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Cold Steel SRK VS Kabar VS Becker BK7
Which one should I buy? I am visually disabled and have cerebral palsy.
Which one should I buy? I am visually disabled and have cerebral palsy.
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SRK VS Kabar
- Thread starter King Grinch
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- Jul 14, 2003
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- 645
I have both the SRK and several K-bars. From the factory I think the SRK is a more practical blade. It's a bit thicker, the tip configuration is less prone to "popping" or snapping off, also the handle is more comfortable and asymetrically contoured so you have better index. While not designed as a fighter the SRK handles well in that role. I've used it succesfully to dress out both large and small game, prep food, cut firing lanes, pry apart door frames, etc. It does everything pretty well. It also comes w/ a pretty serviceable sheath.
I've taken one of my factory Ka-bars and contoured the handle, also removing the rear portion of the guard....the utility was vastly improved but probably still not as good as the SRK.
I can't really speak for the BK-7 though it looks like a better chopper and the flat grind seems very practical.
I've taken one of my factory Ka-bars and contoured the handle, also removing the rear portion of the guard....the utility was vastly improved but probably still not as good as the SRK.
I can't really speak for the BK-7 though it looks like a better chopper and the flat grind seems very practical.
When I was faced with that same choice, I chose the SRK becasue it was lighter, and from reviews I have read, it takes and holds a better edge than the KaBar. The KaBar, probably due to it's weight, is supposed to be a better chopper. I have been extreemely satisfied with my SRK, and recomend it to you. If you search on www.froogle.google.com you can find it for under $50, and the KaBar for a little under $40.
Will
Will
MelancholyMutt
Doggy Style
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- Apr 13, 2002
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Uh, forgive me for my ignorance, but would your visual disability and cerebral palsy make it unsafe for you to use any long knife?
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2002
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I would choose the BK7 because, IMO, the handle will last alot longer than that of the Kabar and SRK. The buttcap on the kabar may loosen if using the knife for chopping. I don't trust kraton as a hard use handle material because it may disintigrate and fall off over the years. If this ever happens to the BK7 you can just replace it with paracord or Becker's micarta scales. I'd rather have a knife that can still be used effectively even if the handle falls off. This is just my personal preference. If you want a smaller knife, Becker offers the BK10 Crewman with a 5.5" blade, even smaller is the BK11 Necker with a 3" blade.
This is a hard one, because I have all 3 and like them all for different reasons.
Only one, I would choose the SRK. I've had one for almost 10 years, and it's held up great, and the handle is comfortable and grippy for cold/wet conditions. That alone makes it a good choice in my book. I've had no problems with the handle deteriorating at all, but I don't chop much with it. Actually, none of these knives is a chopper. At least the SRK is small enough for more delicate tasks, the other two would be more awkward.
The CU/7 is too light for chopping, and very neutrally balanced. It's a great chore knife, however. The Kabar, well everyone knows about them... They are all good blades, but I would absolutely choose the SRK.
Only one, I would choose the SRK. I've had one for almost 10 years, and it's held up great, and the handle is comfortable and grippy for cold/wet conditions. That alone makes it a good choice in my book. I've had no problems with the handle deteriorating at all, but I don't chop much with it. Actually, none of these knives is a chopper. At least the SRK is small enough for more delicate tasks, the other two would be more awkward.
The CU/7 is too light for chopping, and very neutrally balanced. It's a great chore knife, however. The Kabar, well everyone knows about them... They are all good blades, but I would absolutely choose the SRK.
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- Feb 6, 2000
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Generally My disablillities do not make it a danger in the use of a long knife.MelancholyMutt said:
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The SRK is a tough knife. I'm not sure exactly how long I've had mine. I know I got it when they first hit the market, and I'm going to say it was about 13-15 years ago. Back then I was a silly teenager and my friend and I would go out in the woods and chop stuff up. I remember hacking through a half fallen tree with it while my friend sat at the tip of the tree waiting for the trunk to snap so he could go for a ride. 
This probably took a good hour, and left me with blisters, but I managed to hack through the 9-11 inch trunk to the point where it snapped. Then in the winter we made an ice raft by chopping a big chunk of ice free from a creek's bank. We probably had a 8x12 foot or bigger sheet of ice that we cut out and used like a raft to float down the creek. So my SRK has certainly seen hard use, and abuse, and it's held up fine. As far as the handle falling apart, I haven't seen any evidence of this. Maybe 200 years from now when I'm dead and burried it will have rotted away, but by then who would care? I wouldn't worry about the handle falling off.
This probably took a good hour, and left me with blisters, but I managed to hack through the 9-11 inch trunk to the point where it snapped. Then in the winter we made an ice raft by chopping a big chunk of ice free from a creek's bank. We probably had a 8x12 foot or bigger sheet of ice that we cut out and used like a raft to float down the creek. So my SRK has certainly seen hard use, and abuse, and it's held up fine. As far as the handle falling apart, I haven't seen any evidence of this. Maybe 200 years from now when I'm dead and burried it will have rotted away, but by then who would care? I wouldn't worry about the handle falling off.
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King Grinch said:
Because of your disability I'd say the Cold Steel, but only because it has a rubber handle. The Kabar and Beckers can be a little slippery and the Cold Steel is definately grippy.
On the other hand, I imagine resheathing a knife could be irritating for you, in which case I'd recommend the Becker. I think Becker sheaths would be the easiest to get the knife back into fast without hassle.
One other bit of info that might help you is that the Becker handles are considerably bigger and more palm-filling than the other two. Judge for yourself if that's good or bad for you.