- Joined
- Apr 21, 2012
- Messages
- 1,138
Although there is no shortage of user info on the 16 (or heck any Becker) on this forum I figured I'll pitch in my two cents as well. I've had my Bk-16 since August and I feel like I've put it through a reasonable variety of abuse so far, but I plan on adding more to this review as we get into winter and eventually spring.
Out of the Box:
This knife held true to the Becker norms, decently sharp out of the box, and requiring some minor scale adjustment to re-align them with the tang. For more info see my unboxing thread HERE
Fire Building:
-Splitting wood
Although this is one of the "smaller" Beckers the 4 3/8" blade is long and robust enough to handle moderately sized branches with ease (further facilitated by the FFG version in my opinion). When building a fire I prefer to use small split kindling as opposed to twigs (they light quicker in my experience)
-Chopping and Bucking
Due to the small size of the knife any serious processing of larger pieces of wood is best left to larger blades, It can do some very light chopping but it doesn't have the requisite forward weight or length for any real chopping. This being said this knife is well paired with a larger knife or an axe.
-Feather sticks and tinder making
With a little time on the stone, strop, or system; the 16 takes a hair popping edge quite well, and given the skills needed it can make a very fine feather stick. Additionally it is quite handy for gathering dry grasses and fatwood where a larger knife requires a little more user dexterity.
-Shooting Sparks
The only edge you could use to strike a ferro rod with from the factory is the cutting edge which is undesirable for obvious reasons. With a little work from a file you could square off a section of the spine quite easily.
Game processing and Cooking:
-Gutting/skinning
It'll get the job done fine but you have to be pretty careful with it. I prefer a smaller blade especially for the small game that I processed with it (some grey and red squirrels) Might be easier to use for larger game but It would still require a careful hand you have more blade than you think when you're in tight.
-Food Prep
This has become my go to camp kitchen knife (and kinda my go to kitchen knife when I'm home too) it slices very well and does a good job with veggies and fruits. its pretty Ideally sized for most tasks, just enough blade for most things and not so much that you feel like your running out of cutting board (I usually split a slab off of some firewood and use it as a cutting board for the weekend when I'm camping)
Carving and Crafts:
-Utensils
I turned out a decent spatula and spoon on a trip late September but I think that they got hucked into the fire or "borrowed"
-Bowls Cups etc.
(Coming Soon)
-Other Crafts
(also coming soon)
Quality:
-Durability
Overall a very use/abuse able knife seems like it just eats up whatever I throw at it. The edge retention is decent (as are all the 1095cv knives) and the coating was tough as nails (took a while to strip it off)
-Attention to detail
For a mass produced knife it was excellent, the grind is symmetrical, coating was even, and judging by how it sharpens, the temper is very even.
-Value
I bought mine online for ~$70 and In my opinion worth every cent. For under 70 dollars you're getting a well made knife, two sets of scales and an above average sheath.
Pro's and Con's
-Pro
Well Made
Fairly Priced
Versatile
Durable
Good Edge Retention
-Con
Rough Coating
Thin Handle
Overall Rating:
-5/5, 9.5/10
The only real issue I had (and I understand a lot of other Beckerheads had) was the thinness of the handles and that Is pretty easily fixed with liners or custom scales.
My Current Setup:
knocked out a quickie leather sheath and Blued the blade (not the prettiest thing but It works)
Out of the Box:
This knife held true to the Becker norms, decently sharp out of the box, and requiring some minor scale adjustment to re-align them with the tang. For more info see my unboxing thread HERE
Fire Building:
-Splitting wood
Although this is one of the "smaller" Beckers the 4 3/8" blade is long and robust enough to handle moderately sized branches with ease (further facilitated by the FFG version in my opinion). When building a fire I prefer to use small split kindling as opposed to twigs (they light quicker in my experience)
-Chopping and Bucking
Due to the small size of the knife any serious processing of larger pieces of wood is best left to larger blades, It can do some very light chopping but it doesn't have the requisite forward weight or length for any real chopping. This being said this knife is well paired with a larger knife or an axe.
-Feather sticks and tinder making
With a little time on the stone, strop, or system; the 16 takes a hair popping edge quite well, and given the skills needed it can make a very fine feather stick. Additionally it is quite handy for gathering dry grasses and fatwood where a larger knife requires a little more user dexterity.
-Shooting Sparks
The only edge you could use to strike a ferro rod with from the factory is the cutting edge which is undesirable for obvious reasons. With a little work from a file you could square off a section of the spine quite easily.
Game processing and Cooking:
-Gutting/skinning
It'll get the job done fine but you have to be pretty careful with it. I prefer a smaller blade especially for the small game that I processed with it (some grey and red squirrels) Might be easier to use for larger game but It would still require a careful hand you have more blade than you think when you're in tight.
-Food Prep
This has become my go to camp kitchen knife (and kinda my go to kitchen knife when I'm home too) it slices very well and does a good job with veggies and fruits. its pretty Ideally sized for most tasks, just enough blade for most things and not so much that you feel like your running out of cutting board (I usually split a slab off of some firewood and use it as a cutting board for the weekend when I'm camping)
Carving and Crafts:
-Utensils
I turned out a decent spatula and spoon on a trip late September but I think that they got hucked into the fire or "borrowed"
-Bowls Cups etc.
(Coming Soon)
-Other Crafts
(also coming soon)
Quality:
-Durability
Overall a very use/abuse able knife seems like it just eats up whatever I throw at it. The edge retention is decent (as are all the 1095cv knives) and the coating was tough as nails (took a while to strip it off)
-Attention to detail
For a mass produced knife it was excellent, the grind is symmetrical, coating was even, and judging by how it sharpens, the temper is very even.
-Value
I bought mine online for ~$70 and In my opinion worth every cent. For under 70 dollars you're getting a well made knife, two sets of scales and an above average sheath.
Pro's and Con's
-Pro
Well Made
Fairly Priced
Versatile
Durable
Good Edge Retention
-Con
Rough Coating
Thin Handle
Overall Rating:
-5/5, 9.5/10
The only real issue I had (and I understand a lot of other Beckerheads had) was the thinness of the handles and that Is pretty easily fixed with liners or custom scales.
My Current Setup:
knocked out a quickie leather sheath and Blued the blade (not the prettiest thing but It works)
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