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Why the BK-17 Clip point may be the very best of the Tweeners..

Mr. Jim,
I was on the fence about getting the clip point since I am partial to drop point blades. However after I read your post I am positive that I will get one now. Thank you for writing a well thought out articulate post, good reading. Also Happy Birthday and Congratulations on reaching the big 50.
 
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Quint,

Thank you for the kind comments.

I'm glad I helped to push you off that fence.

I think you will really like that BK-17.;)
 
commercially, clip points just sell. don't know why.

hey, i thought i invented the mini magnum camp at my first blade show :) jerry was right there too :)

mini brute? why? Blackjack had a panga or some such. did not sell. same idea. too small for a chopper.

mini Machax? as much as i would like that... nah, won't work.

nessmuck? oh yeah!
 
jim62 said:
I want to preface this little prediction by saying first of all I will be buying ALL THREE tweeners sometime this year, god willing. They all three look like superb Beckeresque examples of their respective blade styles- sort of a Holy Trinity of working Belt knives..

I just turned 50 the other day and came of age about the same time as Mr Loveless' wonderful drop point design. I have used and liked drop point knives all my life. So what I am about to say surprises even me, but the truth is hard to ignore ..

I have come to conclusion that the BK 17 Clip point is actaully Mr Becker's TRUE Tweener masterpiece. I think it will prove to be the very best of it's type. IMHO, it's a landmark design.

Why?

Just from the specs and pics, I can tell you it's probably the best full tang Clip point belt knife design of the last 40 years. Part of it is Bob Loveless' fault (God Bless him). The Drop point knife has been so good and so popular for so long that development of working Clip point knives has been pretty stagnant except for Bowie sized blades or historical designs such as the USMC knives etc. The clip point hunting knife has been to post war sporting knifes what the lever action rifle is to the bolt gun - sort of a antiqued throwback overshadowed by the popularity of it's younger cousin..

This is evidenced by the fact that 90% of the clip point knives made since the 1960s have either been too long, had hidden tangs with crude small handles or have too much upsweep to their points . By "upsweep" I mean that the points are way too far above the horizinal centerline of the handle for proper control. Just about every model of Buck fixed blade clip point for example, suffers from nearly every one of those ills.

The BK-17 does not have those problems. No other moderately sized, full tang clip point knives have their handles shaped that well AND the points placed in the correct relationship to the handle centerline for proper control.. Basicially , the BK -17 it has all the advantages of a clip point and many of the advantages of the very best drop points with practically none of their respective faults. No other factory clip point belt knife out there is even close.


It's a damn fine design and if KABAR is not careful it's going to outsell the other two tweeners once it gets enough word of mouth reviews.... ;)
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You raise some very good points. It is a well executed clip point design, and is the Tweener I have wanted most since the first pictures were revealed.
 
The Clip point is my favorite blade design too for the Tweeners! Good to see there are so many others who feel the same way.
 
I've used them all.

My rating is the BK16, 17, 15.

I like a clip point, but I love a drop. Asthetic don't mean anyting to me, I like shit that works. Simple. And I'm hard on stuff. The drop point is my blade.

On the other hand, for most critter involved process, I wanna point. A pointy point. With enough blade to back it up, without it being too weak, or thick. Don't want much do I?

You'll get just that out of the BK17.

I see the BK16 taking a BIG bite out of the buscrafting/general use market.

I see the BK17 taking the place of alot of "tacklebox/hunting pack" knives.

I see the BK15 riding in everyone's field kit, as well as the tacklebox.

All of these knives, will fit EVERYWHERE, that's the thing. We've talked about "What's gonna be the best seller?" I flat out pick the BK16 as the best of the bunch in the sales side of things.

Second place is up for grabs.

Moose
 
Not gonna lie, the 16 is going to be my first tweener. Although, if my steel order beats the 16 to release, which it will, I'm gonna devote some of it to making my own BK16-styled blade to tide me over, although I'm tempted to throw a bottle opener on it. All the BK17 pics have put it on my list though. Mebbe I'll have to sell some steel to make room for the new stuff, pull a clich :)
 
Crimson.

I think if you were ever going to give a Clip point a shot to compare to a Drop point, the BK17 is the one. Like I said, it's one of the very few I have seen that is truly done well enough to run with a good drop point for an all around blade..
 
Oh, I'm sure I'll end up with a BK17 at some point. And I do have me a classic Ka-bar USMC, so I've got a clip point here and there. Also made a few clip points myself. Like moose, however, I'm a fan of the aesthetics and utility of the drop point.
 
Hey AfghanWarrior, you should read this, seriously - this is what a quality thread looks like.
 
Bladite said:
commercially, clip points just sell. don't know why.
hey, i thought i invented the mini magnum camp at my first blade show :) jerry was right there too :)
mini brute? why? Blackjack had a panga or some such. did not sell. same idea. too small for a chopper.
mini Machax? as much as i would like that... nah, won't work.
nessmuck? oh yeah!
Click to expand...

Clip Points sell because of the aesthetic design, it gives knives the scimitar-ish look, sweeping angles and lines. I've stated before, I love knives as art just as much for using outdoors and clips get the heart racing imo.
 
I talked to Bladite this afternoon and yes the Fisk MiniMag WAS his inspiration......Old guys need to keep REALLY good notes (and then remember where they put them).....Bladite got an enthusiastic response from Jerry and then Tooj and the deal was done.....

All Best....

ethan
 
Ethan Becker said:
I talked to Bladite this afternoon and yes the Fisk MiniMag WAS his inspiration......Old guys need to keep REALLY good notes (and then remember where they put them).....Bladite got an enthusiastic response from Jerry and then Tooj and the deal was done.....
All Best....
ethan
Click to expand...

woo - royalties :) ;)

it's just one of those matrix operations. "oh, making small ones... you left a couple obvious shapes out"... "hey, steak knife!"

i was hoping for a full set of kitchen knives too. oh wait :) Ethan's had that planned for years, obviously.
 
I believe this family of shorts is going to expand the BK&T line in such a way that there will be something for everyone so to speak. I think the shorts will bring in a lot of new customers and consequently more Becker enthusiasts! You're gonna have a long list of Beckerhead applicants this year Moose!
 
Jonny1280 said:
I believe this family of shorts is going to expand the BK&T line in such a way that there will be something for everyone so to speak. I think the shorts will bring in a lot of new customers and consequently more Becker enthusiasts! You're gonna have a long list of Beckerhead applicants this year Moose!
Click to expand...

I believe the Shorts will also attract a lot of new Becker fans. Really, they are the first "average" sized belt knives Ethan has brought to market.

I don't mean that to sound derogatory, but in terms of the general knife market, it's true.

The BK2 and the Neckers are close, but for the average fixed blade user, even they are a bit too big or a bit too small .

The Tweeners, as Goldylocks said, are "just right" for most folks and at their price points are going to create a whole new wave of Beckerheads.
 
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