I actually purchased my BK16 after watching this video (along with a dozen others:). I stripped the coating, thickened the handle and made a kydex sheath for it, and now I love it, but it is a good knife from the factory.
This knife is my personal favorite knife in general. I've been using it for about 3 years and it's held out through everything I've put it through. I'm thinking about getting the bk 17 and see how it compares
You could just wrap them with hockey tape to make it more grippy i didn’t find them all that bad but I did upgrade them to the micarta scales and they look and feel fantastic on this knife definitely worth it with the ergos on this knife
True. A lot of people don't like the ugly bk handles though I've gotten used to them but the saving grace of the bk 16 is it comes with extra handles in coyote color. Looks better.
Heres a thought for bk knives: Your knives would sell like hot cakes if you included the extra coyote zytel handles on all your knives. Even better is if you sold different color designs that looked like natural wood design somewhat and even textured the zytel handles. You could give us options to buy the knives with these handles for extra or give us the solid natural colors as free options like the coyote handles that come with the BK 16. Also, give sheath options that still include an external pocket that are leather or kydex. You would put a serious dent in tops knives sales. Those black zytel handles make people not want to buy them. They don't look like wilderness knives with those. They look cheap even though the knives are awesome. We men like that wild natural look.
I've had mine for two years now, and I truly love it. It is my go too knife for anything out doors or in the kitchen. As for the handles. a pair of Micarta handle will cost you about 35 dollars from Amazon. I replaced the cheap nylon sheath with a nice lather sheath, which I then use snow seal to water proof it. The finish is a bit rough, but easy and quick to smooth out with some steel wool. Maybe take you 10 minutes per side. I didn't remove the finish, just smoothed it up a bit. Also, an interesting fact. If you remove the handle scales. The tang is a skeleton tang. Bits have been cut out to lower the weight. So be careful when batoning wood. Just a heads up. Other then that, a great knife.
I've had this knife for a few years now. I stripped the finish off and acid etched the blade, then used Casey Gun Blue to protect the blade, so it isn't food safe, but it's way cool and very much mine! I also have a ferro-rod and 3 different tinder's in the pouch. I think the scales are fine and the sheath is very durable, so it's not costing me any more money.
I gotta say that sheath holds up better then one would think. Mine started to show wear within 3 months, but took 2 years before it had full catastrophic failure. Love the BK16, have gone through 4, not from a lack of durability, but from a variety of mishaps. One is at the bottom of a lake in the boundary waters, one got slightly electrocuted trying to remove a bad fuse, and the others just disappeared either from shifty people or a particularly hungry couch.
Good review! I bought a BK16 recently and stripped the coating right away and it looks great. I look forward to seeing your video on moding this knife out. The knife rocks and does everything a 4" blade should with a little more heft and strength than a mora (although I do love my bag of moras). I am pairing a BK16 with a Rat 7 and leatherman wave 2 for my 3 knife system.
Excellent review. I particularly appreciate the fact that you pointed out some of the shortcomings of the knives. I'll check out some of your other videos now. Cheers, b.
Just wanted to say thanks for a wonderful review and recommendation of the BK-16. I was in the market for a smaller carbon steel EDC fixed blade and this is certainly the ticket! I love this little knife and couldn't be happier. Thanks also for the recommendation on aftermarket TKC scales and AZWELKE sheath, the whole setup is absolutely perfect
I think this is a great survival knife. It isn't a one tool option but a one tool option is a mistake best avoided. As a week ender or part of a tool kit for a bug out bag it is about ideal. There is a lot to be said for having a few good tools that do what they do well over one tool that does everything poorly.
Say Heah Aaron, What I'm noticing is how I could team it up with my other BK's. I even teamed it with my BK-4 when I started using it as a large knife. I first bought the BK-4 as a chopper, But then I started, well tried it to clear brush with it, After all it is called the Machaxe, But my BK-9 out chopped it and my Parangatang is longer and I like that better, But just because it doesn't look like a conventional knife, I still use it as a large knife and I like teaming them with smaller knives, As a large knife it shine with two extra benefits, it chops and clears as a small machete. But the BK-16 is a great size to team up with the BK-4 Machaxe. Yeah both have sort of thinner edges which makes them awesome in the a wood craft scenario.
Okay, if you think the grip on the 16 is too slick with the standard handle scales. Wrap them in Grip tape used on Hockey sticks. Should help with said problem.
