What's the competition, and why did you chose the Becker knife?

Saint Loke

Saint Loke

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Aug 4, 2013
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I'd like the sub-forums input on a topic that's been on my mind a few days:

What's Becker knives and tools biggest competition?

I'm sure there are different brand that compete with different Becker models.

So what would you say is the biggest competition for the BK2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 etc? What did you compare your current knives to, and what made you decide for (or against) the Becker?

One of the reasons I'm posting this, is because I'm quite thorn between a BK17 and the Fällkniven F1 right now, and I'm sure more of you have been in the same situation.
 
Esee was the competition for me, and I ended up liking the handles of the Becker more. Also it was cheaper.
 
I would say that the only competition for the Becker's in the same price/size/weight/usage catergories would be Condor. I don't own any of these as I skipped from KaBar to Tops, and then from Tops to Busse and Kin.
 
My first becker was a bk9 and the biggest competition for me was a kabar cutlass machete. So for me the biggest competition for becker knives is Kabar knives :D To help you with your decision, I would get the bk17 and convex it. I think a F1 is in my near future, the bk16 has a little to long of a blade for my taste.
 
I would say ESEE, SYKCO, Cold Steel (for some people), Fallkniven, Ontario, TOPS, and yes, Ka-bar itself. I wouldn't put Condor anywhere near that set.

The BK&T line strikes a great price/performance balance while being made in the USA. The ergonomics are good, the designs are good, the price is good, the materials are good, the execution is good.
 
Biggest competition for me was ESEE/RAT (which I already have several of). But I went with the BK-9 and BK-7 because of price and handle ergonomics.
 
daizee said:
I would say ESEE, SYKCO, Cold Steel (for some people), Fallkniven, Ontario, TOPS, and yes, Ka-bar itself. I wouldn't put Condor anywhere near that set.

The BK&T line strikes a great price/performance balance while being made in the USA. The ergonomics are good, the designs are good, the price is good, the materials are good, the execution is good.
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Esse, Sycko, Fallkniven, Tops are nowhere near the price point of Becker, seemingly that would put them out of the direct competition market of the average Joe who thinks a $100 and up knife is for rich people.

Ontario and KaBar IMHO do not hold up to the durability aspect of Becker.

Cold Steel honestly shouldn't be consider (that's just my opinion FWIW)

That leaves Condor as it is comparable to the overall package that Becker presents, I did not say they were better, but If the average user were to walk into a Wal-Mart and see a Becker BK2 sitting by a Condor Rodan most would likely buy the Condor unless they new something about knives.

Based on the above points, I will not retract my statement and still consider that Condor is truly the only competition for Becker based on Price, Materials, Qualiy, Durability, Usage, Options, Size, Weight, Ect...

But then again some on here will argue the merits of how a Mora is more of an ultimate survival blade than a Busse:rolleyes:.
 
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Jens Schuetz said:
There is none and thats why I got the BK9.
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Or this.

Now if you are looking at Becker vs Other in a purely subjective term, I say Busse (TGLB vs BK7 or BK9) or Tops (BOB vs BK2) was the competition and I chose the non-Becker's due to quality of Heat Treat or Manufacture, Elite'ism, Looks/Overall Design, Materials Used, Warranty, Grinds, Balance, Profile, Performance, Cutting Ability, Edge Retention, Fit & Finish, Ergonomics, Additional Features by design, and the list could go on infinately as this would be subjective to the end user (which is me in this instance).
 
Yeah, I couldn't really find a competitor when you take quality and price into consideration. Plenty out there of equal quality that's more expensive, plenty out there in the same price range that's utter garbage compared to Becker.
 
I do like Becker's and KaBar's so don't take my statements as snobbery or dis-taste, anything made in America by a respected company is A-Ok in my book, and I will be the 1st to recommend a KaBar or Becker to a newbie or person who asks "which knife in the $50-$100 range".
 
I don't think BKT has any real competition.
There are alot of nice knives out there, but not for the same price.
The BK9 costs 85.53 at Tomars. What other large knives can compare to that.
 
I looked long and hard at Busse/Swamprat before deciding on my BK7. It came down to the fact that I was promised a Becker would make me taller and better in bed. Truthfully it was a hard decision of what I wanted in a knife and it came down to the reviews that bladeforums members have posted on Beckers. Now that I have a Becker/Beckers I do not know how I went so long without one. It was like going camping for years and just now learning about sleeping bags.
 
If I'm not buying custom or making my own, and I AM buying a fixed blade, I'm buying Becker. For what they are, I don't think there really is any serious competition.

ESEE is more expensive and less ergonomic, although they have a killer heat treat. Fallkniven is more expensive by far, and from what I hear, more prone to chipping. TOPS, more expensive, and ergos just aren't as good. Swamp Rat and Scrapyard have some good points, and they're pretty decent in terms of ergos and overall quality. But if you don't like them, they're a lot harder to make your own as with a Becker, and they're still more expensive than Beckers. Bark River also has some nice stuff, but again, way more expensive than Beckers. Also, I don't like the designers for Bussekin or Barkies. Neither seems to be quite as much of a stand-up guy as Uncle E.

Condor and cheaper Cold Steel blades may be a similar price bracket, but the quality of the heat treat just isn't as good. They're great tools for what they are. I like both companies, and have several of their products. Ditto Ka-bar (who does BKT these days). I don't consider them competition, however.

It's just awfully hard to find as much of a value as you get from BKT, or a nicer designer, or better customer service than you'll get from Ka-bar. Beckers are the complete package from start to finish (with the possible exception of the sheath, but it's still a better sheath than you get from Bussekin).
 
The closest competition, in my opinion, is Esee. I didn't choose Beckers exclusively. I usually carry a BK-11 around my neck, a BK-Tweener on my hip, a Esee izula/II in my pocket, and a Esee 3 in my EDC-bag (which ironically is a Becker bag)
 
I thought I wanted an ESEE-4 until I handled it - just didn't care for the scales. Got a BK-16 instead, and am SOOO glad I did.
Sure, I modded it anyway, but that's only because of all the encouragement on here.

I haven't picked up a 10 because I have a SRKW RMD that slots nicely between the 16 and 7. So there's that, I suppose.
 
Competition? Esee, Busse, Ontario, Swamp rat?
I have a BK9, BK2, BK16, BK11, and BK14 from Becker. I also have an ESEE 4, Izula, Izula II, and Candiru from ESEE. Umm, I have an Ontario RTAKII (beast mode ON! BK9 and RAKII, zombie slaughtering commence!) Forgive that lapse.
I don't have a Busse or Swamp rat, but from what I've seen, they are in a similar genre for steel, size, use of their knives,.

What made me get a Becker? I like them. I liked how they look, what other people have said about them, and their pricing.
I've been happy with mine so far. Had my BK2 4 years now and still going strong.
C
 
You see Becker compared to Esee more than others even though Beckers are a bit less expensive.
 
I don't think anything compares to my favorite Becker the BK2. No other blade compares to the durability of that 1/4" steel beast for close to the dollar amount and I won't hear otherwise. I've seen enough and have worked with mine enough to know what makes that blade so special.

As far as the whole branding goes, I guess Tops or Esee I'd consider their competition. The looks, coatings, etc just seem so similar. My small fixed carry blade is actually a Tops because I liked the ergos on some of their smaller blade options.
 
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