What is so great about the bk7.

trailbum

trailbum

Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
3,490
This is not a bash session, only a calm discussion.:D

We have the Becker necker and Eskabar for small work.

We have the Bk2 for best knife ever, IMO, and general purpose take everywhere outdoors knife.

We have the Bk5 for the kitchen and camp cooking.

We have the BK9 for all of our chopping purposes.

Where does the Bk7 fit in, to big for a neck knife, to small for a serious chopping knife, can't do anything the Bk2 won't do. It will not outperform the Bk5 in the kitchen.

Stand up up for this poor:D underdog. What is it good for and where does it out perform the others in your opinions.

This is all in fun.
 
I will have to respectfully disagree. I've chopped all the same materials with my 7 as I have my 2...no problems. I've used my 7 in the kitchen...no problems. I have used my 7 for whittling and fine work...no problem. In my opinion, the BK7 is the most well rounded knife in the entire Becker line up. I only bought the 2 and the Eskabar because I wanted them, not because I needed them to fill any void that the 7 couldn't fill.

Of course these are my experiences with the 7, YMMV. Good post though! I for one enjoy the differences of opinions! If we all agreed all the time, it would be boring in here. :D
 
I knew you would respond for the Bk7.
Not my opinions, just stirring up a hornets nest for the sake of a good conversation.
I like the 7. But not like the 2 or 9.
 
I think you will find a lot of discusion, not just under the Becker forum but elsewhere, that the 7" knives often have a hard time finding a home for the hunter/camper/hiker. As you point out, they are big for small work and small for big work. I find that in a pinch, the knife can serve either role well, but neither perfectly. The 7 can do smaller jobs the BK9 can't do and handle bigger jobs because of its length that the BK2 can't.

Also, there is the combat aspect. I know nothing about knife fighting, but the 7" knife seems to be a proven size in combat situations.
 
Didn't Ethan make the 9 but soldiers couldn't carry such a long blade so he made the 7? I read that somewhere.
 
I agree with MikeyJ. The Bk7 is the most versatile Becker out there. The extra length allows it to batton thicker wood than the Bk2. The high grind and thin edge allows it to slice VERY well for it's size. It has a thinner edge than the Bk2 because the spine is thicker on the 2 and the grind starts higher on the 7. Both of these factors lead the 7 to be the better slicer.

As far as chopping.... I have noticed that very few guys chop with the 7 to it's potential. The technique for chopping with a large Leuku is to wrap your middle finger around the flare at the end of the handle and use a snapping motion at the wrist. The shape of Becker handles allows this technique to be used with the Bk7. You would really be surprised how deeply this technique "bites" into wood with the 7. You cannot, however, do this with the Bk9 because it is to heavy and the centrifugal force would make it dangerous and you might lose your grip. This technique has been common for hundreds of years with the Leuku but I don't see it used here very much.

Here is my Bk7. This one has a full convex saber grind.

024-1.jpg


The Bk2 could not have reached across much of this wood. To use the Bk2 I would have to batton off the sides which equates to more work.

bk7016.jpg
 
Md 25v said:
As far as chopping.... I have noticed that very few guys chop with the 7 to it's potential. The technique for chopping with a large Leuku is to wrap your middle finger around the flare at the end of the handle and use a snapping motion at the wrist. The shape of Becker handles allows this technique to be used with the Bk7. You would really be surprised how deeply this technique "bites" into wood with the 7.
Click to expand...

Interesting. My hand just naturally falls into this position with both the BK7 and BK2 when I chop. I always liked that about the Beckers. I never really thought about it, but yeah, you're right. It's a lot like a Leuku.
 
bk7 was more designed as a military combat bowie.. of course I'll stand to be corrected by the becker purist.:p:D

I like the 7 its a decent chopper I've used it to chop down (3) 4" post oak trees..

combined with proper technique its a good chopper, you can use bad technique with a "designed chopper" like a khukuri and have poor results, I know.. been there done that.. :D

however when my 9 arrives... maybe a choppaholic?? i dunno..:confused:
 
BK7 came first, then the BK9. The real funny thing about Beckers, the first one he manufactured was the BK1, the most recent one he created is the BK14. Other than some variants, there is simple logic behind how the knives got their model number. Ethan numbers them in the order they were created, the BK7 has a 7" blade, and the BK9 has a nine inch blade, and its not a coincidence, but from 1-14, they were designed and numbered in sequence.