I think the Tops BOB is the best deal. and nowyou can get the BOB in a bunch of different finnish's, tumble, beadblast, coyote tan with a matching sheath. get the Tops BOB!
thanx buddy. Me thinks I will get one of these. I can make some nice custom stabilized curly maple handles for it and strip and polish the blade. Perhaps a nice custom leather sheath or maybe a yellowhawk kydex. I don't care about the money, I figure I get paid back with the enjoyment I get from doing crafty stuff. Always love your videos. Strait forward and no waste of time. Thanx again buddy.
I got interested in the Tweeners, when I found out what Mors Kochanski's knife design should be, in fact he likes the Rod Garcia Skookum Bush Tool, which is a trailing tip, it's more like the BK-15, since I'm a choil man, I like the fact, I can choke up short, or long, it's like two knives in one, and since I am a 3knife carry, I added the BK-5, and the BK-4, and as it turns out, a very lightweight set, but very functional, batoning and all, then the BK16, I matched it to my BK 10K, and BK-9, perhaps one of my favorite wood processing sets, that BK-9, luv's to chop, my favorite looking set's is my BK-17, BK-7, and my Ka-Bar Swabbie, looks great works super, the BK-16 also is matched with my BK-2, and for the chopper, with a little more lenght than the BK-2, I paired it off with the Ka-Bar Zomstro, and sometime, I go with the O.K.C. GEN2 SP-53, or the 51, for the simple reason, the Zomstro is harder to baton with, it's a Full Grand, and has alot of drag to wood metal contact, in my opinion, a tweeners should be paired off with a larger knife, around a simple one day picnic in the woods, or as a camp knife, they are great choices, but from experience, in serious situation, you need to bring other knives with them, Mr. Becker likes to show off their durability, and they are durable enough, but to save energy, or to save your life, bring others along.
Re the knife I love the feel and balance n ergos. Re the sheath I folded the bottom up and added extra webbing over the base of the pocket sheath. Much shorter and stronger. Has a fallkniven dc4 sharpening stone in there. Plus i ditched the top most button strap and added a bungee cord loop. Much easier to access but still very secure if not more so. I dyed the sheath with green and gray Rit dye and it turned a lovely foliage colour except for the nylon trimmings which accepted some dye but remain someowhat coyote. Awesome colour combo.
Excellent video as always! I love all of the Becker knives myself. The BK16 with the full flat grind is an outstanding bushcraft and utility knife. I love it!! Keep up the good work!
Say Heah Aaron, I've been watching your videos for a long time, and some I seen before like this one, I still l I keep pairing my knives, Using a bigger knife with a smaller one. This BK-16 is still pairing off with my BK-2, Although I teamed several choppers with this pair, I sometimes use the Ka-Bar Zomstro or the O.K.C. Gen2 SP-51 which work out great especially when I go back in time when I was a 3knife carry. Today I tend to carry less knives but I use my hatchet and saw alot. So a decent size knife a smaller neck carry does it for me recently. But I like the fact your very informative with your videos, and I also like how you show them in use. keep up the great work. ,,
You should give dual reviews of these knives. One for wildermess and one for urban survival (think man-made or natural disaster in a downtown area). Bought a BK2 for this urban survival due to thickness of blade which allows it to be used for prying and stabbing hard materials.
Say Heah Aaron, Yup, It was 70° now it's snowing, WoW, But this is the time of the year, I bring out my tough stuff, Since processing firewood is more necessary, I teamed up my BK-2, with my BK-16. It's a nice combo for processing wood, Oh, I still bring a Hatchet and a Folding Saw, But I could still enjoy my Coffee aLa Mors, evaporated milk with honey, Hmmmmmm mmmmmm good, I Work Sharpened both of the knives, Infact I have a friend that can carve a spoon with his BK-2, But I would rather use my BK-16 for carving, Yeah, I like my BK-16, Thanx You for showing it, It's a good one. ,, .
Just got mine yesterday with the micarta scales and I like it even more than my bk7!!! I sold the bk 2 I had and just gave away my bk10. Love the combo bk 7 and 16
I just got this knife, and I gotta say, it’s amazing. I would love to have a rat 7 to pair with it, but for now I’m using a cheap magellan hatchet. This knife comes with a razor sharp blade; I’ve cut myself twice with it! Be warned if you are getting this, it is amazing, but it comes razor sharp.
What took you so long sir, this is a hidden gem of a knife. The scales are a little small for my huge hands, but I still love this little guy. As always thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinion on this awesome blade.
i prefer the afghan bush over this blade,i have done the same treatments.used cold bluing,already has descent handles, added jimping,. good job though sir.
