*Update* 8/10 First Becker recommendation?

K

Korben_Dallas

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Feb 23, 2015
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Hey guys! Started lurking in this Becker forum a few weeks ago and man I went nuts for these things and haven't even purchased one yet.

So my question is out of these three which should be my first? I do light bushcraft camping every few weekends and have my blade needs mostly covered although there's never nothing wrong with a new knife. I just want one to have and put to the test and I must say the bk9 is just badass looking but I need help deciding between....

bk9
bk7
bk16

Thnx fellas

Bk15 pics added
 
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Bk16 and some micarta scales. Maybe a short leather kabar sheath for $8 to replace the stock sheath. The 16 is what I gravitate towards when it comes to Campcraft and wilderness survival.
 
A 9 and 7 is good but there are better ways to chop and process wood. I LOVE using big knives for certain jobs, namingly one being trail clearing. But I feel that when I'm at camp I can be a bit careless and might hurt myself. Id rather use a tool with less risk for delimbing myself for the job.
 
My vote would be for the #9 You just gotta feel that big ol, blade!!
 
If your blade needs are mostly covered, then the 9 might fill a need you don't even know you have yet. :)

However, if you want a "do everything" knife, might I recommend the 16. It's where I landed after researching and getting opinions for purposes similar to your own:

IMG_2210_zpsdofuknhp.jpeg


IMG_2194_zpszxbxuhmv.jpeg
 
Get a 9 and a 16 in which ever order you get them and you'll be set for nearly anything !!!!
 
Based on everything I've read here and my own experience, I'd vote for the sweet 16. Very versatile, utility type blade.
 
I carry the 7 for a one tool option with the 13 piggybacked in the factory sheath (if I am carrying nothing else) this compo will handle anything from chopping to fine work.
But for general Camp/Bushcraft the 16 all day any day (my favorite Becker)
KkIMWT8.jpg

this thread needed another pic.
 
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My first was the 2, because the 10 wasn't in production at the time. The 16 came out afterwards, and if I was to do it over again, I'd start there. It really is the ideal "lets do something outdoors" knife. Its tough enough to abuse, but still pretty thin and slicey. Its got a very useful blade length and very comfortable handle. Also, its Ethans favorite :).

The 9 is great, and is one of my most used blades, but its a fairly large blade (which might take some getting used to). The 7 is an "in between" knife, but is much closer in size to the 9 than the 16. From my experience, I find that blade length somewhat awkward, and would rather use two blades.

So get the 16... and the 9 :).
 
I say the 9, maybe it's cause I got the 9 first, maybe it's because it's the best knife to really judge how awesome Beckers are.
 
Thanks for the fast responses and great pics, looks like the 16 might be the first one I pic up. Now I see alot of you guys strip em. I'm may use this for food prep every now and then so would you all recommend strip and patina?
 
The BK-16 is a spectacular knife, quite capable in its own right and you would be well served to pick one up as your first Becker. With that said, I'm going to side with the BK9 as the answer to "which one first."

Get one, take it out and do all the fun big knife stuff like chopping, batoning, smiting, splitting and hacking. Once you've gotten a feel for it as a big knife take it down a notch and try some small knife stuff with it. The BK9 is pretty versatile and using it as a small knife is a fun way to learn more about blade control.

IMG_20140114_204716_169_zpsff723961.jpg
 
Man now this is getting difficult, I'm torn between 9 and 16 :(

16 is the smart first buy

but the 9 is like Tarzan beating his chest, yelling and running through the jungle... I am man, watch me cut down small tree and slice raisin with my bk9. Oohhhhhhhhhhh.

sorry guys got a little carried away. Can't even keep my own damn thread on topic it seems.
 
Korben_Dallas said:
Man now this is getting difficult, I'm torn between 9 and 16 :(

16 is the smart first buy

but the 9 is like Tarzan beating his chest, yelling and running through the jungle... I am man, watch me cut down small tree and slice raisin with my bk9. Oohhhhhhhhhhh.

sorry guys got a little carried away. Can't even keep my own damn thread on topic it seems.
Click to expand...

If you want the smartest smart first buy, grab a 15 while they're in the $40 range.

As to your stripping question for the 16 ... stripping is not necessary for food prep by any means. That said, I stripped my 15 and forced a patina. And I had my 16 stripped and parkerized. Stripping just makes these knives nice and slicey.
 
My first Becker was a bk16.
It was not my last.
But if I could keep only 1, that would likely be the one. Just a great overall knife.

16
 
The upside to this, is that they're all good knives, so you can never really make a "wrong" choice. Just perhaps there are some that are better for how you like to use a knife than others.

Also, the BK15 being $40 is really a good deal.

And stripping the blade isn't something I've ever done for food prep, but more for working with wood to be honest. The coatings are rough, and when you baton the coating can bind a bit. Removing the coating gives it less friction. Also, the knife is easier to clean off without a coating (stuff can stick to it, like bark, dirt, grime, etc). Plus... it just looks better. But over time, the coatings will come off anyway. So I usually leave my coating on for a while, until it starts to come off on its own, then finish the job to make it all one color again.

Good luck with the choice :).
 
I just picked up 4 BK15's at under 35 shipped (per knife). Man, that's a great knife for slicing. Definitely one of my new favorites, and probably supplants the 16 for me.

You can't not have a 9, although it's awfully hard to go wrong with the 16. Don't forget the 6 and the RBK when it comes out either. I personally would go for the 9 first. Outside of the RBK, there's very little that matches the glee that you feel holding the King. If you don't have something in that niche yet, but do have something in the all-around knife slot, you may not have the new knife lust quite as much. The 16 is a great knife. Don't get me wrong. But I feel it's one that says, "Yeah, I'm a good knife" when you pick it up, and you may not fall in love with it until you've used it. After you use it, you may well feel that it's the perfect general utility knife. The 9 on the other hand, well, you probably won't put it down for a few days after you get it. YMMV, of course. But since you've already said you thought the 9 looked badass, it really seems to me that you were leaning in that direction. Only reason I'd get the 16 first is because if you do, you'll end up regretting not getting the 9 pretty quickly, and then you'll have both, and as has been previously mentioned, the 9 and the 16 are a fantastic pairing. Or the 9 and any of the tweeners, really.
 
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