The 800 pound gorilla in the room...

Status
Not open for further replies.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...limited-edition-bk16!?p=10609180#post10609180

Ethan Becker said:
Hey Everybody......

Yes, there are only about two to two hundred fifty of the roll stamped tweeners (each)......At Smoky's rep weekend the Smoky guys and Kim (from Ka-Bar) and I were having din and After looking over the goods and discovering that there was a first production run of a few hundred they offered to take ALL of them.....YES we said SOLD........Thank You Steve !!!!!....

Regarding the Sabre Vs. Full Flat ground 16s.....The original saber grind was to enable a roll stamped logo......Its gotta be flat to do the roll......That is why you frequently find a small section of blade in front of the handle or guard.....I want the sharp part of my knives to start just in front of the handle to increase control for small work.....It is important to me and is one of the hallmarks of my designs.....During the long development time I kept harping on making the blade grind go as high as possible to increase the slice and leave barely enough room for the stamp.......Kinda like the early Cammillus Neckers.......At about this time Ka-Bar bought the marking laser.....I was bitching piteously to John Stitt and he said ...With the new Laser we can grind all the way up and I replied "HOT DAMN" or words to that effect.........The Ka-Bar version of the Necker has, in my most humble opinion, a virtually perfect blade geometry for it's intended purpose......The laser marked blades duplicate this.......I see no real strength issues because I know how tough the Necker and Eskabars are and for a knife this short it is plenty tough enough.....My old Puma Hunters Friend, which I have always gone back to, even after I made my own knives has never in the hard use I have given both of them ever THOUGHT about busting......The "Pumaster" steel is not as tough (opinion here I am not about to tear the only "friend" I have up) .....I say this because i have a bunch of twist dings in the Puma and I have been a whole great big bunch tougher in testing the Ka-Bar Becker knives without similar damage..........

I am planning on putting my roll stamped 16s in the safe.....Only a couple of hundred made.....Well, I have a used roller and it will continue to get used.......

I have to say that I am probably gonna use the 16 to the exclusion of almost all of my collection......I use my Necker the most now and I keep thinking the 16 is almost here......I can't wait....

All Best...

ethan
Click to expand...
Oops, someone beat me to it.
 
Hey Everybody......

The deal went down at the rep weekend and frankly (I really hate to say this/admit this and I Apologise in advance) when one of the largest cutlery retailers in the known universe takes one look at my new product, finds out there is gonna be a limited early run and basically says "I'l take 'em all"...... I did not think to say OK but I gotta reseve "x" number for you guys........I was overwhelmed and overjoyed........Next time(if i get this lucky again) I Will think about it in advance and work something out.....

Truly no offence was intended........And if there be blame it is mine........Please bear in mind that if any of us knew there would be an issue we (KaBar and I and the Mods) would have figured something out.......Actually the first I knew that Smoky got knives was exactly a week ago when Steve Koontz from Smoky asked me to be on the show.....

Hope this clears things up a bit......

All Best....

ethan
 
Ethan Becker said:
Hey Everybody......

The deal went down at the rep weekend and frankly (I really hate to say this/admit this and I Apologise in advance) when one of the largest cutlery retailers in the known universe takes one look at my new product, finds out there is gonna be a limited early run and basically says "I'l take 'em all"...... I did not think to say OK but I gotta reseve "x" number for you guys........I was overwhelmed and overjoyed........Next time(if i get this lucky again) I Will think about it in advance and work something out.....

Truly no offence was intended........And if there be blame it is mine........Please bear in mind that if any of us knew there would be an issue we (KaBar and I and the Mods) would have figured something out.......Actually the first I knew that Smoky got knives was exactly a week ago when Steve Koontz from Smoky asked me to be on the show.....

Hope this clears things up a bit......

All Best....

ethan
Click to expand...

No offense taken, I feel fortunate to have one coming in. Can't wait to get that bad boy.
 
I gotta get over to Smoky and I will be a freaking wreck after the show(all who know me know I am a mess as soon as that littl red light goes on) so i will be back on in the morning....

Hey Fal'er....

Get better fast sir.........I got the prettiest handles in the mail yesterday......Maybe I can figure out how to post pics.....I need to show off a sheath from Nick as well......There are some VERRY creative people who hang here!!!!!!.....

All Best....

ethan
 
Thanks for popping in and commenting Ethan! My wife and I run a photography business and if someone said, "we want to book you all summer", I'd say yes without a second thought. It's the same situation, and I completely understand. I'm glad I got my BK16 on the way, but ever so slightly bruised the ego to have to order something from SMKW. It's the cost of getting it, and I didn't hesitate.
 
No complaints from me, Ethan. I would have handled it the same way.

My only regret is that they put your signature awfully low on the blade. If it doesn't make it through stripping, convexing, and using, I'll have to make it to a gathering some day and make you sign something else.
 
Ethan Becker said:
I gotta get over to Smoky and I will be a freaking wreck after the show(all who know me know I am a mess as soon as that littl red light goes on) so i will be back on in the morning....

Hey Fal'er....

Get better fast sir.........I got the prettiest handles in the mail yesterday......Maybe I can figure out how to post pics.....I need to show off a sheath from Nick as well......There are some VERRY creative people who hang here!!!!!!.....

All Best....

ethan
Click to expand...
Sure dude, BUT, will you be my valentine?
pictures here,
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ales-Stabilized-(sorta)-for-a-special-someone
 
Ethan Becker said:
I gotta get over to Smoky and I will be a freaking wreck after the show(all who know me know I am a mess as soon as that littl red light goes on) so i will be back on in the morning....

