What is the "wow" factor with Becker knives?

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strangegeek

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Jul 27, 2013
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So this will be different for everyone but I wanted to put this question to the forums and see what everyone thinks.

So what is the "wow" factor with Becker knives? I mean when compared to other knives what makes Beckers from the rest? Besides the price/performance/quality quantitative factors what is the one thing that keeps us coming back?

Here is why I ask. Ever since my first Becker a month ago (BK 16 - love it!) I haven't been able to stop lusting after the other Becker models. Now I realize that I just described probably most of our first experiences with Beckers but for me I only really, truly needed one knife, for some upcoming camping trips. I work in an office, I work a lot, in an office,I really don't get outside nearly as much as I'd like and so the amount of time I get to work with my knife is probably a lot less than most other posters. Finances are also a factor - money being tight I really have to make a choice on what extras I allow myself so if I have something fulfilling a purpose it's tough to justify another purchase. I truly just wanted one good knife but now I'm making a list of the order in which I'll be getting all the other Beckers :) I've had other knives, mainly pocket knives and some showy replicas, and thought of myself as a fan of knives but it's different with my Becker. There is just something about them makes me want a Becker for all occasions.


Thanks for your input!
 
They are no-nonsense knives that keep going long past the point you have given up. They take tremendous amounts of abuse and keep asking for more, and they do it with a price tag that doesn't put a hurt on your wallet or a wife at your throat. They're unassuming, sexy, sleek pieces of sharpened steel that scream to the neanderthal inside each of us that is drowning in a world of politically correct touchy-feely garbage and make you want to go out, hunt something, kill it, and cook it over a fire you made with your own two hands, demanding the gods notice you and proclaiming to any and all that you are not just male but A MAN. They are the epitome of tools in a package that caters to all needs and tastes. The wow is that once you get the first one in your hand, once you pull it out of that black and tan box and feel the edge and get a good grip on the handle and grin maniacally as you wave it first right, then left, the right, then left again, grin growing by the second, that wow factor is that once you get that Becker knife in hand, you don't own it...

It owns you.
 
Well I also got a Bk 16 as my first Becker recently... and I also have been looking at the other blades.... I guess the reason that we want them so much is just the fact that when you get a quality tool in your hands you just wan't another. And another. And another.
 
The value of the knife is the wow factor for me. Not many if any companies put out a quality knife like a Becker and then charge a very reasonable knife. The are a quality blade that any man can own. It goes to show you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars for a knife that will last a lifetime.
 
DerekH said:
They are no-nonsense knives that keep going long past the point you have given up. They take tremendous amounts of abuse and keep asking for more, and they do it with a price tag that doesn't put a hurt on your wallet or a wife at your throat. They're unassuming, sexy, sleek pieces of sharpened steel that scream to the neanderthal inside each of us that is drowning in a world of politically correct touchy-feely garbage and make you want to go out, hunt something, kill it, and cook it over a fire you made with your own two hands, demanding the gods notice you and proclaiming to any and all that you are not just male but A MAN. They are the epitome of tools in a package that caters to all needs and tastes. The wow is that once you get the first one in your hand, once you pull it out of that black and tan box and feel the edge and get a good grip on the handle and grin maniacally as you wave it first right, then left, the right, then left again, grin growing by the second, that wow factor is that once you get that Becker knife in hand, you don't own it...

It owns you.
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thread closed, nothing more to say. ;)
 
Don't forget about the customer service and the joy of modifications without feeling like your hack jobbing a custom.
 
This is my personal taste on the Becker knives and a bunch of people here will likely not agree with it. I think they do a good job of putting a "good knife" in the hands of people who don't or cant spend a good chunk of money. I do not put them in the great knife category out of the package and once you do the needed mods to get them to the great knife the money you have spent can buy you a better knife than a Becker.

The pros for the Becker line up:
Good handle ergos
Good price point

The cons for the Becker line up:
Cheap handle scales (to me they are like scales on the Benchmade Griptilian yes they work but that is about it)
Poor fit and finish (scales didn't line up to the blade stock screws were loose on the scales)
Heat treat was decent for a production knife but not at the same level as ESEE for example
Sheath, nothing more really needs said here
Doesn't come as sharp as other less expensive production knives (Condor for example)
Terrible coating

This is from my own personal experience with a BK16, I don't think they are bad knives at all but I think you really have to do a lot of work to get them where they should be. Personally I would rather see the BK16 have a price point of around 100 bucks, and come with micarta and a decent sheath. Overall though I do think they are still a good buy for someone looking into getting there first good fixed blade knife because they give you a good idea of what you personally like or dislike in a knife.
 
PatrickKnight said:
Doesn't come as sharp as other less expensive production knives (Condor for example)
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Condor is the one company that everyone knows when theyre buying that A) It will be SUPER dull, thick round edge. And B) The handle will need sanding and the pins will be elevated, decent flushness with the tang usually.
 
I understand why folks compare Becker to ESEE and I know they have a great working relationship.

To me, ESEE's are what Becker's could be out of the box in terms of heat treat, sharpness and overall attention to detail. Kabar does okay, but could do better I feel. Rowen who makes ESEE is a smaller knifemaker so because of the smaller batches I feel the attention to detail is higher. Kabar is going to push things out a bit quicker. No offense meant...but it's the truth.

That said, while I own a few ESEE's....I like the Beckers quite a bit better. Mainly because I think the Becker's are better designed overall. The handle design of the larger Beckers is just better in my opinion. The greater offering of blade styles is just better from Becker. If you solely like drop points....ESEE has you covered for sure....and I love drop points....but not all the time. This is where Becker just has more to offer.

