BK-2 New toy, cool, but ?


M

Moe M.

Supporter
Supporter
Joined
Jun 10, 2011
Messages
8,039
Likes
25,537
Location
Southern MA.
I've been wanting to get a BK-2 for quite a while but couldn't make myself pull the trigger on one, I think the knife is well worth the price, but with prices of everything going through the roof it was hard to justify another knife.
Well one came along at the right price and I bit on it, it got stuffed into my mailbox yesterday, so I've been looking at it, hefting it, and thinking on it since I opened the package.
My first impressions are that it's a brute, and it screams "abuse me", it feels good in my hand yet at the same time it feels heavy and somewhat clumsy, I can't wait to give it a test drive (next week), But I don't have a good feeling about it's size, thickness, and weight.

I caution any BK-2 lovers here to hold their fire untill I've had the opportunity to form a logical opinion based on actual use and testing, but I'll be more than happy to listen to anyone who has used one and either loves it or hates it.

As of now, I can see where it might be a heavy duty camp use kind of tool, but I'm hard pressed to imagine it as a constant carry go to woodscraft knife.

I'm open to any and all comments.
 
It is a heavy brute, but if you're gonna baton a lot wood it is worth taking with you. The only thing I would change on mine is that at 1/4" it can be a little thick for some tasks.
All in all, as you said, you just need to get out there and see what you think after using it for a while. JMHO.

IMG_0846.jpg
 
Last edited:
I bought mine back when Becker Knife and Tool was a stand-alone company and the knife was called the Campanion and came with a leather sheath. I have carried it on my belt, in a pack and in the glove box of my car.

I have abused it, modified it and sharpened it (rarely, though). The knife will take just about anything that you can dish out and come through smiling.

You'll enjoy it and come to love it.

Mine:

IM000629.jpg


IM000609.jpg
 
I'm a sucker for big knives, I admit...I'm also a sucker for the combo of little knife+big knife(favorite is Mora #2+BK9)...I, just personally,don't care for medium(4-8 inch blades) knives in bushcraft...But, after handling the whole Becker line, I decided on the BK9 over the Companion(Originally was going for the BK2). Any clumsiness the BK9 has, which isn't a whole lot compared to other large knives, is justified by it's size whereas the BK2's turned me off...Plus, for all the longer the blade was, I didn't like the quarter inch thick. Sure it's good for chopping, but the BK9 outchops it's little brother any day of the week. Anything the BK9 is too big for, the Mora handles. Just my opinion =)
 
I love my B2. This thing is a beast and incredible for batonning. But I would be the first to agree that it isn't going to be your first choice for fine detail work. Like most tools, it will work for some things you do and not be the best for others. But for batoning wood around camp, it can't be beat.
 
PMSteve said:
I bought mine back when Becker Knife and Tool was a stand-alone company and the knife was called the Campanion and came with a leather sheath. I have carried it on my belt, in a pack and in the glove box of my car.

I have abused it, modified it and sharpened it (rarely, though). The knife will take just about anything that you can dish out and come through smiling.

You'll enjoy it and come to love it.

Mine:

IM000629.jpg


IM000609.jpg
Click to expand...


Thanks Steve, it's looks like you've used your's quite a bit, it may be just the camera angle or tomato juice but the bottom photo looks like you put a partially serrated blade edge on it, while the top pic looks like a full plain edge, either way those look like pretty thin slices for such a thick blade.

I hope you're right about it growing on me, the first thing I have to do is thin out the edge a bit for better slicing action, and the next is a new leather sheath, I don't like plastic or hard molded sheaths.
As it is now the blade has a serviceable edge for processing firewood, but won't whittle or shave wood worth a damned.

Thanks for the input and the pictures.
 
I've mentioned it before, I prefer the crewman.
Same thickness as BK7, 5.5" blade.
 
