see myself camping with it...I would pack my RC6/BK7 to handle larger chores before hauling the BK9 IMO
 
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I have to say I agree with TTD on his post.

I would only say though that I would go for the RC-6 over the BK-7 first in priority. It is personal preference to it for first choice because I really like the BK-7 too.

I got the BK-9 for Christmas and really like it too but haven't put it to any hard use yet. The BK-9 is actually feels good for a big blade and doesn't feel like the typical "pry bar" when people think of a large knife. I liked this review: http://www.woodsmonkey.com/index.ph...combat-bowie-review&catid=34:knives&Itemid=55

I will be toting the BK-9 in the spring when I go venturing.

The RC-6 has been attached to my day pack since January.

All good stuff.
 
Hey Jim,

This probably isn't much help, but I have a BK-7 and I have yet to see the attraction. I guess I'm not a fan of mid-sized knives. Too big for fine work and too small to chop well. Just my opinion of course.

Of the 3, I would probably pick the RC-6, although, this too, is a mid-sized knife.

Doc
 
texastonydobbs said:
All 3 are 1095 if we are talking about Ka-bar Beckers..... All 3 are American made knives and backed with great warranties,hard to go wrong with any of the three listed... comes down to personal preferrence I guess ,I would lean towards the RC6 but that is just me...
pro's RC6 has no swedge at the tip,I am not a big fan of swedges, the RC has Linen micarta scales over the BK plastic scales.... the factory sheath on the RC is better compare to the So-so sheath of the Beckers... I would not opted for the BK9 overThe BK7 & RC6 ,THe BK7 & RC6 are good size field knives,wielding a BK9 instead of a 6" knife has limited usage...The BK7 & RC6 can do what the BK9 can and give you more of a utility factor over a big'ole chopper....I under estimated the actual size of the BK9 until yesterday when I received one in the mail....That thing is freaking huge...it has cool factor & performer written all over it but I do not see myself camping with it...I would pack my RC6/BK7 to handle larger chores before hauling the BK9 IMO
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I too share the same opinion as tony..:thumbup:
 
I got the BK9 not to long ago (Feb. 18th) I was very suprised at how the BK9 handled, it was no where near as heavy as I was thinking, it's actually not bad at all to wear on our belt, I took mine on a couple of short hikes & it was not a problem. But as for the BK-7 or RC-6... I have not handled any of the RC knives so no input on those. I had the old BK 7 & BK-10 & I must say the BK10 was & still is my favorite all around knife ! I need to find another BK10 :D
If you ae goona get th BK7 just skip & go for the BK9 :thumbup:
 
Thanks guys. I had the original BK-7 but didn't use it much so I sold it. However Thats kinda leaves me without a knife in that size range. I have the Knives of Alaska D2 Alaskan Bush /Camp knife and the Helle Laplander. Both have blade in the 10 inch area but neither is a thick heavy blade. I also have a couple of the 12 inch Trams but again the blades are pretty light. I miss the KOA Bushcamp knife too.:) I do have the new JK Hatchet now.
 
I think its been explained pretty well, of the two I would like the RC6, BK7 is nice, but the over all quality upgrades with the RC6 are what I like, nicer sheath, better handles, the ability to choke up of the two, the RC6 is a better slicer, but the BK7 is a tank.
 
I know this is apples to oranges but this may help some comparison - RC-6 to BK2 and BK7 to BK2.

I can't get a direct comparison of the BK7 and RC-6 up quickly right now.
DSC02499.jpg

DSC02452.jpg


If you want one of the RC-6 and BK7 and even the BK9 I may be able to try and get one later.
 
I don't have a BK-7 for comparison but do have an RC-6. Recognize that the RC-6 costs 2 times as much as the BK-7. From a pure value stand point I think the BK-7 will get it done and save you cash. I agree with everything Tony said earlier. The 200% cost increase of the RC-6 comes with added features like a really great and versatile sheath system and higher grade mircata slabs not to mention visually a more pleasing appearance IMO. For some people these attributes warrant the cost difference but not everyone thinks that way.

One of the things I find incredible about the RC-6 is its balance. It is very fast in the hand and just has that feel where you can close your eyes and have a good idea of where the point is. Hard to explain. Perhaps somebody with both knives in hand could comment on how they compare. When I contrast the RC-6 to the SOD, I like the balance of the RC-6 for versatility. The SOD is blade heavy, which makes for an excellent chopper, but a clunky all-rounder (Don't get my wrong, I like the SOD- but it is a completely different purpose knife).

I had the pleasure of playing with Cmdr's BK-9, well fondling it for a few minutes around christmas. It is an excellent knife. Again, definitely a chopper. As coaldigger indicates, it is nice and light given its size. I would probably lean towards the BK-9 as a complement to the RC-6. One of these days.