Good vid. Useful info. I really like Becker knives. I wish they would have at least a kydex sheath. And I can't understand how a company so big can't offer micarta handles. They can probably do both things at manufacturing stage that wold only increase the price of the package by $15. I would definitely buy this knife for $80-85 with a kydex sheath and micarta handles. I see Tommy is back. HE RULES, LOL.....................
I think that the hardness of the blade section can vary a couple of degrees according to the batch, but that the edge is not designed to be harder than the spine. The differential hardness in the knife is between the blade and the tang section. I believe that the differential hardness in the Becker manufacturing is a salt pot treatment. So I believe you may be mistaken about the way you described the dynamics of the blade. The person to clear that up would be Toooj on Bladeforums he is a senior engineer with KaBar and would be able to tell you straight away. Otherwise a good video thanks.
Ah found it Straight from the keyboard of Toooj, Paul Tsujimoto at Kabar, he says "The entire blade of the knife is hardened (tempered to 57-59HRc). The shoulder (junction of the blade and tang) is slightly softer(HRc 48-52) and the hardness decreases as it moves toward the pommel end (HRc 20-30) This can be accomplished by several methods but at KA-BAR, we use salt pots. The blades are hung vertically from racks and the entire blade is put into the molten salt. The tang is left out of the salt but the heat creeps up the tang partially hardening the shoulder area. The pommel end is entirely out of the pot so it is never hardened. Any hardness in this area is the result of work hardening from rolling"
Great review, gonna pick one of these up and customize. At 7:15 though, who cuts towards their self? Better add a few bandages to that pouch on the sheath.
Thanks for drinking the kool-aid!! Becker products rule. Great price point leaves a lot of room for customizing your knife to your own needs and wants. And your right about kabars heat treat, holds a great edge that's easily touched up in the field with a small field stone like a Norton India stone. Hope to see some bk4 action soon... Keep up the great work
I like the knife and would choose it as a medium size blade paired with a large Ontario or short machete. And for me it would get a lot of use even at home. More relevant, an exceptionally thorough video review. How do you do it? :)
I have both, the bk2 will do much better at chopping and batoning, but is more difficult at carving. The bk16 will do carving and whittling better, but not batoning or chopping. So the bk2 is more of a survival knife and the bk16 more of a bushcraft knife. Hope that helps.
Yikes that’s a tough one. A fully custom BK 16 with my card handles and an aftermarket Leather or kydex sheath will perform overall better in most scenarios than the hog because of the thinner stock. But the hog is a better out the gate package
I think up-grade g is great, like with my Para Ordnance Expert, I had it refined, added a finger grip, and a compensator in black, looks great.on the Stainless Steel frame, looks great, and it was fun, but, even with the compensator and all, the original state, it still was a good user, the extra stronger spring, did offer me to shoot heavier loads, the rest is the apperience, I like it better, getting back to the standard BK-16, I left my Becker BK'S as is, I Never had any problems with it slipping when wet, the Grivory Handles feel very ergonomic, the sheath , is very good, is it better than the Spec Ops Sheath I bought for my BK-2, no its not, but regardless very functional, if you enjoy spucing up your toys, I say go for it, but in its original state, I find it very fuctional, if you want to improve on it, then what I did, I bought a beautiful, very, very functional set of. Swamp Rat's, or Bark River's, better yet, my Busse's, if your going to put Micarta Handles. I''d go with a Top's knife, but I do like the CroVan better, that's why, I left mine alone, but, my Swampies for instance, I have the Rodent Solution, the Ratmandu, my Rodent 7, and my Rodent 9, I leave them alone too, it's my go to set, I like the steel better, and how they feel, the Deferentially Temper 52100 as far as I'm concered, is excellent, up-grading, will only improve the appearance, and add little to the function, but it is fun to have a unique knife.
The clip point strengthens the tip, primarily for military stabbing and prying. The BK10 is a soldier field knife, the BK16 is a much smaller camp knife, good for fine cutting and carving.
J MAR no comparison. They don't even fit the same role within a given system. Bk16 is a fine carving and slicing companion belt knife. The rat 5 is closer to be a primary beast knife
Ricky Loftis As an all inclusive set the ESEE4 is a better knife with the micarta and kydex sheath, but from just a blade side of things I prefer the BK16 because the handle ergos are better and I am not a fan of finger choils on knives that have less then 6inches in blade length. I hope that helps.
