Coming this Spring - KA-BAR Becker BK40 Folder

OFFICIAL_KA-BAR said:
If Ethan's name is on a product he is intimately involved and familiar with it. He was very involved in this project, and while true he is not sitting at a desk designing on CAD, he works very closely with those that do. Ethan tested the folder out several times during development and has really liked it. I talk to Ethan 2-3 times every week for probably 3 hours a week and he is very involved in KA-BAR and Becker Knife & Tool, though he may not be as involved on Bladeforums as he used to be. Part of that is the rural area in Montana he now lives in and limited Internet access. He is really enjoying himself and is loving life - Montana really suits him. He has told me several times he wants to get back on BF, but he has kept himself so busy I think the virtual world tends to take a backseat for him.
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A lot of That is like poetry.... Thank you for sharing.
 
Been away from this forum for some time, spending far too much money on boom-sticks and 1911's.
It takes something pretty significant to get me stoked about a knife these days, so I was excited to see the title of this thread.
But I won't pile on and say what has been said by so many already in the last eleven pages.
I will politely say "no thank you", and move along....
 
Mass1632 said:
I doubt kabar is going to produce any folders stateside. They arent set up for it and i think it would cost them too much to set it up.

They presumably have good working relationships in china and taiwan and would have to move enough production stateside to cover the cost. But then theyd have to charge more.... i could keep going but its a rabbit hole.
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Here's my take, for whatever it's worth (which is every penny you paid for it). You're absolutely right that USA made folders from Kabar are likely not going to be a thing. But I also don't think it has to be USA made to be a good product.

I think the reaction here is based on two things. 1) made in China, and 2) low end materials. If this sells well enough to warrant a production move, here's what I'd propose is Kabar's best bet. Move production to Taiwan, and use G10 scales and D2 steel. Aim for the ~$60 price point.

Looking at the competition, Ontario and ESEE seem to be able to produce liner/frame lock knives with G10/CF scales, and D2 blades in Taiwan for around $50-60. The Taiwanese have great build quality, and the D2/G10 combo feels a lot more in line with Kabar quality. Whether it's produced in USA or not is not a make/break issue for many. It's the perceived budget construction based on the spec sheet.

I think had this been rolled out as a dual product line, with a base model in the ~$20-25 range (similar to the Dozier hunter), and then an upgraded model with D2 and G10 scales for $50-60 (both made in Taiwan) I think this would have gotten a much warmer reception and likely would have been the value knife of the year.
 
Perhaps let me do this, to piggy back onto my previous post.

Let's say that this new product rolled out as an Ethan Becker design, it has the same shape, same features, same exact design, but it is made in Taiwan, with D2 steel and G10 scales.

Would you buy one if those were the specs? Would you have received this product announcement more warmly?





I would buy at least one, and likely two.
 
19-3ben said:
Perhaps let me do this, to piggy back onto my previous post.

Let's say that this new product rolled out as an Ethan Becker design, it has the same shape, same features, same exact design, but it is made in Taiwan, with D2 steel and G10 scales.

Would you buy one if those were the specs? Would you have received this product announcement more warmly?





I would buy at least one, and likely two.
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Just made in Taiwan would get my interest .
 
19-3ben said:
Perhaps let me do this, to piggy back onto my previous post.

Let's say that this new product rolled out as an Ethan Becker design, it has the same shape, same features, same exact design, but it is made in Taiwan, with D2 steel and G10 scales.

Would you buy one if those were the specs? Would you have received this product announcement more warmly?





I would buy at least one, and likely two.
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Yep. Made in America is great but not a requirement. Taiwan is ok. China though - not a chance in hell.
 
Looks like the Knife Center has these for sale. Just ordered one.
 
I saw a video on it, bigger than I thought. BTW, where the hell ya been man, haha?
 
The Warrior said:
Looks like the Knife Center has these for sale. Just ordered one.
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Saw this post this afternoon. Went ahead and ordered one. It doesnt hurt to have a beater and its a becker so itll be fun to put it to the test. If its good enough for ethan, its good enough for me.
 
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I bought this knife to support Ethan and KA-BAR. It isn’t bad, but I really have no use for another budget folder so it doesn’t do anything for me. Still, it has an undeniable Becker feel to it. Be careful with relocating the wire clip, it’s easy to overtighten. Also, this kinda sucks...

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Dang. You got that fast. Preorder maybe. I noticed the china on the spine in the vid warrior posted. Really not sure how i feel about the location. I dont have a use for another budget folder either but its nice to support ethan.

thanks for the tip about the clip!
 
Lucky Ethan...wish I could get away from the virtual world lol. Great to hear he’s doing well!
Man, I can grind that China mark off in about 2 seconds haha!
Loved Bladite‘s post. Glad to see you all still hangin in here.
I’ll prob snag one of these just to do it.
 
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