Very tough choice between these two. Of course if the cash is limited - then your choice becomes much easier! Given that you sold your other one, perhaps you can think about what it was that influenced your decision to do so.
 
I would likely go with the RC 6 because of the reasons stated. better sheath, and Micarta handles. Although you couldn't really go wrong with any of them. Although I would not get a BK9 if you were wanting to do utility with it a lot, as that is a bit of an oversized blade for that kind of stuff.
 
I would get the bk7 over the RC-6 on the value standpoint. Im sure they're nice knives, but they're expensive for 1095. The handles on the Becker are all removable. If you want micarta handles they're not hard to make yourself with just a coping saw, and file (and respirator). Though in the brief time i used a bk9 I really quite liked the handles.
 
The handles on all the Beckers are exactly the same, interchangeable between models. They are, beyond question, the most comfortable handles on any knife that I've ever used. If you want Micarta handles, you'll be able to order them from Ka-Bar in a month or so. If you want wood handles, such as Cocobolo, you'll be able to order those, too.

You don't have to wait to buy the knife with the new handles, they will be available to order separately. I'm looking forward to the Micarta handles myself.

Between the RC-6 and the BK-7, I'd go for the BK-7. Although there's nothing at all wrong with the RC-6, I just like the BK-7 better (for a lot less money). The handles have a lot to do with it, too. The knife has to live in my hand when I'm using it, and those Becker handles make a lot of difference in comfort.
 
coaldigger said:
I had the old BK 7 & BK-10 & I must say the BK10 was & still is my favorite all around knife ! I need to find another BK10 :D
If you ae goona get th BK7 just skip & go for the BK9 :thumbup:
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I share your affinity for the Crew :cool: Here's mine stripped clean and dressed in micarta:

SANY0004-5.jpg
 
A lot of good input, thanks again to all. I have been drooling over them all day, it's raining and snowing and sleeting and windy as hell again today. We have had everything but hail today.:mad: Oh yeah and most of the roads are closed for flooding. Flooding and Blizzards the same day. Gotta love ND
 
Munky88 said:
Im sure they're nice knives, but they're expensive for 1095.
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Not to pick on you Munky88 - but that statement is something that urks me and crops up from time to time, especially in general discussion subareas. You will probably find that here in W&SS a majority of users actually prefer 1095 to other steel choices. Sure we like A2 and O1 also, but claiming a knife's worth is somehow less because it is made out of 1095 is just a plain wrong statement in these parts. The 1095 is a perfect choice for these blades, I wouldn't have it any other way. Plus the Rowen heat treat is beyond good. Put a great heat treat on 1095 and you have a wonder steel feel outdoors tasks. Oh and how is it that you find $120 expensive for blades that are 6-7" in blade length, full tang and 12-14" overall?
 
kgd said:
Not to pick on you Munky88 - but that statement is something that urks me and crops up from time to time, especially in general discussion subareas. You will probably find that here in W&SS a majority of users actually prefer 1095 to other steel choices. Sure we like A2 and O1 also, but claiming a knife's worth is somehow less because it is made out of 1095 is just a plain wrong statement in these parts. The 1095 is a perfect choice for these blades, I wouldn't have it any other way. Plus the Rowen heat treat is beyond good. Put a great heat treat on 1095 and you have a wonder steel feel outdoors tasks. Oh and how is it that you find $120 expensive for blades that are 6-7" in blade length, full tang and 12-14" overall?
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:thumbup: Very well stated my friend. :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:



"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike
 
kgd said:
Not to pick on you Munky88 - but that statement is something that urks me and crops up from time to time, especially in general discussion subareas. You will probably find that here in W&SS a majority of users actually prefer 1095 to other steel choices. Sure we like A2 and O1 also, but claiming a knife's worth is somehow less because it is made out of 1095 is just a plain wrong statement in these parts. The 1095 is a perfect choice for these blades, I wouldn't have it any other way. Plus the Rowen heat treat is beyond good. Put a great heat treat on 1095 and you have a wonder steel feel outdoors tasks. Oh and how is it that you find $120 expensive for blades that are 6-7" in blade length, full tang and 12-14" overall?
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ah, they're $129. For some reason i though they were $200 and a bit. :foot: Must have confused the MSRP. my bad
1095 is a fine steel, but if you were in my demented state and thought it was $200 I think you'd make a similar comment :o

I would actually revert my opinion then, as long as you weren't after something to do some chopping with. Better sheath, more detailed cutting, and the micarta handles. Though as i said above there is nothing wrong with grivory. Still is 50 dollars more, I guess thats the real deciding factor is if its worth it to you.
 
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