Well, you sold me on one. I was looking for a "Thinner" ESEE 4, and a bigger blade than my Izula, and I didn't feel like shelling out the money for an ESEE 3. We will see! Thanks for your reviews, I really enjoy them, and you come off as very honest.
gideonstactical really? I was thinking you would say the bk16 since it slices better. But I also have a GSO 4.1 in 20cv im planning on using as my hunting knife. Why would you pick the bob over the Survive SK4?
I actually purchased my BK16 after watching this video (along with a dozen others:). I stripped the coating, thickened the handle and made a kydex sheath for it, and now I love it, but it is a good knife from the factory.
This knife is my personal favorite knife in general. I've been using it for about 3 years and it's held out through everything I've put it through. I'm thinking about getting the bk 17 and see how it compares
I agree. Quite simply one of the best small bushcraft/woodscraft knives I've ever seen. You could pay a lot more, but I can't imagine why.
You can get the BK-16, kydex sheath, and micarta scales on Amazon for under $160 all together
You're my go-to guy for fixed blade knives.
I sand my Becker handles with a 120 grit then followed by 220 grit and adds a nice texture to them for just enough grip
There is no need to change the handle grips at all! The one with the knife work perfectly.
If is not broken why fixed?
Agreed they are perfect not as slippery as people like to say I think they have good grip.
Same with the sheath. I find it very functional, it holds double and single stack mags on the front pouch I love it
You could just wrap them with hockey tape to make it more grippy i didn’t find them all that bad but I did upgrade them to the micarta scales and they look and feel fantastic on this knife definitely worth it with the ergos on this knife
True. A lot of people don't like the ugly bk handles though I've gotten used to them but the saving grace of the bk 16 is it comes with extra handles in coyote color. Looks better.
Heres a thought for bk knives: Your knives would sell like hot cakes if you included the extra coyote zytel handles on all your knives. Even better is if you sold different color designs that looked like natural wood design somewhat and even textured the zytel handles. You could give us options to buy the knives with these handles for extra or give us the solid natural colors as free options like the coyote handles that come with the BK 16. Also, give sheath options that still include an external pocket that are leather or kydex. You would put a serious dent in tops knives sales. Those black zytel handles make people not want to buy them. They don't look like wilderness knives with those. They look cheap even though the knives are awesome. We men like that wild natural look.
I've had mine for two years now, and I truly love it. It is my go too knife for anything out doors or in the kitchen. As for the handles. a pair of Micarta handle will cost you about 35 dollars from Amazon. I replaced the cheap nylon sheath with a nice lather sheath, which I then use snow seal to water proof it. The finish is a bit rough, but easy and quick to smooth out with some steel wool. Maybe take you 10 minutes per side. I didn't remove the finish, just smoothed it up a bit. Also, an interesting fact. If you remove the handle scales. The tang is a skeleton tang. Bits have been cut out to lower the weight. So be careful when batoning wood. Just a heads up. Other then that, a great knife.
Just bought a BK16. Very good feeling knife. Cant wait to start the mods...
What a knife,awesome. Thank u so much for your review and comparison.
Yes. I want that knife
It IS the perfect survival knife.
The sheath is reminiscent of the great Eagle Industries sheath that, of course, you can't get anymore.
I've had this knife for a few years now. I stripped the finish off and acid etched the blade, then used Casey Gun Blue to protect the blade, so it isn't food safe, but it's way cool and very much mine! I also have a ferro-rod and 3 different tinder's in the pouch. I think the scales are fine and the sheath is very durable, so it's not costing me any more money.
I gotta say that sheath holds up better then one would think. Mine started to show wear within 3 months, but took 2 years before it had full catastrophic failure. Love the BK16, have gone through 4, not from a lack of durability, but from a variety of mishaps. One is at the bottom of a lake in the boundary waters, one got slightly electrocuted trying to remove a bad fuse, and the others just disappeared either from shifty people or a particularly hungry couch.
Good review! I bought a BK16 recently and stripped the coating right away and it looks great. I look forward to seeing your video on moding this knife out. The knife rocks and does everything a 4" blade should with a little more heft and strength than a mora (although I do love my bag of moras). I am pairing a BK16 with a Rat 7 and leatherman wave 2 for my 3 knife system.
Excellent review. I particularly appreciate the fact that you pointed out some of the shortcomings of the knives. I'll check out some of your other videos now. Cheers, b.
+biggles1024 Thanks so much!