JLRider said:
I'm a sucker for big knives, I admit...I'm also a sucker for the combo of little knife+big knife(favorite is Mora #2+BK9)...I, just personally,don't care for medium(4-8 inch blades) knives in bushcraft...But, after handling the whole Becker line, I decided on the BK9 over the Companion(Originally was going for the BK2). Any clumsiness the BK9 has, which isn't a whole lot compared to other large knives, is justified by it's size whereas the BK2's turned me off...Plus, for all the longer the blade was, I didn't like the quarter inch thick. Sure it's good for chopping, but the BK9 outchops it's little brother any day of the week. Anything the BK9 is too big for, the Mora handles. Just my opinion =)
Click to expand...

Thanks, I also subscribe to the more than one tool theory, like many of us I have gotten used to having a neck knife on most of the time in the woods, and I also carry a stouter knife on my belt, for a nekker it's either a 5" old Fiskers or a new Mora #2 Carbon Classic.
For a belt knife, this season has seen me using (don't laugh) a Gerber Profile or a BG Ultimate Survival knife, I have higher end knives, but those two have been extremely good for my style of woodscrafting and both are comfortabe and well balanced in my hand, which is the reason why I'm apprehensive about the BK-2.
The other tool that's with me in my pack is my 9" folding saw, with those three tools I can do just about everything I'd need to do to survive or thrive in the woods, well, with the exception of building a log cabin. :4:
 
BK2 is an outstanding knife - I hope you get as much use and enjoyment from yours as I have from mine.
 
Use it for a month, and it will feel light as a feather. Your body, and mind will adjust.

Yes, its a beast and will take whatever you can dish out. Best of luck learning to love your new tool.
 
I am very happy with my BK2. I tend to carry my ESEE4 more since getting it. However the BK2 still gets used and I will be using it for many years to come. Hope yours serves you as well as mine has me.
Mike
 
If it fits you, fits your hand and is sized right, then you will find it an excellent and versatile tool.
I have tried an ESEE-4, and the feel of it was simply not right for my hands. my wife, on the other hand, loves it. The way a blade feels means a lot, and it takes a bit of trying before you can be sure about it.
 
GreyOne said:
If it fits you, fits your hand and is sized right, then you will find it an excellent and versatile tool.
I have tried an ESEE-4, and the feel of it was simply not right for my hands. my wife, on the other hand, loves it. The way a blade feels means a lot, and it takes a bit of trying before you can be sure about it.
Click to expand...
Ethan said in a video, that the knife starts with the handle. If it's not comfortable, the rest of it doesn't matter, or something to that effect.
 
I have had my BK-2 for about a year, and used the heck out of it .. It is a Great tool.

... But, as I am altering a bit of my kit/load-out, I have just within the last couple days committed, what will be considered by many to be an unpardonable sin (or at least a lapse of sanity) - I have traded my BK-2 for a "SOG Seal Pup" ..

Why? Well, the BK-2 is just a bit 'too much', for what I typically want/need to do .. And, I have always wanted to play around with a 'Seal Pup' (understanding that it is not the best design for a bushcraft knife) .. But, We'll see how it goes .. and, at the end of the day, my 'Carbon Eriksson Mora' pretty much handles everything I need to do.

One of these days I will finally work out a trade for a quality bushcraft knife (maybe the HB axe I got from Croatoan ??)

 
MtnManJoe said:
I have had my BK-2 for about a year, and used the heck out of it .. It is a Great tool.

... But, as I am altering a bit of my kit/load-out, I have just within the last couple days committed, what will be considered by many to be an unpardonable sin (or at least a lapse of sanity) - I have traded my BK-2 for a "SOG Seal Pup" ..

Why? Well, the BK-2 is just a bit 'too much', for what I typically want/need to do .. And, I have always wanted to play around with a 'Seal Pup' (understanding that it is not the best design for a bushcraft knife) .. But, We'll see how it goes .. and, at the end of the day, my 'Carbon Eriksson Mora' pretty much handles everything I need to do.

One of these days I will finally work out a trade for a quality bushcraft knife (maybe the HB axe I got from Croatoan ??)
Click to expand...


I went this same route also. I have a few Seal Pups and Elites. Everything about them says , " I'm not a bushcraft knife " , but in actual use ( at least in my hands) it turns out to be one of the best woods blades I own.

