Should I Get A BK11 or A BK14?

MattyLav

MattyLav

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
2,159
Hey everyone,
So im looking to get my first Becker. And i like the BK11, and BK14. So what do you think i should get? Could i get some pictures of yours? And if you have them, pictures of them both side by side?
Thanks for any help :)
 
MattyLav said:
Thanks for the pictures. How do you like them both? If you had to choose one, which would it be?
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I love them both. I normally will carry both, but the BK14 is the one that I carry all the time, mostly because of the longer handle. It is more comfortable in my giant meat hooks than the Necker is, but the Necker is very comfortable and solid in my hand once I wrapped the handle. If I had it to do all over again, I would still have ordered both, but the BK14 I would have gotten in the D2 steel (BK24). It's a little more expensive, but it is a hunk of sharpened D2. :)
 
I like my 14, but I love my 11....

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That was back when the 11 was brand new. It's pretty much my EDC nowadays.
 
Thanks, Im leaning towards BK14, since it says ESSE, is it a colaboration? Sorry i dont know much about beckers :( haha :)
 
MattyLav said:
Thanks, Im leaning towards BK14, since it says ESSE, is it a colaboration? Sorry i dont know much about beckers :( haha :)
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It is indeed; it's the BK-11 blade with the Esee izula handle (though it's slightly more beefy than the izula handle, which is why izula scales have to be filed down a little bit to fit, from what I've heard). But of course Kabar (not Esee) manufactures the 14 as part of the Becker line.
 
MattyLav said:
Thanks, Im leaning towards BK14, since it says ESSE, is it a colaboration? Sorry i dont know much about beckers :( haha :)
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It is a collaboration between BK&T, ESEE and KA-BAR. Basically, it uses the BK11 blade with the Izula handle.
 
Thanks guys, Also sorry if im being annoying, but can i also have some pictures of comparisons of the BK14 with some regular folders? Thanks
 
These are the three knives that are always in my EDC rotation. If I am not carrying the BK11, I am carrying the Grip as my secondary.

 
I don't have many photos of the Beckers with folders, but here's my 14 next to a Victorinox OHT; the top one, of course, is my Remora:

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Thanks guys. And i have another question. For some pictures ive seen of the BK11 sheath, they have an outline of almost like a tanto blade shape instead of the actual droppoint blade. Why is that?
 
MattyLav said:
Thanks guys. And i have another question. For some pictures ive seen of the BK11 sheath, they have an outline of almost like a tanto blade shape instead of the actual droppoint blade. Why is that?
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That is the older style sheath. All that I have seen and purchased recently have the Becker blade shape in the sheath. TBH, I don't like the sheath, so I sprung for some nice Kydex.
 
Perhaps start with the BK11 and then go to the BK14 if unsatisfied? I really like my BK11. It's what I want in a small fixed blade but nothing I don't need. I'd probably like the BK14, but I don't know I'd view it more than an equal to my BK11 for what I use it for. Especially since I've added micarta.
 
I had a BK11 first, but I traded it when I got a BK14. The 14 feels more comfortable in my hand. The bottle opener / wire breaker on the 11 always dug into my pinkie. I just got a BK24 about a week ago, and I really like it. The D2 steel was sharper brand new out of the box than either my 11 or 14 was, and I have found after doing some side-by-side cardboard cutting tests that the D2 holds its edge longer. I also like the uncoated look of the 24. If you use either the 11 or 14 for awhile, the black finish starts coming off in places, so I think just having the 24 uncoated will help it look nicer longer. I've also heard folks on here give the opinion that an uncoated blade slices just a fraction better than a coated blade, and I suppose that would be true. You could "strip" the coating off of an 11 or 14, but the 1095crovan of the 11 and 14 is not as corrosion resistant as D2. On the other hand, it's would be easier to put a patina on the 11 or 14 than the 24. The 24 does cost a little more that the 14 or 11, but only $20 or so more. I feel that the advantages it offers are worth $20 more. But if you are just choosing between the 11 or 14, I'd recommend the 14 because it has a more comfortable handle in my opinion.
 
Or do you guys think i should get an izula? I prefer smaller blades? Are the handles the same length on the BK14 as the izula?
 
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