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Somewhat rare......

Well I got the OK from the wife so in the morning I will get mine ordered then by the time I get it my hitch at work will be over and I will have five days of nothing but dirt time to spend with it . No mods just straight out of the box and into the woods I'll give it a good work out and it will be the only tool I take with me just to give it a fair shake
 
I got my production FFG BK16 last week. Haven't had much chance to get out and use it, but I like it, mostly. First thing I'm going to do is make some micarta handles for it, a hair larger than stock (so it still fits the sheath's straps) and with some grippy texture. I'm also going to strip this one, using chemical stripper rather than sanding the coating off. I'm not a fan of the rough coating. I used gun blue on my BK2 a few years ago, and I'll blue the 16 as well. The edge didn't feel that sharp out of the container, but when I tried to shave arm hair, it cut quite well, so no real work needed there. I like the sheath but would've liked a slightly larger pouch. Also, not a fan of the "Made in..." tag but not looking to start down the road of economic/political discourse, merely answering the question. I'm expecting it to be another great Becker performer once I get it outside.
 
i had a fpr bk-16 and quickly got rid of it because the handle shape didn't feel comfortable for me. the index finger groove/inward curve is way too deep and add to that the overall thinness of the scales/handles and it had to go. i wish the handle was more symmetrical front to back (the index finger groove is the same depth as the ring finger groove) and closer in overall thickness to the full-sized becker models.

i liked the sheath though - it's a big step above the full-size nylon sheaths.
 
First impression of the BK16: Very solid little knife. It was much smaller than I had thought and the handle was very slim. My scales were off center but it is not a big deal because you can remove them and change the positioning. The center of balance on the knife is right inbetween the middle and index finger and feels very nice in the hand. The factory grind on the knife was very shallow and I immediately put my own little convex on the edge so it can cut better. The coating is also very nice with a good even coat and seemed very durable from the beginning.

The blade: The blade is very well made and even though it is FFG, it does not seem like there will be any possibility of snapping it or doing any major damage to it because the blade is still pretty hefty for its size. The tip is very sturdy and does not give me the slightest worry of it breaking on me but the factory grind was a little uneven on each side when I first got the knife. Like all other Kabar producuts with 1095, it takes an edge pretty easily and is easy to sharpen on the fly. The new coating on the blade seems bulletproof compared to the old powder coat. When I would strop my other becker with the old powder coat, the coat would fall off but on this, it only shows up a little shiny with hardly any signs of wear. The coat is rough in texture and can grab when you decide to carve or do any batoning but has shown hardly any wear from the use I have been putting it through. The new laser etch is also of great fit and finish and looks clean on the blade. Being FFG, this blade also slices like crazy. The jimping on the spine is also pretty aggressive and catches your thumb really well if you need the extra grip when crafting.

The handle: As I mentioned before, the handle is very slim. I have medium-large hands and it fits very well even though it wouldn't hurt to slap some liners on it. The handle is very slim around where your index finger goes but it ensures very good control over anything you are doing. The zytel handles are somewhat slick but I haven't had too much trouble due to the great ergonomics of the handle.

The sheath: Awesome production sheath. Though it is nice, it should be an inch shorter to fit the bk16 and not the bk15. The pocket on the sheath is of a decent size to where I can fit a small leatherman in it. The straps also have a decent retention and hold the knife very well in place. The system on the back to lash it to your belt is also a very nice feature because it has both Velcro and a button for extra security.

Overall, it is an awesome bushcrafting knife and I would happily recommend it to anyone. Definitely get what you pay for in both the knife and the sheath.

Just my 2 cents:)
 
I'm having sharpening issues...but that mostly because I freehand. Just ordered a 6 pack of new medium belts for the worksharp...that should fix things. Would have still liked an unmarked saber ground 16. Have I cursed SMKW today? Don't think I have. There is a special place in hell for their engraving machine operators....
 
I'm having no problems sharpening it at all and all I use are a crappy metal sharpener I picked up for $5 and a strip of leather I ordered from amazon with some medium grit strop compound. Now it shaves like a razor. The factory edge is no good in my opinion even though it shaves from the box. I like having a smaller angle on my grinds even if the larger angle is more durable.
 
Just got the FPR 16. It has been convexed and Cliched (by the man himself.) So I can't speak to the coating.
A couple passes on the WKTS, and it scares the hairs right off my arm.
The balance is great. Feels like a natural extension - now I have claws!
I have large (XL to XXL) hands, and was afraid the handle would be too small.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Like someone above (Clich?) said, once you choke up, they are actually quite good. Still, I wouldn't mind a little more girth, and a lot more not-slick, so I'll insert liners (spacers?) and stipple them, and look for something aftermarket.
Considering it came with the knife, I'm not too let down by the sheath. Has some nice features - particularly the belt loop. But mine does rattle a little. It'll actually hold a War Dog or an RMD without slippage (though the straps won't go 'round the Bussekin handles) - so it's clearly a bit big for the 16.
In all honesty, it would work just fine for me, but I'm already thinking of a nice, compact deep slip leather type for it. Perhaps I'll try my hand at some wood scales.
Overall, I give the knife two hearty thumbs up, and the sheath a little smile.
Amazing value for sure.
My first Becker, but I (and my wallet) am afraid it won't be my last.
I wanno go cut something...
 