Just wanted to say thanks for a wonderful review and recommendation of the BK-16. I was in the market for a smaller carbon steel EDC fixed blade and this is certainly the ticket! I love this little knife and couldn't be happier. Thanks also for the recommendation on aftermarket TKC scales and AZWELKE sheath, the whole setup is absolutely perfect
I think this is a great survival knife. It isn't a one tool option but a one tool option is a mistake best avoided. As a week ender or part of a tool kit for a bug out bag it is about ideal. There is a lot to be said for having a few good tools that do what they do well over one tool that does everything poorly.
Dwight E Howell Amen!
Words of wisdom
Say Heah Aaron, What I'm noticing is how I could team it up with my other BK's. I even teamed it with my BK-4 when I started using it as a large knife. I first bought the BK-4 as a chopper, But then I started, well tried it to clear brush with it, After all it is called the Machaxe, But my BK-9 out chopped it and my Parangatang is longer and I like that better, But just because it doesn't look like a conventional knife, I still use it as a large knife and I like teaming them with smaller knives, As a large knife it shine with two extra benefits, it chops and clears as a small machete. But the BK-16 is a great size to team up with the BK-4 Machaxe. Yeah both have sort of thinner edges which makes them awesome in the a wood craft scenario.
Okay, if you think the grip on the 16 is too slick with the standard handle scales. Wrap them in Grip tape used on Hockey sticks. Should help with said problem.
Do you have a video on how you sharpen your blades? If not could you make one, I'd really appreciate it.
Cheers
Love your reviews. Makes it easier for me to pick a knife that will fit my needs.
I think the Tops BOB is the best deal. and nowyou can get the BOB in a bunch of different finnish's, tumble, beadblast, coyote tan with a matching sheath. get the Tops BOB!
Enjoying your videos! How does the BK16 stack up against a Mora Garberg?
thanx buddy. Me thinks I will get one of these. I can make some nice custom stabilized curly maple handles for it and strip and polish the blade. Perhaps a nice custom leather sheath or maybe a yellowhawk kydex. I don't care about the money, I figure I get paid back with the enjoyment I get from doing crafty stuff. Always love your videos. Strait forward and no waste of time. Thanx again buddy.
I got interested in the Tweeners, when I found out what Mors Kochanski's knife design should be, in fact he likes the Rod Garcia Skookum Bush Tool, which is a trailing tip, it's more like the BK-15, since I'm a choil man, I like the fact, I can choke up short, or long, it's like two knives in one, and since I am a 3knife carry, I added the BK-5, and the BK-4, and as it turns out, a very lightweight set, but very functional, batoning and all, then the BK16, I matched it to my BK 10K, and BK-9, perhaps one of my favorite wood processing sets, that BK-9, luv's to chop, my favorite looking set's is my BK-17, BK-7, and my Ka-Bar Swabbie, looks great works super, the BK-16 also is matched with my BK-2, and for the chopper, with a little more lenght than the BK-2, I paired it off with the Ka-Bar Zomstro, and sometime, I go with the O.K.C. GEN2 SP-53, or the 51, for the simple reason, the Zomstro is harder to baton with, it's a Full Grand, and has alot of drag to wood metal contact, in my opinion, a tweeners should be paired off with a larger knife, around a simple one day picnic in the woods, or as a camp knife, they are great choices, but from experience, in serious situation, you need to bring other knives with them, Mr. Becker likes to show off their durability, and they are durable enough, but to save energy, or to save your life, bring others along.
They are way more than 65 bucks now lol but I have a 35 year Old Issue Kabar that’s still amazing.
Re the knife I love the feel and balance n ergos. Re the sheath I folded the bottom up and added extra webbing over the base of the pocket sheath. Much shorter and stronger. Has a fallkniven dc4 sharpening stone in there. Plus i ditched the top most button strap and added a bungee cord loop. Much easier to access but still very secure if not more so. I dyed the sheath with green and gray Rit dye and it turned a lovely foliage colour except for the nylon trimmings which accepted some dye but remain someowhat coyote. Awesome colour combo.
EarlyMist Nice sounds cool, send me a pic on the GT facebook.
Excellent video as always! I love all of the Becker knives myself. The BK16 with the full flat grind is an outstanding bushcraft and utility knife. I love it!! Keep up the good work!
Skillmaster Thanks so much!