I love my BK-2 and have used it a lot , but the weight , thickness and grind just don't do it for me. It is the best short batonning knife out there and pretty indestructible , but for finer work which compromises most of bushcraft , I do not like it. Yeah , I've seen guys carves spoons and such with it but still , that's not it's forte.

Even as a stand-alone tool , I'd much rather have my BK 7 or Esee 6 . Slightly thinner , a little longer , and even lighter. I kind of look as my BK2 as a partner in the woodpile when I have a lot of splitting to do , like at camp. It's not a knife I take with me when I'm mobile walking through the woods.
 
I purchased a BK2 a while ago based soley on the widespread positive reviews it got on various knife and outdoor forums. After recieving it and taking it out one weekend to put it through its paces, I tossed it in a drawer and have not touched it since. :2:

Now, that's not to say its not a good knife, but it is a knife that is built to a very specific set of criteria that I just don't look for in a knife. Its a great prybar, splitting wedge, digging tool, and all around basher, but I don't look for any of those things in a knife, so its just not suited to my needs. I find it too heavy, to clumsy and not as effective at cutting and slicing as any number of other blades I own.

Obviously a lot of other people use their knives differently than I do, which is not mean either of us are wrong, just that we have different styles of outdoorsmanship. ;)
 
My BK2 rides in the truck with me about every day. It is beastly strong, yet pretty agile. I get a lot of use out of it simply because it is usually available if I stop and fix a bushcraft type lunch. If I am heading out for a hike or a camping trip, I may select a different knife or knives, but my BK2 has proven to be a real performer when I needed it.
 
Dutch253 said:
Well you know who will buy yours if you don't like it eh?
Click to expand...

Hey Dutch, I can't believe you didn't score one, what about Gunguy's BK, I thought it was still up for grabs ?

As for mine, I'm not sure if I'll keep it or not, it's in great shape, it feels good in my hand, but it is a bit thicker than I'm used to and not as well balanced as I'd like, I was hoping to get out with it this coming week and give it a try, But I hurt one of my knees in a fall about a week or so ago and the wife forbid me to go out on my crutches, especially in the woods to try it out until the doctor has given me the ok, it'll likely be another full week or so before that's going to happen, some people just don't understand that some things are worth the risk. :15:

Have a Christmas day, and hang in there, one will come along that's got your name on it sooner or later.
 
I think you will love the bk2 for most tasks. It is a brute. I just got mine a little while ago and love it with 1 reservation, carry a second thinner knife for carving,slicing. I still carry my ka bar classic as a team mate to the bk2. The bk 2 is great for some things, like chopping and batoning, but the thinner ka bar classic or other thinner knife is better at feather sticking.
 
chiltonm said:
I think you will love the bk2 for most tasks. It is a brute. I just got mine a little while ago and love it with 1 reservation, carry a second thinner knife for carving,slicing. I still carry my ka bar classic as a team mate to the bk2. The bk 2 is great for some things, like chopping and batoning, but the thinner ka bar classic or other thinner knife is better at feather sticking.
Click to expand...

Time will tell, all I can do right now is keep heftng it and try to convince myself that it'll grow on me.
I've been building a mental list of what I'd like to do to it to make it more appealing to my traditionalist lifestyle.
The convex edge needs some touching up but It's not bad, I'd like to have a nice set of wood scales replace the black composit factory handle, and it's for sure that I'll be making a new leather sheath for it, I don't like plastic, no matter what name they put on it.
I'm thinking that these mods will get rid of the Tacti-Cool flavor of the knife, save me work touching up the edge from wear caused by the glass embedded plastic sheath, plus, a set of rich wood scales and a natural brown leather sheath will take it out of the Ninja relm that some people seem to be so fearful of.

Like many here I'm not in the habit of going out with just one knife, actually I carry my Case Sodbuster all the time, and when I hit the woods I wear my neck knife, and I have a SAK on my EDC survival kit ('beaner on my belt), so a thinner blade for fine work is always near at hand, and I carry a folding saw in my pack, for a belt knife, it's usually what ever the mood dictates while I'm packing my kit.

But I'm keeping an open mind, we'll see how the testing goes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top