I think the shorts are just what the Becker lineup was missing. A quality field knife that isn't overly large, that isn't overly intimidating, that costs a reasonable price. For many of us, the new handle shape fits like it was made for us. The 16 is the one I had to drop my money on, although I will readily say that I think the other two are fantastic as well and would do most of the same jobs just as well. To me though the saber ground 16 was it, my idea of what perfect knife would be. A smaller BK2 instead of a larger BK14. The production one may slice better, but I doubt the gains are phenomenal in direct comparison. I have used my 16 to slice, and it did just fine for me. All in all, when I first got the 16 in hand, I realized it was my dream knife that I never knew I wanted.

Uncle Weird-Beard done good.

:thumbup:
 
DerekH said:
To me though the saber ground 16 was it, my idea of what perfect knife would be. A smaller BK2 instead of a larger BK14. The production one may slice better, but I doubt the gains are phenomenal in direct comparison.
Click to expand...
I couldn't agree more.
 
There is almost nothing else that can be said that hasn't already been said. It's funny that the small/just-right nature of the handles is in the hand of the be-holder. To Ethan they are perfect, to me they are too small. Corrected with liners made from .060 Kydex and they feel great to me.

The slipperyness of the Zytel was fixed by media blasting. Moose -- PM me your address and I'll send you a set to evaluate. Ya want tan or black (actually, grey after blasting!)?

I love that each model has a bigger, older brother. As others have mentioned here, you almost had to hide your original Beckers from non-knife-types or be deemed a weirdo. The Tweeners are MUCH more acceptable in mixed company.

I made up a bunch of knives for a friend's son going to Afghanistan soon as an Army MP and let him make his choice. Several Beckers were in the breifcase. He ended up chosing the KaBar MK1 because of it's carry size and weight. Now that the MK1 is DuraCoated and the Kydex sheath is 90% done, in good consciousness I'm forced to now offer the troop all three Tweeners to re-evaluate his choice! I think any of the three are the superior blade to the ancient MK1's design (heavy and short). If he chooses a Tweener I'll have to rush and make up a sheath.
[As a side note, he was told NOT to bring anything that was ACU with him. They could only attached OD green or black items to their vests, which kind of leaves out the stock sheath unless it was dyed].

I blasted the coating off of one of the BK15s yesterday (see thread on how tough that was to do), and when I was done the knife seemed SO much lighter. It must be a mental thing since the coating can't weigh anything, but it just had the feeling of being featherweight.

OK, I'm done.
 
K9-Handler said:
There is almost nothing else that can be said that hasn't already been said. It's funny that the small/just-right nature of the handles is in the hand of the be-holder. To Ethan they are perfect, to me they are too small. Corrected with liners made from .060 Kydex and they feel great to me.

The slipperyness of the Zytel was fixed by media blasting. Moose -- PM me your address and I'll send you a set to evaluate. Ya want tan or black (actually, grey after blasting!)?

I love that each model has a bigger, older brother. As others have mentioned here, you almost had to hide your original Beckers from non-knife-types or be deemed a weirdo. The Tweeners are MUCH more acceptable in mixed company.

I made up a bunch of knives for a friend's son going to Afghanistan soon as an Army MP and let him make his choice. Several Beckers were in the breifcase. He ended up chosing the KaBar MK1 because of it's carry size and weight. Now that the MK1 is DuraCoated and the Kydex sheath is 90% done, in good consciousness I'm forced to now offer the troop all three Tweeners to re-evaluate his choice! I think any of the three are the superior blade to the ancient MK1's design (heavy and short). If he chooses a Tweener I'll have to rush and make up a sheath.
[As a side note, he was told NOT to bring anything that was ACU with him. They could only attached OD green or black items to their vests, which kind of leaves out the stock sheath unless it was dyed].

I blasted the coating off of one of the BK15s yesterday (see thread on how tough that was to do), and when I was done the knife seemed SO much lighter. It must be a mental thing since the coating can't weigh anything, but it just had the feeling of being featherweight.

OK, I'm done.
Click to expand...

You are awesome. Really enjoy reading your posts and the work you do. :thumbup:
 
I really like the 16. It's a good useful size, and the handle is very comfortable, at least if you don't have very large hands, and I don't. In fact, most of the people who have felt the knife really like the handle. It's not very complicated, and very close to a pretty standard curve in the front, and flat along the back, but it's thinnest at the pointer finger, which helps lock the knife into your hand, and flares out comfortably at the pommel end, which seats the knife nicely, and helps keep it in your hand. The overall size is great for a generally useful little carry knife, and I LOVE a well-done drop point. I did rehandle it, and the balance is great with wood scales on it. I also like the guard--just large enough to keep your hand from sliding forward onto the blade, but not obtrusive. I personally got the FPR edition, because I wanted the saber ground over the FFG. I think it looks better aesthetically, and on heavier cutting tasks, there's not as much of the blade flat against the substance being cut. It's definitely one of the knives I would never consider selling.
 
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