Say Heah Aaron, I've been watching your videos for a long time, and some I seen before like this one, I still l I keep pairing my knives, Using a bigger knife with a smaller one. This BK-16 is still pairing off with my BK-2, Although I teamed several choppers with this pair, I sometimes use the Ka-Bar Zomstro or the O.K.C. Gen2 SP-51 which work out great especially when I go back in time when I was a 3knife carry. Today I tend to carry less knives but I use my hatchet and saw alot. So a decent size knife a smaller neck carry does it for me recently. But I like the fact your very informative with your videos, and I also like how you show them in use. keep up the great work. ,,
another excellent review !!! .... I love this knife .... you convinced me :-) this is my next gift :-) :-)
januario1965 You won't be sorry.
Nice knife. Just ordered me one. Looking forward to many years of use
Just got one a week ago. Actually read the warranty paper yesterday. Batoning is listed as ABUSE and not covered in the warranty!
boomer16323 You will find that almost every knife company except ESEE will consider, everything but cutting and chopping to be abuse.
Thank you. Good information. Stay healthy.
Nice review. How has the sheath held up? Any recommendations for a replacement?
You should give dual reviews of these knives. One for wildermess and one for urban survival (think man-made or natural disaster in a downtown area). Bought a BK2 for this urban survival due to thickness of blade which allows it to be used for prying and stabbing hard materials.
Jonathan Wallace I will see what I can do, thanks for the suggestion.
great review, i especially appreciate the comparison at the end.
aznelite325 Thanks and I am glad you liked it!
Say Heah Aaron, Yup, It was 70° now it's snowing, WoW, But this is the time of the year, I bring out my tough stuff, Since processing firewood is more necessary, I teamed up my BK-2, with my BK-16. It's a nice combo for processing wood, Oh, I still bring a Hatchet and a Folding Saw, But I could still enjoy my Coffee aLa Mors, evaporated milk with honey, Hmmmmmm mmmmmm good, I Work Sharpened both of the knives, Infact I have a friend that can carve a spoon with his BK-2, But I would rather use my BK-16 for carving, Yeah, I like my BK-16, Thanx You for showing it, It's a good one. ,, .
My schrade schf10 works just fine as my primary dont think I'll ever get rid of it
I think the KA-BAR BECKER series is to hyped up to what it really is
Just got mine yesterday with the micarta scales and I like it even more than my bk7!!! I sold the bk 2 I had and just gave away my bk10. Love the combo bk 7 and 16
Oldcoinsandstuff1 That is a great combo, mine it the BK9 and the BK16.
What's the difference between one bk and another bk?
Which bk would you recommend?
Or you know you could of just kept all of them...dumb btw no disrespect
How can you sell a becker? Isn't it like star wars glasses, you collect them all?
I just got this knife, and I gotta say, it’s amazing. I would love to have a rat 7 to pair with it, but for now I’m using a cheap magellan hatchet. This knife comes with a razor sharp blade; I’ve cut myself twice with it! Be warned if you are getting this, it is amazing, but it comes razor sharp.
Front pocket is designed for a sharpening stone
You can also stipple the grivory works outstanding
Tony Olivieri I have done that too and it does work!
I've got the same watch, in the same position on right now lol
The pocket up front does fit a leatherman wave.
Brian Bivens do you know if it'll fit the leatherman charge?
Another excellent review, very informative, thanks.......Seven Thunders
Another excellent review. I will look forward to the upgrade vids for the BK16. To bad about the nylon sheath.
Hiker Marapese Ya the upgrades will be fun, I wish the nylon was better.
I put the brown slabs on and it's good for me then I'll make a leather sheath cheap. Still be way cheaper
What took you so long sir, this is a hidden gem of a knife. The scales are a little small for my huge hands, but I still love this little guy. As always thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinion on this awesome blade.
Brad Barber Thanks as always Brad.
Great review . Thanks!
I love this knife but be careful with cold weather my blade chunked out overnight.
jonathan isaak That sounds like a heat treat issue.
Excellent review, looks like a great knife, been on my wishlist a while now. Maybe I'll treat myself to an early Christmas...
shcmoly You won't be sorry. Check out 710 customs. Thanks is who I am going to get camo green micarta and a green kydex sheath through.
gideonstactical got a sheath from him for my bk 16 with scout carry straps and love it
I like the blade shape, but I think I stick with the Silent Hero.
i prefer the afghan bush over this blade,i have done the same treatments.used cold bluing,already has descent handles, added jimping,. good job though sir.