Hey Fal'er....

Get better fast sir.........I got the prettiest handles in the mail yesterday......Maybe I can figure out how to post pics.....I need to show off a sheath from Nick as well......There are some VERRY creative people who hang here!!!!!!.....

All Best....

ethan
Click to expand...


Thanks for taking the time to comment Ethan. I think the fact you even care enough to come on here, let alone apologize (which I don't feel we need), says everything that needs to be said on the matter. You continue to be exceptionally accommodating and loyal to those who appreciate your work.

Oh, and break a leg :D I won't get to see it on tv so I'm hoping someone can post it online.
 
Yeah that was classy of him to pop in like that, Can any of you folks imagine what Jeff Randall would have said?
 
Skystorm said:
What's with the sense of entitlement? We are an infinitesimal portion of KB's buyers, They don't actually owe us anything.
Click to expand...
Skystorm said:
Not so fast there cloudy ... :D

"We may be small but we are mighty" - something like that (lol)

IMHO -

We do a LOT to help promote knife sales.
We have earned "Beckerhead" status
We ARE entitled to preferential treatment
And again - IMHO - we are entitled to a shot at something others are not eligible for.

Edit:
All of which I would like to add, we have been graciously afforded time and time again.
Which is why this launch was a bit of a surprise.

These knives have been anticipated for a LONG time. These ARE NOT the 10's. (that didn't move so quick)

Just that fact that SMKW said "I'll take 'em all" speaks volumes.

And as far as shipping - I hate gouging. I just mailed this knife priority mail with tracking for $6.

But I understand how the deal went down - no worries.

And I'm glad Ethan made some dough out of it. He does a lot for us.


Don't ask me why, but, like I said - just felt a little stupid doing a passaround, review, singing praises
and all the while these things are literally in the back room being prepped for sale.
I reacted bad - I'm over it.

Last I have to say on the matter. Again - no worries.

"It's only a knife" LOL
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
OREGON FAL'ER said:
Yeah that was classy of him to pop in like that, Can any of you folks imagine what Jeff Randall would have said?
Click to expand...

Yes I can, but this is a family friendly forum :D


And Cobra, I can definitely see how it rubbed you in particular the wrong way. You didn't have to do a passaround and I think it was very cool and unselfish of you to do it.
 
I know I'm not a BeckerHead, yet (close, couple more threads), but I have to say this:

Ka-Bar was under no obligation to give anyone on the forum special treatment for being a BeckerHead. We as forum members and you as BeckerHeads are not entitled to anything simply because we give a good review where it's due, even if we sell the entire line to a billionare knife collector that wants 5000 of each. Ka-Bar, Mr. Becker, the Mods, and the Trinity (that I keep reading, don't know who they are or they're reason for helping us), owe us nothing for using and liking/loving knives, other way around actually, if it weren't for Mr. Becker, these knives would not exist, therefor the BH community would not. If not for BUSINESSES like Ka-Bar, Camillus, Black Jack, and even the (for some reason) hated SMKW, we wouldn't have these works of art to abuse.

And honestly, if you don't wanna pay $15 above the production model price for a very limited, very nice looking very EARLY release of something that has people waiting with their tongues hanging out and drool dripping from their chin, then don't. If you don't like the dealer, then don't. If you don't like the laser etching, then don't. If you don't like the saber grind, then don't. Just wait.
 
I don't think anyone is ACTUALLY pissed off here, Ethan. We used to say in the Navy, "If nobody is bitching about something, then something is wrong" (or some derivitive of that).

Personally, I might have been mad with them going nutso with the laser etcher...but the Navy MK-I sold me on the FFG, and now I want my BK16 to be FFG.

Plus their shipping costs are ridiculously inflated.

If we should be mad at anyone. it should be the Chinese. THEY created the tension here by holding up the Machax sheaths. If they hadn't, everyone would be rolling around the bathroom floor in a puddle of baby oil rubbing their Machax all over themselves, and they wouldn't be so tense for something new.
 
Yes, blame Cananda, China or the guy who doesn't speak english, Damn Tibor. I'll sign on for that.
 
I asked 3 very simple, very direct questions. What those 3 questions basically boiled down to was hoping someone in an authoritative position to say:

"Hey guys, SMKW purchased the first 250 of each production tweener and will have exclusive rights to sell them off in a limited edition run." And Ethan (as he so graciously does) gave us the information we were looking for.

So without further ado and without fueling other's internet fires, I would like to state for the record: I asked 3 questions without malice, disrespect, a sense of entitlement, unappreciative nor derogatory or slanderous malfeasance. Anything conjectured beyond that is at the mercy of their own imagination. I simply said I and others took it personally we did not receive a "heads up."

Regards,
Ark.
 
Ethan Becker said:
I gotta get over to Smoky and I will be a freaking wreck after the show(all who know me know I am a mess as soon as that littl red light goes on) so i will be back on in the morning....

Hey Fal'er....

Get better fast sir.........I got the prettiest handles in the mail yesterday......Maybe I can figure out how to post pics.....I need to show off a sheath from Nick as well......There are some VERRY creative people who hang here!!!!!!.....

All Best....

ethan
Click to expand...

I ordered my LE16 about five seconds after the post went up! I'll still be watching the show tonight...I'm a fan boy...
 
I got some stuff i want to add, and i will, later tonight. I have a 14 hr shift to finish first though. Ethan summed it up, but i would like to offer some insight from the trinity's perspective.

Moose
 
If I buy this knife I would be tempted to never use it. Beckers were made to be used.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top