Becker BK7 & BK13 combo (picture heavy..as usual)

[Graham_S]

Any Idea how difficult the coating is to remove?
And are the micarta scales available?
I could see myself picking up the survival version (£3 for an extra 2" of blade), cleaning off the coating and fitting scales.

 

[British Red]

Personally I hope they start making the Brute again. That was a great big handful of knife that just sort of worked. I don't have many really large knives but its odd how many people have offered to buy that one off me!

 

[Hoodoo]

Any Idea how difficult the coating is to remove?
And are the micarta scales available?
I could see myself picking up the survival version (£3 for an extra 2" of blade), cleaning off the coating and fitting scales.

I don't think they have micarta scales available yet. Be interesting to see what kind of scales Kabar will offer.

I've never removed the coating from a Becker but I've done quite a few other knives. I use paint stripper. That does a pretty good job. Just do repeat applications until it's done.

I don't know if you get it over there but Citristrip works pretty darn good.

 

[Mistwalker]

Do some choping with it...lol, look at the pics that seems to wear it off ok. A lot of people strip them, they say it is fairly easy.


I like the looks of the BK2, I want to try one out some day.


When I wrote to Ka-Bar I was told the micarta scales should be available next month.


I also mentioned the Brute, never had one but looks to be an awesome large blade but with a very useable tip also.


Here a just a few quick pics from this evening of some tip work with the BK-7 boring a hole through some seasoned Hickory, and then some firecraft with the BK-13.

The tip handled boring a penny sized hole through this piece of seasoned Hickory, which is rough 5/8 inch thick, very well and showed no signes of wear or edge reduction

The BK-13 handled making fatwood shavings and shavings from a Sycamore limb very well and the spine is "square" and sharp enough to scrape fine fatwood powder with. So far this little knife handles well for it's size. I think it will be quite a handy little tool to have along.

 

[Trackerman]

Thanx for this review! You create very interesting threads although it´s about type of knives that I don´t use anymore, but still informative. A question, can these knives create a very fine fuzzstick made out of for example sprucetree? A fuzzstick that can catch a spark from a firesteel and ignite?

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanx for this review! You create very interesting threads although it´s about type of knives that I don´t use anymore, but still informative. A question, can these knives create a very fine fuzzstick made out of for example sprucetree? A fuzzstick that can catch a spark from a firesteel and ignite?

I don't know...not sure I can make one...There is just so much fatwood here that it has become my usual method...I guess I need to climb outside that box for a while and see.

 

[British Red]

Thanx for this review! You create very interesting threads although it´s about type of knives that I don´t use anymore, but still informative. A question, can these knives create a very fine fuzzstick made out of for example sprucetree? A fuzzstick that can catch a spark from a firesteel and ignite?

Yup. I can do that with the Becker Brute (9" blade) so I can't see an reason why it won't work with the smaller versions.

Red

 

[Trackerman]

Yup. I can do that with the Becker Brute (9" blade) so I can't see an reason why it won't work with the smaller versions.

Red

Impressive!

 

[British Red]

You can do it easily with a Cegga axe too!

 

[Mistwalker]

You can do it easily with a Cegga axe too!

Think I'm gonna need you to post some pics of this

 

[British Red]

Its really not that hard. A sharp edge is a sharp edge. I may well be wrong but I'm convinced I did this one with an axe

I'm pretty convinced because although the curls are thin, they are wide.

I remember when I tested out the precision field knife I wanted to make the "Kochanski test" (based on the number of circles) of a proper feather fit on the head of a match

However if anyone is up for a bet (money to go to Teenage Cancer Trust) I'm willing to repeat the "axe feathering" it in front of Lou1661 or Bushwacker Bob


Anyone up for a bet?

Red

 

[Graham_S]

No bet, I passed time during an offshore job making feathersticks out of toothpicks with a benchmade griptillian.
Good job it made too.

 

[British Red]

Its one of those "sad" practice things huh?

As they say - its all in the wrist

 

[Mistwalker]

I am familiar with making shavings...some thinner than others...with fatwood,

where I run into problems is in trying to leave them attached to the stick.