Good vid. Useful info. I really like Becker knives. I wish they would have at least a kydex sheath. And I can't understand how a company so big can't offer micarta handles. They can probably do both things at manufacturing stage that wold only increase the price of the package by $15. I would definitely buy this knife for $80-85 with a kydex sheath and micarta handles. I see Tommy is back. HE RULES, LOL.....................
mikedifeo Haha, yep Tommy was able to sneak into frame and I agree with you totally!
Prying and opening cans with the knife is also listed as abuse. Wonder if the becker tac tool warranty says the same?
I think that the hardness of the blade section can vary a couple of degrees according to the batch, but that the edge is not designed to be harder than the spine. The differential hardness in the knife is between the blade and the tang section. I believe that the differential hardness in the Becker manufacturing is a salt pot treatment. So I believe you may be mistaken about the way you described the dynamics of the blade. The person to clear that up would be Toooj on Bladeforums he is a senior engineer with KaBar and would be able to tell you straight away. Otherwise a good video thanks.
Ah found it
Straight from the keyboard of Toooj, Paul Tsujimoto at Kabar, he says "The entire blade of the knife is hardened (tempered to 57-59HRc). The shoulder (junction of the blade and tang) is slightly softer(HRc 48-52) and the hardness decreases as it moves toward the pommel end (HRc 20-30)
This can be accomplished by several methods but at KA-BAR, we use salt pots. The blades are hung vertically from racks and the entire blade is put into the molten salt. The tang is left out of the salt but the heat creeps up the tang partially hardening the shoulder area. The pommel end is entirely out of the pot so it is never hardened. Any hardness in this area is the result of work hardening from rolling"
1lupus Thanks for the comment, and info.
Oh, did I let you know already, Mora is coming out with a Full Tang knife in 3V I heard.
I like your style
Great review, gonna pick one of these up and customize. At 7:15 though, who cuts towards their self? Better add a few bandages to that pouch on the sheath.
2:34 cuts towards dog, makes me cringe.
Another good review.
+Patriot Bill Thanks!
Awesome review and comparison.
Chris Stiff Thanks so much!
perhaps the bk 16 would fit in a condor bushlore sheath.
Condor has better sheaths than Becker and less cost
Nice video! And I was wondering if u knew about a kydex sheath I would be able to use to use this knife as a neck knife
Thanks for drinking the kool-aid!! Becker products rule. Great price point leaves a lot of room for customizing your knife to your own needs and wants. And your right about kabars heat treat, holds a great edge that's easily touched up in the field with a small field stone like a Norton India stone. Hope to see some bk4 action soon... Keep up the great work
Kalgardoffroad Oh ya bro! Beckers are awesome!
Bk4 please we havent seen one from anyone !
gideonstactical I think a bk4 review would be great.
I use the Smith's diamond combo from walmart that stores in it's handle. It's 24 bucks and works great. That and I wear a leather belt.
Great video as always brother Gideon..
John Davison Thanks so much.
I like the knife and would choose it as a medium size blade paired with a large Ontario or short machete. And for me it would get a lot of use even at home. More relevant, an exceptionally thorough video review. How do you do it? :)
MasterK9Trainer Haha, thanks so much!
Great video would you recommend the BK 16 or BK 2
I have both, the bk2 will do much better at chopping and batoning, but is more difficult at carving. The bk16 will do carving and whittling better, but not batoning or chopping. So the bk2 is more of a survival knife and the bk16 more of a bushcraft knife. Hope that helps.
Becker BK16 or Tops HOG 4.5????? 🤔
Yikes that’s a tough one. A fully custom BK 16 with my card handles and an aftermarket Leather or kydex sheath will perform overall better in most scenarios than the hog because of the thinner stock. But the hog is a better out the gate package
I think up-grade g is great, like with my Para Ordnance Expert, I had it refined, added a finger grip, and a compensator in black, looks great.on the Stainless Steel frame, looks great, and it was fun, but, even with the compensator and all, the original state, it still was a good user, the extra stronger spring, did offer me to shoot heavier loads, the rest is the apperience, I like it better, getting back to the standard BK-16, I left my Becker BK'S as is, I Never had any problems with it slipping when wet, the Grivory Handles feel very ergonomic, the sheath , is very good, is it better than the Spec Ops Sheath I bought for my BK-2, no its not, but regardless very functional, if you enjoy spucing up your toys, I say go for it, but in its original state, I find it very fuctional, if you want to improve on it, then what I did, I bought a beautiful, very, very functional set of. Swamp Rat's, or Bark River's, better yet, my Busse's, if your going to put Micarta Handles. I''d go with a Top's knife, but I do like the CroVan better, that's why, I left mine alone, but, my Swampies for instance, I have the Rodent Solution, the Ratmandu, my Rodent 7, and my Rodent 9, I leave them alone too, it's my go to set, I like the steel better, and how they feel, the Deferentially Temper 52100 as far as I'm concered, is excellent, up-grading, will only improve the appearance, and add little to the function, but it is fun to have a unique knife.
paulie 4x Right on. It is a lot of fun to make a unique blade.