Becker's....out of box, they're good enough for most anything you'd want to do. I think that's also part of the appeal of a Becker is they lend themselves so well to customization. You can take any Becker and make it your own and make it a better knife than you bought if you're willing to put the work in.

There's a lot of knifemakers out there I like a lot. But I love my Beckers because I've made them my own. Once you make a Becker "yours" that's where the "WOW" factor comes in I feel to answer the OP's question.
 
Some good responses here. Some good, some not so good. For me and my love for Beckers are three simple reasons.
1. This forum, everybody likes to belong, be recognized and just hang with like minded people without a bunch of haters or fanboys starting or participating in trivial BS
2. I don't own any $100 plus knives. To me Beckers are top of my line.
3. I love moding. With the exception of the 3 that I just bought, every Becker is modified the way I want it. Actually the 16 that I got this after noon is already stripped, satin polished and all the edges cleaned up. The 9 is stripped and started on the "clean up".
 
This is a good thread.
I've often asked myself about the "WOW" factor of becker knives.
I, like the OP, was looking for just one good knife...
Well, long story short, I got a good deal on a short Ka-bar and a BK11.
I was so impressed and, dare I say, awestruck with the little blade, that I decided to do a little research on it.
The research eventually led me here. The BK&T subforum...lol.
I immediately fell in love with the entire line up of knives!
I was absolutely amazed at the friendly, unassuming atmosphere here.
A very knowledgable group that weren't a bunch of pretentious A-holes. Lol
I knew I needed Beckerhead status...and I knew I needed more Becker knives!
Honestly for me, the wow factor is the whole package. Price point, quality, ergos, performance, moddability, an awesome group on this forum, a good company with great warranty and customer service...all stemming from a designer that is a world class individual!
Yes...that one knife has turned into many more! And I still feel that wow factor each time I handle a new Becker.
 
Jonny1280 said:
This is a good thread.
I've often asked myself about the "WOW" factor of becker knives.
I, like the OP, was looking for just one good knife...
Well, long story short, I got a good deal on a short Ka-bar and a BK11.
I was so impressed and, dare I say, awestruck with the little blade, that I decided to do a little research on it.
The research eventually led me here. The BK&T subforum...lol.
I immediately fell in love with the entire line up of knives!
I was absolutely amazed at the friendly, unassuming atmosphere here.
A very knowledgable group that weren't a bunch of pretentious A-holes. Lol
I knew I needed Beckerhead status...and I knew I needed more Becker knives!
Honestly for me, the wow factor is the whole package. Price point, quality, ergos, performance, moddability, an awesome group on this forum, a good company with great warranty and customer service...all stemming from a designer that is a world class individual!
Yes...that one knife has turned into many more! And I still feel that wow factor each time I handle a new Becker.
Click to expand...

That pretty much sums up my thoughts exactly - well put!

This community is definitely a good point in the wow factor. I haven't started modding my Becker yet and I honestly don't know what mods I will end up doing, I will probably end up doing something with the sheath. I definitely want Beckerhead status when I can qualify for it.
 
I don't own any Beckers, but here is an outsiders perspective.

My brother got himself a BK2 a good while back and while it was a solid knife, the thing was just clunky and plain looking. I didn't really care for it at all. I looked at the rest of the lineup and they had some good looking designs but again all fairly plain looking. Right before summer we went to a gun show and there is always about 6 or 7 tables with knives. Some junk some pretty darn good. One of the better tables had a BK 7 displayed on a wood stand and right when I picked it up I realized there was something to it. Just that slightly slimmer blade width made for a perfect grip with a perfect balance. It was one of the proverbial Crocodile Dundee moments. My brother got one a couple of months later.

When I come on Blade Forums I usually just go to the front page so it shows, in chronological order, the new posts in any thread from every forum. Except Wine and Cheese:D. Well, after a while I started noticing that a lot of the awesome threads where folks are going out camping or hiking or just outside to cut some stuff up are coming from the Becker sub-forum. It seem almost every week someone is out scaling a mountain or walking through a wooded trail. It became clear that the Becker community was more walk than talk than most of the other places around here.

Then there is the customization aspect. Yes these plain jane knives do come as simple workable tools, but they are really just a blank canvas with an edge. Not just the pros but the regular forum dwellers do some crafty and beautiful tweaks to their Beckers.

So while I don't have one yet, I get it, and there is definitely a 15 in my future.
 
Where others may see simple looks, plastic scales and bulky size I see a blade that is well designed and ready to take on all comers. A wolf in sheep's clothing :) I really didn't get the love until I opened the box of my BK9 and lifted her out. Wow was exactly what I thought as a looked the blade up and down admiring the shape and weight, to me it was love at first sight. A few days later I ordered a 2, then a 13, now a 5 is on the way.

I know that if I need to, I can give a Becker knife a hard time and not worry about hurting it too much. I can change the look and feel of the knife if I so desire, or I can leave it as it came from the factory. I like having the choice.

The fact that they are so well priced is just a bonus, and will no doubt keep me coming back for more, and more and more :D

I don't really have much else to add, because I would simply be echoing the comments of others.
 
NathanJ said:
I don't really have much else to add, because I would simply be echoing the comments of others.
Click to expand...

Yeah, what he said. The American made product, at a very reasonable price for what you get, is a great feature. Solid, proven designs, that just plain work.

Becker and Condor are on two different levels, IMHO. I love Condors, have a bunch of them, but the BKT line is head and shoulders above.
 
With the Becker line not only are you getting great knives but there is a great community based around the fandom of Ka-Bar and Becker. Plus, the Bk9 is the best production knife ever. It's been scientifically proven and it's endorsed by Chuck Norris and the ghost of President Teddy Roosevelt.
 
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