I don't think I have figured out the right angle and pressure combination, probably because I haven't had to yet but I'd like to learn the technique as I may not always be in this location....and circumstances can change

 

[British Red]

There are a few tricks. The first is to make a "stop". I do this by taking off two or three thick shavings to a point and levering my wrist up at a point to stop the knife sliding off the end.

Then Oh ...hell.... how do I explain? Its about ""lock" your wrist, Its a planing cut. Use your knife like a plane. When showing people I call it a "push cut". Don't slice, PUSH. On a scndy ground knife its easy. Lay the bevel on the wood, tilt an infinitessimal amount and push gently so you skim the surface of the wood,

The amount you lift is the thickness of the shaving. A zero ground knife works a dream. lay the bevel on and slide. Lift a tiny tiny amount till the edge bites. You can't see it, you feel it. Then gently push. The tiny curls just slide off.

They have to be hair thin to light with a spark.

I really wish I could photograph this - but I can't. Come over to the high chalk one day Mistwalker and I'll have you doing it in half an hour.

Eventually you learn to point the blade up and down to curl the wood left and right to make tight clusters. Drop a spark into a cluster of hair thin curls (and I mean that thin) and they catch, Its as good as your first fire drill moment!

The big trick (with any feather) is to get two to three tight concentric circles of wood on a single feather. Thats thin enough.

I find messing up the living room carpet for a few weeks does it usually!

Red

 

[Mistwalker]

Ok, since it is the current topic…and a new area of study for me… I did a little practice at making fuzz sticks. Now…don’t fall out of any chairs and hurt yourselves laughing…you have to remember I am an American, and that I have a thing for tactical knives. I decided if I was going to try this I wanted to try it with a smaller knife first. I didn’t do so good with the push cut…but I did get a little better results with a draw cut because it is a more familiar technique used in my woodworking. I’ll practice more on the push cut later and getting them thinner. This is a piece of Maple, a piece of Elm (I think), and a piece of Sycamore. Now that I have put another knife in this thread twice now I suppose I am obligated to do it with the Beckers now eh.

 

[Mistwalker]

Ok...I didn't ask you not to laugh at all... or to not tell me I'm not there yet (which actually I already know) I just said don't laugh so hard you hurt yourselves. You can feel free to critique...I take constructive criticism pretty well, and my feelings aren't all that easily hurt .

 

[British Red]

They look okay - for most firelighting they will work just fine - all a fuzzy is is a way of producing thin, dry wood that required little energy to release pyrolising gas and ignite. It accelerates the chain reaction of the fire starting exothermic release.

I think there is a way to go before they are fine enough to light with a spark - but the middle one is getting there. Try to get three complete "curls" of wood on each shaving. The knife needs to be very sharp as what you are doing is "planing" the wood - just like a carpenters plane. Alternate the cuts with the knife tip pointing up and down and the curls will bend off left and right.

A zero ground knife (with no secondary bevel) is ideal for the purpose

Red

 

[Mistwalker]

They look okay - for most firelighting they will work just fine - all a fuzzy is is a way of producing thin, dry wood that required little energy to release pyrolising gas and ignite. It accelerates the chain reaction of the fire starting exothermic release.

I think there is a way to go before they are fine enough to light with a spark - but the middle one is getting there. Try to get three complete "curls" of wood on each shaving. The knife needs to be very sharp as what you are doing is "planing" the wood - just like a carpenters plane. Alternate the cuts with the knife tip pointing up and down and the curls will bend off left and right.

A zero ground knife (with no secondary bevel) is ideal for the purpose

Red

I'll keep practicing. Think maybe I'll give it a go with that little knife I bought from Magnussen, it is zero ground. I did a little of it today with the BK7...not the greatest job at it yet but I'll get it.Think I need to practice on softer woods. The trouble is I have never been the best with a plane, I think I always try to remove too much at once with one...although I could see a use for one in a primitive situation now lol.

 

[Graham_S]

I keep a pencil sharpener in my pouch for those days when I just can't get the curls fine enough.
works wonderfully