Is it possible to dremel out that fire rod area for a forward choil?
Would you say this is better than the crewman? What's the purpose of a clip point? (Sorry for the questions, I'm just just learning about knives.)
The clip point strengthens the tip, primarily for military stabbing and prying. The BK10 is a soldier field knife, the BK16 is a much smaller camp knife, good for fine cutting and carving.
good lookin dawg right there.
Great comparison & informative review brother. IMO the TOPS is best value.
joey owen Thanks
Ur always welcome man
I wonder who's 1095 holds the better edge? I have heard Becker's Crovan is good.
Michael StJohn If ur speaking about TOPS vs BK, I'm not sure bc TOPS differentially heat treats their 1095 blades, same as sword makers...
You still playing with that Condor? I have watched those two vids 20 times.
would you recommend the RAT 5 over the BK 16 for an all around knife?
J MAR no comparison. They don't even fit the same role within a given system. Bk16 is a fine carving and slicing companion belt knife. The rat 5 is closer to be a primary beast knife
Why does my bk16 have a saber grind???
Awesome review. How would this knife measure up to a Esee 4? Which is better?
Ricky Loftis As an all inclusive set the ESEE4 is a better knife with the micarta and kydex sheath, but from just a blade side of things I prefer the BK16 because the handle ergos are better and I am not a fan of finger choils on knives that have less then 6inches in blade length. I hope that helps.
Where can i get that sheath?
Do you prefer this over the bob?
awesome review bro.
Thanks for watching!
gideonstactical, you're welcome.
gideonstactical ever get a new sheath?
Adam Smith th-cam.com/video/-zobuJOwK74/w-d-xo.html yep check this out!
Thanks
Well, you sold me on one. I was looking for a "Thinner" ESEE 4, and a bigger blade than my Izula, and I didn't feel like shelling out the money for an ESEE 3. We will see! Thanks for your reviews, I really enjoy them, and you come off as very honest.
MrDavo1959 Really appreciate that. I try to always be honest!
when is the upgrade video coming out?
Great review, I think I might just get one with my taxes
2:22
Why would i want a knife that pokes my thumb if i hold it on the side of the handle fore
Which of those knives would be best for tactical applications?
Max S The BOB has the best traction.
Hola. GreaT description. I stay with my Bk2, in my opinion
Carlos Sepulveda The BK2 can defiantly do more, but the BK16 will be better at carving tasks.
Me encantó ver todas las imágenes
Do u have a video for the Becker BK 10 knife
I have heard that the tank is not solid. Will this be a weak point if I buy one?
Budding Survivalist It is skeletonized, but that will not hurt the reliability and performance.
Thrashed on mine at work. No issues
I just wrapped the handle with hockey tape. $5 fix
I stand by my bk10 .....this looks like a good ladyblade
My bk2 says your bk10 makes for a great lady blade
another good review aaron. I always consider your reviews on theses knives. God bless
BK16 or Gerber Strongarm for EDC?
Thats a hard question, I wouldn't edc either of these because of their size. The bk16 is slicier and the gerber is tougher. Which do you need?
@@gideonstactical Ive since come across the izula 2 and think it may be better as an EDC. Thanks =)
Question, of the 3 which is the best hunting knife?
Legendary Life I would go with the bob.
gideonstactical really? I was thinking you would say the bk16 since it slices better. But I also have a GSO 4.1 in 20cv im planning on using as my hunting knife. Why would you pick the bob over the Survive SK4?
1095 with bushcraft ha.. you'll come out with a broken blade. Need real steel 3v or cruwear a man's steel.
hello! this bk16 or gerber strongarm? I saw all your videos, and dont know which one ia better for general use
Pedro Flores go with the strongarm
Could you do one on the bk17
when were you planning on doing the Mora Bushcraft Black?
Teds Outdoors I hope to be posting that by the end of September.
cool thanks!
Hey would you recommend this or the Kabar USMC fighting knife ? full size
For a emergency survival, camping, outdoor knife
This