The BK7, the "Little Black Dress". Doesn't chop like a 9, but can chop well, is lighter and faster than the BK2, bigger than the rest, and can manage every task that the other Becker knives can do, just not master them. Each knife overlaps the one before it in function, as well as due to the overbuilt design, some reach up to get into the area of the size above it.

But in all honesty, if one could only have one Becker blade to use for anything, it would be the BK7. The BK2 does have its limits when processing big wood for the fire or material, not to say it can't process large wood, but you have to change the game (Derek?). The BK7 in my opinion is the most verstile field knife BKT has. I have done alot with mine and so have many others, but the ones that wind up using it, are soldiers, guys that want a little more in their knife.

Moose
 
I think the BK7 is most well-rounded knife in the line.
It is a good size to put on a belt or in a pack and can be pressed into service for just about any task.
If I had to choose only one to use forever, it would be the BK7.

(If I was being asked to choose the coolest one I might give a different answer.)

pete
 
I think the BK-7 is a good size knife if you just wanted to carry one knife with you.

Big enough to do bigger tasks without being over-sized.
 
The BK7 is my favorite BK knife, like everyone has said it does everything well....
 
moosez45 said:
the ones that wind up using it, are soldiers, guys that want a little more in their knife.

Moose
Click to expand...

Thats right. If anyone remembers my first Bk7 thread, it had been given to me by a friend in the 101st, right off his ruck.
 
Md 25v said:
I agree with MikeyJ. The Bk7 is the most versatile Becker out there. The extra length allows it to batton thicker wood than the Bk2. The high grind and thin edge allows it to slice VERY well for it's size. It has a thinner edge than the Bk2 because the spine is thicker on the 2 and the grind starts higher on the 7. Both of these factors lead the 7 to be the better slicer.

As far as chopping.... I have noticed that very few guys chop with the 7 to it's potential. The technique for chopping with a large Leuku is to wrap your middle finger around the flare at the end of the handle and use a snapping motion at the wrist. The shape of Becker handles allows this technique to be used with the Bk7. You would really be surprised how deeply this technique "bites" into wood with the 7. You cannot, however, do this with the Bk9 because it is to heavy and the centrifugal force would make it dangerous and you might lose your grip. This technique has been common for hundreds of years with the Leuku but I don't see it used here very much.

Here is my Bk7. This one has a full convex saber grind.

024-1.jpg
Click to expand...

How did you go about giving that a full saber grind w/ convex edge?

I'm assuming a belt (knife) grinder, but the heat coming off of it might mess with the hardness if you aren't careful and you'd have to be fairly skilled at knifemaking or have huge huevos to try and convert it like that. I'd be too scared to go that high.
 
obsessis said:
How did you go about giving that a full saber grind w/ convex edge?
Click to expand...

It's not a saber grind. It is a convex saber grind. Not the same thing.
The edge is not the only convex part. Everything from the beginning of the grind to the edge is convexed. The edge is a little shinier because I didn't bother polishing the whole grind. It was done on a 2x72 belt sander. Only takes a few minutes but you will lose several mm of knife grind height in the process. The knife never got past warm so no problem there. I also did my Bk9 in this thread.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=803609
 
I'm more in love with my BK7 than my BK2. the 9 is too long for me as I dont use knives for chopping, and the 2 is sometimes too thick. So the 7 is perfect for me.
 
the BK1 might have been the first PRODUCTION knife (hi juicey moosie)

but it's not the first Becker made. or the second. hell, or the third? good lord. there's some old models out there :)

Ethan should sit down and spell us on some history, and some BIO (for the FAQ ;>)

oh ETHAN! get your buttocks down here on this log and school us ;)
 
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